Physics – Things you should be able to do
Fall Semester 2014
Experimental Design
 Identify factors that affect the period of a pendulum and explain how they affect the period
 Analyze and interpret data obtained from a pendulum experiment
 Predict and compare periods of pendulums knowing their characteristics
 Recognize the need and purpose for multiple trials in data collection
 Recognize the need and purpose for testing a sufficient range of independent variable values
 Identify variables in an experimental situation…independent, dependent, controls
 Be able to represent variables graphically (determine what goes where on the graph)
 Identify sources of error in an experimental situation
 Suggest ways to control/minimize the effects of sources of error to improve an experiment
 Write good/appropriate experimental questions
 Interpret slope and intercept information from a set of data…specific meaning and units
 Write an equation for a linear set of data and use that equation to determine values outside the given range
of data
Motion with Constant Velocity
 Explain what it means to be moving
 Distinguish between distance and displacement
 Distinguish between speed and velocity
 Given a graph write an equation to represent the position of an object moving with constant velocity and
vice-versa
 Determine the slope for a position vs. time graph and interpret its meaning
 Determine the vertical intercept of a position vs. time graph and interpret its meaning
 Given a graph, describe the motion represented (could be position or velocity graphs)
 Given a description of motion, sketch a graph to represent it (position and/or velocity)
 Given a position graph, sketch a corresponding velocity graph
 Given a velocity graph, sketch a corresponding position graph
 Given position and/or velocity graphs of multiple moving objects, compare and contrast the motions
represented.
 Use information from a position-time graph to determine: location, distance traveled, displacement, speed
and direction of motion
 Use information from a velocity-time graph to determine: distance traveled, displacement, speed and
direction of motion
 Calculate average speed (given information could be given in numbers or graphic form)
 Calculate average velocity (given information could be given in numbers or graphic form)
Motion with Constant Acceleration
 Explain what it means to be accelerating (Three things can happen!)
 Determine the slope for a velocity vs. time graph and interpret its meaning
 Given a graph, describe the motion represented (could be position, velocity or acceleration graphs)
 Given a description of motion, sketch a graph to represent it (position, velocity or acceleration vs. time)
 Given one type of motion graph (position, velocity or acceleration) sketch the other corresponding graphs
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Given motion graphs of multiple moving objects, compare and contrast the motions represented.
Use information in the form of motion graphs, quantitatively determine: location, distance traveled,
displacement, speed, direction of motion, and acceleration.
Use the equations of motion to solve problems for unknown quantities.
Newton’s Laws and Forces
 Explain how inertia affects objects at rest and objects in motion at a constant speed (1st Law)
 Identify forces that act on objects in motion at a constant speed and objects at rest (1st Law)
 Recognize the equivalence of mass and inertia
 Describe the relationship between mass and acceleration when constant force is applied (2nd Law)
 Describe the relationship between force and acceleration when the mass in question remains unchanged
(2nd Law)
 Apply Newton’s second law in problem solving situations
 Differentiate between mass and weight
 Identify, analyze, and compare action/reaction pairs of forces in a given situation (3rd Law)
 Recognize that action-reaction pairs always act on only two objects (ex. If the action is bat hits ball, the
reaction is ball hits bat) (3rd Law)
 Given an demo/situation, explain what is happening in terms of Newton’s three laws
 Provide examples that illustrate Newton’s three laws
 Draw labeled free body diagrams that show the correct direction and relative magnitudes of forces
 Write ƩF equations for the horizontal and vertical directions for a given situation
 Explain and describe the nature of frictional forces and the factors that influence it
 Differentiate between kinetic and static friction
 Calculate the coefficient of kinetic or static friction
 Solve problems involving the use of Newton’s laws and friction
Projectile motion
 Explain what it means to be a projectile; provide examples and/or recognize things that are not projectiles
 Recognize the independence of horizontal and vertical motion and use this understanding to analyze
projectile motion
 Break down velocities of projectiles fired at angles into components for analysis purposes
 Make qualitative analysis and comparisons of projectile motions
 Qualitatively describe the relationships between launch angle and other characteristics of projectile
motion (range, max height, time in air)
 Qualitatively describe the relationships between launch speed and other characteristics of projectile
motion
 Solve Projectile problems: horizontal launch or launched at angle
Circular Motion and Gravity
 Distinguish between the concepts of centripetal and tangential
 Associate centripetal accelerations with changes in direction
 Solve problems involving centripetal acceleration and centripetal force
 Identify forces in common situations that act centripetally (ie. Gravity in the case of an orbiting satellite)
 Interpret or create diagrams illustrating the directions of acceleration, speed and net force for circular
motion
 Analyze how changes in mass or distance influence the strength of gravitational force (proportional
reasoning)
 Solve problems requiring manipulation of the universal gravitation equation
 Solve problems that require the gravitational force to be equated to the centripetal force
 Calculate the value of gravitational field strength g for a given distance from a known mass