Physics Final Exam Study Guide
General things to study in all topics: units for variables, relationships between the variables in the equations,
what equations should be used to solve problems from each unit, etc....
Unit 1- Kinematics
- Define motion
- Define acceleration
- Acceleration ticker tape
- position vs. time graph
- calculations (initial velocity, final velocity, acceleration, time, displacement, etc...)
Unit 2- Vectors and Projectiles
- rules for adding vectors
- vector vs. scalar quantities
- determine magnitude and direction of a vector
- determine vertical and horizontal components of a projectile launched at an angle
- describe horizontal and vertical velocity changes of a projectile during its path
- calculations (horizontal displacement, vertical displacement, time of projectile's path, acceleration, etc...)
Unit 3- Forces and Newton's Laws
- Define force
- Define inertia
- Describe the difference between mass and weight
- Describe the force of the collision between two objects in opposite motion
- Describe the acceleration of two objects that collide
- Define friction
- Describe the forces acting on a object at an incline
- calculations (force, mass, acceleration, net force, applied force, frictional force, etc...)
Unit 4- Circular Motion and Gravitation
- What are the different forces that can act as centripetal forces?
- On a diagram showing centripetal motion, where is centripetal acceleration vector located? velocity vector?
centripetal force vector?
- What are the characteristics of centripetal force?
- calculations (gravitational force, centripetal force, centripetal acceleration, velocity, etc....)
Unit 5- Work/Power/ Energy/Momentum
- Force vs. Elongation graph for a spring
- roller coaster/free fall in a vacuum
- Ug and KE of a pendulum
- calculations (work, power, kinetic energy, gravitational potential energy, etc...)
- determine which object has greatest momentum based on mass and velocity
- define impulse
- how did cradling the egg during the egg toss affect its momentum?
- define conservation of momentum and know how to use it in calculations
- calculations (momentum, mass, velocity, etc...)
Unit 6- Electric Circuits
- define charge, current, resistance, and voltage
- Ohm’s law and power
- calculations (series, parallel, and combination circuits)
- AC vs. DC
- What type of circuit (series or parallel) has the least resitance?
- What type of circuit has the most resistance?
Unit 7- Electricity and Magnetism
- What is the fundamental charge?
- What type of charge results when an object loses electrons? gains?
- calculate resultant charge when 2 charged conductors are objects of different chares are brought into contact
- Coulomb’s law (force between two charges)
- define electric field and know how to calculate: field due to a point charge, and field between two plates
- define electric potential (energy per unit _________)
- define electric potential energy (energy of a charge based on its _________ in space)
- Name and describe three methods of charging an object. Do the objects acquire the same or opposite charges?
- describe electromagnetic induction
- How does the induced voltage in a generator depend on the number of coils of wire? on the speed of rotation/
rate of change of magnetic field cutting the loop?
- What is a transformer? Name two types of transformers and their effects on current and voltage.
Unit 8- Waves
- sound travels fastest through _______ and slowest through _______.
- light travels fastest through _______ and slowest through _______.
- determine which way a light ray will bend when changing media
- know relationships between transverse, longitudinal, mechanical, electromagnetic, and examples
- define frequency, amplitude, wavelength, period, speed of a wave
- define reflection, refraction, diffraction, and interference
- distinguish between constructive and destructive interference
- What is a longitudinal wave? What are some examples?
- What is a transverse wave? What are some examples?
- identify the parts of a wave
- identify the angle of incidence and the angle of reflection
- be able to read ray diagrams and predict where a ray will reflect
- know the difference between specular and diffuse reflection
- Doppler effect (apparent pitch/frequency ________ as an object approaches and _______ as it recedes)
- calculations (speed, wavelength, frequency, etc.)