Physics Course Syllabus
Course Description
This course is designed to have students obtain a strong background for college
physics and will build upon the concepts taught in pre-calculus. It is writing intensive
and lab intensive and the assignments will require considerable time outside of class to
complete. Assignments that require additional time outside of class include: laboratory
reports, laboratory data analysis, problem sets, quarterly reviews, reading assignments,
and additional projects
Laboratory Format
Students are required to purchase a composition notebook that will serve as their
lab notebook for the year. All lab handouts will be copied into this notebook with the
following headings: title, purpose, materials with safety codes, procedures, data tables,
graphs, data analysis, calculations, and conclusions. Data analysis will include statistics
such as standard deviation, relative standard deviation, linear regression and confidence
intervals. All data reported and calculations performed must obey significant digit rules.
Formal lab reports will be required on various labs each quarter even though the entire
lab was written in the lab notebook. All labs listed in this syllabus are performed by
each student in lab pairs so try not to miss school on the day that a lab is performed as
you will have to come after school to make it up. A pre-lab is required to be done before
each lab and is due at the beginning of the class that the lab will take place during.
Computer programs that are used in lab are already installed on the computers in the lab
and cannot be taken home for student use because this violates the license for the
software. Computer programs used in lab that are written by the teacher will be posted
on the teacher web site and can be downloaded only by students in the Physics class.
Assignments and Assessments
Each unit will have at least one problem set that needs to be turned in on the
assigned date and a reading assignment will be due at the beginning of each unit. At least
one quiz will be given for each unit and a formal test will be given at the end. At the end
of each quarter, a review will be due which will include concepts that were discussed
during that quarter.
ODE Objectives:
• Identify questions and concepts that guide scientific investigations;
• Design and conduct scientific investigations;
• Use technology and mathematics to improve investigations and communications;
• Formulate and revise explanations and models using logic and evidence (critical
thinking);
• Recognize and analyze explanations and models; and
• Communicate and support a scientific argument.
Required Texts
Raymond A. Serway and Jerry S. Faughn, “Holt Physics”, Holt, Rinehart and
Winston, Austin, TX, 2002.
Unit I: Mathematics in Physics
A. Review of basic geometry
B. Review of basic trigonometry
C. Definition of a limit
D. Review of the metric system
G. Statistical analysis including standard deviation, relative standard deviation,
and linear regression
E. Graphing
F. Precision and accuracy
G. Using the graphic calculator
H. Significant digits
Lab: Graphing the motion of a robot. (75 minutes)
Unit II: Kinematics
ODE Objectives:
• Graph interpretations
Position vs. time
Velocity vs. time
Acceleration vs. time
• Problem solving
Using graphs (average velocity, instantaneous velocity, acceleration,
displacement, change in velocity)
Uniform acceleration including free fall (initial velocity, final velocity, time,
displacement, acceleration, average velocity)
A. Displacement
B. Motion in one and two dimensions
C. Speed and velocity
D. Acceleration
E. Uniform acceleration and the five equations for it
F. Graphing motion
G. Free fall motion
H. Projectile motion
Lab: Using the Go Motion detectors to graph various motions (50 minutes)
Lab: The acceleration of gravity using a digital camera and a frictionless incline
(75 minutes)
Project: Egg Drop Contest
Unit III: Vectors
ODE Objectives:
• Projectiles
Independence of horizontal and vertical motion
Problem-solving involving horizontally launched projectiles
A. Drawing scaled vectors and understanding vector components
B. Vector addition by parallelogram method
C. Vector addition by standard positions method
D. Differentiating between vector and scalar quantities
E. Vector subtraction
F. Scalar multiplication
Lab: Force Vectors (75 minutes)
Lab: Displacement and coordinate systems (50 minutes)
Project: Calibrating the servo motors in a robot
Unit IV: Newton’s Laws
ODE Objectives:
Forces, momentum and motion
• Newton’s laws applied to complex problems
• Gravitational force and fields
• Elastic forces
• Friction force (static and kinetic)
• Air resistance and drag
• Forces in two dimensions
Adding vector forces
Motion down inclines
Centripetal forces and circular motion
A. Newton’s three laws of motion
B. Differentiating between mass and weight
C. Normal and friction forces
D. Pulleys
E. Inclined planes
F. Tension forces
G. Uniform circular motion
H. Newtonian Gravity
Lab: Investigating terminal velocity (75 minutes)
Project: Using EEPROM to program a robot to perform various navigational
tasks
Unit V: Work, Energy, and Power
ODE Objectives:
Energy
• Gravitational potential energy
• Energy in springs
• Nuclear energy
• Work and power
• Conservation of energy
A. Work
B. Kinetic energy
C. Work-Energy theorem
D. Potential energy
E. Conservation of mechanical energy
F. Energy bar graphs
G. Power
H. Uses and production of nuclear energy
I. Presentation from the Navy
Lab: Energy conservation and bouncing balls (75 minutes)
Project: Making a trebuchet
Unit VI: Linear Momentum
ODE Objectives:
Forces, momentum and motion
• Momentum, impulse and conservation of momentum
A. Impulse
B. Conservation of linear momentum
C. Collisions
D. Center of mass
Lab: Conservation of momentum on an air table (75 minutes)
Project: Programming a robot to navigate through a maze using whiskers
Unit VII: Rotational Motion
A. Rotational Kinematics
B. Translating the five linear motion equations into their rotational equivalent
equations
C. Rotational Dynamics
D. Torque
E. Rotational Inertia
F. Kinetic energy and rotation
G. Rotational work and power
H. Angular momentum
I. Conservation of angular momentum
J. Translational and rotational equilibrium
K. Statics in two dimensions
Lab: Static Structures (50 minutes)
Project: Bridge Building Contest
Unit XI: Electric Forces and Fields
ODE Objectives:
Electricity and Magnetism
• Charging objects (friction, contact and induction)
• Coulomb’s law
A. Electric charge
B. Coulomb’s Law
C. Superposition
D. Electric fields
E. Conductors and insulators
Lab: Investigating electric charge (50 minutes)
Lab: Investigating conductors and insulators (50 minutes)
Project: Designing and building a charge-storing device
Unit XII: Electric Potential and Capacitance
ODE Objectives:
Electricity and Magnetism
• Electric fields and electric potential energy
A. Electric potential energy
B. Electric potential
C. Electric potential in a uniform electric field
D. Deriving the field from the potential [C]
E. Capacitance
F. Combinations of capacitors
G. Dielectrics
Lab: Capacitors in DC circuits (Steady state) (75 minutes)
Project: Using an RC circuit with a photoresistor to program a light sensitive
robot to follow a flashlight beam
Unit XIII: Direct Current Circuits
ODE Objectives:
Electricity and Magnetism
• DC circuits
Ohm’s law
Series circuits
Parallel circuits
Mixed circuits
Applying conservation of charge and energy (junction and loop rules)
A. Electric current
B. Resistance
C. Electric circuits
D. Circuit analysis
E. Kirchhoff’s Rules
F. Electrical energy and power
G. Combinations of resistors
H. Circuit schematics
I. Multiple battery circuits
J. RC circuits-charging and discharging
Lab: Resistors in DC circuits (Steady state) (75 minutes)
Lab: Designing a telegraph (50 minutes)
Lab: Designing a circuit with a motor, LED’s, and a more than one battery (50
minutes)
Lab: RC circuits (50 minutes)
Lab: A simple digital circuit.
Unit XIV: Magnetic Forces and Fields
ODE Objectives:
Electricity and Magnetism
• Magnetic fields and energy
A. Magnetic force on a moving charge
B. Magnetic force on a current carrying wire
C. Magnetic fields created by current-carrying wires
D. Magnetic fields of a solenoid
Lab: Making a simple electromagnet
Unit XV: Electromagnetic Induction
ODE Objectives:
Electricity and Magnetism
• Electromagnetic interactions
A. Motional EMF
B. Faraday’s Law of Electromagnetic Induction
C. Magnetic Flux
D. Lenz’s Law
Lab: Investigating motors and generators.
Unit XVI: Waves
A. Transverse traveling waves
B. Wave speed on a stretched string
C. Mathematical description of a traveling wave
D. Superposition of waves
E. Standing waves
F. Sound waves and harmonics
G. Sound level and beats
H. Resonance for sound waves
I. The Doppler Effect for sound and light
Project: Programming a robot to make music digitally
Class Lab: Observing musical timbre using a digital oscilloscope
Unit XVII: Optics
ODE Objectives:
Waves
• Wave properties
Conservation of energy
Wave – particle duality of light
Reflection
Refraction
Interference
Diffraction
• Light phenomena
Ray diagrams (propagation of light)
Law of reflection (equal angles)
Snell’s law
Diffraction patterns
Visible spectrum and color
A. The electromagnetic spectrum
B. Interference and diffraction
C. Young’s double-slit interference experiment
D. Single aperture diffraction
E. Reflection and refraction
F. Dispersion of light
G. Mirrors and calculations for mirrors
H. Ray tracing for mirrors
I. Thin lenses and calculations for thin lenses
J. Ray tracing for lenses
Lab: Lenses and mirrors (50 minutes)
Lab: Finding the index of refraction of laser light in various materials (50
minutes)
Lab: Investigating prisms (50 minutes)
Computer Lab: Investigating colors (25 minutes)
Project: Using IR sensors to program a robot to navigate through various terrain
obstacles
Unit XIX: Fluid Mechanics
A. Density
B. Pressure
C. Hydrostatic pressure
D. Buoyancy
E. Flow rate and the continuity equation
F. Bernoulli’s equation
G. Torricelli’s Theorem
H. The Bernoulli Effect
Lab: Investigating flow rates and distances (50 minutes)
Lab: Investigating hydraulics (25 minutes)
Lab: Investigating buoyancy (25 minutes)
Lab: Investigating viscosity (25 minutes)
Project: Building an airplane