Class information including notes, labs and other activities will be posted to the class Team on Microsoft Teams.
Additional information can be found on the class website at:
BarlowAcademy.com
This course is designed as a comprehensive introduction to mechanics, wave motion and sound, electricity and magnetism, optics and modern physics. Problem solving strategies and quantification are stressed throughout.
Grading
Grades are
broken down into two categories: formative and summative assessments. The value
or weight of any assignment is determined by the point value given to that
assignment. Your grade is calculated by totaling the points earned for the
quarter, and dividing by the total possible points. Summative assessments,
consisting of both multiple choice and long answer questions, are graded
numerically and will count toward the average in the course. Formative
assessments will be either be scored or simply checked for completion. These
formative assessments are used to prepare you for your summative assessments
and your scores will be considered when completing the THS Behavioral Expectations
Matrix.
A copy of the course syllabus can be found here.
Course Outline
Unit - 1: "Understanding Motion" is the study of objects in motion. Students will learn how to describe motion using qualitative, quantitative, and graphical methods. This unit includes both one and two dimensional motion.
Unit - 2: "Dynamics" is the study of forces and their effects on solid bodies. Students will learn about Newton's Laws of Motion, how to use vectors to create free-body diagrams, the effects of friction, and the behavior of objects on inclines. Additional sub-units will focus on forces due to Universal Gravitation, circular motion, and springs.
Unit - 3: "Momentum/Energy" is the study of how objects interact with one another and how energy flows in conservative systems. The Laws of Conservation of Energy and Conservation of Momentum provide the ultimate connection between all of the units for the first semester of the course. This unit will also cover thermal energy.
Unit - 4: "Waves and Sound" is the study of energy transport without the transport of mass. The unit has two major divisions: mechanical and electromagnetic waves. Students will first be exposed to the various phenomena that waves exhibit as they pass through mediums and interact with one another (mechanical waves); then they will study the electromagnetic spectrum and the manner in which electromagnetic waves travel and interact with matter.
Unit – 5: “Light and Optics” is the study of the behavior of light as it passes from one material into another and the interactions of light with lenses and mirrors.
Unit - 6: "Electricity and Magnetism" is the study of systems in which unbalanced charges create a flow of energy. Students will learn about elementary charge, charge conservation, electrostatic forces, electric fields, potentials, circuits, and the production of magnetic fields. A sub-unit explains the extremely important phenomenon of electromagnetic induction.
Unit - 7: "Modern Physics" is the study of the inception of quantum physics and the dual nature of light and matter. Students will learn about photons and how they interact with atoms to absorb and emit energy. They will also be introduced to the Standard Model, which comprises the current understanding of the Universe as seen by today's physicists.