Download physics college preparatory syllabus

Physics Course Syllabus
Physics Toolkit
Topics:
Lab Activities :
Significant Digits, Scientific Notation, Graphing
Powers of Ten
Density measurements using a Micrometer & Vernier
Discover Pi Set and Physical meaning of the slope
Representing Motion
Topics:
Lab Activities:
Speed, Velocity, Distance, Displacement, Average Speed,
Average Velocity Position-Time Graphs, Vectors , Scalars
Graphical Analysis
Finding Position &Velocity using a Motion Sensor
Computer Simulations using Interactive Physics
Accelerated Motion
Topics:
Lab Activities:
Constant Acceleration, Kinematic Equations
Free Fall
Acceleration due to Gravity using Photogates
Interactive Physics Simulation
Forces in One Dimension
Topics:
Forces, Newton’s Laws, Mass vs. Weight,
Free body Diagram, Concept of net Force, Forces in an Elevator
Lab:
Newton’s Second Law – Tug of War
Elevator Lab
Acceleration Down an Incline
Forces in Two Dimensions
Topics:
Vectors, Vector Resolution, Graphical method of Adding Vectors,
Friction, Coefficient of Friction
Lab Activities:
Newton’s Second Law: Acceleration of a Dynamics cart
Straightening of Curves
Motion in Two Dimensions
Topics:
Projectile Motion, Circular Motion, Relative Motion
Lab Activities:
Projectile Motion, Circular Motion-Flying Pig
Gravitation
Topics:
Lab Activities:
Kepler’s Laws of Planetary Motion, Kepler’s Third Law as a
ratio, Newton’s Law of Gravitation, Orbital Velocity, Black Holes
Kepler’s Lab using Mercury’s orbit
Momentum and Collisions
Topics:
Impulse, Momentum, Impulse Momentum Theorem, Conservation
of Momentum, Elastic & Inelastic Collisions
Lab Activities:
Sticky Collisions
Energy, Work, and Simple Machines
Topics:
Work, Energy, Work-Energy Theorem, Kinetic Energy, Power,
Machines, Mechanical Advantage, Ideal Mechanical Advantage,
Efficiency
Lab Activities:
Stair Climbing & Power
Energy and Its Conservation
Topics:
Lab Activities:
Kinetic Energy, Potential Energy, Total Mechanical Energy,
Conservation of Energy, Loss of Energy in Inelastic Collisions
Roller Coaster Lab
Static Electricity
Topics:
Lab Activities:
Electric Charge, Electrons, Conductors, Insulators, Charging by
Conduction, Charging by Induction, Coulomb’s Law of Electric
Charges
Electrostatics Lab , Van De Graff Demos
Electric Fields
Topics:
Lab Activities:
Electric Fields, Electric Field Lines, Electric Potential, Electric
Potential Energy, Millikan’s Oil Drop Method, Capacitors
Charging of Capacitors
Current Electricity
Topics:
Electric Current, Electric Circuits, Resistance, Ohm’s Law,
Circuit Diagrams, Electric Power, Electric Energy, Kilowatt-Hour
Lab Activities:
Ohm’s Law Lab, Deciphering color Codes on Resistor
Series & Parallel Circuits
Topics:
Lab Activities:
Series Circuits, Parallel Circuits, Calculating Current and Voltages
in Circuits, Applications of Circuits, Safety Devices
Circuits Lab
Magnetism Electromagnetic Induction
Topics:
Lab Activities:
General Properties of Magnets, Permanent Magnets, Temporary
Magnets, Magnetic Fields, Magnetic Field Lines, Force
Experienced by a Charge Moving in A Magnetic Field, Force
Experienced by a Current Carrying Conductor in a Magnetic Field,
Geomagnetism, Oersted’s Discovery, Magnetic Flux. Faraday’s
Electromagnetic Induction, Electromotive Force
Magnetism Lab
Vibrations & Waves
Topics:
Lab Activities:
Periodic Motion, Mass on a Spring, Hooke’s Law, Elastic Potential
Energy of a Spring, Period of a Spring, Period of a Pendulum,
Transverse Waves, Longitudnal Waves, Speed, Amplitude,
Wavelength, Frequency, Standing Waves
Period of a Pendulum, Period of a Spring
Sound
Topics:
Lab Activities:
Properties of Sound, Loudness, Decibels, Doppler Effect,
Infrasonics, Ultrasonics ,Resonance, Open & Closed Pipes,
Resonance Columns
Music with Open & Closed Pipes, Speed of Sound in Resonance
Columns
Fundamentals of Light
Topics:
Lab Activities:
Speed of Light, Primary Colors, Secondary Colors, Addition of
Colors
Addition of Colors using Light Sources
Reflection and Mirrors
Topics:
Reflection from Plane Mirrors, Law of Reflection, Specular
Reflection, Diffuse Reflection, Spherical Mirrors, Concave
Mirrors, Convex mirrors, real Image, Virtual Image, Mirror
Equation, Magnification, Spherical Aberration
Lab Activities:
Finding real images on a screen using concave mirrors,
Finding the focal point of a concave mirror using the sun’s rays
Refraction & Lenses
Topics:
Refraction of Light, Snell’s Law, Mirages, Dispersion of Light,
Rainbows, Total Internal Reflection, Critical Angle, Concave &
Convex Lenses, Lens Equation, Chromatic Aberration
Lab Activities:
Snell’s Law, Total Internal Reflection, Real Images with a Convex
Lens
Quantum Physics
Topics:
Particle Model of Waves, Radiation from Incandescent Bodies,
Energy of Light, Photoelectric Effect, Threshold Frequency,
Threshold Wavelength, Stopping Potential, De Broglie
Wavelength
The Nucleus and Nuclear Energy
Topics:
Nucleus, Strong Nuclear Force, Binding Energy of the Nucleus,
Energy Equivalent of mass E= mc2