Conceptual Physics
Units of Academic Study
Wind-turbines for Understanding
Magnetism
In order to meet the requirements of the chapter challenge, students will engage in activities to learn about electricity and magnetism. Following this unit, students will realize the inseparable nature of these two natural phenomena. By collaboratively working on activities exploring the fundamental principles behind motors and generators, students will develop an understanding of the concepts of electromagnetism and enhance their understanding of the conservation of energy. The challenge requires students to construct a working, scale model of a wind powered generator.
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Forces and Motion
To gain understanding of science principles necessary to meet this challenge, students work collaboratively on activities in which they continue their exploration of the conservation of energy and uncover the concepts described by Newton’s laws of motion. In the process of this exploration they will observe the constant interaction of force and mass that surrounds them. Students will also describe how forces, such as gravity and friction, can do work and cause an object’s energy to transfer from potential to kinetic and vice versa. As a final component of the chapter, students will examine the concept of momentum and how momentum, like energy, is conserved
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Sound and Light Waves
To gain understanding of science principles necessary to meet this challenge, students work collaboratively on activities to learn about wave motion, sound waves, light rays, and how mirrors and lenses change the direction of light rays and result in the formation of images. The concept of energy will again be a central part of the unit as students develop an understanding that waves are simply a method by which energy is transferred.
Designing the Universal Dwelling
Thermal Energy
Students will explore concepts of thermal energy transfer in this unit. Students will gain an understanding of heat and temperature along with conduction, convection, and radiation. Students will demonstrate their knowledge of thermal energy by designing and building a scale model dwelling suitable for an extreme climate. Their dwelling must reflect design elements that are conducive to using or not utilizing passive solar heating.
The Atom
Electrostatics
Students will work on activities to learn about static electricity and will discuss the properties and interactions of sub-atomic particles. They will also study the electrostatics force that is responsible for both the attraction and repulsion of sub-atomic particles. The purpose for emphasizing these specific areas of the chapter is to provide students with the essential knowledge required to study the concepts of electricity and magnetism that will be explored in the following units. This unit also provides background knowledge for freshman chemistry.
Electricity
Electrical Energy and Circuits
Students will develop an understanding of how electricity moves through various circuits. Through activities, students will discover the variables that impact how electricity travels and is consumed by household appliances. The culminating project asks students to use a MaKey MaKey Invention kit and with their knowledge of circuitry, design an input controller for a computer based game or activity.