Physics

Important Documents for the class:

Unit 1: The Physics of Driving

  • Reaction Time
  • Average/Instantaneous Speed, Constant Velocity, Reaction Distance
  • Graphing Motion (constant and accelerating): d,v,a/ braking distance

CC: Infographic: The Dangers of Distracted driving 

Unit 2: Physics in Motion   

  •  Newton’s Laws/Forces
  • Centripetal Force

CC: Drag Race 

Unit 3: The Physics of Roller Coasters

  • Energy (KE, PE, Conservation) and Work (Work Energy Theorem)
  • Centripetal Force
  • Newton’s law of universal gravitation

CC: Roller Coaster

Unit 4: The Physics of Rocketry  

  • Momentum
  • Impulse and Change in Momentum/Crumple Zone/Airbags
  • Conservation of Momentum/ Collisions
  • Projectile Motion

CC Rocket Launch

 Unit 5: The Physics of Music 

Sound:

  • sound in strings
  • wave mechanics
  • sound in air

Light:

  • light and lenses
  • light and color
  • Wave Particle Model of light

CC: Sound and Light Show

 Unit 6: Physics of Electricity and Circuits

  • Static Electricity and Coulomb’s Law, Electricity and Magnetism Connection
  • Generating and Modeling Electricity
  • Ohm’s Law
  • Series and Parallel Circuits and Circuit Diagrams
  • Electric power and Comparing Energy Consumption: More For Your Money

CC: Power Grid

Special topics: Thermodynamics