Mr. Jerry Kelly
661-327-2578 ext 162
Availability: Tuesday through Friday: 20 minutes before the first bell;
Monday through
Thursday: 20 minutes after the last
bell;
Scheduled Collaboration
periods; other times by arrangement
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Physics 9A is a freshman level laboratory physics course for students concurrently enrolled in Algebra I. The math is kept to a minimum while students investigate the concepts of physics. There are many labs and hands on activities including some work with computers. This course will introduce students to the concepts of motion, forces, work, energy, waves, light and sound. This course has received UC approval. Prerequisites: concurrent enrollment in Algebra I or higher.
OUTCOMES:
Upon completion of this course, and contingent on adequate contact hours, the student will be able to:
1.Newton's laws predict the motion of most objects. As a basis for
understanding this concept:
a.Students know
how to solve problems that involve constant speed and average speed.
b.Students know
that when forces are balanced, no acceleration occurs; thus an object continues
to move at a constant speed or stays at rest (Newton's first law).
c.Students know
how to apply the law F=ma to solve one-dimensional motion problems that involve
constant forces (Newton's second law).
d.Students know
that when one object exerts a force on a second object, the second object
always exerts a force of equal magnitude and in the opposite direction
(Newton's third law).
e.Students know
the relationship between the universal law of gravitation and the effect of
gravity on an object at the surface of Earth.
f.Students know
applying a force to an object perpendicular to the direction of its motion
causes the object to change direction but not speed (e.g., Earth's
gravitational force causes a satellite in a circular orbit to change direction
but not speed).
g.Students know circular motion requires the application of a constant force directed toward the center of the circle.
2.The laws of conservation of energy and momentum provide a way to
predict and describe the movement of objects. As a basis for understanding this
concept:
a.Students know
how to calculate kinetic energy by using the formula E=(1/2)mv2 .
b.Students know
how to calculate changes in gravitational potential energy near Earth by using
the formula (change in potential energy) =mgh (h is the change in the
elevation).
c.Students know
how to solve problems involving conservation of energy in simple systems, such
as falling objects.
d.Students know
how to calculate momentum as the product mv.
e.Students know
momentum is a separately conserved quantity different from energy.
f.Students know an
unbalanced force on an object produces a change in its momentum.
g.Students know how to solve problems involving elastic and inelastic collisions in one dimension by using the principles of conservation of momentum and energy.
3.Waves have characteristic properties that do not depend on the
type of wave. As a basis for understanding this concept:
a.Students know
waves carry energy from one place to another.
b.Students know
how to identify transverse and longitudinal waves in mechanical media, such as
springs and ropes, and on the earth (seismic waves).
c.Students know
how to solve problems involving wavelength, frequency, and wave speed.
d.Students know
sound is a longitudinal wave whose speed depends on the properties of the
medium in which it propagates.
e.Students know
radio waves, light, and X-rays are different wavelength bands in the spectrum
of electromagnetic waves whose speed in a vacuum is approximately 3×108 m/s (186,000
miles/second).
f.Students know
how to identify the characteristic properties of waves: interference (beats),
diffraction, refraction, Doppler effect, and polarization.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY:
See Student Handbook pages 68-72. Any student possessing or using a Teacher’s Edition textbook or workbook will be considered in violation of academic honesty policy.
BEHAVIOR:
See Student Handbook pages 42-60.
TEXTBOOK AND REQUIRED MATERIALS:
1.
Hewitt, CONCEPTUAL PHYSICS; Scott Foresman Addison Wesley
2.
Hewitt, CONCEPT-DEVELOPMENT PRACTICE BOOK; Scott Foresman Addison Wesley
3. Graph paper, 4 or 5 squares per inch
4. 8 ˝ x 11 lined loose-leaf paper with smooth
edges (paper ripped from a spiral notebook is
not acceptable)
5. Scientific calculator (these are readily
available for as little as $10-$15)
6. Number 2 pencils and black or blue pens
7. Access to a computer for word-processing
reports and assignments
8. Box of ‘Kleenex’ tissue for class use
COLLABORATION AND EVALUATION:
Scheduled collaboration sessions will be used for
educational support purposes. If you
are absent from a test, quiz, or lab, you must do the makeup at the next
collaboration period. If you know you
will be absent for a test or quiz, you must make arrangements to take the test
or quiz prior to your known absence.
Lab setups will be available for makeup for only one week after the
class lab. It is your responsibility to
make timely arrangements for special circumstances. Failure to follow these guidelines will result in a zero grade.
Homework is due at the bell signaling the beginning
of class. Late homework will be graded
at a reduced percentage of the original value.
All assignments (on-time or late) must be submitted to the designated
assignment in-box located in the classroom.
The standard Garces grading scale will be used. Homework is 25% of the semester grade; Lab work is 25%; Tests are 25%; Preparation is 5%; and the final exam is 20%.