Honors Physics is a college preparatory course that is required for admission
to some 4 year colleges and universities. It is highly recommended for those
students planning to major in any science or engineering field. Physics is
the study of motion and energy. Students will learn to apply mathematics
skills to solving science problems. As such, completion of Algebra II is a
prerequisite and concurrent enrollment in advanced math is recommended.
Students will also complete several projects that involve application of
physics principles throughout the school year. Examples of such projects
include toothpick towers and bridges, egg drop vehicles, mouse trap
vehicles, Rube Goldberg devices, etc. Homework will be assigned two to
three nights per week. All homework, tests and major assignments will be
posted on this page and updated at least weekly. The rate at which material
is covered will be adjusted as needed to accommodate student comprehension.
Tests and major assignments may be pushed back but will not be any earlier
than posted.
May 14-18
Monday-Wednesday
Complete roller coaster project
Thursday
Final exam
May 7-11
Students wull continue to work on construction of marble roller coaster.
April 30-May 16
Objectives:
Design a structure using knowledge of physics principles
After testing a structure modify it to improve it.
Conduct a multi trial experiment and interpret the results
Write a coherent report summarizing the results of an experiment.
Juriors remaining will work on the design, construction and testing of a
marble roller coaster.
Week of April 23-27
Objectives:
Observe and identify properties of waves
Monday
Complete wave lab
Discuss refraction and diffraction
Go over practice wave problems
Tuesday
Observe reflection, refraction and diffraction in wave tank
Review for waves test
Wednesday
Test--Waves
Thursday
Exam review
Friday
Senior exam
Week of April 16-21
Objectives:
Monday
Demonstrate Rube Goldberg devices
Tuesday
Test--Thermal Energy
Wednesday
Introduce vocabulary of waves
Discuss types of waves
Thursday
Discuss general properties of waves
Solve problems 32-43 in red book, page 346
Friday
Discussion of sound waves
Friday
Boyle's Law lab
Week of April 10-13
Objectives:
Calculate heat transfer associated with temperature changes and phase
changes
Explain the concept of thermal equilibrium in terms of conservation of
energy
Solve thermal equilibrium problems
Perfom calorimetry experiments to determine the specific heat of a metal
and the heat of fusion of a solid.
Tuesday
Go over phase change problems
Discuss thermal equilibrium
Solve sample thermal equilibrium problems
Wednesday
Lab 1 Calorimetry--Specific heat of a metal Due Friday\
Thursday
Lab 2 Calorimetry--Heat of fusion of ice Due Monday
Friday
Go over thermal equilibrium problems
Work on heat review
Week of March 26-30
Objectives:
Explain the difference between thermal energy, heat and temperature
Calculate heat transfer associated with temperature changes and phase
changes
Construct heating and cooling curves for substances
Monday
Introduction to thermal energy
Discuss thermal energy, heat and temperature
Tuesday
Discuss specific heat, heat of fusion and heat of vaporization
Solve sample problems involving heat transfer
Wednesday
Construct heating and cooling curves for water
Use of heating/cooling curves to solve heat transfer problems
Thursday
Beta Club Field trip/sping testing
Students remaining will begin work on heat problems listed on assignment
sheet.
Friday
Continue work on heat problems listed on assignment sheet.
Week of March 19-23
Objectives:
Solve problems involving the force of gravity and gravitational fields
Describe the enrgy changes involved in harmonic motion of springs and
pendula
Determine the period of a vibrating object.
Apply the law of conservation of energy to a vibrating object.
Monday
Solve gravity problems. pg. 195, prob. 32-40,45-46,48-49
Tuesday
Harmonic motion
Solve practice problems(blue book) pg. 379, #1-4; pg. 397, # 19-21; pg.
888-889, # 270, 275,276
Wednesday
Pendulum lab--Lab sheets due Friday
Thursday
Review of circular motion. gravity and harmonic motion
Friday
Test--harmonic motion
Week of March 12-16
Objectives:
Solve problems involving centripetal force and acceleration
Solve problems involving the Law of Universal gravitiation
Explain the forces on an object in simple harmonic motion
Monday
Discuss uniform circular motion'
Solve sample problems
Tuesday
Discuss Kepler's laws of planetray motion and law of universal gravitation
Wednesday
Solve gravity problems
Thursday
Cicular motion lab
Friday
Discuss simple harmominc motion of pendulums and springs
Solve practice problems
Week of February 27-March 2
Objectives:
Explain that momentume is conserved in a collision
Solve problems involving conservation of momentrm
Distinguish between elastic and inelastic collisions
Conduct an experiment to test the law of conservation of momentum
Design and permorm an experiment to test a hypothesis
Monday
Discsuu conservation of momentum during collisions and in recoil
situations
Solve example problmes
Tuesday
Discuss eleastic and inelastic collisons
Begin work on practice problems--Due Friday
Wednesday
Lab--Conservation of Momentum
Thursday
Student designed collision lab
Friday
Go over practice problems
Begin exam review
Week of February 13-17
Objectives:
Calculate work, power, mechanical advantage, efficiency and energy
Relate impulse and change in momentum
Calculate the monentum of an object and the force required to change its
momentum
Apply the law of conservation of momentum to collisions
Monday
Work on review problems for test
Tuesday
Test--Work, Power and Energy
Wednesday
Introduction to momentum and impulse
Solve problems involving impulse and momentum
Thursday
Work on practice problems
Friday
Discuss conservation of momentum in collision
solve sample collision problems
Week of February 6-10
Objectives
Apply the law of conservation of energy to situations involving
mechanical energy and friction.
Test student made sturcutres
Calculate work, power,mechanical advantage and efficiency
Monday
Toothpick bridges due
Discuss law of conservation of energy
Solve sample problems
Tuesday
Work on practive conservation of energy problems
Wednesday
Test bridges
Thursday
Review work, power, machines and energy
Friday
Energy test
Week of January 30-February 3
Objectives:
Calculate the efficiency and mechanical advanatage of both ideal and
real machines.
List and define the types of energy.
Calculate mechanical kinetic and potential energy
Relate energy to work.
Monday
Discuss machines, mechanical advantage and efficiency
Tuesday
Work on solving machine problems
Wednesday
Discuss forms of energy.
Sample problems calculating kinetic and potential energy
Thursday
Discuss work-energy theorem
Begin work on energy problems
Friday
Complete energy problems.
Week of January 23-27
Objectives:
Solve problems involving forces applied in two dimensions
Calculate work and power
Identify machines
Define mechanical advantage and efficiency
Monday
Review for test
Introduction to work and power
Tuesday
Two dimensional forces test
Wednesday
Solve problems for work and power
Work on practice problems
Thursday
Go over practice problems
Introduce machines, mechanical advantage and efficiency
Friday
Work on machine problems
Week of Juanuary 16-20
Objectives:
Solve problems involving forces applied in two dimensions.
Monday
Martin Luther king Holiday--No School
Tuesday
Work on inclined plane problems(problems not completed in class will be
completed as homework)
Wednesday
Go over inclined plane problems
Review for test
Thursday
Coefficient of friction lab
Friday
Two dimensional forces test
Week of January 9-13
Objectives:
Apply Newton's second law when forces are applied at an angle
Apply friction to forces applied at an angle
Solve inclined plane problems with and without friction
Monday
Discuss use of Newton's 2nd law when forces are applied at angles
Incorporate friction into 2nd law problems
Tuesday
Practice problems--forces at an angle
Wednesday
Go over practice problems
Introduce inclined plane problems
Thursday
Continue discuassion of inclined planes
Work on practice problems
Friday
Go over practice problems
Review for test on forces in two dimensions
Week of January 3-6
Objectives:
Determine the net force on an object acted on by forces in two dimensions
Calculate an equilibrant force
Determine the tension on wires when in equilibrium
Apply Newton's second law when forces are applied at an angle
Tuesday
Discuss any questions on toothpick bridge construction
Review vector addition and equilibrium
Determine equilibrant forces
Wednesday
Practice problems--adding forces and equilibrium
Thursday
Go over practice problems
Discuss forces applied at an angle and application to the 2nd law of motion
Friday
Continue discussion of application of 2nd law
Begin work on practice problems
