Journey into Physics for Ages 10-12

Students well be able to describe the fundamental principles of physics, from Newton's laws of motion to Einstein's theory of relativity.

Week 1-2: Students will explore the basics of motions and how to measure it. They will be able to explain the basic units of measurement: distance and time and how they are used to describe velocity and acceleration.

Week 3-4: Newton's Laws. Students will explore Newton's three laws of motion and his law of gravitation. They will able to explain the relationship between mass and acceleration as they relate to simple forces and apply them to linear and projectile motion as well as apply them to the orbits of planets around the Sun

Week 5-6: Energy and Conservation: Students will be introduced to the concept of energy and work in motion. They will be able to explain the difference between potential and kinetic energy. In addition, they will be able to describe the law of conservation of energy and how it governs energy conversion systems.

Week 7-8: Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer: Students will explore the First and Second Laws of Thermodynamics and heat transfer. They will be able to describe the three mechanisms for heat transfer: conduction, convection, and radiation and how heat transfer affects the properties of matter, such as thermal expansion and phase transitions. They will also describe a basic heat engine and a heat pump.

Week 9-10: Wave Motions: Students will be able to describe the two main types of waves, transverse and longitudinal waves and describe how waves move through medium, including a wave traveling on a string, waves in a pond, and sound waves through the air.

Week 11-12: Electricity and Magnetism: Students will be able describe the interaction of electrically charged particles and the relationship between electricity and magnetic fields. They will learn how this applies to electric motors and electrical generators.

Week 13-14: Electromagnetism and Optics: Students will be able to describe the electromagnetic spectrum, from radio waves to x-rays and gamma rays. They will also be able to describe the basic principles of refraction and reflection and how curved mirrors and lenses can be used in applications such as telescopes and microscopes.

Week 5-16: Relativity and Nuclear Physics: Students will be able to describe the affects of special relativity, such as time dilation and length contraction as well as the basics of the atom and nucleus. They will be able to describe the four fundamental forces of natural, electromagnetism, gravity, the strong nuclear force, and the weak nuclear force and how these govern the interactions of planets, atoms, protons, and neutrons.