PHS 125 - Physical Science

Task 1:  Understand the role of the scientific method in today’s science and discuss its components:  hypotheses, observations, experimentation, theories, and laws.

Task 2:  List the four main branches of physical science and relate how the physical sciences differ from the biological sciences.

Task 3:  Describe the difference between science and technology and give an example of the end-product for each.

Task 4:  Know the basics of the metric system: the common SI units of measure and be able to convert from one metric unit to another by moving the decimal point.

Task 5:  Be able to convert from metric to English and English to metric by the use of conversion factors.

Outcome 2:  To understand the relationship between the forces applied to an object and its motion.

Task 1:  Apply the “law of inertia” to practical situations.

Task 2:  Given the mass and net force (or weight) of an object, apply Newton’s second law to predict the acceleration, velocity and or distance an object travels.

Task 3:  Identify and compare the magnitudes and directions of the action-reaction forces involved in systems.

Task 4:  Contrast mass and weight.

Task 5:  Compare and explain the forces, initial acceleration rates, and terminal velocities of two different falling objects.

Task 6:  Contrast centripetal and centrifugal forces.

Task 7:  Explain the curved path of an orbiting object in terms of a centripetal force.

Task 8:  Apply the law of gravitation to determine the weight of a person at various distances from the center of the earth.

Task 9:  Given a velocity vs. time graph, determine the acceleration by finding the slope of this graph.

Outcome 3:  To understand work, energy, and the relationship between these two quantities.

Task 1:  Given the weight of an object in Newtons, determine the amount of work done when the object is lifted a given distance in meters.

Task 2:  Given the time over which a force is exerted through a distance, determine the power or rate at which the work is done.

Task 3:  Concerning a pendulum system, describe how potential and kinetic energies change with position.

Task 4:  Apply the kinetic molecular theory to explain the relative strengths of intermolecular attractions in solids, liquids, and gases, melting point and boiling points, gas pressure and the dependence of boiling temperature on pressure.

Outcome 4:  To understand the basic nature of heat energy, temperature measurement, and thermodynamics.

Task 1:  Describe how the normal boiling point of water, the freezing point of water, and absolute zero are used to establish the Fahrenheit, Celsius, and Kelvin temperature scales.

Task 2:  Given a temperature in one temperature scale, use conversion equations to determine the temperatures in the other two temperature scales.

Task 3:  Explain the difference between specific heat, heat of fusion, and heat of vaporization.

Task 4:  Given the specific heat, heat of fusion, and heat of vaporization equations, determine the number of calories of heat required to change a given mass of ice to steam.

Task 5:  Describe and explain the change in volume that water undergoes when it freezes.

Task 6:  Given the length of a solid material at a particular temperature,

a.  determine the change in length of that material when its temperature is increased, and

b.  explain the expansion in terms of the kinetic molecular theory.

Outcome 5:  The student will understand the principles of sound and music.

Task 1:  Describe longitudinal and transverse waves, applying the terms wavelength, frequency, period, amplitude and relate these terms to pitch, loudness, and overtones.

Task 2:  Measure the speed of sound in air using resonance and will apply the wave equation, v = fl to solve problems.

Outcome 6:  To understand the nature of electricity, the basic laws of electricity, and principles involved in applications of electricity.

Task 1:  Explain in terms of the electrical nature of the atoms of matter the charges acquired by a rubber rod and fur when the rubber rod is rubbed with the fur.

Task 2:  Understand how direct current and alternating current are produced.

Task 3:  Identify series and parallel circuits and applications of both.

Outcome 7:  To understand the basic principle of electromagnetic radiation and its applications.

Task 1:  Compare the various types of electromagnetic waves (light, UV, x-rays, IR) as to their basic make-up, speeds, wavelengths and frequencies, means of production, and energies.

Task 2:  With regard to the science of color, contrast additive complimentary colors and the subtractive process involved in mixing pigments.

Task 3:  Explain the blue sky and red sunsets in terms of the selective scattering of shorter wavelength blue light by the molecules in the atmosphere.

Task 4:  Provided an illustration of a ray of light incident upon a water surface, apply the laws of reflection and refraction to predict the angle of reflection of the reflected ray and angle of refraction of the refracted ray.

Task 5:  Given the index of refraction and a material and the speed of light, c = 3 x 108 m/s, determine the speed of light in the material.

Task 6:  Identify the bending of light as it passes from one medium into another in which its speed is different as refraction.

Task 7:  Identify the deviation of electromagnetic waves from their original direction due to obstructions or slits placed in their path as diffraction.

Task 8:  Identify illustrations of parallel rays reflecting off or being refracted by mirrors and lenses as convex or concave.

Task 9:  Characterize the images formed by plane mirrors, camera lenses, magnifying lenses, cosmetics/shaving mirrors, and convex mirrors in stores.

Task 10:  Contrast the causes of farsightedness and nearsightedness and the characteristics of the lenses used to correct these eye defects.

Task 11:  Identify polarized light as light vibrating in one direction and explain how the lenses of Polaroid sunglasses reduce reflected glare.

Task 12:  Identify Doppler radar as a system used to determine the locations and speeds of storms or vehicles by analyzing the change in frequency of reflected microwaves.

Outcome 8:  To understand the basic nature of matter and its changes.

Task 1:  Describe the current model of the atom, including the use of these terms:  proton, neutron, electron, octet, atomic mass, isotopes, atom, molecule, element, compound.

Task 2:  The student will be able to use the language of chemistry (formulas and equations) to describe chemical changes, and will differentiate between a chemical and a physical change; and will name compounds and write formulas.

Task 3:  The student will use the periodic table, neutralization reaction, and the activity series to predict products of reactions.

Task 4:  The student will be able to balance a chemical equation.

Outcome 9:  Describe the structure and nature of organic compounds.

Task 1:  Describe the structure and behavior of the carbon atom to explain why carbon can form so many compounds.

Outcome 10: The student will understand the nature of the changing nucleus.

Task 1:  Differentiate between what is happening in ordinary chemical reactions and the reactions which occur in the nucleus, including a description of alpha and beta particles and gamma rays.

Task 2:  Describe the ways radionuclides can be detected and the biological effects of radioactivity.

Task 3:  Differentiate between the processes of fusion and fission and identify which elements will do each.

Task 4:  Understand and apply the concept of half-life to explain how old objects are dated.

Task 5:  Identify the terms in Einstein’s equation E = mc2 and will relate this to the production of energy.

Outcome 11: Describe our understandings of the solar system past and present.

Task 1:  Get a feeling for the role of the following priest-astronomers:  Aristotle, Anaxogoras, Aristarchus, early Babylonians, Copernicus, early Egyptians, Eratosthenes, Kepler, Pythagoras, Ptolemy, Thales of Miletus, Brahe, Philolaus, Galileo.

Task 2:  Discuss how our solar system was formed.

Task 3:  Identify the planets, in order of the distances from the sun.  Cite three differences between the terrestrial (inner) and Jovian (outer) planets.  Know common characteristics about each planet.

Task 4:  Cite the differences between asteroids, comets, and meteors.

Outcome 12: Identify the various types of celestial objects beyond our solar system.

Task 1:  Explain how a star burns by incorporating the following terms:  nuclear fusion, proton-proton chain, carbon cycle, triple-alpha process, and luminosity.

Task 2:  Use a Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram to classify stars.  Give examples of main sequence stars, blue giants, red giants, red dwarfs, and white dwarfs.

Task 3:  Distinguish between open clusters, globular clusters, binary star systems, pulsating variable stars, novae, supernovae, nebulae, pulsars, neutron stars, black holes, and quasars.

Task 4:  Describe how a star is born, lives and dies.  Trace a star’s life cycle on an H-R Diagram.

Task 5:  Identify the different types of galaxies by shape:  elliptical, spiral, barred spiral, and irregular.

Task 6:  Compare astronomical units (AU), light years and parsecs and give examples of these distances.

Task 7:  Describe the difference between Big Bang Theory of the universe and the Oscillating Universe Theory.

Outcome 13: Understand the structure of the earth and its atmosphere.

Task 1:  Label a diagram of the earth to identify the inner core, mantle, outer core, crust, lithosphere, and asthenosphere.  Which comprise the continents?  Plates?  On which do the plates move?

Task 2:  How are plate tectonics, sea floor spreading and continental drift related?  What is the “Ring of Fire?”

Task 3:  Compare P waves, S waves, and L waves and their abilities to penetrate the mantle and core.  Why is this difference significant?

Task 4:  Describe the source of Iowa’s soils.  Know the source and depositional environment of local geologic formations.

Outcome 14: Explain the Motions of the Earth.

Task 1:  Discuss the significance of the Foucault pendulum.

Task 2:  Discuss the relationship between stellar parallax and the revolution of the Earth about the sun.

Outcome 15: Understand the history, formation, and weathering of rocks.

Task 1:  Where are fossils found and how are they “dated?”

Task 2:  Give the age and an example of a life form for each of the following eras:  Precambrian, Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic.

Task 3:  Describe how each of the following rocks are formed:  igneous, metamorphic, sedimentary.

Task 4:  Name and describe the seven main properties of minerals.

Task 5:  Describe how mechanical weathering of rocks differs from chemical weathering of rocks.

Task 6:  Give an example how each of the following can cause weathering in rocks:  running water, ground water, wind erosion, and glaciers.  Which transports the most material?