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Physics A Self-Paced

Students will review the International System of Units, scientific notation, and significant figures. They will then explore how to describe and analyze motion in one- and two-dimensions, including study of gravity and Newton's laws of motion. The course concludes with an examination of circular motion, energy, and simple machines. Throughout this course students will apply mathematical concepts, such as graphing and trigonometry, to solve physics problems.

Major topics include:

Scientific Method and Technology in Science

Measurement and appropriate units

Motion of objects in the universe

How forces change motion of an object

Force, work, and energy

Momentum

This self-paced course uses content from Accelerate Education taught by a VHS Learning instructor who is certified in their content area and who follows VHS Learning policies. The course will be hosted in the Buzz learning management system.

About the Self-Paced Course Model

Self-Paced courses are designed for students who need flexibility in their academic schedule. Teachers answer questions and interact with students in Private Topics, provide feedback on work, and host weekly office hours. Students work independently on course activities; the course does not include class discussion assignments or other collaborative work.

This course has start dates on each Wednesday throughout the year. Students must maintain enrollment for a minimum of 4 weeks and have up to 16 weeks to complete all assignments in the course. It is expected that students will work for approximately 90 hours to complete this course, though the amount of time may vary depending on a student’s work habits and comfort with the material.

Acknowledgements

  • Algebra 2
  • I acknowledge that this is a self-paced course.
  • This course does not require purchase of a lab kit. Students will complete virtual lab activities and hands-on activities that use common household materials (list found in additional requirements field).
  • This course contains an end-of-course proctored exam. Instructions for students to identify an appropriate adult proctor are included in the course lessons.

Course Objectives

Course Learning Objectives

  • Outline steps in scientific method.
  • Differentiate between accuracy and precision.
  • Analyze velocity and acceleration of projectiles.
  • Differentiate between various types of forces.
  • Apply Newton’s laws of motion in various scenarios.
  • Define work and understand whether work is done in certain scenarios.
  • Apply the Law of Conservation of Energy to physics problems.
  • Utilize the Impulse-Momentum Theorem to solve problems.
  • Identify different types of simple machines.

Additional Requirements

Students will use a number of common materials to complete hands-on activities:

  • Paper clips
  • Paper
  • Measuring tape
  • Chalk or tape
  • Building materials (examples include foam, felt, cardboard, plastic sheets, string, rubber bands, crafts sticks, gears, velcro, glue, tape)
  • Drawing software or paper, ruler, and compass
  • Glass or cup
  • Stopwatch
  • Measuring stick
  • Scale
  • Packing material, plastic wrap, towel, foam
  • Container for testing