Physics 1090: Fundamentals of the Physical Universe

Learning Tool Labors

Students evaluated tools for learning course objectives.  Click on an objective to read the tool description and evaluation.

Unit 1.  Science as a way of learning

• 1.a.  Define and properly use the terms hypothesis, law, theory, observation, experiment, evidence, and prediction.
• 1.b.  Describe how scientific knowledge is generated and refined.
• 1.c.  Evaluate if an approach to obtaining an explanation is scientific.
• 1.d.  Employ a scientific approach to explain a process.

Unit 2.  Force and motion

• 2.a.  Describe motion by words and graphs, and convert between the two.
• 2.b.  Given the velocity at one time for an object on which no forces act, predict its velocity at any other time.
• 2.c.  Given any two of the following properties of an object, find the third: acceleration, mass, net force.
• 2.d.  Explain how changing an object’s mass changes the force exerted on it by gravity.

Unit 3.  Momentum and energy

• 3.a.  Define the momentum of an object and of a set of objects.
• 3.b.  Explain how an external net force changes an object’s momentum.
• 3.c.  Explain how the force exerted by one object on a second is related to the force exerted by the second on the first.
• 3.d.  Explain how the momentum of an object or set of objects changes over time if there is no external force.
• 3.e.  Explain what work is, and define both potential and kinetic energy changes in terms of work.
• 3.f.  Define the total energy of an object and of a set of objects, and explain how total energy changes over time if there is no external force.
• 3.g.  Explain how to determine the output force of a simple machine.

Unit 4.  Heat and temperature

• 4.a.  Define and differentiate heat and temperature.
• 4.b.  Explain heat transfer, temperature changes, and internal energy changes in phase transitions.
• 4.c.  Describe the mechanisms of heat transfer by conduction, convection, and radiation.
• 4.d.  Recognize and explain the tendency of matter and energy to spread out.

Unit 5.  Fluids and pressure

• 5.a.  Define and properly use the terms “pressure,” “volume,” and “density.”
• 5.b.  Describe the pressure within a fluid.
• 5.c.  Describe how pressure changes with depth under a fluid.
• 5.d.  Explain the buoyant force on an object immersed in a fluid.
• 5.e.  Describe the change in volume of a gas in response to a change in pressure or temperature.
• 5.f.  Explain fluid properties and behavior using kinetic-molecular theory.

Unit 6.  Electricity and magnetism

• 6.a.  Identify the factors influencing the electric force between objects.
• 6.b.  Explain the interaction between charged and uncharged objects.
• 6.c.  Design, construct, and explain functional electric circuits.
• 6.c.  Design, construct, and explain functional electric circuits.  (Another tool for the same obbjective.)
• 6.d.  Characterize the force between magnetic poles.
• 6.e.  State the connection between electricity, magnetism, and motion.

Unit 7.  Waves and sound

• 7.a.  Identify the crest, trough, wavelength, and amplitude of any wave, and distinguish transverse and longitudinal wages.
• 7.b.  Given two of the following quantities of a wave, determine the third: period or frequency, wavelength, wave speed.
• 7.c.  Characterize sound waves.
• 7.d.  Describe the consequences of waves combining with each other.
• 7.e.  Describe refraction of waves.

Unit 8.  Light and optics

• 8.a.  Describe the wave nature of light.
• 8.b.  Explain why we see colors as combinations of three primary colors.
• 8.c.  Explain the dispersion of light by a prism.
• 8.d.  Understand how lenses and mirrors work.
• 8.e.  Explain thermal radiation.

Unit 9.  Nuclei and radioactivity

• 9.a.  Describe the atomic nucleus.
• 9.b.  Identify atomic nuclei.
• 9.c.  Explain and describe alpha, beta, and gamma decay processes.

Unit 10.  Formulas, equations, and amounts

• 10.a.  Provide the names and formulas of commonplace ionic compounds.
• 10.b.  Interpret molecular formulas.
• 10.c.  Interpret chemical reaction equations.
• 10.d.  Employ the mole as a unit of quantity.
• 10.e.  Relate quantities, concentrations, and volumes.
• 10.f.  Quantitatively apply reaction equations.

Unit 11.  Electrons and bonding

• 11.a.  Describe the principles and interactions responsible for atomic structure.
• 11.b.  Predict the charges of the single-atom ions of alkali, alkaline earth, chalcogen, and halogen elements.
• 11.c.  Assign an electron dot structure for a covalent molecule.
• 11.d.  Predict the three-dimensional structure of a covalent molecule given its electron dot structure.

Unit 12.  Intermolecular forces

• 12.a.  Describe the structure, properties, and composition of solids, liquids, and gases.
• 12.b.  Describe and identify different types of mixtures.
• 12.c.  Explain the surface active behavior of detergents.
• 12.d.  Categorize substances by their physical behavior.

Unit 13.  Acids and bases

• 13.a.  Describe how an acid or base affects the composition of an aqueous solution.
• 13.b.  Identify two household acids and two household bases.
• 13.c.  Given the chemical equation of an acid/base reaction, identify the acid, the base, and the salt.

Unit 14.  Chemical equilibrium

• 14.a.  Identify one example of an endothermic process and one example of an exothermic process.
• 14.b.  Explain the “dynamic equilibrium” of chemical reactions.
• 14.c.  Explain the transformations that must occur for an endothermic process to occur.
• 14.d.  Explain how any chemical reaction increases the entropy of the universe.

Unit 15.  Oxidation and reduction

• 15.a.  Define and distinguish oxidation and reduction.
• 15.b.  Recall two examples of oxidation/reduction reactions.

Unit 16.  Organic compounds

• 16.a.  Identify the defining features of the following organic functional groups: alkane, alkene, alkyne, alcohol, amine, aldehyde, ketone, imine, carboxylic acid, ester, amide, halide.
• 16.b.  Generate the three-dimensional structure from a bonding or stick figure formula of an organic compound.