Room 42 (4th period) - 33 (6th period)
Course Description
Physics is the study of the relationships between matter and energy with a focus on the forces that hold these elements together. Topics covered include the properties of matter, the force laws, and the various forms of energy and its transformations.
This course will seek to explore the topics outlined below through the use of experimentation, mediated class-room discussion, class-room exercises, and homework. Students will be expected to demonstrate an understanding of the scientific method and its application to physical problems.
Students are also encouraged to explore the interconnection between science, philosophy, and religion vis à vis the origin of the universe and the rationale underlying the prevailing theories of existence.
Course Requirements and Required Materials
Textbook (Glencoe, Physics: Principles and Problems, Glencoe/McGraw Hill 1999), Notebook (graph paper), pen (black or blue), pencil, eraser, ruler, calculator.
Goals and Objectives
By the end of the course, students should:
Understand the key elements of the scientific method, its origin, aim, and limits.
Demonstrate a familiarity with both British and International Units of Measure.
Demonstrate a comprehension of the fundamental laws of Physics throughout the different fields covered during the course: 1- and 2-dimension motion, forces, Newton’s laws, universal gravitation, momentum and its conservation, energy and work, waves, sounds, light, electricity, magnetism, atomic physics.
Assessment and Grading procedures
Quarter grades will be calculated as follows:
• Homework: 15%
• Classwork: 15%
• Tests: 70%
Semester grades will be calculated as follows:
• Each quarter: 40%
• Final Exam: 20%
Classroom management procedures
• Students are required to be in class on time everyday.
• Tardy students are expected to pick up a late slip before coming to class. Students must be in class before the bell rings.
• Homework assignments must be completed everyday to succeed in this class. Students coming to class without the Homework of the day done, will receive 0 for it.
• Homework must be done in pencil in order to receive credit for the assignment. Homework will be corrected in class in pen.
• If a student misses class, the homework assignment is due at the start of class the day the student returns.
• Students will not be penalized for an incorrect answer on their homework if they have tried to work out the problem and can show their work. Students will not be given credit for any homework assignment without showing their work.
• Tests will be announced 3 to 4 days prior to the test. If a student is absent on the day of a test s/he must make it up the day s/he returns to school. Exceptions will be made for students with serious illness or lengthy absences at the teacher’s discretion.
• Cheating is not tolerated at Newman. Zeros will be given for any work that is suspect.
• No extra-credit is offered in my class.
• Students missing one class should bring to class the HW of the missed class and the one for the day. For an absence of few days, students are expected to see me at the end of the day in which they’re back; for longer periods, students are expected to keep in touch with me via E-mail.
Testing rules
- During a Test, nothing can be kept on the desk, but calculator, pen, pencil, eraser.
- The cover of the calculator has to be left on the floor.
- If in need of extra-paper, Fr. Luca will provide.
- Passing around of anything, including calculators, is not allowed.
- If a student forgets his/her calculator, can always exercise mental Math.
Any infraction of any of these rules, as any use of electronic devices, including cell-phones, during test time,
even after having passed in one's Test, will give automatically a grade of 0 (zero) for the Test, and the Administration will be notified.
No bathroom permissions will be given during the Test.