Physical Science Course Outline

1. Science Skills
a. The Scientific Method
b. Measurement and unit conversions
c. Presenting scientific data

2. Motion
a. Distance and displacement
b. Speed and Velocity
c. Acceleration
d. Graphing

3. Forces and Motion

a. Newton’s three laws of motion
b. Friction

4. Forces in Fluids
a. Fluid pressure
b. Buoyancy
c. Bernoulli’s principle

5. Work, Power, and Simple Machines

a. Work and power
b. Mechanical advantage and efficiency
c. Simple machines

6. Energy
a. Energy and its forms
b. Potential and Kinetic Energy
c. Energy conversions and conservation

7. Thermal Energy and Heat

a. Thermal energy and matter
b. Heat and thermodynamics
c. Using heat

8. Properties of Matter
a. Classifying matter
b. Physical and chemical properties

9. States of Matter
a. Solids, liquids, and gases
b. The gas laws
c. Phase Changes
10. Atomic Structure
a. History of the atom
b. Structure of the atom
c. Modern atomic theory

11. The periodic table

a. Element organization
b. Groups and periods
c. Trends in the table

12. Chemical Bonds

a. Ionic and covalent bonding
b. Naming compounds and writing formulas
c. Structure of metals

If time permits:

13. Mechanical Waves and sound

a. Mechanical waves
b. Properties of waves
c. Sound and hearing

14. Electromagnetic spectrum and light

a. Electromagnetic waves
b. Electromagnetic spectrum
c. Behavior of light
d. Color

15. Optics
a. Mirrors
b. Lenses
c. Optical Instruments
d. The eye and vision