PHYSICS FORM ONE GBHS DEIDO

MODULE I: THE WORLD OF SCIENCE

TARGETED COMPETENCES:
At the end of this module, learners should be able to:
 Recognize and identify basic science equipment around us
 Think and act scientifically
 Explain how to observe things in the environment
REAL LIFE SITUATION
Hortence’s mother said “my daughter, I deserve to you a great career in science” and
Hortence replied “mummy what is science?” you are called to help Hortence and convince her
as well in this way.
Instructions:
Explain what is science?
Present some prominent scientists and their scientific contributions or inventions.
Briefly give some daily life applications of science.
Give some scientific attitudes and methods.
I- INTRODUCTION TO SCIENCE
1- DEFINITION OF SCIENCE AND BRANCHES OF SCIENCE
Science is the knowledge arranged in an orderly manner. It is also the systematic and
logical study of the nature.
Science is divided into three main categories. These are pure science, applied science
and social science.
a- Pure sciences consist of branches like: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Geology,
Geography and Astronomy. They promote our understanding of how the entire
universe and its parts operate and function
b- Applied sciences include fields of studies like: Agriculture, Engineering, Medicine,
and Pharmacy. In these fields, specialists make use of pure sciences to produce
things and equipment
c- Social sciences include fields of studies or branches like: Psychology, Politics,
Accountancy and economics.

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A scientist is a person who is an expert in science.

A science student is a person who studies science.
2- DEFINITION AND BRANCHES OF PHYSICS
Physics is the study of matter and its relation to energy.
Physics is divided into different branches/fields. These fields include: heat, optics, sound,
electricity, mechanics, magnetism, waves and atomic physics.
a) Mechanics is the study of motion and forces that cause them.
b) Heat is the study of how warm or cold a body is.
c) Sound is the study of vibrations which may be audible or not.
d) Optics is the study of light energy.
e) Magnetism is the study of the forces between magnets and magnetic materials.
f) Waves is the study of transmission of vibrations in materials of space.
g) Electricity is the study of charges in motion and their effects.
h) Atomic physics is the study of an atom and the nuclear processes associated to it.
A specialist in physics is called physicist.
A physician is the medical doctor.

II- THE SCIENCE LABORATORY

ACTIVITY: lab work on some lab equipment and their main uses
A laboratory is a building where scientists carry out their research.
1- Basic laboratory equipment and their uses
Some basic equipment found in the physics laboratory include:
 Ruler to measure short distances.
 Tape to measure large distances.
 Thermometer to measure temperature.
 Balance to measure mass.
 Protractor to measure angles.
 Measuring cylinder to measure volume.
 Burner or heater used for heating.
 Battery used for providing electricity.
 Newton meter for measuring force.
 Ammeter used to measure current
 Voltmeter used to measure voltage
 Micrometer screw gauge used to measure the diameter of wires and thin rods.
 Stop watch to measure time.
 Vernier calliper used to measure internal and external diameters
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2- Safety rules in a science laboratory

The most important thing during lab experiments is safety. Below are some safety rules to
follow while working in a physics laboratory:
3- Do not play or run in laboratory.
4- Do not touch a laboratory equipment until its use has been explained clearly and
permission has been given by the teacher.
5- Do not eat, smoke or drink anything in the laboratory.
6- Follow all instructions strictly as presented by the teacher.
7- The experimental set up should be checked and approved by the teacher before putting
it into operation.
8- If you break accidentally any equipment or the equipment stops working properly
during an experiment, report it to the teacher
9- If you are injured in the lab, you should tell the teacher.
10- All apparatus must be cleaned and returned in the correct location of storage after
use
11- Proper dressing must be observed, no loose clothing, hair and closed shoes must be
worn
12- . Hands must be washed before leaving the laboratory.
13- Always remember to write a laboratory report for each experiment.

III- CAREERS IN SCIENCE

1- Prominent scientists and discoveries
Some famous scientists and their contributions to science or discoveries is given by the
following table:
Name/Lived Nationality Scientific contribution
Victor ANOMAH NGU Cameroonian Research on cancer,
(1929-2011) HIV/AIDS
Isaac NEWTON English Three laws of motion,
(1643-1724) gravitation
Albert EINSTEIN German/American Many theories about light,
(1879-1955) movement, energy and mass
Galileo GALILEE Italian Telescope, law of falling
(1564-1642) bodies
Archimedes Greek Laws of floatation
(287-212BC)
Robert HOOKE English Hooke’s law for spring
(1635-1703)
Andre AMPERE French Studying electrical current
(1775-1836)
Ernest Simo (1958-) Cameroonian Satellite and cell phone
communication
Arthur Zang (1987-) Cameroonian Invention of Cardio pad

2- Job opportunities for science students and importances of science

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After studying science, you can become a medical doctor, a pilot, a nurse, an electronic
repairer, a medical laboratory technician, a dentist, a pharmacist, a veterinary, a computer
science engineer, agricultural engineer, a telecommunication engineer etc…
Studying of science has many applications/importance among which we have:
 Science keeps us in good health through many discoveries in medicine.
 Science provides us with shelter or comfortable homes (civil and electrical engineering).
 Science makes communication easy (phones, radio, television, and internet).
 Science makes travel easy (aircraft, cars, ships…)
 Science makes work easier through the utilization of machines like levers, tractors,
caterpillars...
 Science has produced thing for entertainment and leisure such as Radio, Television,
telephone...
IV- SCIENTIFIC METHOD AND MEASUREMENTS
1- Scientific method
A scientific method is the orderly step-by-step process followed by a scientist or science
student. Generally, the steps involved in the scientific method include:
 Observation: scientists carefully observe the things that are around us, for example the
water put in a freezer will cold and turns into ice. We observe using our five senses
(touch, sight, taste, smell and hearing)
 Question: the scientists then ask question on what they observed. For example, why the
sky is blue?
 Hypothesis: they then come up with ideas about what may be the solution. As example
the sky is blue because the clouds are confined in the upper atmosphere
 Experiments: the scientist then designs and carries out an experiment to test his
hypothesis.
 Result: the scientist makes measurements to determine the outcome of the experiment.
 Conclusion: finally, the scientist makes use of results to draw a conclusion whether the
hypothesis was true or false, if false he changes or revises the hypothesis and verify the
new hypothesis through a new experiment.

2- Measurements
This is the process of finding the size, quantity, degree, weight or mass etc... of a given
substance. Measurement can be qualitative or quantitative.
a) Qualitative measurement: this type of measurement does not involve numbers or
measuring devices it looks at quality. E.g. Eru is delicious.
b) Quantitative measurement: this type of measurement can be carried using an
instrument and a specific value given to it. E.g. this building is 50 m tall.
A scale is a regular partition on a measuring instrument. The scale enables us to use the
instrument for measurement. When reading a scale, place your eyes directly opposite the
graduation.
The accuracy of an instrument is the smallest value that the instrument can measure.
An estimate is a careful guess using our senses. A builder estimates the bags of cement he
uses in the construction of a house. An estimate could be exact as well as not.

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V- PHYSICAL QUANTITIES
1- Physical and non-physical quantities
Physical quantities are quantities that can be measured either directly or indirectly.
Examples include mass, volume, acceleration, volume, length, power, energy, density…
Non-physical quantities are those quantities that cannot be measured by any mean or
medium. Some examples are feeling, stupidity, angriness, love, pride, hate.
2- Units and SI units
A Unit is a standard of measurement. E.g. the metre is the unit of length. A physical quantity
is represented by a magnitude (a number) and a unit. E.g. 2.0 m, 25 kg, 30m/s…
There are two types of physical quantities.
 Basic (Primary) Physical Quantities: These are quantities which are not obtained from
any other quantity. Their units are called base units or primary units. There are 7 basic
physical quantities which include

Base physical quantity S.I unit Symbol of unit

Length Metre M
Mass Kilogram Kg
Time Second S
Temperature Kelvin K
Electric current Ampere A
Amount of substance Mole Mol
Luminous intensity Candela Cd

SI units means: International System of Units

 Derived (Secondary) Physical Quantities: These are quantities obtained from a
combination of two or more basic quantities. Their units are called secondary or derived
units some examples include:

Derived physical quantity Name of S.I unit Symbol of unit

Area metre squared m2
Volume metre cubed m3
Speed metre per second m/s
Density Kilogram per cubic metre kg/m3
Force Newton N
Work Joule J
Power Watt W
Frequency hertz Hz

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MODULE II: MATTER, PROPERTIES AND TRANSFORMATION

TARGETED COMPETENCES:
At the end of this module, learners should be able to:
 Measure and do calculation of the mass, weight, temperature, volume and density
 Identify the various forms of matter
REAL LIFE SITUATION
Valentine want to buy ten fresh eggs in the market. His senior brother Donald ask him
to immerse these eggs in a bucket containing clean water. Valentine notices that seven eggs
sink in the water and the others float.
 What is the state of the water?
 As a student how can explain while some eggs float and the others not.
 How many eggs can be taken by valentine?

I- MATTER
Matter is anything that has mass and occupies space. E.g stone, water, air.
Properties of matter enables us to identify and differentiate the types of matter. The general
properties of matter are mass, weight, volume, density, length, odour, colour etc… the
characteristics of matter describe the states of matter.
The three main states of matter are solids, liquid and gas.
a) Solid state: the forces (molecular forces) that hold particles that make up solids are very
strong and then the particles are closely packed. So solids have fixed shapes and fixed
volume. Solids are not compressible. They have high density and a large force is needed
to change their shape.
b) Liquid state: molecules in a liquid are quite close as in a solid then the molecular force
is strong. Liquids have no fixed shapes and fixed volume. Liquids are also not
compressible. They have high density
c) Gas state: in a gas, molecules can move completely free from each other, they are
widely separated and move around quickly, then the molecular force here is weak. Gas
have no fixed shape and no fixed volume. Gases are compressible. They have low
density.

II- CHANGE OF STATE

1- Conservation of matter
The conservation of matter s governed by a law called law of conservation of matter which
state that ‘’ Matter is neither created nor destroyed but it is always conserved, it changes

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from one form to another’’ this means during a physical or a chemical change the total mass
of the products remains equal to the total mass of the reactants. For example, if 100 g of carbon
reacts with 50 g of dioxide to produce carbon dioxide, mass of reactants = mass of products i.e.
mass (car bon) + mass (dioxide) = mass (carb on dioxide) = 150 g
2- Interconversion processes: phase change of matter
A phase change is a transition from one state to another. The phenomenon of the change of
matter from one state to another and back to original state is known as Interconversion of the
states of matter.
There are mainly six phase changes namely:
 Freezing is the change of state from liquid to solid.
 Melting is the change of state from solid to liquid
 Sublimation is the change of state from solid directly to gas
 Deposition is the change of state from gas directly to solid.
 Condensation is the change of state from gas to liquid.
 Vaporization is the change of state from liquid to gas.
The summary is given by the following diagram

ACTIVITY: lab work on measurement of:

- Mass using a balance
- Temperature using a thermometer
- Volume (regular solids, irregular solids and liquids) using some lab equipments
- Density of a substance
III- MEASUREMENT OF LENGTH
Length is a measure of distance. Its SI unit is metre (m). The other units are centimetre (cm),
decimetre (m), millimetre (mm), kilometre (km)…
1 1
1𝑚 = 10 𝑑𝑚, 1 𝑚 = 100 𝑐𝑚, 1 𝑚 = 1000 𝑚, 1 𝑘𝑚 = 1000 𝑚, 1 𝑑𝑚 = 10 𝑚, 1 𝑐𝑚 = 100 𝑚
1
1 𝑚 = 1000 𝑘𝑚.

Example: Convert into metre the following lengths: 2.5 km; 120 cm; 10 dm and 250 mm
It is measure using a ruler or a measuring tape.

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IV- MEASUREMENT OF MASS AND WEIGHT

Mass is the amount of matter in an object. Mass does not change. The SI unit of mass is
Kilogram (Kg) other units are milligram (mg), centigram (cg), gram (g), tone (t) etc…
1Kg=1000g, 1t=1000Kg
Mass is measured using an instrument called Balance. There are different types of balance
namely: compression balance, lever-arm balance, top pan balance, beam balance, electronic
balance.
Examples: convert in kg the following masses, 123 mg, 35 cg. 180 g, 1,5 t
The weight of a body is the earth’s gravitational force of attraction on that body. The
weight of an object depends on its mass and the gravity given by Weight=mass x gravity i.e.
W=mxg. The weight is measured using a Newton metre (spring scale) and its SI unit is
Newton (N). Example: What is the weight of a form one students who has a mass of 32Kg The
weight is not mass. Some differences between mass and weight is given by the following table
Mass Weight
Mass is the quantity of matter in a Weight is the pull of gravity on a substance
substance
Mass is measured in Kilogram Weight is measured in Newton
Mass of an object is the same everywhere Weight varies from place to place
Instrument used to measure mass is the Instrument used to measure weight is the
balance Newton-metre

V- MEASUREMENT OF VOLUME
The volume of a body is the space it occupies.

 Measuring the volume of solids

The volume of regular solids such as cuboids, sphere, cylinder or cones can be obtained by
direct measurement of the relevant lengths and then substituting into well-known formulae
 Volume of rectangular block (cuboids) =length x width x height i.e. V=LxWxH
𝟒
 Volume of sphere of radius r= 4/3 x Pi x radius cubed i.e. 𝐕 = 𝟑 𝛑𝐫 𝟑
 Volume of cylinder of radius r= base area x height i.e. 𝐕 = 𝛑𝐫 𝟐 𝐡
Example the volume of our exercise book

 Measuring the volume of liquids

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The volume of a liquid can be measured using a measuring cylinder, a calibrated burette, a
pipette or a volumetric flask.
 Measuring the volume of an irregularly shaped solid using a measuring cylinder
Partially fill a measuring cylinder with water as shown in figure a) and record its initial
volume V1. With the help of a tinny thread, gently immerse the irregularly shaped solid into the
cylinder so that the solid is completely covered with water as shown in figure b); record the
new liquid volume in the cylinder V2. The volume of the irregularly shaped object is equal to
the volume of the liquid displaced. Volume of the irregularly shaped solid= V2-V1.

 Measuring the volume of an irregularly shaped solid using a Eureka can

Fill an overflow can on a wooden block with water until the water overflows from its spout.
When the water stops flowing from the spout as shown in figure c) place an empty measuring
cylinder under the spout, gently lower the irregularly shaped solid in the water in the
overflowing can as shown in figure d) the solid displaces water that overflows trough the spout
into the measuring cylinder. The volume of the irregularly shaped solid is the volume of the
water displaced into the measuring cylinder.
 Units of volume
The SI unit of volume is metre cube (m3). Other units include 𝑚𝑚3 , 𝑐𝑚3 , 𝑑𝑚3 , 𝑚𝑙, 𝑐𝑙, 𝑙 .
The following table summarizes some basic instrument used for the determination of the
volume of solids and liquids.
Examples: convert the following volume in m3, 125 ml, 50 cl, 30 l, 150 dm3, 350 cm3
Volume to be measured Instrument
Regularly shaped solid Ruler, Vernier caliper… and followed by an
appropriate formulae
Irregularly shaped solid Eureka can/measuring cylinder
Large volume of liquid Measuring cylinder
Small volume of liquid Pipette, calibrated burette

VI- MEASURING DENSITY

1- Density
Density is the mass per unit volume of a substance. This is expressed mathematically by
𝑚
Density= Mass/volume. Density is usually represented by 𝜌 (“rho”) so 𝜌 = 𝑣 . The SI unit of

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density is Kilogram per metre cube (Kg/m3). Other unit of density are g/cm3 density is
𝐦
determined by measuring the mass and volume and the formula 𝛒 = 𝐯 at the end.

Different substances have different densities. The following table gives the density of some
substances:
MATERIAL DENSITY (g/cm3)
Water 1.0
Oxygen 0.0014
Iron 7.9
Aluminium 2.7
Gold 19.3

Example: a wood has a mass of 20g and a volume of 8cm3. Calculate the density of the
2- Daily use of density
There are many uses of Density in our daily life amongst which we have:
 Floating:
- Swimming we are able to swim because our density is lower than the density of
water
- Boating boats float because they are less dense than water
- Airships and air balloons fly because they are designed to have the same density
with air
 Checking the purity of a substance: if the density of a pure is known, then the
substance purity is checked by measuring its density. For example, the density of pure
water is 1000kg/m3 if we want to check the purity of any water source we can proceed
by checking first its density. If the density is not equal to 1000kg/m3 or g/cm3 then the
water is not pure.

VII- MEASURING TEMPERATURE

The temperature is the degree of hotness and coldness of a body. Temperature is measured
using three scales namely: Celsius, Fahrenheit and Kelvin (thermodynamic scale).
Celsius scale: the unit of Celsius scale is degree Celsius (oC). The temperature of pure
boiling water is 100 oC under normal conditions and pure ice melts at 0 oC. The normal
temperature of human body is 37 oC.
Fahrenheit scale: the unit in the Fahrenheit scale is degree Fahrenheit (oF).
Kelvin scale: the unit in the Kelvin scale is Kelvin (K) which is also the SI unit of the
temperature. The relationship between the Kelvin and degree Celsius is given by
T (in K) = θ (inoC) +273
Or T (in K)-273 = θ (inoC)
Where T and θ are temperature in degree Celsius and kelvin respectively.
Example: convert into kelvin the following temperature 50 oC
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Convert into Celsius the following temperature 298K

Thermometer
A thermometer is an instrument used to measure temperature. There are many types which
include: liquid-in-glass thermometer, resistance thermometer, thermocouple thermometer,
constant volume gas thermometer.
The liquid-in-class thermometer consists of a transparent glass capillary tube filled with a
liquid. The liquid may either be mercury or alcohol. The liquid is called thermometric liquid.
The thermometer which is commonly used in Cameroon is the mercury-in-glass thermometer
that is the liquid is mercury.

Rules when working with a liquid-in-glass thermometer

- Study the scale of the thermometer and determine its accuracy
- Insert the bulb into the body whose temperature is to be measured so that its bulb is
completely covered by the body
- Wait until the liquid stops rising
- Avoid touching the bulb of the thermometer before taking the reading
VIII- USING INFORMATIONS ON PRODUCTS
1- Informations on products
The notice is a short description of a product attached or stuck on its packing. Generally, we
can have on this notice the following informations
 Conditions of conservation of the products: for example, keep in a dry place
 The limit date of conservation (expiring date): for example, best before 12-10-2023
 The list of the ingredients (oil, sugar, salt, protein, carbohydrates…)
 The quantity (mass, volume…) of the product
 The name of the manufacturer
 User manual
 Warning signs or pictogram

2- Safety rules
These are activities and precautions taken to improve safety related to human health. Some
common safety measures include:
 Always read warning signs on products.
 Always read expiring dates on consumable products
 Following rules and regulations so that experiments are conducted properly.
 Always follow the instructions of user manuals of the product.

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MODULE III: ENERGY, APPLICATIONS AND USES

TARGETED COMPETENCES:
At the end of this module, learners should be able to:
 Identify a conductor, an electrical and thermal insulator
 State all forms of energy and their various uses
 Identify a conductor and insulator
 Read and respect the notice on electrical appliances
REAL LIFE SITUATION;
Kagho putting on a black dress on a hot sunny day, says he feels heat and is seriously sweating.
As a science student, suggest the kind of dress he could have put on by explaining why.
I- INTRODUCTION
Energy is the ability or capacity to do work. The food we eat serves as fuel to supply the
necessary energy that our body needs to perform its various functions such as working, talking,
writing, running, playing... The SI unit of energy is Joule of symbol J.
II- FORMS OF ENERGY
The major forms of energy are as follows:
 Chemical energy: it is energy stored in certain substances and is released during
chemical reactions. The energy stored in fuels, muscles, food, coal, wood, battery is
chemical energy.
 Electrical energy: this is energy due to the motion of charges in conductors (electrical
current) it can be obtained from cells, batteries…
 Heat (thermal) energy: this is energy that flows from one body to another because of
their temperature differences.
 Sound energy: it is the energy produced by a vibrating object such as drums, guitars
and so on.
 Light energy: it is the energy produced by luminous objects. It is the energy that enables
us to see. It is detected by the eye.
 Magnetic energy: is the energy on magnet and magnetic materials due to magnetic
forces.
 Solar energy: this is energy from the sun.
 Nuclear energy: is the energy stored in the nucleus of atoms.
 Mechanical energy: this is the energy in an object due to its position or state of
movement. It is the sum of the kinetic and potential energy of a body.

There are two types of mechanical energy which are Kinetic Energy (K.E) and Potential
Energy (P.E)

 Kinetic Energy (K.E): this is the energy a body possesses because it is moving.

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 Potential Energy (P.E): this is the energy a body has because of its change in position,
shape or state.

Potential energy exists in two main forms:

o Gravitational potential energy which is the energy stored in an object because of

its height above a given point
o Elastic potential energy which is energy stored in elastic materials when stretched
or compressed.
III- ENERGY SOURCES
These are devices or processes from which we can obtain energy. Some sources are: water,
coal, gas, oil, sun, wind, wood, food…They are either non-renewable (finite or exhaustible) or
renewable (infinite or inexhaustible).

a) Non-renewable energy: these are sources of energy which cannot be replaced when
used and they will eventually run out. As example of non-renewable energy we have:
fossil fuels, and nuclear energy.
 Fossil fuels: Fossil is any fuel formed from the remains of ancient plants and animal
life. These fuels include coal, oil, natural gas, crude oil, kerosene.
 Advantages of using fossil fuels:
- Relatively cheap
- High power output.
 Disadvantages of using fossil fuels
- The supply of fossil fuel is limited in supply.
- They produce carbon dioxide which cause pollution and then global warning.
 Nuclear energy: nuclear energy is the energy produced from the fusion or fission of
atoms.
 Advantages of nuclear energy
- High power output.
- It does not produce polluting gases when well handled.
 Disadvantages of nuclear power
- The supply of nuclear fuel is limited in supply.
- The cost of building and operating a nuclear power is very high.
b) Renewable energy: these energy resources are unlimited in supply. As renewable
sources we have among others: wind, waves, solar, biomass, geothermal, hydroelectric
power.
 Wind energy is the utilization of the energy that moves the air.

As advantages of wind energy we have:

- Excellent source for isolated communities.

- It is unlimited in supply

As disadvantages of wind energy we have.

- Unreliable, since no wind no power

- Causes noise
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- High initial cost

 Solar energy: this is energy from the sun.
 Advantages of solar energy
- It is a renewable resource
- It produces no pollution
 Disadvantages of solar energy
- The initial cost is very high
- The sun does not shine for 24 hours a day
 Hydroelectric Power (HEP): it is the generation of electricity from water. We can
found it in Cameroon in song loulou, Lagdo.

As advantages of hydroelectric power we have:

- It is unlimited in supply
- The cost of production is relatively cheap

As disadvantages we have:

- Hydroelectric dams are dangerous for cities located downstream

- Shortage of water may affect the supply of electricity

IV- ENERGY NEEDS

1- Daily use of energy
Human beings need energy for several purposes such as:
- Performing body functions: all parts of our body (muscles, brain, heart, liver…) need energy
to work. This energy comes from the food we eat.
- For construction (building houses, roads, etc.)
- Running machines in industries
- Running electrical appliance (radios, television set, etc.)
- functioning of automobile
- Heating and cooling our homes
- Lighting buildings
2- Common devices that use different forms of energy
There exist many forms of energy, this means to a device a specific forms used, as such
 All electrical appliances such as television, radio, fridge… and electric motors use
electrical energy
 Greens plants use light energy for the photosynthesis
 Generators use mechanical energy to produce electricity
 Solar panels, solar cookers are using solar energy.

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V- CHEMICAL AND ELECTRICAL ENERGY

1) Chemical energy:
Chemical energy is the energy stored in the bonds of atoms and molecules. Batteries, biomass,
petroleum, natural gas and coal are examples of sources of chemical energy. There are many
uses of chemical energy such as:
 Wood: combustion reaction converts chemical energy into light and heat
 Chemical batteries store chemical energy to be changed into electricity
 Petroleum can be burned to release light and heat
2) Electrical energy
Electrical energy is the energy due to the motion of charges in conductors. Some sources of
electrical energy are: fossil fuels, nuclear, biomass, geothermal and solar energy. Some uses of
electrical energy are:
 Running computers and most appliances
 Home heating
 Transportation
 Running machines in industries

VI- SOLAR AND THERMAL ENERGY

1- Solar energy
a- Sources, components and uses
Solar energy is radiant light and heat from the sun. The sun generates energy in its core in
a process called thermonuclear fusion. The radiations from the sun are sun rays and are
mostly composed of Ultraviolet (UV) and Infra-Red (IR) radiations.
Solar energy has many uses such as:

- Green plants convert solar energy into chemical energy which produces food, wood and
biomass

- Solar energy can be used for Water heating, space heating and cooling

- Solar cell and solar panel converts the radiant energy from the sun into electrical energy

- Solar cookers (solar furnace) use sunlight for cooking and drying

b- Effects of strong sun rays and protection

Sun rays which are made of Ultraviolet (UV) radiations cause many damages to human beings
and other living organisms. They damage skin cells leading to skin spots, skin cancer, eye
problems…

To protect ourself from theses damages, you can observe the following:

 Stay out of the sun when it is strongest

 Use sunscreen

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 Wear protective clothing

2- Thermal energy: Sources, effects and uses

Heat energy flows from one object to another due to temperature difference between the objects.
The following are sources of heat: fire, lighted bulb, sun, friction, geothermal, coal, and fuel.
Effects on materials when they gain thermal energy include:
 An increase in temperature of materials
 A change of state: for example, an ice heated melts
 A chemical change may also occur: a wood burnt change to charcoal.
 Expansion: this is an increase in size of an object when it is heated.
Heat energy may be used directly or it may be transferred to another medium for storage
(insulating tank) or converted into other form of energy. For example, flat plate collectors (used
to trap heat from the sun) are used for water heating, drying and house heating
3- Heat transmission
Heat can be transferred from one place to another by conduction, convection and radiation

a) Conduction: it is the transfer of heat energy from one part of a material to another with
no overall movement of any part of the material. For example, if you hold one end of a
piece iron and placed the other end in fire, after some time, the end you are holding
becomes hot and difficult to handle. When a molecule at the hot end gains heat energy,
it vibrates colliding with the next molecule and so doing transfer of heat to it and the
energy is then transferred to the next molecule until it reaches the cold end, conduction
takes place in all three states of matter (liquid, solid and gas). Conduction is slower in
gases than in liquids and solids because molecules of a gas are far apart and therefore
colliding less often. Thermal conductors are materials through which heat energy
flows easily. They are mostly metals (iron, copper, zinc…). Thermal insulators are
materials through which heat energy do not easily flows. They are mostly non-metals
(air, wool, wood, plastic)
b) Convection: it is the transfer of heat energy by the movement of fluids (liquids and
gases) with different temperatures. The air close to the fire becomes hot and expands so
that there are more spaces between the air particles, the air becomes less dense and
moves upwards carrying its extra energy with it, the succession of this phenomenon
creates an air current (motion) called convection currents. Convection takes place only
in fluids (liquids and gases).
Some applications of convection are:
- House heating
- House cooling
- House ventilation
Most air conditioners are connected near the ceiling in the house, when it absorbs
heat from warmer air near it, it become cooler and denser. This cooler air displaces the
warmer and less dense air near the floor and the conditioner absorbs again heat from it.
This set up a convection current in the room which with time makes the whole room
cool. Fire used for room ventilation is placed at the bottom corner of the room so that
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the heat from it can be circulated by convection. The hot less dense air just above the
heater rises and is replaced by cold denser air and the process continue till the entire
room is heated.
c) Radiation: It is the transfer of heat energy from one place to another without any
“interval medium” When you stand close to a fire side, you can feel it warmth; heat is
transferred in this case in the form of electromagnetic waves which include: infrared
radiation, visible light and ultraviolet rays.
When radiant heat falls on an object, part is absorbed and part reflected. Some
surfaces are better absorbers of radiation than others. Good absorbers of radiation are
also good emitters but poor reflectors they are mostly dull and black surfaces.
Meanwhile poor absorbers are also poor emitters but good reflectors they are generally
shiny and polished surfaces.

VII- FORCES AND MOTION

1- Forces
A force is a push or a pull of one body by another. Forces are measured using Newton
metre and its SI unit is Newton (N). There are two types of forces: contact forces and
non-contact forces. A force is usually represented with a straight line with an arrow on
it.
A) Contact forces: contact forces are those forces which result when two interacting
bodies are in physical contact. As example of contact force, we have frictional force,
upthrust force and tension force.
 Frictional force: friction is a force which acts between two surfaces which are in
contact and tend to oppose the relative movement of one surface over the other.

 Upthrust force: upthrust is an upward force exerted by a fluid on bodies which are
completely or partially immersed in it. If the upthrust is greater than the weight, the
body will float, if the upthrust is rather less than the weight, the body will sink and we
have an equilibrium state of the body in the fluid when the weight is equal to upthrust.
 Tension force: this is the force that acts on stretched or compressed objects. That is
when a body is subjected to two equal and opposite forces which try to alter the shape
and size of the object.

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B) Non-contact forces: these are forces that can act between bodies which are not in
physical contact with each other. As example of non-contact forced we have: weight,
gravitational force, magnetic force, electric force and weak and strong nuclear force.
Gravitational force: this is the attraction force between two particles due to their mass.
electric force: it is the force of attraction or repulsion between charged particles.
Magnetic force: it is the force of attraction or repulsion between magnets and magnetic
materials
C) EFFECTS OF FORCES

Forces have many effects on their targets:

- A force can reduce or increase the velocity of a moving object

- A force can change the shape or the volume of an object
- A force can cause an object at rest to start moving
- A force can change the direction of motion of a moving object
- A force can cause an object to break

2- MOTION

Motion is the change in position of an object with respect to another object. There are basically
six main types of motion

 Random motion: it is the irregular movement of a body which follows no specific

direction. E.g. the movement of a footballer in a football field.
 Rectilinear or linear motion: this is motion in a straight line. e.g. a falling mango fruit
from a tree
 Rotational motion: this is the turning of a body around a fixed point. e.g. the wheel of
a moving car
 Vibratory (oscillatory) motion: this is periodic or no-periodic movement about a
central point.
E.g. the movement of pendulum bob of a pendulum clock or a simple pendulum
 Circular motion: this is motion in a circle. E.g. the movement of the earth about the
sun
 Periodic motion it is a repeated motion in equal intervals of time. E.g a bouncing ball

3- Safety rules

While moving or travelling by automobiles, the users of the road must observe certain safety
rules such as:

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 Using seat belts: seat belts are designed to retain people in their seats and so prevent or
reduce the risk of being thrown from a vehicle during crash.
 Low speed: low speed reduces traffic fatalities or serious injuries. At lower speed, a
driver has large field of vision, then low speed can save life
 Roads signs: always respect the road signs which are standardised traffic signs for
official uses.

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MODULE IV: HEALTH EDUCATION

TARGETED COMPETENCES:
At the end of this module, learners should be able to:
 Identify sound instrument
 Give health advise, read and interpret a clinical thermometer
 Give responsible method of using the body (standing, sitting, walking and sleeping
position)
REAL LIFE SITUATION
Your father has an overweight (obesity) and recurrent headaches and insomnia. It turns out that
he uses to listen music at high volume (loud music). In the morning, you take his temperature
and the thermometer indicates 39oC.
Indication: interpret the thermometer reading and give many tips to overcome his overweight
(trough activities) and his headaches and insomnia.
I- SOUND
Sound is a form of energy which is produced by vibrating objects. Sound energy is invisible
and can be detected by the ear or microphone. The vibrations of the sounding body travel
through air to our ears. The eardrum vibrates and signals are transmitted to the brain to enable
us to hear. Objects that produce sound include: violin, piano, guitar, bell, flute, trumpet,
saxophone, harp, mouth organ…
a) Characteristics of Sound
The characteristics of sound include:
i) Loudness
The loudness of sound depends on the amplitude of vibration of the sounding body. That is, the
higher the amplitude of the sound notes, the louder the sound heard.
NB: Amplitude is defined as the maximum displacement of a vibrating body.
ii) Pitch
It is a measure of how high or low a sound note is. Pitch depends on the frequency of the sound
note. A low pitch sound implies low frequency while a high pitch sound implies high frequency.
iii) Quality
It depends on the number of frequencies present in the sound note. A sound note of good quality
is pleasant when we listen to it.
b) Transmission of sound

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Any medium which has particles that can vibrate will transmit sound energy, but the nature of
the medium will affect the speed of the sound. The following are necessary for sound to leave
from one place to another.
 Source: a vibrating object which produces sound energy
 Medium: a material that transmits the sound energy
 Receiver: a device that can pick up the sound energy such as human ear.
The speed of sound in air is about 340m/s. Sound waves travel faster trough solids than trough
liquids and gases.
c) Musical instrument
A musical instrument is a device created or adapted to make musical sound. Musical
instruments are grouped into three main categories: wind (saxophone, trumpet, flute…),
percussion (drum, bell, piano…) and string (guitar, violin).
II- THE HUMAN EAR
The human ear consists of three basic parts namely: the outer ear, the middle ear and the inner
ear.
 The outer ear collects and channels sound to the middle ear
 The middle ear serves to transform the energy of a sound wave into the internal
vibrations of the bone structure of the middle ear and transform these vibrations into a
compression wave in the inner ear.
 The inner ear serves to transform the energy of a compression wave into nerve
impulses that can be transmitted to the brain.
III- NOISE LEVELS
The intensity of sound wave that enters the human ear needs to be regulated to prevent the
eardrum from been destroyed. Sound intensity is measured using an instrument called level
data logger. The unit of sound intensity is decibel (dB). So a noise level of 35 to 40 dB outside
and 10 dB inside is accepted. Above the aforementioned values, hearing protection is required.
Noise does not only affect hearing but other parts of the body as follow:
 Increase blood pressure
 Disturbs digestion
 Can cause a stomach ulcer
 Can impact the development of a foetus and then cause premature birth.
 Can cause insomnia
 Intensifies the effects of drugs, alcohol and ageing
So avoid listening to too loud sounds like very loud music

IV- TEMPERATURE
1- The Clinical Thermometer
The clinical thermometer is a special thermometer used for measuring human body temperature.
This thermometer has a very short range from 35 0𝐶 to 42 0𝐶. The normal human body
temperature is 37 0𝐶

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How to Use the Clinical Thermometer?

 Before use, shake the thermometer continuously to force the mercury back to the glass
bulb.
 The thermometer is then put in the armpit or mouth of the patient for at least 2 minutes
 When is it removed from the armpit or the mouth, the constriction prevents the mercury
from running back into the bulb This enable us to read the patients temperature even at
a later time
 Before use again, shake the thermometer for the mercury to return back into the bulb.

2- SPORTS AND PHYSICS

a) Importance of physical education
* Physical education develops physical skills
* Physical activity enables students to express themselves more effectively
* People who regularly do physical exercises have lower risk of developing high blood pressure,
heart attack and diabetes.
* A good programme of physical education promotes minds that are healthy and hence improve
academic performances.
* Students who exercise themselves regularly experience a good stress management, weight
control, social development and self-esteem.
b) GOOD POSTURE

Good posture involves training our body to stand, walk, sit and lie in positions where the least
strain is placed on the supporting muscles and ligaments during movement.

Correct or Good Sitting Position

- Sit with your back straight and shoulders back
- Your buttocks should touch the back of your chair
- Distribute your body weight evenly on both hips
- Bend your knees at right angles
- Keep your feet flat on the floor.
Best Sleeping or Lying Position
- The pillow should be under your head, not your shoulders
- The pillow should have a thickness that allows your head to be in a normal position
- Try to sleep in a position which helps you maintain the curve in your back, e.g. on your side
with knees slightly bent.
Correct Lifting Position
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- Do not lift heavy objects above waist level, but if you must do, make sure you have firm
footing.
- Keep your back straight and bend at your knees and hips
- Avoid turning or twisting your body while lifting or holding a heavy object

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MODULE V: ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AND SUSTAINABLE

DEVELOPMENT

TARGETED COMPETENCES:
At the end of this module, learners should be able to:
 Respect hygiene rules
 Respect environment through daily practices
REAL LIFE SITUATION:
Miracle is a girl dwelling in Douala where the population adopts certain attitudes; every
morning, the children use to throw their wastes in the river, industries pour their wastes in the
farming lands and the rivers in the neighbourhoods. Some families don’t have toilets and others
drain their toilets during rain fall.
Identify the problem of Douala presented here and by emphasizing on the consequences of
this phenomenon, give some measures and actions to take in order to overcome this
phenomenon.
I- TOXIC WASTES
Toxic waste is waste material that can lead to health or environmental problems, cause death,
injury or birth defects to living things. Toxic waste is often known as hazardous waste. Waste
is considered as toxic if it is poisonous, radioactive, explosive, carcinogenic (causing cancer),
mutagenic (causing damages to chromosomes). Toxic wastes are divided in three categories
which are: chemical waste, radioactive waste and medical waste
a) Chemical waste: these are chemicals that are corrosive, flammable, explosive,
poisonous and mutagenic. E.g. lead, mercury, zinc, arsenic
b) Radioactive waste: these include elements that produce or absorb radiation and any
material that interact with these elements or compounds. E.g. uranium
c) Medical waste: these include tissues, fluids and containers. In Cameroon, the persistent
pollutant is non-degradable plastics.
Handling and disposal of toxic waste
Disposal is the placement of waste into or on the land. The disposal facilities are designed to
contain the waste and prevent the release of harmful pollutants to the environment, so it goes
through:
 Incineration of hydrocarbon sludge, hospitals’ and laboratory waste.
 National strategy for waste management is prescribed to industries and citizens to
eliminate or reduce toxic wastes.
 In the case of radioactive wastes, as the radioactivity naturally decreases over time, they
have to be isolated and confined in appropriate disposal facilities for a sufficient period
until it no longer poses threat.
II- BACKGROUND RADIATION

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Background radiation is a low level of radiation from the environment that we are exposed
to. Materials that emit radiation are found everywhere in the nature. Some sources of
background radiation are rocks, water, air, the food we eat, radiation from the sun, cosmic
radiation from space, medical X-rays. A background radiation can be detected using an
instrument called Geiger Muller (GM) tube.

a) Useful doses of background radiation

The background radiation is either natural or artificial. The annual average dose per person from
all sources is about 2.4 millisievert or 360 pci/kg (picocurie/kg). It is harmful for us to receive
more than average dose per year.

b) Harmful nature of background radiation

Radiation can damage cells and make them cancerous, it can affect reproductive organs and
then lead to infertility.

III- GREEN HOUSE EFFECT

a) Causes of greenhouse effect

The greenhouse effect is a process by which thermal radiation from a planet’s surface is
absorbed by atmospheric greenhouse gases and is re-radiated in all directions and this warms
the surface of the earth and the lower atmosphere. Another cause of greenhouse effect is due to
human activities such as burning fossil fuels (petrol, kerosene, oil…), burning of organic
matters and deforestation. Greenhouse gases are gases that contribute to the greenhouse effect
and these include: water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, nitrous oxide,
chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).

b) Effects or consequences of greenhouse gases

The greenhouse gases are the major cause of global warming and climate change

 Global warming: it is the increase of the earth’s average surface temperature due to the
effect of greenhouse gases. Rising global temperature have been accompanied by
change in weather and climate. So, places have seen changes in rainfall resulting in more
floods or intense rains.
 Climate change: climate change occurs when the weather pattern is altered. The
measure of climate change is global warming and due to:
- Burning of fossil fuels which release a lot of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere leading
to the destruction of Ozone layer.
- Cutting of forests; since green plants (forests) absorb the carbon dioxide from the air.
c) Measures to Reduce Global Warming (Climate Change)
 The planting or more trees in the environment
 Recycling or some materials like non – biodegradable plastics
 Use of renewable energy sources
 Preservation of our forests

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MODULE VI: TECHNOLOGY

TARGETED COMPETENCES:
At the end of this module, learners should be able to:

 Use the following tools: screw driver, tester, hammer…

 Repair a simple object
 Respect the principle of operation of an appliance
REAL LIFE SITUATION:
Mr TOKO is an employee of the Douala city council. This morning, he has several tasks to
accomplish namely: split the firewood for cooking at home, draw water from the water well
which is quite deep and at the duty post, he must lift a lorry to change its tire, and must also
take down a vehicle under the aforementioned lorry.
You are called to help Mr TOKO to choose appropriate instruments or machines for these
tasks by providing less effort.
I- INTRODUCTION
Technology is the study, development and application of devices, machines and techniques for
manufacturing and productive processes. OR Technology is the study, development and
application of the laws and theories of science.
a) Types of Technology
- Constructive technology
- Medical technology
- Information technology
- Industrial technology
- Mining technology
- Automobile technology
b) Advantages of Technology
- Promote independent learning for students.
- Enable easy access to information
- Encourages new ideas and creativity
- Makes travelling easy
II- COMMON TOOLS
The idea of doing something in a better or easier way or of using less of our own muscle power
is a goal of human and this is through the utilization of tools which can be classified as follow:

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a) Cutting tools such as axes, knifes, and saws. Saws are tools consisting of tough blade,
wire or chain with a hard toothed edge. They are used to cut through materials (woods,
plastics, metals…). Knifes and axes are made of shaped Wedges used to cut, split and
peal some materials.
b) Moving tools that move large and tiny items. Examples include hammer, ramp, pulley,
wheelbarrow, screw driver, plier and pincer. A hammer is used for example to move a
nail trough a material such as wooden block. A ramp or inclined plane is a plane
surface set at an angle to another surface, it can be used send a car on top or down of a
truck. Pulley is a wheel with a groove along its edge where a rope or cable can be placed.
It can be used to draw water from a water well. Wheelbarrow can be used to carry a
heavy load. Screw driver are used to screwing (installing) and unscrewing (removing)
screws. Pliers are used to hold objects firmly or pulling small things like nails or for
cutting wire. Pincers are also used for example to extract nails.
c) Guiding, measuring and perception tools include rulers, glasses, printers…
d) Shaping tools such as moulds (used for example by bakers, brick maker…), drills used
to make holes on materials.
e) Fastening tools such as welders, rivet guns, nail guns, and glue guns. All these tools
are used to join or to bring together two or more elements.
f) Information and data manipulation tools such as computers, phones…

III- MAINTENANCE
Maintenance is the actions performed to keep a machine or system functioning. Maintenance
involves test, measurements, adjustment, and part replacement performed, specifically to
prevent faults from occurring. The primary goal of maintenance is to avoid the consequences
of failure of an equipment thereby preventing its failure before it actually happens.
There are two (02) types of maintenance performed on machines namely
Preventive maintenance and
Corrective maintenance
a) Preventive Maintenance
It is a type of maintenance performed regularly on equipment to lessen the likelihood of it
failing. It is aimed at preventing machine breakdown. This type of maintenance generally
consists of lubrication, cleaning, adjusting, replacing or worn out parts, winterizing,
housekeeping and work directed by the equipment manual, equipment service requirement and
sensual observations.
 Cleaning
Keeping machinery clean in a dusty environment is a big challenge. Controlling dust deal with
efficient dust collection. This will then require brushing off dust, blowing it off with compressed
air.

 Lubrication
Lubrication is the process or technique used to apply oil or greasy substance to movable parts
of a machine in order to reduce friction. This substance is called lubricant. When lubrication

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breaks down, metals and other components of the machinery can rub destructively over each
other causing destructive damage, heat and failure.
b) Corrective Maintenance
It is maintenance performed whenever there is an equipment failure or malfunctioning. It is
usually most costly than preventive maintenance and often requires special skills and tools.

 Repair
Repair is the action of putting something that is damaged or not working correctly back into
good condition or make it work again. Making repairs means having the right tools and
materials on hand so that you can have the expected outcome of the repairing process. For
example, if you are called to change a broken rod of wood of a chair, the appropriate tools to
carry successfully this task are: saw, glue, nail, hammer, tape…
IV- TECHNICAL DRAWING
a) Definition
Technical drawing is a formal and exact way of communicating data about the shape, size and
precision of physical objects. It is also known as drafting or draughting. A person who makes
drawing is called a drafter, draftsperson or draughtsman. Technical drawing is applied in
many specialities such as:
 Aeronautical drafters: prepare detailing plans used in the manufacture of aircraft,
missiles and related parts.
 Architectural drawing: draw architectural features of building and other structures.
 Civil drafters: prepare drawings and topographical and relief maps used in civil
engineering projects such as highways, bridges, pipeline…
 Electrical drafters: prepare wiring and diagrams used to erect, install and repair
electrical equipment.
 Mechanical drafters: prepare drawings for machinery devices.
b) Technical drawing instruments
- Pens: pens used for technical drawing are pencils and technical pens.
- Drawing board: drawing sheet is attached on it.
- T-square: used to draw parallel lines, vertical lines or inclined lines.
- Ruler usually made of polystyrene to draw lines and measure lengths
- Compass is used for drawing circles or arc of circles.
- Templates contain pre-dimensioned holes in the right scale to draw symbols or signs.
- Protractor used to mark or measure angles
- Drawing sheet is the piece of paper in which a diagram is drawn on.
- Drawing pins/clips used to fix drawing sheet on the drawing board.

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