Conceptual Physics Course Package
We will be beginning a project during the 2024-25 school year in which we create a package of materials to support teachers teaching a Conceptual Physics course. The downloadable package will include slide decks, think sheets, labs, quizzes, and tests. Answer keys will be provided. This will be a for-sale item that is offered to teachers. We hope to have the project completed before the start of the 2025-26 school year.
In creating our Lesson Plans and Learning Outcomes for this course we have referenced several of the items that we intend to place in the package. We have used red text wherever we have made such a reference. These items will only be available by purchase of the course package.
Learning Outcomes for Circular and Satellite Motion
Lesson Plans || Learning Outcomes and Activities || Teacher Notes || Labs
The list below displays sample learning objectives for the unit on Circular and Satellite Motion. The various activities from the Lesson Plans have been organized by objective. This format of organizing The Physics Classroom's activities may be more useful to some teachers than the Lesson Plan format. It is worth noting that the activities identified below only include those activities included on the Lesson Plans and in the Pre-Built Task Tracker courses. Additional activities are referenced on the Teacher Notes page.
1. Velocity and Acceleration for Moving in Circles
Describe the direction and magnitude of the velocity and acceleration vectors for an object moving in uniform circular motion; explain how a constant speed object can have an acceleration.
Reading:
Video:
Labs:
Lab 1 - Making the Turn
Think Sheets:
Velocity, Acceleration, and Net Force
Physics Interactives with Concept Checkers:
Concept Builders:
Minds On Physics:
2. The Centripetal Force Requirement
Identify the direction of the net force on an object moving along a circular or curved path; predict the relative magnitude of the inward force and outward force (if present) at key locations along the path; relate the law of inertia to the sensation of being pulled outward while moving along a circular path.
Reading:
Video:
Labs:
Lab 2 - Whirled Peas
Think Sheets:
Velocity, Acceleration, and Net Force
Force Analysis for Circular Motion
Physics Interactives with Concept Checkers:
Minds On Physics:
3. Force Analysis of Circular Motion Situations
Construct a free-body diagram for an object moving in a horizontal or vertical circle and use it with a simple mathematical analysis to determine an acceleration or a normal force.
Reading:
Video:
Labs:
Lab 2 - Whirled Peas
Physics Interactives with Concept Checkers:
Think Sheets:
Force Analysis for Circular Motion
Concept Builders:
CalcPad Problem Sets:
4. Universal Gravitation
Explain the "universal" of Newton's law of universal gravitation, use the equation to calculate the gravitational force, and use the inverse square relationship to predict how a variation in distance or mass affects the gravitational force.
Reading:
Video:
Think Sheets:
Universal Gravitation
Physics Interactives with Concept Checkers:
Concept Builders:
Minds On Physics:
Science Reasoning Center:
5. Satellite Motion
Describe what a satellite is, provide examples of satellites, and describe the relative magnitude and direction of the velocity, acceleration, and net force vectors for both circular and elliptical orbits.
Reading:
Video:
Think Sheets:
Newton's Mountain and Orbital Speed
Physics Interactives with Concept Checkers:
6. Kepler's Laws of Planetary Motion
Describe Kepler's three laws of planetary motion; use the law of harmonies to predict the period or mean radius for one satellite if given the period or mean radius of another satellite.
Reading:
Video:
Think Sheets:
Kepler's Laws and Planetary Motion
Science Reasoning Center:
7. Weightlessness
Explain the cause of partial and complete weightlessnes and describe the conditions that lead to sensations of weighing less than normal.
Reading:
Video:
Think Sheets:
Weightlessness
Physics Interactives with Concept Checkers:
Minds On Physics:
Also Available ...
Physics teachers may find the following
for-sale tools to be useful supplements to our Lesson Plan and Pacing Guide section:
- Task Tracker Subscription (annual purchase)
A subscription allows teachers to set up classes, add students, customize online assignments, view student progress/scores, and export student scores. Task Tracker accounts allow your students to begin assignments in class or at school and to finish them at home. View our Seat and Cost Calculator for pricing details.
- The Solutions Guide
We publish a free curriculum with >200 ready-to-use Think Sheets for developing physics concepts. The Solutions Guide is a download containing the source documents, PDFs of source documents, and answers/solutions in MS Word and PDF format. An expanded license agreement is included with the purchase. (Cost: $25 download)
- Teacher Presentation Pack
This is a large collection of downloadable content packed with nearly 190 Microsoft PowerPoint slide decks, the corresponding Lesson Notes (as PDF and fully-modifiable MS Word format), about 170 animations (in .gif, .png, and .mp4 file formats), a countless number of ready-to-use images (including the original source documents that would allow for easy modification of those images), and a license that allows teachers to modify and use all the content with their classes on password-protected sites (such as course management systems). (Cost: $40 download)
- Question Bank
We distribute a Question Bank that includes more than 9300 questions neatly organized according to topic. The Question Bank is the perfect tool for busy teachers or new teachers. Even if you don't use the website with your classes, the Question Bank will assist you in quickly putting together quizzes, tests and other documents with high-quality questions that target student's conceptions of physics principles. And if you do use The Physics Classroom website, the Question Bank is the perfect complement to the materials found at the website. (Cost: $25 download)