Term 1: Forces, energy and motion

Learning objectives - Students should be able to:

Understand the terms independent, dependent and control variables, as well as

hypothesis, continuous and categoric, and range and interval.
Know how to plan and carry out a pre-investigation
Know how to write a RISK ASSESSMENT.
Write a PLAN for the investigation.
Safely record a range of data including repeats.
Calculate an average for each.
Understand how to display the findings of the investigation so that a pattern can be
seen clearly.
Evaluate the investigation and the quality of the results.
Be able to analyse secondary data and draw valid conclusions from it.
Understand how to calculate speed and what measurements are needed.
Calculate their walking speed in a corridor.
Use the speed equation to calculate any of v, d or t.
Be able to confidently rearrange the equation.
Convert between different units for speed and be aware of which are standard
units.
Understand how light-gates and data-loggers work when they are used to measure
speed.
Set up and configure a light-gate and data-logger and use it to measure the speed
of a dynamics trolley.
Understand that the gradient of a distance/time graph tells us the speed.
Analyse and make conclusions from various examples.
Plot a distance/time graph for their journey down the corridor.
Know how to calculate the speed from a distance/time graph.
Understand that speed is defined by distance travelled per second.
Understand that velocity is defined by both distance travelled per second and
direction.
Speed is a scalar quantity and Velocity is a vector quantity.
Acceleration is the rate of change of speed.
Use the equation a=(v-u)/t and know acceleration is measured in m/s 2.
Understand that for a speed/time graph, the gradient tells us the acceleration and
the area under tells us the distance travelled.
Use measurements taken to plot a speed/time graph for car-chase from Matrix
Reloaded.
Name all the main forces.
Understand that force is a vector quantity.
Identify the forces acting in a range of situations and draw free-body diagrams.
Calculate resultant force.
Name all the main types of energy.
Understand that energy cannot be created or destroyed, but can only be
transferred from one place to another or transformed from one type to another.
Identify energy transformations in a range of situations.
Identify the variables that affect the final speed of a trolley moving down a ramp.
Explain a hypothesis using scientific knowledge.
Use the internet to research a method to test the hypothesis.
Evaluate the quality of each source and make an explicit comparison between
them.

Complete a pre-investigation
Write a detailed PLAN for the investigation using information from their two
sources.
Write a RISK ASSESSMENT for the investigation.
Safely record a range of data including repeats.
Calculate an average for each measurement of height.
Understand how to display the findings of the investigation so that a pattern can be
seen clearly.
Know why a line-graph is the suitable method for displaying the data.
Evaluate the investigation and the quality of the results.

Term 2: Introduction to Waves

Students are aware of all the different types of waves and applications of each.
Understand that all waves transfer energy without transferring particles.
Describe the difference between mechanical and electromagnetic waves.
Recall the definitions of both TRANSVERSE and LONGITUDINAL waves.
Recall examples of each.
Students build and test a wave machine.
Use it to discuss the difference between TRANSVERSE and LONGITUDINAL.
Understand the terms Wavelength, Amplitude, Frequency and Wavespeed.
Recall and use the wave equation (v=f).
Know that Sound is a mechanical wave.
Know that Sound is a longitudinal wave.
Increasing the loudness of the sound increases the AMPLITUDE of oscillations.
Increasing the pitch of the sound increases the FREQUENCY of the oscillations.
EM waves do not involve the vibration of particles and so can travel through a
vacuum.
All EM waves travel at 3 x 108 m/s in a vacuum.
Recall the order of the EM Spectrum.
Recall some of the uses and dangers of the EM Spectrum.
Research the dangers of exposure to microwaves during mobile phone use.
Be able to evaluate the reliability of sources and understand whether they may be
biased.
Students use ray-boxes and plane mirrors to prove the Law Of Reflection and that i
= r.
Understand that when light passes from air to perspex, the light refracts towards
the normal.
Understand that when light passes from perspex to air, light refracts away from the
normal.
Describe the relationship between angles of incidence and refraction.
During reflection at a plane mirror, the image is virtual, upright, same size and
laterally inverted.
Draw a ray diagram to explain how a virtual image is formed by a plane mirror.
Draw a ray diagram to explain how an image is formed during refraction (example:
different position of fish viewed from above the surface of the water).