Physical Science Curriculum Overview

The World of Physical
• Explain that science involves asking questions.
• Describe the relationship of matter and energy to physical science.
• Describe the two branches of physical science.
• Identify three areas of science that use physical science.
• Explain what scientific methods are and how they are used to answer questions.
• Describe how a hypothesis is formed and tested.
• Identify methods that are used to analyze data.
• Explain how a conclusion can support or disprove a hypothesis.
• List methods of communicating data.
• Explain how models represent the natural world.
• Identify tools used to collect and analyze data.
• Explain the importance of the International System of Units.
• Identify the appropriate units to use for particular measurements.

The Properties of Matter
• Describe the two properties of all matter.
• Identify the units to measure volume and mass.
• Compare mass and weight.
• Explain the relationship between mass and inertia.
• Identify six examples of physical properties of matter.
• Describe how density is used to identify substances.
• Explain what happens to matter during physical change.
• Describe two examples of chemical properties.
• Distinguish between physical and chemical change.

States of Matter
• Describe the properties shared by particles of all matter.
• Describe three states of matter and their differences.
• Describe three factors that affect how gases behave.
• Predict how a change in pressure or temperature will affect the volume of a gas.
• Describe how energy is involved in changes of state.
• Describe what happens during melting and freezing.
• Compare evaporation and condensation.

Elements, Compounds, and Mixtures
• Describe pure substances.
• Describe the characteristics of elements, and give examples.
• Classify elements according to their properties.
• Explain how elements make up compounds.
• Describe the properties of a compound.
• Explain how a compound can be broken down into its elements.
• Describe three properties of mixtures and four methods of separating the parts of a mixture.
• Analyze a solution in terms of its solute and solvent.
• Explain how concentration affects a solution.
• Describe how a colloid differs from a solution and a suspension.

Matter in Motion
• Describe the motion of an object by the position of the object in relation to a reference point.
• Explain the difference between speed and velocity
• Demonstrate that changes in motion can be measured and represented on a graph.
• Describe forces, and explain ho9w forces act on objects.
• Compare balanced and unbalanced forces.
• Explain why friction occurs.
• Explain how friction can be both harmful and helpful.
• Describe gravity and its effect on matter.
• Describe the difference between mass and weight.

Forces and Motion
• Explain the effect of gravity and air resistance on falling objects.
• Describe Newton’s 1st, 2nd, and 3rd laws of motion and give examples.
• Calculate the momentum of moving objects.
• Explain how relative dating is used in geology.

Forces in Fluids
• Describe how fluids exert pressure.
• Analyze how atmospheric pressure varies with depth
• Give examples of fluids flowing from high to low pressure.
• Explain the relationship between fluid pressure and buoyant force.
• Predict whether an object will float or sink in fluid
• Explain how the overall density of an object can be changes.
• Describe the relationship between pressure and fluid speed.
• Analyze the roles of lift, thrust, and wing size in flight.
• Explain Pascal’s principle.

Work and Machines
• Determine when work is being done on an object.
• Explain the difference between work and power.
• Explain how a machine makes work easier.
• Calculate mechanical advantage.
• Identify and give examples of the six types of simple machines.

Energy and Energy Resources
• Explain the relationship between energy and work.
• Compare kinetic and potential energy.
• Describe an energy conversion and give examples.
• Explain how energy conversions make energy useful.
• Explain how energy is conserved within a closed system.
• Give examples of how thermal energy is always a result of energy conversion.
• Name several energy resources
• Explain how the sun is the source of most energy on Earth.

Heat and Heat Technology
• Describe how temperature relates to kinetic energy.
• Define heat as thermal energy transferred between objects at different temperatures.
• Compare conduction, convection, and radiation.
• Identify three states of matter and how heat affects matter during a change in state.
• Analyze several kinds of heating systems.
• Explain how a refrigerator keeps food cold.

Introduction to Atoms
• Describe some of the experiments that led to the current atomic theory.
• Compare the different models of the atom.
• Describe the size and parts of an atom.
• Describe the relationship between numbers of protons and neutrons and atomic number.
• Describe how Mendeleev arranged elements.
• Explain how elements are arranged in the modern periodic table.
• Compare metals, nonmetals, and metalloids based on their properties and on their location in the periodic table.
• Explain why elements in a group often have similar properties.

Chemical Bonding
• Describe chemical bonding.
• Identify the number of valence electrons in an atom.
• Explain how ionic, positive, and negative ions form.
• Explain how covalent bonds form.
• Describe molecules and explain how metallic bonds form.

Chemical Reactions
• Describe how chemical reactions produce new substances that have different chemical and physical properties.
• Identify four signs that indicate that a chemical reaction might be taking place.
• Interpret, write and balance simple chemical formulas and equations.
• Describe four types of chemical reactions.
• Compare exothermic and endothermic reactions.
• Interpret an energy diagram.

Chemical Compounds
• Describe the properties of ionic and covalent compounds.
• Describe four properties of acids and bases.
• Identify four uses of acids and bases.
• Explain the difference between strong acids and bases and weak acids and bases.
• Identify acids and bases by using the pH scale.
• Explain why there are so many organic compounds.
• Identify and describe saturated, unsaturated, and aromatic hydrocarbons.

Atomic Energy
• Describe how radioactivity was discovered.
• Compare alpha, beta, and gamma decay
• Describe nuclear fission and fusion.

Introduction to Electricity
• Describe how charged objects interact by using the law of electric charges.
• Describe three ways in which an object can become charged.
• Compare conductors and insulators.
• Describe electric current and voltage and how they are related.
• Use Ohm’s law to calculate voltage, current, and resistance.
• Calculate electric power.
• Name the three essential parts of a circuit.
• Compare series circuit to parallel circuits.

Electromagnetism
• Describe the properties of magnets and why some materials are magnetic and some are not.
• Describe four kinds of magnets.
• Identify the relationship between an electric current and a magnetic field.
• Explain how a magnetic field can make an electric current.
• Explain how electromagnetic induction is used in a generator.

Electric Technology
• Identify the role of a circuit board in an electronic device.
• Describe semiconductors and how their conductivity can be changed.
• Describe transistors and how they are used in circuits.
• Identify how signals transmit information.
• Describe analog signals and their use in telephones and records.
• Describe digital signals and their use in compact discs.
• List a computer’s basic functions, and describe its development.
• Identify the main components of computer hardware.

The Energy of Waves
• Describe how waves transfer energy without transferring matter.
• Explain the difference between transverse and longitudinal waves.
• Identify and describe four wave properties.
• Explain how frequency and wavelength are related to the speed of a wave.
• Describe reflection, refraction, diffraction, and interference.
• Compare destructive interference with constructive interference.

The Nature of Sound
• Describe how vibrations cause sound.
• Explain how sound is transmitted through a medium.
• Explain how the human ear works, and identify its parts.
• Compare the speed of sound in different media.
• Explain how frequency and pitch are related.
• Describe the Doppler Effect, and give examples.
• Explain how echoes are made, and describe their use in locating objects.
• List examples of constructive and destructive interference of sound waves.
• Explain why different instruments have different sound qualities.
• Explain how noise is different from music.

The Nature of Light
• Describe light as an electromagnetic wave.
• Calculate distances traveled by light by using the speed of light.
• Identify how electromagnetic waves differ from each other.
• Describe some uses for radio waves and microwaves.
• Describe how reflection allows you to see things.
• Describe absorption and scattering.
• Explain how refraction can create optical illusions and separate white light into colors.
• Name and describe the three ways light interacts with matter.
• Explain how the color of an object is determined.

Light and Our World
• Use ray diagrams to show how light is reflected or refracted.
• Compare plane mirrors, concave mirrors, and convex mirrors.
• Identify the parts of the human eye, and describe their functions.
• Describe three optical instruments