Course Number: SC130
Course Title: Physical Science
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
General
A. Apply mathematics to model physical and social processes which they
encounter in professional, vocational, and everyday settings.
B. Describe the basic physical laws of motion,
gravity, electricity, and magnetism.
C. Define and explain basic principles,
concepts, and theories of the natural sciences (e.g. energy,
thermodynamics and waves).
D. Give the importance of organic
chemicals in everyday life.
E. Explain basic principles and
concepts in Astronomy, Meteorology, and Geology.
Specific
Students should be able to:
A.
Apply mathematics to model physical and social processes which they encounter in
professional, vocational, and everyday settings.
1. Distinguish between
fundamental quantities, standard units, and derived units.
2. Discuss some of the various systems of
units that are currently in use.
3. Convert measurements
from one system of units into another system, or from one unit to
another within a given system.
4. Solve mathematical operations
involving significant figures, scientific notations, and rounding off numbers.
5. Read and interpret scientific and
technical information: verbal, mathematical, and graphical. B.
Describe the basic physical laws of motion, gravity, electricity, and magnetism.
6. Define vectors and scalars when
describing the motion of an object.
7. Discuss the physical processes and
theories that are involved in the study of motion.
8. Identify the units in which each of
the concepts of motion is expressed.
9. Distinguish among straight-line
motion, uniform circular motion, and projectile motion.
10. Define force and momentum.
11. Describe how changes in the motion
of objects correlate with the forces that cause these changes.
12. Explain that the application of
forces to objects follows three simple laws formulated by Isaac Newton, and be
able to state and
explain these laws.
13. Distinguish between weight (a
gravitational force) and mass (the quantity of matter), and tell how
these are related to each
other near the surface of Earth.
14. State the conservation laws that
apply to linear momentum and angular momentum, and give examples
of each.
15. Define the fundamental property
known as electric charge.
16. Explain how and when electric charge
can move from one place to another and thereby produce electric current.
17. Describe magnetic fields using the
concepts of magnetic field lines and magnetic poles.
18. Explain how the control of electron
flow in circuits forms the basis for today's high-technology lifestyle.
C. Define and explain basic principles,
concepts, and theories of the natural sciences (e.g. energy,
thermodynamics, and waves).
19. Define the conservation of energy
law and give its importance in the overall scheme of physical science.
20. Define work and energy.
21. Perform calculations using the
concepts of work, energy, and power.
22. Differentiate among the various
types of energy, and tell how they are alike and how they differ.
23. Determine the amount of power
required to do a certain amount of work in a given period of time.
24. Distinguish between heat and
temperature and explain the units involved with each.
25. Explain how temperature scales are
set up and how to convert temperature readings between scales.
26. Compare the Fahrenheit scale with
the Celsius scale.
27. Define specific heat and latent heat
28. Tell how heat can be transferred
through various forms of matter or even through empty space.
29. Explain how solids, liquids, and
gases differ, and be able to describe how the behavior of gases can be explained
using the
kinetic theory of molecules.
30. Discover how kinetic energy in gases
can serve as a model for understanding heat and pressure effects in all phases
of matter.
31. Define the three laws of
thermodynamics and how they apply to such diverse processes as heat engines and
refrigerators.
32. Discuss the general properties of
waves.
33. Describe electromagnetic waves and
list the various types of transverse waves.
34. Distinguish between longitudinal and
transverse waves.
35. Discuss sound waves in detail and
understand their general properties and the way they propagate through air.
36. Identify the terms to describe
waves.
37. Distinguish between diffuse and
regular reflection and tell when each will occur.
38. Explain how light is refracted when
it penetrates a new medium and how this can lead to the formation of a spectrum
of colors.
39. Describe how light can be polarized
and what useful things can be done with polarized light.
40. Describe the interaction of two or
more light waves as they are added together and how this can cause both
constructive and
destructive interference.
41. Explain under what conditions light
can be defracted around sharp edges or through narrow slits.
42. Explain how the reflection of light
from the surfaces of plane and spherical mirrors can produce real and virtual
images.
43. Determine how lenses can focus light
rays and how they can be used to correct vision defects.
44. Explain why a new theory known as
the "dual nature of light" was required to explain the fact that light sometimes
must be
depicted as a wave and sometimes as a particle.
45. Explain how the particle theory of
light was used by Niels Bohr to explain the structure of the atom and the
emission line
spectra produced by gas-discharge tubes.
46. Explain how the quantum aspects of
electromagnetic radiation led to the explanation of line emission spectra and to
the
development of microwave ovens, lasers, and modern X-ray tubes.
D. Give the importance of organic chemicals in everyday life.
47. Identify the most common elements in
our environment
48. Name some of the basic inorganic
compounds, and write their chemical formulas.
49. Explain the ways in which matter is
classified by chemists.
50. Distinguish among types of solutions
and tell how they form.
51. Explain the basic structure of an
atom and of its nucleus.
52. Describe the three most common modes
of radioactive decay and understand the concept of radioactive half-life.
53. Write equations for nuclear
reactions and calculate the energy released in these reactions.
54. Distinguish between the processes of
nuclear fission and nuclear fusion and discuss the advantages, disadvantages,
and
dangers of each as commercial power sources.
55. Discuss the role of energy in chemical reactions and
explain how various factors can
affect reaction rate.
56. Define the law of conservation of
mass as it applies to chemical reactions.
57. Describe basic types of chemical
reactions
58. Describe the processes of ionic,
covalent, and hydrogen bonding and be able to write the formulas for compounds
formed by
the first two processes.
59. Name the compounds made from metals
that can bond in more than one ionic form.
60. Balance simple chemical equations.
61. Distinguish between the physical and
the chemical properties of substances, and tell how chemical reactions can
change these
properties.
62. Explain the differences between
oxidation and reduction.
63. Differentiate between acids and
bases and tell the properties of each.
64. Use the law of definite proportions
and see how this law leads to the assignment of unique formula masses to
compounds
65. Explain the bonding structure of
molecules in organic compounds.
E. Explain basic principles and concepts in Astronomy, Meteorology, and
Geology.
66. Describe how our planet Earth moves
through space and responds to the gravitational pull of the Sun and other nearby
celestial
objects.
67. List the other planets that orbit
the Sun, show that they follow Kepler's laws, and tell how they fit into the
general structure of
our solar system.
68. Distinguish between the terrestrial
and Jovian planets and give general descriptions of each planet and its
associated satellites.
69. Explain how asteroids and comets fit
into the overall description of our solar system.
70. Discuss the origin of our solar
system and comment on the possibility of the existence of additional solar
systems associated
with other stars in the universe.
71. Establish the basis for our current
time measurements and relate them to the astronomical processes by which they
were
originally defined.
72. Show how the seasons of the year are
related to the tilt of Earth's axis with respect to its plane of revolution
around the Sun
and also how the seasons are linked to the vernal equinox.
73. Discuss the precession of Earth's
axis and explain what consequences this phenomenon will have for future
generations.
74. Explain how the calendar has evolved
over the years and how our current calendar adjusts to irregularities in the
length of the
solar day upon which it is based.
75. Describe the general features of the
Moon, along with its special relationship to our planet Earth.
76. State the current theories that best
explain the origin of the Moon, and trace its extraordinary history up to the
present day.
77. Describe and explain the origin of
the various surface features of the Moon.
78. Explain how the motion of the Moon
leads to such diverse phenomena as monthly phases, solar and lunar eclipses, and
the tides
in the oceans on Earth.
79. List the physical characteristics of
the Sun and explain its inner workings.
80. Show how the celestial sphere can be
used to find the positions of objects in the sky and how declination and right
ascension
define these positions.
81. Understand how stars are classified
and formed and how they proceed through well-defined life cycles as they burn up
their
nuclear fuel.
82. Describe the groupings of stars into
gigantic "island universes" called galaxies.
83. Trace the history of our universe
from its conception in the Big Bang to its present-day structure, using our
current knowledge
of cosmology.
84. Describe the origin,
characteristics, and composition of the air envelope, called the
atmosphere, that surrounds Earth.
85. Distinguish among the different
regions of the atmosphere as a function of altitude and tell how energy plays a
key role in its
dynamic nature.
86. Tell how scientists keep track of
conditions and changes in our atmosphere, and what characteristics they measure
to do so.
87. Distinguish between air currents and
wind, and explain what forces are responsible for each.
88. Describe local winds, and show how
the general wind circulation on Earth produces a predictable overall pattern.
89. Explain the formation of the jet
streams and other upper atmospheric wind processes.
90. Tell how clouds are classified, and
name the most general types.
91. Discuss the mechanisms by which
clouds form and dissipate.
92. Explain how precipitation can form,
and identify the most common kinds.
93. Name the various types of air masses
and describe their source regions, then show how frontal regions move and how
they
affect our weather.
94. Describe the various types of storms
that can occur in our atmosphere, and tell the conditions under which these
storms can
form.
95. Identify the sources of the major
pollutants that threaten our environment, and explain how pollution can affect
our weather
and climate.
96. Distinguish between minerals and
rocks.
97. Name and describe some of the most
abundant minerals found in Earth's crust.
98. State the basic physical properties
that can be used to identify mineral samples.
99. Identify the physical properties of
minerals, and list their general uses.
100. Describe the three classes of rocks.
101. List the common types of rocks.
102. Identify how rocks are formed.
103. Explain the rock cycle.
104. Explain the classification of common igneous
rocks.
105. Explain how new sedimentary rocks can be
formed from the remains of previous rocks.
106. Describe the origin of metamorphic rocks.
107. Discuss the processes by which existing rocks
can be changed by chemicals, heat, and pressure into different metamorphic
forms.
108. Describe the general processes of erosion,
including weathering and mass wasting.