Note: Lab supplies will be provided when students are in person for class. 

Classes will include such topics as:

• Classical mechanics
• Kinematics
• Newton’s laws of motion
• Applications of Newton’s laws, work, and energy
• Periodic motion
• Waves
• Light
• Geometric optics
• Electric fields and circuits
• Electrostatics
• Magnetism & electromagnetism
• Thermodynamics
• Coefficients of thermal expansion
• Modern physics

This two-semester Physics course will be a non-calculus-based high school-level class suitable for seniors or prepared juniors. It will well prepare the student for a college physics course, whether or not they major in a science field. The prerequisites are a solid math background, including trigonometry, geometry, and algebra II, and will serve as a good basis for the AP Physics I exam. Students will complete lab work in a research notebook and produce laboratory reports in those notebooks with error analysis. The emphasis in this class is on understanding physics concepts and using math to solve real-world physics problems. Students will have access to professional physics laboratory equipment and learn to interface that equipment with the computer through specialized software. Topics will include sections on classical mechanics – including equations of motion (kinematics), Newton’s laws of motion, applications of Newton’s laws, work, energy, and periodic motion, including impulse, linear and angular momentum. Expanding on this basic knowledge, students will also explore topics such as waves, light and geometric optics, electric fields and circuits, electrostatics, magnetism/electromagnetism, thermodynamics, coefficients of thermal expansion, and modern physics. The course will include weekly lectures with several hands-on labs and write-ups, along with an optional recitation session weekly. Written tests and exams will be administered in class throughout the year, and written homework exercises will be assigned each week.

Grading: All homework, projects, lab work, and tests must be original to the student. No cheating of any kind, including plagiarism, will be tolerated. The course grade is determined by a weighted point system: • 40% of your grade is based on your test grades* • 30% of your grade is based on your homework • 25% of your grade is based on your lab work • 5% of your grade is based on participation *most tests and quizzes will be in-class, TBD Late work policy: one week of grace is extended for illness, bereavement and other exceptional circumstances. Late work not cleared with the teacher will receive a grade of zero.

Course Instructor: This course will be taught by Dr. Malcolm Wright of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where he is a Senior Engineer and project manager. He has always been curious about how the world works, fascinated by light, and wanted to explore space. Learning physics provided the basis for that understanding, and Dr. Wright enjoys inspiring students with his passion for learning and innate curiosity. He completed his Bachelor’s degrees in mathematics and physics and his Master’s degree in physics from Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand. He continued his education in the United States, earning a Doctorate in Physics from the University of New Mexico. Besides building lasers for NASA’s deep space optical communication missions, Dr Wright also enjoys coaching competitive soccer teams, teaching youth groups, and public speaking. His goal is to make physics fun to learn and accessible to all students, helping them develop critical thinking skills necessary to succeed and apply to every course of study.

Textbook:
This class is not text-dependent, but the following text is recommended:

1. College Physics, 10th ed OR NEWER by Serway, et al Older version ISBN- 13 9781285737027 newer version: ISBN 13: 9780357976425

2. OpenStax physics volumes 1 and 2 https://openstax.org/details/books/university-physics-volume-1 – Free download. Print version available for purchase.

3. An approved text by your charter, subsequent to approval from Dr. Wright.

Other required materials: students need to bring the following to class every week :

• Permanently bound lab notebook

• Scientific calculator that is NOT on your phone