Goals and Enduring Understandings - Phys 590

1. Goal 1: Participants will understand the physics definition of “energy” and appreciate the wide diversity of forms of energy in the world and how energy constantly flows around us and through us.
1. EU 1.1 Become familiar with basic descriptions of energy in terms of kinetic energy and potential energy then use these to describe chemical energy, nuclear energy, electrical energy, gravitational energy, etc.
2. EU 1.2 Introduce the atomic theory of matter to connect kinetic and potential energy to everyday observations.
3. EU 1.3 Have participants identify the basic sources of energy on Earth such as gravitational energy, nuclear fission, nuclear fusion,  chemical energy, etc. in terms of fundamental forces

1. Goal 2: Participants will recognize sources of energy and how energy changes from one form into another.
1. EU 2.1 Introduce the Law of Conservation of Energy and have participants understand how it applies to any case.
2. RU 2.2 Participants will be able to identify any flow of energy as one of three basic forms: radiation, conduction, or convection.
3. EU 2.3 Participants will be able to describe, in terms of energy flow, the behavior of natural systems such as a volcano where heat from nuclear decay drives convection currents that in turn move magma inside the Earth.

• Goal 3: Participants will know some of the implications of energy in small scale and large scale systems of the Earth and how human actions change the flow of energy in these systems.
  • EU 3.1 Participants will be able to recognize static and dynamic equilibrium in systems.
  • EU 3.2 Participants will be able to perform experiments to determine what factors affect the energy flowing around them.
  • EU 3.3 Participants will be introduced to energy flow in Earth systems such as the greenhouse effect in the upper atmosphere, massive flows of energy in catastrophic events such as tornadoes, hurricanes, and earthquakes.

 

• Goal 4: Participants will realize the significance of energy in their lives and human actions change the flow of energy on our planet.

1. EU 4.1 Participants will be introduced to more energy flows in natural systems, e.g. tracing energy from the Sun through the atmosphere into plants and animals and ultimately into humans.
• EU 4.2 Participants will recognize ways in which personal activities affect various energy transformations.

Goals and Enduring Understandings
Class Schedule
Initial Syllabus - Summer 2010
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