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Overview

Science has always been a part of


our life. It shapes our daily lives and
impacts our countless decision each
day. From managing our health and
well-being, your Mother choosing paper
over plastic at the grocery store, or
answering you asking why the sky is
blue - thus science has an important role
in our lives.
This enrichment material employs
teaching-learning strategies that inspire
and prepare you to embrace science
and its vital role in society. Moreover,
this learning enrichment module will
allow you to increase active learning and
improve critical thinking, as well as
problem-solving skills.
Relatively, this learning
enrichment module is characterized by
the fact that you are making sense of
new experiences for themselves, being
active in developing knowledge through
their activities that will link your new
experiences to the past ones, testing
ideas, and reforming your own ones and
using ideas from others.
Lesson 1. Forces

WHAT ARE FORCES?

FORCES are the hidden strength or energy that moves


an object in our universe. A force is a pushing or pulling
action that can make objects move, change direction or
even change shape.

WHAT ARE THE SIX (6) KINDS OF FORCES THAT


ACT ON OBJECTS?

There are six kinds of forces that act on objects when


they come into contact with one another:

1. NORMAL FORCE
2. APPLIED FORCE
3. FRICTIONAL FORCE
4. TENSION FORCE
5. SPRING FORCE AND
6. RESISTING FORCE 1. NORMAL FORCE
These forces make objects change their motion or
movement which are the act of going
Thefrom one place
normal forceto is the support force exerted
another.
upon an object that is in contact with another
stable object. For example, if a book is resting
upon a surface, then the surface is exerting an
upward force upon the book in order to support
the weight of the book.
2. APPLIED FORCE
An applied force is a force that is applied to an
object by a person or another object. If a person is
pushing a desk across the room, then there is an
applied force acting upon the object.

3. FRICTIONAL FORCE
Frictional Force refers to the force generated by
two surfaces that contacts and slide against each other.
These forces are mainly affected by the surface texture
and quantity of force requiring them together.
4. TENSION FORCE

The Tension Force is defined as


the force that is transmitted through a
rope, string or wire when pulled by forces
acting from opposite sides. The tension force is
directed over the length of the wire and pulls
energy equally on the bodies at the
ends. These forces make objects change their
motion or movement which are the act of going
from one place to another.

5. SPRING FORCE

The Spring Force is the force exerted


by a compressed or stretched spring
upon any object that is attached to it.
An object that compresses or stretches a spring
is always acted upon by a force that restores the object
to its rest or equilibrium position.
6. RESISTING FORCE
Resisting Force is a force whose direction is
opposite to the velocity of the body, or of the sum of the
other forces.
Read Me!

Now we will look closer


to the concept of forces by
looking on the two (2) major types
of forces which are the Balanced
and Unbalanced Force.

Are you ready? Come on, Let’s Find


Out!

The two (2) major types of Forces

1. BALANCED FORCE

2. UNBALANCED FORCE What is Balanced


Force?

Balanced Forces was


observed when the two forces
are equal in magnitude and
in opposite directions.
Consider a physics book at rest on a tabletop.

There are two forces


acting upon the book.
One force - the Earth's
gravitational pull - exerts a
downward force.

The other force - the push of the


table on the book (sometimes referred to
as a normal force) - pushes upward on
the book.
Observed and analyzed the following sets of
images and identify what manifest Balanced Forces

Image 1

Image 2
Image 3

Image 4
Image 5

Image 6
What is Unbalanced
Force?

It occurs when there is an


individual force that is not being balanced
by a force of equal magnitude and in the
opposite direction.

Consider the image below:

SELF - CHECK

Before you proceed to the next


journey of your Science Learning,
make sure that you understand all of the concept
you have read earlier.

If there are some instances that is not clear to you, you are
free to look at it once again and be familiar with it.
Now, if you are really sure and confident enough about your
understanding to the concept you have read, we will be
having your assessment.
Are You Ready?
Let’s try this!
Directions A. Read the statements carefully and choose the correct
answer. Encircle TRUE if the statement is correct, otherwise
encircle FALSE if the statement is incorrect.

1. An object at rest tends to stay at rest and an object in motion tends to


stay in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless
acted upon by an unbalanced force.

TRUE FALSE
2. A book sitting still on a table has unbalanced forces acting on it.

TRUE FALSE
3. When all the forces acting upon an object balance each other, the
object will be at equilibrium; it will not accelerate

TRUE FALSE
4. A person standing still on the floor has balanced forces acting upon
him or her.

TRUE FALSE
5. A person starting to fall through the floor has balanced forces acting on
him or her

TRUE FALSE
Let’s try this!

Directions: Read each statement carefully and identify the correct


answer. Encircle the letter that corresponds to your answer.
1. Two equal forces act at the same time on the same stationary object but in opposite
directions. Which statement describes the object's motion?
A. The object moves at a constant speed.
B. The object remains stationary.
C. The object changes direction.
D. The object accelerates.
2. A car moves along a road that has markers every kilometer. Over time, the car
passes the markers in shorter periods of time. Which statement best describes the
motion of the car?
A. The car is maintaining the same speed.
B. The car is changing its direction.
C. The car is keeping the same direction.
D. The car is increasing its speed.
3. Two football linemen push against each other in practice. They do not move, but
then lineman B moves forward and lineman A moves backward. Why does this
happen?
A. Because the lineman push in different directions, the net force is zero.
B. When the lineman push on each other, they cause action-reaction forces that are
unequal.
C. Lineman A pushes with greater force, causing a net force that acts in his
direction.
D. The forces are balanced, but then line B exerts a greater force, causing
unbalanced forces.
Lesson 2.
Newton’s Three
Laws of Motion

What is Newton’s Law of Motion?

Newton’s Law of Motion is the relationship between


the forces acting on a body and the motion of the body.

Who formulated the Three Laws of Motion?

It was formulated by an English Physicist and


Mathematician Sir ISAAC NEWTON

Why are Newton’s Laws of Motion important?

Because they are the foundation of classical mechanics,


one of the main branches of Physics. Mechanics TRY AT HOME –
is the study of how objects move or do not MINI LAB
move when forces act upon them.

Determining Weights in Newtons

Procedure:
1. Stand on a bathroom scale and measure your weight.
2. Hold a large book, stand on the scale, and measure the
combined weight of you and the book.
3. Repeat step #2 using a chair, heavy jacket, and fourth object of
your choice.

Analysis
1. Subtract your weight from each of the combined weights to
calculate the weight of each object in pounds.
2. Multiply the weight of each object in pounds by 4.4 to calculate
its weight in newtons.
3. Calculate your own weight in newtons.
First Law of Motion

To understand the first law, consider the following situation;

When you give a book on a table a push or when you push a book
on a table, it slides and comes to a stop. After you throw or hit a
baseball and it hits the ground, it soon rolls to a stop. In fact, it
seems that anytime you set something in motion, it stops moving
after a while.

So what is the first law of motion?

The first law of motion is commonly known as the LAW OF INERTIA .

This law states that;


1st law Application

There are many more applications


of Newton's first law of motion. Several
applications are listed below. Perhaps you
could think about the law of inertia and provide
explanations for each application.

1. Blood rushes from your head to your feet while quickly


stopping when riding on a descending elevator.

2. The head of a hammer can be tightened onto the wooden


handle by banging the bottom of the handle against a hard
surface.

3. A brick is painlessly broken over the hand of a physics


teacher by slamming it with a hammer. (CAUTION: do not
attempt this at home!)

4. To dislodge ketchup from the


bottom of a ketchup bottle, it is often turned
upside down and thrusted downward at
high speeds and then abruptly halted.

5. Headrests are placed in cars to prevent whiplash


injuries during rear-end collisions.

6. While riding a skateboard (or wagon or bicycle), you


fly forward off the board when hitting a curb or rock or
other object that abruptly halts the motion of the
skateboard.
First Law of Motion

Objects tend to "keep on doing what they're doing." In fact, it is the natural
tendency of objects to resist changes in their state of motion. This
tendency to resist changes in their state of motion is described as inertia.

What is Inertia?
It is the resistance an object has to a change in its state of motion.

All objects resist changes in their state of motion. All objects have this
tendency - they have inertia.

Absolutely yes!
The tendency of an object to resist changes in its state of motion varies
with mass. Mass is that quantity that is solely dependent upon the inertia
of an object. The more inertia that an object has, the more mass that it
has. A more massive object has a greater tendency to resist changes in
its state of motion.
1. Imagine a place in the
cosmos far from all gravitational
and frictional influences. Suppose that
you visit that place (just suppose) and throw
a rock. WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THE ROCK?

a. It will gradually stop.


b. It will continue in motion in the same direction at
constant speed.

2. Mac and Tosh are arguing in the cafeteria. Mac says that if he
flings the Jell-O with a greater speed it will have a greater inertia.
Tosh argues that inertia does not depend upon speed,
but rather upon mass. Who do you agree with?
Explain why.
4. Fred spends most
3. Supposing you were in space in Sunday afternoons at rest on
a weightless environment, would it the sofa, watching pro football
require a force to set an games and consuming large quantities
object in motion?
of food. What affect (if any) does this
practice have upon his inertia? Explain.

5. Ben Tooclose is being chased through the woods by a


bull moose that he was attempting to photograph. The enormous
mass of the bull moose is extremely intimidating. Yet, if Ben
makes a zigzag pattern through the woods, he will be able to use
the large mass of the moose to his own advantage. Explain this
in terms of inertia and Newton's first law of motion.
second Law of Motion

“When something move faster, is there a word we could use to describe


how quick that motion is?

Absolutely yes!
That word is…………

What is the Second Law of Motion?


Newton’s second law tells how a net force acting on an object
changes the motion of the object.
According to Newton’s second law, a NET FORCE changes the
velocity of the object, and causes it to accelerate.

What does the Second Law of Motion tell us?


2 Things you
need to know
about 2nd Law of
Motion

=
Let’s do this!

You’ve gone so far, this time as you read and understand the 2nd
Law of Motion, practicing your math skills will be an additional
knowledge. Are you ready?

I hope you were able to calculate it, now let’s try another one. Ready?

Oooops! Remember the steps earlier.


Suppose you push on a wall. It might
surprise you to know that the wall pushes
back on you.
So, what is the third law of motion?
According to Newton’s third law, when one
object exerts a force on a second object, the
second object exerts an equal force in the
opposite direction on the first object.
Here is an example;
When you walk, you push back on the What
sidewalk and sidewalk pushes forward on does, the
you with an equal force. third law of
motion tell
us?
I hope that you already familiarize the third law of motion. Feel free to look
back again to those concepts for better understanding but of you are ready,
let’s check your understanding.

1. While driving down the road, a firefly strikes the windshield of a bus and makes a
quite obvious mess in front of the face of the driver. This is a clear case of Newton's
third law of motion. The firefly hit the bus and the bus hits the firefly. Which of the two
forces is greater: the force on the firefly or the force on the bus?

2. For years, space travel was believed to be impossible because there was nothing
that rockets could push off of in space in order to provide the propulsion necessary to
accelerate. This inability of a rocket to provide propulsion is because ...
a. ... space is void of air so the rockets have nothing to push off of.
b. ... gravity is absent in space.
c. ... space is void of air and so there is no air resistance in space.
d. ... nonsense! Rockets do accelerate in space and have been able to do so for a long
time.

3. Many people are familiar with the fact that a rifle recoils when fired. This recoil is the
result of action-reaction force pairs. A gunpowder explosion creates hot gases that
expand outward allowing the rifle to push forward on the bullet. Consistent with
Newton's third law of motion, the bullet pushes backwards upon the rifle. The
acceleration of the recoiling rifle is ...
a. greater than the acceleration of the bullet.
b. smaller than the acceleration of the bullet.
c. the same size as the acceleration of the bullet.
4.
In the top picture (below),
Kent Budgett is pulling upon a
rope that is attached to a wall. In the
bottom picture, Kent is pulling upon a
rope that is attached to an elephant. In
each case, the force scale reads 500 Newton.
Kent is pulling ...

a. with more force when the rope is attached to the wall.

b. with more force when the rope is attached to the elephant.

c. the same force in each case.

Identifying and describing


action-reaction force pairs is a
simple matter of identifying the two
interacting objects and making two
statements describing who is pushing on whom
and in what direction. For example, consider
the interaction between a baseball bat and a
baseball.
!!!
Consider the following three examples. One of the forces in the mutual
interaction is described; describe the other force in the action-reaction
force pair.
Analyze
Before you the following
explore picturesofand
the concept identify
work what work
in physics, kindlyoranalyze
job is the
being shown.
following pictures below and try to identify their work or job.
Let’s Start!
The work you have
identified earlier are work
in life that helps you and your
family to live. However, work in
Physics is different to work in life.
To know their difference, let’s start exploring
WORK IN PHYSICS.

We utilized Newton's laws to analyze the motion of objects.


Force and mass information were used to determine the
acceleration of an object. Acceleration information was subsequently
used to determine information about the velocity or displacement of an
object after a given period of time. In this manner, Newton's laws serve as a
useful model for analyzing motion and making predictions about the final
state of an object's motion.

What is
WORK?

When a force acts upon an


object to cause a displacement
of the object, it is said that work
was done upon the object. There are three
key ingredients to work - force, displacement,
and cause.

In order for a force to qualify as having done work on an


object, there must be a displacement and the force must
cause the displacement.
There are several good examples of work that can be
observed in everyday life –
 a horse pulling a plow through the field,
 a father pushing a grocery cart down the aisle of a
grocery store,
 a freshman lifting a backpack full of books upon her
shoulder,
 a weightlifter lifting a barbell above his
head, an Olympian launching the shot-put,
etc.
Read the following four statements and determine whether or not they
represent examples of work. Write W if there is work done and NW if
there is no work done.
This time our goal is for you to understand WORK EQUATION. This part
of your learning experience will enable you to practice and develop your
math skills. Let’s start.

• • Θ

?
 On occasion, a force acts upon a moving object to hinder a displacement.
Examples might include a car skidding to a stop on a roadway surface or a
baseball runner sliding to a stop on the infield dirt.

 In such instances, the force acts in the direction opposite the objects motion in
order to slow it down. The force doesn't cause the displacement but rather
hinders it. These situations involve what is commonly called negative work.

 The negative of negative work refers to the numerical value that results when
values of F, d and theta are substituted into the work equation.

 Since the force vector is directly opposite the displacement vector,


theta is 180 degrees. The cosine(180 degrees) is -1 and so a negative
value results for the amount of work done upon the object.
Whenever a new quantity is introduced
in physics, the standard metric units
associated with that quantity are discussed.
In the case of work (and also energy), the standard
metric unit is the Joule (abbreviated J). One Joule is
equivalent to one Newton of force causing a displacement
of one meter. In other words,

The Joule is the unit of work.

In fact, any unit of force times any unit of displacement is equivalent


to a unit of work. Some nonstandard units for work are shown ’
below. Notice that when analyzed, each set of units is
equivalent to a force unit times a displacement unit.

Work was described as taking


place when a force acts upon an object to
cause a displacement. When a force acts to
cause an object to be displaced, three
quantities must be known in order to
calculate the work. Those three quantities
are force, displacement and the angle
between the force and the displacement.
The work is subsequently calculated as

where theta (Ɵ) is the angle between the


force and the displacement vectors.
Express your understanding of the concept and mathematics of
work by answering the following questions.

1. Apply the work equation to determine the amount of work done by the
applied force in each of the three situations described below.

2. A student lifts a box of books that weighs 135 N. The box is lifted
0.600 m. How much work does the student do on the box?

3. Two students together exert a force of 825 N in pushing a car 35m.


a. How much work do they do on the car?
b. If the force were doubled, how much work would they do
pushing the car the same distance?
4. A 0.170 kg ball falls 1.5 m. How much work does the force of gravity
do on the ball?
The quantity work has to do
with a force causing a displacement.
Work has nothing to do with the amount
of time that this force acts to cause the
displacement. Sometimes, the work is done very
quickly and other times the work is done rather slowly.
For example, a rock climber takes an abnormally long
time to elevate her body up a few meters along the side of
a cliff. On the other hand, a trail hiker (who selects the
easier path up the mountain) might elevate her body a
few meters in a short amount of time. The two people
might do the same amount of work, yet the hiker does
the work in considerably less time than the
rock climber.

The quantity that has to do with


the rate at which a certain amount of
work is done is known as the power. The
hiker has a greater power rating than the
rock climber.

Power is the rate at which work is done. It is the work/time ratio.


Mathematically, it is computed using the following equation.

=
The standard metric unit of power is the Watt. As is
implied by the equation for power, a unit of power is
equivalent to a unit of work divided by a unit of time. Thus,
a Watt is equivalent to a Joule/second. For historical
reasons, the horsepower is occasionally used to describe
the power delivered by a machine. One horsepower is
equivalent to approximately 750 Watts.

The expression for power is work/time. And since the


expression for work is force*displacement, the
expression for power can be rewritten as
(force*displacement)/time. Since the expression for
velocity is displacement/time, the expression for power
can be rewritten once more as force*velocity. This is
shown below.
Use your understanding of work and power to answer the following
questions.

1. Two physics students, Will N. Andable and Ben Pumpiniron, are in the
weightlifting room. Will lifts the 100-pound barbell over his head 10 times in
one minute; Ben lifts the 100-pound barbell over his head 10 times in 10
seconds. Which student does the most work? ______________ Which student
delivers the most power? ______________ Explain your answers.
2. During a physics lab, Jack and Jill ran up a hill. Jack is twice as massive
as Jill; yet Jill ascends the same distance in half the time. Who did the most
work? ______________ Who delivered the most power? ______________ Explain
your answers.
3. A tired squirrel (mass of approximately 1 kg) does push-ups by applying
a force to elevate its center-of-mass by 5 cm in order to do a mere 0.50
Joule of work. If the tired squirrel does all this work in 2 seconds, then
determine its power.
4. When doing a chin-up, a physics student lifts her 42.0-kg body a distance
of 0.25 meters in 2 seconds. What is the power delivered by the student's
biceps?
In everyday life, the word
ENERGY is used in a variety of
ways.
Your little brother who runs and plays
long after adults are tired is said to be full of
energy bars. The sun provides solar energy for the
planet.
Companies that supply your home with electricity, natural
Gas, or heating fuel and your car with gasoline are called energy
companies.
When these resources become scarce and more expensive, the
media report stories of an energy crisis.

Physicists use the term ENERGY in a much more precise way.

ENERGY is the
capacity to do
WORK
The energy of a moving object is called energy of motion or
KINETIC energy (KE). The word kinetic comes from the Greek
word kinetikos which means moving.

Kinetic energy quantifies the amount of work the object can do


because of its motion.

To calculate for the value of Kinetic Energy, we use the equation;


Try solving this:
1. A 1000 kg car has a velocity of 17m/s. What is the
car’s kinetic energy?

2. Determine the kinetic energy of a 625-kg roller


coaster car that is moving with a speed of 18.3 m/s.

3. If the roller coaster car in the above problem were


moving with twice the speed, then what would be its
new kinetic energy?

4. Missy Diwater, the former platform diver for the


Ringling Brother's Circus, had a kinetic energy of 12
000 J just prior to hitting the bucket of water. If
Missy's mass is 40 kg, then what is her speed?
It is popularly known as

“ ”
In a deeper sense, this refers to the energy gained
or lost by the object which is called

In a deeper sense, this refers to the energy gained


or lost by the object which is called

Mathematically, we can expressed


GPE based from the following formula;

1. A cart is loaded with a


brick and pulled at constant
speed along an inclined plane to
the height of a seat-top. If the
mass of the loaded cart is 3.0 kg
and the height of the seat top is
0.45 meters, then what is the
potential energy of the loaded
cart at the height of the seat-
top?
Solve the following using the Potential Energy equation.

1. A box has a mass of 5.8kg. The box is lifted from the garage floor and placed
on a shelf. If the box gains 145J of Potential Energy (Ep), how high is the
shelf?
2. A man climbs on to a wall that is 3.6m high and gains 2268J of Potential
energy. What is the mass of the man?
3. A 800g ball is pulled up a slope as shown in the diagram. Calculate the
potential energy it gains.
A sound wave is a pressure
disturbance that travels through a
medium by means of particle-to-particle
interaction. As one particle becomes disturbed,
it exerts a force on the next adjacent particle, thus
disturbing that particle from rest and transporting the
energy through the medium. Like any wave, the speed of a
sound wave refers to how fast the disturbance is passed from
particle to particle. While frequency refers to the number of
vibrations that an individual particle makes per unit of time,
speed refers to the distance that the disturbance travels per
unit of time. Always be cautious to distinguish between the two
often-confused quantities of speed (how fast...) and frequency
(how often...).
Speed of wave - distance (d) that apoint on a wave
travels per unit time (t), in equation

= The speed of any wave depends upon


the properties of the medium through which
the wave is traveling. Typically there are two
essential types of properties that affect wave
speed - inertial properties and elastic
properties.

Elastic properties are those properties related to the


tendency of a material to maintain its shape and not
deform whenever a force or stress is applied to it. A
material such as steel will experience a very small
deformation of shape (and dimension) when a stress
is applied to it.
Inertial properties are those
properties related to the
material's tendency to be
sluggish to changes in its state
of motion. The density of a
medium is an example of an
inertial property.
The speed of a sound wave in air depends upon the properties of the air,
mostly the temperature, and to a lesser degree, the humidity. Humidity is
the result of water vapor being present in air. Like any liquid, water has a
tendency to evaporate. As it does, particles of gaseous water become
mixed in the air. This additional matter will affect the mass density of the
air (an inertial property). The temperature will affect the strength of the
particle interactions (an elastic property). At normal atmospheric
pressure, the temperature dependence of the speed of a sound wave
through dry air is approximated by the following equation:

here T is the temperature of the air in degrees Celsius. Using this


equation to determine the speed of a sound wave in air at a
temperature of 20 degrees Celsius yields the following solution.
1. An automatic focus camera is able to
focus on objects by use of an ultrasonic
sound wave. The camera sends out sound waves
that reflect off distant objects and return to the camera.
A sensor detects the time it takes for the waves to return and
then determines the distance an object is from the camera. If a
sound wave (speed = 340 m/s) returns to the camera 0.150 seconds
after leaving the camera, how far away is the object?
2. On a hot summer day, a pesky little mosquito produced its
warning sound near your ear. The sound is produced by the beating
of its wings at a rate of about 600 wing beats per second.

a. What is the frequency in Hertz of the sound wave?


b. Assuming the sound wave moves with a velocity of 350 m/s,
what is the wavelength of the wave?

3. Determine the speed of sound on a cold winter day 4. Miles Tugo is


(T=3 degrees C). camping in Glacier
National Park. In the midst
of a glacier canyon, he
makes a loud holler. He
hears an echo 1.22
seconds later. The air
temperature is 20 degrees
C. How far away are the
canyon walls?
Temperature and the
Speed of Sounds

Temperature is also a condition that affects the speed of


Temperature
sound. is also
Heat, like a condition
sound, that affects
is a form the energy.
of kinetic speed of
sound. Heat,
Molecules like temperatures
at higher sound, is a have formmore
of kinetic
energy,energy.
thus
Molecules at higher temperatures have more energy,
they can vibrate faster. Since the molecules vibrate faster, thus
they can
sound wavesvibrate faster.more
can travel Sincequickly.
the molecules
The speedvibrate faster,
of sound
insound waves can travel
room temperature air ismore quickly.per
346 meters Thesecond.
speed of sound
This is
faster than 331 meters per second, which is the speed of is
in room temperature air is 346 meters per second. This
fasterinthan
sound air at331 meters
freezing per second, which is the speed of
temperatures.
sound in air at freezing temperatures.

The formula to find the speed of sound in air is as follows:


The formula to find the speed of sound in air is as follows:

v is the speed of sound and T is the temperature of the air.


v is thing
One the speed of sound
to keep andisT that
in mind is thethis
temperature of the
formula finds air.
the
One thing
average to keep
speed in mind
of sound is that
for any giventhistemperature.
formula findsThethe
average
speed speedisofalso
of sound sound for any
affected by given
other temperature.
factors such asThe
speed of
humidity andsound is also affected by other factors such as
air pressure.
humidity and air pressure.
The
Electromagnetic
and visible spectra
Electromagnetic waves are waves that are
capable of traveling through a vacuum. Unlike
mechanical waves that require a medium in order to
transport their energy, electromagnetic waves are capable
of transporting energy through the vacuum of outer space.
Electromagnetic waves are produced by a vibrating electric
charge and as such, they consist of both an electric and a
magnetic component.
Electromagnetic waves exist with an enormous range of
frequencies. This continuous range of
frequencies is known as the
The longer wavelength,
electromagnetic spectrum.
lower frequency regions are
located on the far left of the
spectrum and the shorter
wavelength, higher frequency
regions are on the far right.
Two very narrow regions within the spectrum are the
visible light region and the X-ray region. You are
undoubtedly familiar with some of the other regions
of the electromagnetic spectrum.
Visible light
spectrum
A small spectrum from the enormous range of frequencies of
electromagnetic radiation. This visible light region consists of a
spectrum of wavelengths that range from approximately 700
nanometers (abbreviated nm) to approximately 400 nm. Expressed
in more familiar units, the range of wavelengths extends from 7 x
10-7 meter to 4 x 10-7 meter. This narrow band of visible light is
affectionately known as .

Each individual wavelength within the spectrum of visible light


wavelengths is representative of a particular color. That is, when
light of that particular wavelength strikes the retina of our eye, we
perceive that specific color sensation. The separation of visible light
into its different colors is known as DISPERSION. Dispersion of
visible light produces the colors red (R), orange (O), yellow (Y),
green (G), blue (B), and violet (V).
Check your
understanding

.
This is an activity that students can do independently or with partners.

Your job is to create a diagram that shows what the electromagnetic


spectrum is and what portion of it is visible to the human eye. Use color
to represent the different colors that are actually part of the visible light
spectrum. Your diagrams must be pretty and creative, but they should
also be accurate.

.
Making and analyzing a graphic organizer can be a great way to
help visual learners learn more about visible light.

Ask students to work with partners to create a four-column


chart. They should research all of the colors of the visible light
spectrum, their wavelengths, their frequencies, and their
photon energies. Students should complete the chart, then
write a few sentences describing that each column represents
in their own words.
Heat and temperature are a closely related topic, and as such, the difference between
the two can be a bit confusing. The core difference is that heat deals with thermal
energy, whereas temperature is more concerned with molecular kinetic energy.

Heat describes the transfer of thermal energy between molecules within a system and
is measured in Joules. Heat measures how energy moves or flows. An object can gain
heat or lose heat, but it cannot have heat. Heat is a measure of change, never a
property possessed by an object or system. Therefore, it is classified as a process
variable.

Temperature describes the average kinetic energy of molecules within a material or


system and is measured in Celsius (°C), Kelvin(K), Fahrenheit (°F), or Rankine (R). It is
a measurable physical property of an object—also known as a state variable. Other
measurable physical properties include velocity, mass, and density, to name a few.
Let's
Investigate

Procedure:
Get a thermometer, record the room temperature.
(carfeul with the thermometer)
Hold the thermometer in your hand and wrap your
fingers around it. Record your body temperature in
degree celcius.
Room Temp:__________°C
Body Temp: __________°C

Pick 5 surfaces in the


room that are exposed to the
open air. Examples would be
a wall, the door, or the
whiteboard.

Try to choose different materials for your samples.


Place your hand on the object and predict its temperature.
Record it in the chart below. After you have made your
predictions, place the thermometer on the object (you may tape
it on some surfaces). Record the actual temperature of the
surface in the chart below.
A. Did all types of surfaces feel the same
temperature?
B. Looking at your actual temperatures, were all of
the surfaces around the same temperature?
C. Is your hand the same temperature as the objects
(Body temperature)? What can you feel leaving
your body that is trying to equalize the
temperature?
D. Use the above answers, background information,
and data table to explain why these surfaces feel
different temperatures but are all about the same
temperature?
A 50g piece of iron,
with a temperature 90°C, is
placed into 50g of water at
20°C.

Do you think the final temperature of the system will be more,


less or equal to 55°C (halfway point between the two objects)?
Why? When does the reaction stop, when the energy of the
two objects is equal or when the temperature is equal?
The relationship between voltage, current, and resistance is described by
Ohm's law. This equation, i = v/r, tells us that the current, i, flowing
through a circuit is directly proportional to the voltage, v, and inversely
proportional to the resistance, r. In other words, if we increase the
voltage, then the current will increase. But, if we increase the resistance,
then the current will decrease. We saw these concepts in action with the
garden hose. Increasing the pressure caused the flow to increase, but
getting a kink in the hose increased the resistance, which caused the flow
to decrease.

Using this diagram is an easy way to solve equations.


The way the equation is written here, it would be easy to use Ohm's law
to figure out the current if we know the voltage and the resistance. But,
what if we wanted to solve for the voltage or the
resistance instead? One way to do this would be to rearrange the
terms of the equation to solve for the other parameters, but there's an
easier way. The diagram below will give us the appropriate equation to
solve for any unknown parameter without using any algebra. To use this
diagram, we simply cover up the parameter we're trying to find to get the
proper equation. This will make more sense once we start using it, so let's
do some examples.
1.
A 30.0 V battery is connected
To a 10.0Ω resistor. What is the
Current in the circuit?

2. An automobile headlight with a resistance


Of 30 Ω is placed across a 12-V battery. What
is the current through the circuit?
3.
A motor with an operating resistance of 32 Ω is
connected to a voltage source. The current in the
circuit is 3.8A. What is the voltage of the source?
4.
A 30.0 V battery is connected
To a 10.0Ω resistor. What is the
Current in the circuit?

5.
A lamp draws a current of 0.50 A when it
is connected to a 120-V source.
a. What is the resistance of the lamp?
b. What is the power consumption of the
lamp?

6.
A 75-W lamp is connected to 120 V.
a. What is the current through a
lamp?
b. What is the resistance of the lamp?
Miranda has to use a hair dryer in order to dry her long hair quickly
enough to get to school on time. She has a powerful hair dryer that
dries her hair faster than a less powerful hair dryer would. That’s
because a more powerful hair dryer changes electric current to
thermal energy more quickly.

The rate at which a device changes electric current to another form


of energy is called electric power. The SI unit for power—including
electric power—is the watt. A watt equals 1 joule of energy per
second. High wattages are often expressed in kilowatts, where 1
kilowatt equals 1000 watts. The power of an electric device, such
as a hair dryer, can be calculated if you know the voltage of the
circuit and how much current the device receives. The following
equation is used:

Assume that Miranda’s hair dryer is the only electric device in a


120-volt circuit that carries 15 amps of current. Then the power of
her hair dryer in kilowatts is:
Did you ever wonder how much electrical energy it takes to use an
appliance such as a hair dryer? Electrical energy use depends on the power
of the appliance and how long it is used. It can be calculated with this
equation:

If Miranda uses her 1.8-kilowatt hair dryer for 0.2 hours, how much
electrical energy does she use?

Electrical energy use is typically expressed in kilowatt-hours, as in this


example. How much energy is this? One kilowatt-hour equals 3.6 million
joules of energy.
Let’s
Practice!
Alfredo deDarke often leaves household appliances
on for no good reason (at least according to his parents).
The deDarke family pays 15¢/kilowatt-hour (i.e., $.15/kW•hr)
for their electrical energy. Express your understanding of dollar
power by filling in the following table.

The electric potential at a given location in a circuit is the


amount of _____________ per ___________
at that location. The location of highest potential within a
circuit is at the _______ ( +, - ) terminal of
the battery. As charge moves through the external circuit
from the ______ ( +, - ) to the ______ ( +,
- ) terminal, the charge loses potential energy. As charge
moves through the battery, it gains
potential energy. The difference in electric potential between
any two locations within the circuit is
known as the electric potential difference; it is sometimes
called the _____________________ and
represented by the symbol ______. The rate at which charge
moves past any point along the circuit
is known as the ___________________ and is expressed
with the unit ________________.

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