Science+C

 

Physics+C — Kinematics I: Car on a Ramp

This unit reviews concepts related to kinematics and the motion of a car on a ramp. It provides students with the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of concepts used to describe motion, including displacement, velocity, and acceleration. Students will be able to connect their understanding of the motion of a car on a ramp with graphs and data displays that provide information about the motion. Students will learn how computer models are built and used as testbeds to run simulation experiments. They will also explore career connections to kinematics.

 

Physics+C — Electricity: Series Circuits

This unit reviews concepts in electricity, including Ohm’s law and series circuit design. The model allows students to explore the relationship between voltage, current, and resistance and the connection between current and the average velocity of electrons in a circuit.

Students will learn how computer models are built and used as testbeds to run simulation experiments. They will also explore the practices of professional electrical engineers.

 

Physics+C — Nuclear Physics: Rutherford's Gold Foil Experiment

This unit reviews the structure of the atom through experiments with a NetLogo model that simulates Rutherford’s gold foil experiment. The model allows students to shoot alpha particles at a gold foil and observe any changes in the path of the alpha particles. The model initially simulates Thomson’s Plum Pudding model of an atom, with the goal of having students modify the model to act like Rutherford’s gold foil experiment in Lesson 3. Students will learn how computer models are built and used as testbeds to run simulation experiments.

 

Physics+C — Mechanical Waves: Sound through Different Media

This unit reviews mechanical waves through experiments with a NetLogo model that simulates a sound wave traveling through a medium. The model allows students to choose different spring constants, corresponding to different materials made up of stronger/weaker bonds between particles. The model allows students to observe the movement of the wave, graph the position of the wave’s peak over time, and measure the wave’s velocity. Students will learn how computer models are built and used as testbeds to run simulation experiments.

 

Physics+C — Kinematics II: Motion of a Ball

This unit reviews concepts related to kinematics and the motion of a ball near the Earth’s surface. It provides students with the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of 1-dimensional motion (a ball falling and accelerating due to gravity, a ball rolling on a horizontal frictionless surface) and/or 2-dimensional motion (projectile motion) and how it can be represented and demonstrated using computer models. Students will learn how computer models are built and used as testbeds to run simulation experiments. They will also explore career connections to kinematics.

 

Physics+C — Simple Harmonic Motion: Mass on a Spring

This unit reviews simple harmonic motion through experiments with a NetLogo model that simulates a horizontal mass-spring system. The model allows students to displace a mass that is attached to a horizontal spring and observe the motion of the mass. The model also allows students to measure the mass’s position, velocity, kinetic, and potential energy, as well as the observed period and frequency of the periodic motion. Students will learn how computer models are built and used as testbeds to run simulation experiments.

 

Chemistry+C — Chemical Reactions: Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration

This unit reviews concepts of a commonly known chemical reaction concept (conservation of matter) and then provides students with the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of processes involved in the energy transfer during a chemical reaction and how it can be represented and demonstrated using computer models. Students will also learn how computer models are built and used as testbeds to run simulation experiments. They will also explore professional practices in computational chemistry.

 

Chemistry+C — Matter: Physical Change of Salt in Water

This unit reviews concepts related to matter. Students will gain a deeper understanding of processes involved in the physical change of an ionic compound dissolving in water and how it can be represented and demonstrated using computer models. Students will learn how computer models are built and used as testbeds to run simulation experiments. They will also explore the practices of professional practitioners in computational chemistry.

 

Chemistry+C — Kinetics: Rate of Reactions

This unit reviews concepts of kinetics and rates of reaction. It provides students with the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of processes involved in changing the reaction speed and how it can be represented and demonstrated using computer models. Students will learn how computer models are built and used as testbeds to run simulation experiments. They will also explore professional practices in computational chemistry.

 

Chemistry+C — Redox: Electrolysis within a Battery

This unit reviews concepts of oxidation and reduction through electrolysis. It provides students with the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of processes involved in influencing the equilibrium of charges within a battery and how it can be represented and demonstrated using computer models. Students will learn how computer models are built and used as testbeds to run simulation experiments, and about professional practices and practitioners in computational chemistry.