Physics Specialization

In addition to the 18 general standards for all science teachers, those who specialize in teaching physics will exhibit the following knowledge and performances:

(Based on ILS standard 12 D; National Science Education Content standard B; and NSTA standards for Certification and Accreditation in Science Education (CASE) standard 1.)

 

39. The competent physics teacher has mastery of the essential knowledge and skills needed to practice physics and an understanding of the broad applicability of its principles to real world situations.

Knowledge: The competent physics teacher understands

39A. scientific processes and principles of experimentation.
39B. methods and equipment used in scientific measurement.
39C. the collection and analysis of data and methods used for reporting results.
39D. how demonstration materials may be used to exhibit and explain a wide variety of physical phenomena.
39E. safe and proper use of equipment and materials commonly used in physics classrooms and laboratories.
39F. the growth of physics knowledge from an historical perspective.

Performance: The competent physics teacher will

39G. provide examples of the applicability of physics in daily life including career opportunities and avocations in physics and technology.
39H. explain ways in which basic research and the development of new technologies affect society.
39I. utilize basic equipment to demonstrate physical principles and phenomena.
39J. incorporate the use of calculator- and computer-based technology, including graphical and statistical procedures, in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data.
39K. use mathematical concepts, strategies, and procedures up to and including procedures of differential and integral calculus to derive and manipulate formal relationships between physical quantities.
39L. set up appropriate laboratory investigations addressing the principles and applications of physics.

 

40. The competent physics teacher understands particle and rigid body motion in its qualitative and quantitative dimensions.

Knowledge: The competent physics teacher understands

40A. translational, rotational, and periodic motion of particles, systems of particles, and rigid bodies.
40B. inertia and moments of inertia, momentum and angular momentum, and forces and torques as they apply to linear and circular motions respectively.
40C. how physical quantities may be represented as vectors, vector sums, and vector products.
40D. force and friction, and their applications to statics, kinematics, and dynamics.
40E. conservation laws as they apply to momentum and energy in one and two dimensions.

Performance: The competent physics teacher will

40F. predict the position of particles undergoing linear, curvilinear, or periodic motion given initial conditions.
40G. apply the concept of gravitational force to problems involving the law of universal gravitation, free fall, and projectile motion.
40H. apply Newton's laws of motion to characterize and explain the disposition of forces acting on a given body and its resultant motion.
40I. apply conservation principles to analyze motion within a system of particles or rigid bodies when no external forces are applied.
40J. use the relationship between work and energy to analyze the motions of physical systems acted upon by conservative and/or non-conservative forces.

 

41. The competent physics teacher understands the nature, properties and behavior of mechanical and electromagnetic waves, and how electromagnetic waves interact with matter.

Knowledge: The competent physics teacher understands

41A. types, properties, motions, and interactions of waves.
41B. characteristics and behavior of sound, and the processes by which sound is produced and transmitted.
41C. the nature and properties of electromagnetic radiation, and the processes by which it is produced, transmitted, and interacts with matter.
41D. the basic principles of geometrical and physical optics.

Performance: The competent physics teacher will

41E. identify components and characteristics of the electromagnetic spectrum by both frequency and wavelength.
41F. analyze and predict interactions of waves with objects and other waves as a function of position and time.
41G. analyze and predict the behaviors of electromagnetic radiation as it interacts with matter.
41H. analyze and predict the behavior of light in relation to optical equipment and the human eye.
41I. distinguish between the physical and physiological properties of sound.

 

42. The competent physics teacher understands heat and matter.

Knowledge: The competent physics teacher understands

42A. basic concepts of heat and temperature as they relate to temperature measurement and temperature dependent properties of matter.
42B. the laws of thermodynamics as they relate to temperature, work, energy, and entropy.
42C. the relationship between heat and work as it pertains to thermodynamic systems.
42D. kinetic­molecular theory of thermodynamic behavior in gases, solids, and liquids.

Performance: The competent teacher of physics will

42E. explain the laws of thermodynamics giving appropriate examples.
42F. identify allowed and disallowed physical processes through application of the laws of thermodynamics.
42G measure and analyze changes in thermodynamic variables in physical systems for various thermodynamic processes.
42H. use the kinetic-molecular models of thermodynamics to describe the thermal properties and behaviors of solids, liquids, and gases.
42I. analyze the relationship between heat and work in heat engines.

 

43. The competent physics teacher understands electricity and magnetism and the relationship between them.

Knowledge: The competent physics teacher understands

43A. the characteristics and behavior of electric charges, their fields, and potentials.
43B. the characteristics and behavior of both AC and DC electrical current in different media.
43C. the behavior of series and parallel electrical circuits including symbols used to represent components of electric circuits.
43D. the effect of magnetic fields on electric charges including the direction and magnitude of the force on a moving charge or a current-carrying conductor.
43E. the effect of current­carrying wire, straight and coiled, on the direction of the magnetic field and the effect of current strength on magnetic field.
43F. electromagnetic induction.

Performance: The competent teacher of physics will

43G. identify characteristics and demonstrate applications of magnets and magnetic fields in daily living.
43H. identify principles and applications of electromagnetism in daily living.
43I. predict the influence of static distributions of charges or of electric fields in space on electric charges.
43J. design and set up DC and AC electrical circuits using basic circuit elements and analysis.
43K. illustrate the concepts of charge, fields, potentials and currents using visual demonstrations and/or computer simulations.
43L. explain the operation of electric generators and motors.

 

44. The competent physics teacher understands atomic and nuclear structure.

Knowledge: The competent physics teacher understands

44A. models of atomic structure in both qualitative and quantitative forms.
44B. the relationship of electron energy level changes to atomic spectra.
44C. the characteristics of subatomic particles including basic quark theory.
44D. the basic principles of radioactive decay.

 

Performance: The competent teacher of physics will

44E. balance partial equations on nuclear reactions using the appropriate conservation laws.
44F. identify applications of radioactivity in science and technology.
44G. use the appropriate equipment to detect radioactive decay.
44H. analyze the interaction between atomic radiation and living organisms.

 

45. The competent physics teacher understands the basic elements and implications of special relativity, quantum mechanics, and solid-state physics.

Knowledge: The competent physics teacher understands

45A. the implications of special relativity as they relate to time, space, and mass.
45B. the wave­particle duality of radiation and matter.
45C. the quantum mechanical nature of the interaction between radiation and matter.
45D. the quantum mechanical nature of matter as it applies to electronic behavior in conductors, semiconductors, and insulators.

Performance: The competent teacher of physics will

45E. calculate changes in physical parameters related to relativistic motion, and explain their origin.
45F. use simple theoretical models to describe and explain properties of matter and the interaction of matter and energy.
45G. describe the importance of energy quantazation and how it affects the atomic and electronic behavior of matter.