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Teach Theme A

Teach pages for topics A.1 to A.5

Topic A.1

 

Teach: A.1 Displacement and velocity

This is usually the first unit. We introduce distance, displacement, speed, and velocity. An emphasis is placed on the difference between scalars and vectors, and students learn how to work with vectors.

 

Teach: A.1 Acceleration and suvat

Next up, we introduce acceleration. This is another vector quantity, and we need to emphasize that. This leads us to the famous "suvat" equations, and we can start solving some equations using formulas.

 

Teach: A.1 Graphs of motion

Graphing is an essential skill, and motion graphs are a great way for students to learn to think graphically.

 

Teach: A.1 Projectile motion

AimsStudents will be able to:textConsiderationsYou'll probably save this sub-topic for last, in topic A.1, since it builds on the suvat equations and it helps if students can use graphs to understand...

Topic A.2

 

Teach: A.2 Forces

Time for some serious physics! We need to introduce students to the force concept, teach them to work with forces as vectors, help them learn about a wide variety of forces, and then get them solving...

 

Teach: A.2 Newton's laws and momentum

We've introduced the idea of forces and mentioned Newton's laws and free-body diagrams. Now it's time to use them! One consequence is the idea of momentum. It's a lot!

 

Teach: A.2 Circular motion

We conclude topic A.2 with a relatively brief digression into circular motion. HL students will explore angular mechanics in more details, but all students need to know about centripetal acceleration.

Topic A.3

 

Teach: A.3 Work, energy and power

Energy! We do the traditional treatment: define work, show that it leads to a conserved quantity we call energy, and then solve problems.

 

Teach: A.3 Collisions

We save collisions for A.3 (even though it is described in A.2) because students need to apply the principle of energy conservation and identify collisions as elastic or inelastic. There is also a complication...

Topic A.4

 

Teach: A.4 Angular kinematics

We describe circular motion using angular displacement, angular speed, and angular acceleration. How can we help our students quickly develop proficiency with angular kinematics concepts?

 

Teach: A.4 Torque

How can we teach students about rotational equilibrium and torque?

 

Teach: A.4 Rotational mechanics

It's time to develop the rotational analogues of translational mechanics: moment of inertia, angular momentum, and so on. Let's get around to it!

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