Results

An explanation of wave interference and solution of a few examples to find the value of the total wave when two wave pulses overlap

The wavelength and frequency of a wave are related to one another by the speed of travel of the wave, which depends on the type of wave and the medium through which it is passing.

• Make waves with water, sound, and light and see how they are related.
• Discuss wave properties using common vocabulary.
• Explain how changing the frequency and amplitude affects the characteristics of the wave.
• Design an experiment to measure the speed of the wave.

Energy is a quantitative property of a system that depends on the motion and interactions of matter and radiation within that system. That there is a single quantity called energy is due to the fact that a system’s total energy is conserved, even as, within the system, energy is continually transferred from one object to another and between its various possible forms.

In this unit you will learn what a force is and find out about different types of forces. This will allow you to identify forces at work in your everyday life and understand the effects of forces.

This section introduces you to the realm of physics, and discusses applications of physics in other disciplines of study. It also describes the methods by which science is done, and how scientists communicate their results to each other.

Physics is a branch of science. The word science comes from a Latin word that means having knowledge, and refers the knowledge of how the physical world operates, based on objective evidence determined through observation and experimentation. A key requirement of any scientific explanation of a natural phenomenon is that it must be testable; one must be able to devise and conduct an experimental investigation that either supports or refutes the explanation. It is important to note that some questions fall outside the realm of science precisely because they deal with phenomena that are not scientifically testable. This need for objective evidence helps define the investigative process scientists follow, which will be described later in this chapter.

An exploration of how the area under a force vs. position graph equals the work done by the force and solves some sample problems.

Outcomes

In this unit you will learn about:

• the concept of work
• understand that work is done by an applied force
• the concept of energy
• identify the different types of energy
• the concept of power

In this lesson you will learn about:

• the concept of work
• understand that work is done by an applied force
• the concept of energy
• identify the different types of energy
• the concept of power

What exactly is energy? How can changes in force, energy, and simple machines move objects like roller coaster cars? How can machines help us do work? In this chapter, you will discover the answer to this question and many more, as you learn about work, energy, and simple machines.