Michigan Merit Curriculum (Grades 8-12)
P2.1.A: Calculate the average speed of an object using the change of position and elapsed time.
Distance-Time and Velocity-Time Graphs - Metric
P2.1.B: Represent the velocities for linear and circular motion using motion diagrams (arrows on strobe pictures).
P2.1.C: Create line graphs using measured values of position and elapsed time.
Distance-Time Graphs - Metric
Distance-Time and Velocity-Time Graphs - Metric
Free Fall Tower
Free-Fall Laboratory
P2.1.D: Describe and analyze the motion that a position-time graph represents, given the graph.
Distance-Time Graphs - Metric
Distance-Time and Velocity-Time Graphs - Metric
Free Fall Tower
Free-Fall Laboratory
P2.1.E: Describe and classify various motions in a plane as one dimensional, two dimensional, circular, or periodic.
Distance-Time Graphs - Metric
Feed the Monkey (Projectile Motion)
Free Fall Tower
Free-Fall Laboratory
Golf Range
Period of Mass on a Spring
Period of a Pendulum
Simple Harmonic Motion
Uniform Circular Motion
P2.1.F: Distinguish between rotation and revolution and describe and contrast the two speeds of an object like the Earth.
Gravity Pitch
Orbital Motion - Kepler's Laws
P2.1.g: Solve problems involving average speed and constant acceleration in one dimension.
Atwood Machine
Distance-Time and Velocity-Time Graphs - Metric
Free Fall Tower
Free-Fall Laboratory
P2.1.h: Identify the changes in speed and direction in everyday examples of circular (rotation and revolution), periodic, and projectile motions.
Feed the Monkey (Projectile Motion)
Golf Range
Torque and Moment of Inertia
Uniform Circular Motion
P2.2.A: Distinguish between the variables of distance, displacement, speed, velocity, and acceleration.
Feed the Monkey (Projectile Motion)
Free Fall Tower
Free-Fall Laboratory
Golf Range
Measuring Motion
P2.2.B: Use the change of speed and elapsed time to calculate the average acceleration for linear motion.
Free Fall Tower
Free-Fall Laboratory
P2.2.C: Describe and analyze the motion that a velocity-time graph represents, given the graph.
Distance-Time and Velocity-Time Graphs - Metric
Free-Fall Laboratory
P2.2.D: State that uniform circular motion involves acceleration without a change in speed.
P2.2.e: Use the area under a velocity-time graph to calculate the distance traveled and the slope to calculate the acceleration.
Distance-Time and Velocity-Time Graphs - Metric
Free-Fall Laboratory
P2.2.g: Apply the independence of the vertical and horizontal initial velocities to solve projectile motion problems.
Feed the Monkey (Projectile Motion)
Golf Range
P3.1.A: Identify the force(s) acting between objects in "direct contact" or at a distance.
Free Fall Tower
Free-Fall Laboratory
P3.1.c: Provide examples that illustrate the importance of the electric force in everyday life.
Charge Launcher
Coulomb Force (Static)
Pith Ball Lab
P3.2.A: Identify the magnitude and direction of everyday forces (e.g., wind, tension in ropes, pushes and pulls, weight).
Coulomb Force (Static)
Determining a Spring Constant
Gravitational Force
Pith Ball Lab
P3.2.B: Compare work done in different situations.
Ants on a Slant (Inclined Plane)
Pulley Lab
P3.2.C: Calculate the net force acting on an object.
P3.2.d: Calculate all the forces on an object on an inclined plane and describe the object's motion based on the forces using free-body diagrams.
Inclined Plane - Simple Machine
P3.3.A: Identify the action and reaction force from examples of forces in everyday situations (e.g., book on a table, walking across the floor, pushing open a door).
P3.3.b: Predict how the change in velocity of a small mass compares to the change in velocity of a large mass when the objects interact (e.g., collide).
2D Collisions
Air Track
Fan Cart Physics
P3.3.c: Explain the recoil of a projectile launcher in terms of forces and masses.
P3.3.d: Analyze why seat belts may be more important in autos than in buses.
P3.4.A: Predict the change in motion of an object acted on by several forces.
Atwood Machine
Fan Cart Physics
P3.4.C: Solve problems involving force, mass, and acceleration in linear motion (Newton's second law).
Atwood Machine
Fan Cart Physics
Free Fall Tower
Free-Fall Laboratory
P3.4.D: Identify the force(s) acting on objects moving with uniform circular motion (e.g., a car on a circular track, satellites in orbit).
Gravity Pitch
Orbital Motion - Kepler's Laws
Uniform Circular Motion
P3.4.e: Solve problems involving force, mass, and acceleration in two-dimensional projectile motion restricted to an initial horizontal velocity with no initial vertical velocity (e.g., ball rolling off a table).
Atwood Machine
Fan Cart Physics
P3.4.f: Calculate the changes in velocity of a thrown or hit object during and after the time it is acted on by the force.
P3.5.a: Apply conservation of momentum to solve simple collision problems.
P3.6.A: Explain earth-moon interactions (orbital motion) in terms of forces.
Gravity Pitch
Orbital Motion - Kepler's Laws
P3.6.B: Predict how the gravitational force between objects changes when the distance between them changes.
Gravitational Force
Pith Ball Lab
P3.6.d: Calculate force, masses, or distance, given any three of these quantities, by applying the Law of Universal Gravitation, given the value of G.
Gravitational Force
Pith Ball Lab
P3.7.A: Predict how the electric force between charged objects varies when the distance between them and/or the magnitude of charges change.
Charge Launcher
Coulomb Force (Static)
Pith Ball Lab
P3.7.f: Determine the new electric force on charged objects after they touch and are then separated.
Charge Launcher
Coulomb Force (Static)
Pith Ball Lab
P3.8.b: Explain how the interaction of electric and magnetic forces is the basis for electric motors, generators, and the production of electromagnetic waves.
P4.1.B: Explain instances of energy transfer by waves and objects in everyday activities (e.g., why the ground gets warm during the day, how you hear a distant sound, why it hurts when you are hit by a baseball).
P4.1.c: Explain why work has a more precise scientific meaning than the meaning of work in everyday language.
Ants on a Slant (Inclined Plane)
Pulley Lab
P4.1.d: Calculate the amount of work done on an object that is moved from one position to another.
Ants on a Slant (Inclined Plane)
Pulley Lab
P4.1.e: Using the formula for work, derive a formula for change in potential energy of an object lifted a distance h.
P4.2.A: Account for and represent energy transfer and transformation in complex processes (interactions).
P4.2.C: Explain how energy is conserved in common systems (e.g., light incident on a transparent material, light incident on a leaf, mechanical energy in a collision).
2D Collisions
Air Track
Energy Conversion in a System
Energy of a Pendulum
Inclined Plane - Sliding Objects
Roller Coaster Physics
Sled Wars
P4.3.A: Identify the form of energy in given situations (e.g., moving objects, stretched springs, rocks on cliffs, energy in food).
Air Track
Energy of a Pendulum
Inclined Plane - Sliding Objects
Potential Energy on Shelves
Roller Coaster Physics
Sled Wars
P4.3.B: Describe the transformation between potential and kinetic energy in simple mechanical systems (e.g., pendulums, roller coasters, ski lifts).
Energy Conversion in a System
Energy of a Pendulum
Inclined Plane - Sliding Objects
Roller Coaster Physics
Sled Wars
P4.3.d: Rank the amount of kinetic energy from highest to lowest of everyday examples of moving objects.
Air Track
Energy of a Pendulum
Inclined Plane - Sliding Objects
Roller Coaster Physics
Sled Wars
P4.3.e: Calculate the changes in kinetic and potential energy in simple mechanical systems (e.g., pendulums, roller coasters, ski lifts) using the formulas for kinetic energy and potential energy.
Air Track
Energy of a Pendulum
Inclined Plane - Sliding Objects
Roller Coaster Physics
Sled Wars
P4.3.f: Calculate the impact speed (ignoring air resistance) of an object dropped from a specific height or the maximum height reached by an object (ignoring air resistance), given the initial vertical velocity.
Feed the Monkey (Projectile Motion)
Free Fall Tower
Free-Fall Laboratory
Golf Range
P4.4.A: Describe specific mechanical waves (e.g., on a demonstration spring, on the ocean) in terms of wavelength, amplitude, frequency, and speed.
Longitudinal Waves
Ripple Tank
P4.4.B: Identify everyday examples of transverse and compression (longitudinal) waves.
P4.4.C: Compare and contrast transverse and compression (longitudinal) waves in terms of wavelength, amplitude, and frequency.
P4.4.e: Calculate the amount of energy transferred by transverse or compression waves of different amplitudes and frequencies (e.g., seismic waves).
P4.5.B: Explain why an object (e.g., fishing bobber) does not move forward as a wave passes under it.
P4.5.C: Provide evidence to support the claim that sound is energy transferred by a wave, not energy transferred by particles.
P4.8.B: Predict the path of reflected light from flat, curved, or rough surfaces (e.g., flat and curved mirrors, painted walls, paper).
Laser Reflection
Ray Tracing (Mirrors)
P4.8.c: Describe how two wave pulses propagated from opposite ends of a demonstration spring interact as they meet.
Longitudinal Waves
Sound Beats and Sine Waves
P4.8.d: List and analyze everyday examples that demonstrate the interference characteristics of waves (e.g., dead spots in an auditorium, whispering galleries, colors in a CD, beetle wings).
P4.8.e: Given an angle of incidence and indices of refraction of two materials, calculate the path of a light ray incident on the boundary (Snell's Law).
Basic Prism
Laser Reflection
Refraction
P4.9.A: Identify the principle involved when you see a transparent object (e.g., straw, piece of glass) in a clear liquid.
P4.9.B: Explain how various materials reflect, absorb, or transmit light in different ways.
Color Absorption
Heat Absorption
P4.9.d: Describe evidence that supports the dual wave - particle nature of light. (recommended)
P4.10.C: Given diagrams of many different possible connections of electric circuit elements, identify complete circuits, open circuits, and short circuits and explain the reasons for the classification.
P4.10.D: Discriminate between voltage, resistance, and current as they apply to an electric circuit.
Advanced Circuits
Circuit Builder
Circuits
P4.10.g: Compare the currents, voltages, and power in parallel and series circuits.
Advanced Circuits
Circuit Builder
Circuits
P4.10.i: Compare the energy used in one day by common household appliances (e.g., refrigerator, lamps, hair dryer, toaster, televisions, music players).
P4.10.j: Explain the difference between electric power and electric energy as used in bills from an electric company.
P4.12.B: Describe possible problems caused by exposure to prolonged radioactive decay.
Evolution: Natural and Artificial Selection
P4.12.C: Explain how stars, including our Sun, produce huge amounts of energy (e.g., visible, infrared, ultraviolet light).
Herschel Experiment - Metric
Radiation
Correlation last revised: 7/19/2021