Physics: Classical Mechanics One Semester (Offered First and Second Semesters) Prerequisites: Chemistry or equivalent This physics course introduces the fundamental concepts of forces and motion, including the study of one and two-dimensional motion, Newton’s Laws, momentum, mechanical energy, and oscillation. The course content will promote growth of science skills in modeling, collaborating, investigating, coding, technical reporting, and engineering solutions. Experiments, discussions, and projects in this class will cover topics such as static structures, projectile motion, force vectors, collisions, and rollercoasters. Students will computationally code physics in Python to further their understanding of mathematical models and develop useful technical skills. Students should have a working knowledge of algebra, specifically rearranging equations to solve for an unknown variable, solving systems of two unknowns and two equations, geometry and right triangle trigonometry. This course fulfills the physics graduation requirement. Physics: Light, Sound & Waves One Semester (Offered First and Second Semesters) Prerequisites: Chemistry or equivalent The Light, Sound and Waves class is a laboratory- based course which covers the mechanics of waves traveling through a medium, acoustics, geometric optics, and the unique characteristics of light. The course content will promote growth of science skills in investigation, solving with models, collaboration, and technical communication. Experiments, discussions, and projects in this class will cover frequency, wavelength, reflection, refraction, sound, Doppler Effect, seismic waves, diffraction, interference, resonance, lenses, mirrors, polarization, and ray tracing. The experiments in this class are designed to give the students hands-on knowledge of the topics covered during class so that they may relate the topics covered in class to the real world. In project work, students will be designing and building instruments and optical devices for use in the laboratory. Students in this class should have a working knowledge of algebra, including rearranging and evaluating equations and working with fractions. Students should also be familiar with the sine, cosine, and tangent functions. This course fulfills the physics graduation requirement. Honors Physics Full Year (Two Semesters) Prerequisites: Honors Chemistry or Chemistry with concurrent Precalculus or higher AND Science Department recommendation This course offers a study of fundamental physical concepts such as mechanics, kinematics, oscillatory
motion, electricity and magnetism, and modern physics in greater depth than that presented in the regular physics courses. It is intended for students who are very able in mathematics, and who have demonstrated outstanding ability in science courses at University Liggett School. The course content will promote growth of science skills in modeling, collaborating, investigating, coding, technical reporting, and engineering solutions. Collaborative laboratory work, mathematical problem solving, engineering projects, and computational coding are the main methods of exploring the topics. This course fulfills the physics graduation requirement. Fundamentals of Physics: Light, Sound & Waves Full Year (Two Semesters) Prerequisite: Recommendation of Student Support Services The Light, Sound and Waves course is a laboratory- based course which covers the mechanics of waves traveling through a medium, acoustics, geometric optics, and the unique characteristics of light. The course content will promote growth of science skills in investigation, solving with models, collaboration, and technical communication. Experiments, discussions and projects in this class will cover frequency, wavelength, reflection, refraction, sound, Doppler Effect, seismic waves, diffraction, interference, resonance, lenses, mirrors, polarization, and ray tracing. The experiments in this class are designed to give the students hands-on knowledge of the topics covered during class so that they may relate the topics covered in class to the real world. In project work, students will be designing and building instruments and optical devices for use in the laboratory. Students in this class will work on applying basic algebraic manipulation skills and equation evaluation. There will be an increased emphasis on the processes of note-taking, model creation and problem solving. The student to teacher ratio in this course is lower in order to provide greater one-on-one learning opportunities and skill development. This course fulfills the physics graduation requirement. Electives The Science Department offers one-semester elective courses beyond the biology, chemistry, and physics sequence. Some electives are available to students who have completed a biology course, with others open to students who have completed biology and chemistry courses.
2025-2026 ULS Curriculum Guide
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