United States · Common Core State Standards
12th Grade Physics
A comprehensive exploration of the fundamental laws governing the universe from subatomic scales to galactic structures. Students utilize mathematical modeling and empirical evidence to analyze complex physical systems and engineering challenges.
Mechanics and Universal Gravitation
An investigation into the motion of objects and the forces that govern them across terrestrial and celestial scales.
Analyzing projectile motion and constant acceleration using vector decomposition and mathematical models.
Examining the relationship between force, mass, and acceleration in complex multi body systems.
Exploring centripetal acceleration and the universal law of gravitation in planetary orbits.
Energy and Momentum Systems
Focusing on the conservation laws that dictate the outcomes of interactions and collisions within closed systems.
Analyzing the transformation of energy between kinetic, potential, and thermal states.
Studying the relationship between force, time, and the change in momentum during collisions.
Electricity and Circuitry
An exploration of electrostatic forces, electric fields, and the behavior of current in DC circuits.
Investigating the forces between stationary charges and the nature of electric fields.
Analyzing the flow of charge through series and parallel configurations using Ohm's Law and Kirchhoff's Rules.
Magnetism and Electromagnetism
Examining the relationship between moving charges and magnetic fields, including induction and motors.
Studying how magnetic fields are generated and their effects on moving charges and currents.
Analyzing how changing magnetic flux induces electromotive force and current.
Waves and Optics
Investigating the properties of mechanical and electromagnetic waves, including light behavior and imaging.
Exploring the physics of oscillations, resonance, and the mathematical description of waves.
Analyzing the behavior of light through reflection, refraction, diffraction, and interference.
Thermodynamics and Modern Physics
An introduction to heat transfer, laws of thermodynamics, and the revolutionary concepts of quantum and nuclear physics.
Studying internal energy, heat, work, and the inevitable increase of entropy in systems.
Exploring the dual nature of light and matter, radioactive decay, and mass energy equivalence.