ABOUT THE INTEGRATED PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL SCIENCE COURSE

This course introduces students to the fundamental concepts of scientific inquiry, the structure of matter, chemical reactions, forces, motion, and the interactions between energy and matter. This course will serve as a laboratory-based introduction to possible future coursework in chemistry or physics while ensuring a mastery of the basics of each discipline.

Among the standards/topics addressed by the course but not limited to: 

• The processes of scientific investigations which foster inquiry and critical thinking such as observations, experimentation, predictions, and validation.
• The essential components of a scientific investigation, including appropriate methodologies, proper equipment, and safety precautions.
• The structure and properties of matter, the characteristics of energy, and the interactions between matter and energy.
• The fundamental forces in nature: gravitation, electromagnetism, weak nuclear force, and strong nuclear force.
• The characteristics of electromagnetic waves (e.g., visible light, radio, microwave, X-ray, ultraviolet, gamma) and other waves (e.g., sound, seismic waves, water waves).
• The concept of equilibrium, i.e., thermal, mechanical, and chemical.
• Careers in science now and in the future.