Physics Specialization
In addition to the 18 general standards for all science teachers, those who specialize in teaching physics will exhibit the following knowledge and performances:
(Based on ILS standard 12 D; National Science Education Content standard B; and NSTA standards for Certification and Accreditation in Science Education (CASE) standard 1.)
39. The competent physics teacher has mastery of the essential knowledge and skills needed to practice physics and an understanding of the broad applicability of its principles to real world situations.
Knowledge: The competent physics teacher understands
39A. scientific processes and principles of experimentation.
39B. methods and equipment used in scientific measurement.
39C. the collection and analysis of data and methods used for
reporting results.
39D. how demonstration materials may be used to exhibit and explain
a wide variety of physical phenomena.
39E. safe and proper use of equipment and materials commonly used
in physics classrooms and laboratories.
39F. the growth of physics knowledge from an historical perspective.
Performance: The competent physics teacher will
39G. provide examples of the applicability of physics in daily
life including career opportunities and avocations in physics
and technology.
39H. explain ways in which basic research and the development
of new technologies affect society.
39I. utilize basic equipment to demonstrate physical principles
and phenomena.
39J. incorporate the use of calculator- and computer-based technology,
including graphical and statistical procedures, in the collection,
analysis, and interpretation of data.
39K. use mathematical concepts, strategies, and procedures up
to and including procedures of differential and integral calculus
to derive and manipulate formal relationships between physical
quantities.
39L. set up appropriate laboratory investigations addressing the
principles and applications of physics.
40. The competent physics teacher understands particle and rigid body motion in its qualitative and quantitative dimensions.
Knowledge: The competent physics teacher understands
40A. translational, rotational, and periodic motion of particles,
systems of particles, and rigid bodies.
40B. inertia and moments of inertia, momentum and angular momentum,
and forces and torques as they apply to linear and circular motions
respectively.
40C. how physical quantities may be represented as vectors, vector
sums, and vector products.
40D. force and friction, and their applications to statics, kinematics,
and dynamics.
40E. conservation laws as they apply to momentum and energy in
one and two dimensions.
Performance: The competent physics teacher will
40F. predict the position of particles undergoing linear, curvilinear,
or periodic motion given initial conditions.
40G. apply the concept of gravitational force to problems involving
the law of universal gravitation, free fall, and projectile motion.
40H. apply Newton's laws of motion to characterize and explain
the disposition of forces acting on a given body and its resultant
motion.
40I. apply conservation principles to analyze motion within a
system of particles or rigid bodies when no external forces are
applied.
40J. use the relationship between work and energy to analyze the
motions of physical systems acted upon by conservative and/or
non-conservative forces.
41. The competent physics teacher understands the nature, properties and behavior of mechanical and electromagnetic waves, and how electromagnetic waves interact with matter.
Knowledge: The competent physics teacher understands
41A. types, properties, motions, and interactions of waves.
41B. characteristics and behavior of sound, and the processes
by which sound is produced and transmitted.
41C. the nature and properties of electromagnetic radiation, and
the processes by which it is produced, transmitted, and interacts
with matter.
41D. the basic principles of geometrical and physical optics.
Performance: The competent physics teacher will
41E. identify components and characteristics of the electromagnetic
spectrum by both frequency and wavelength.
41F. analyze and predict interactions of waves with objects and
other waves as a function of position and time.
41G. analyze and predict the behaviors of electromagnetic radiation
as it interacts with matter.
41H. analyze and predict the behavior of light in relation to
optical equipment and the human eye.
41I. distinguish between the physical and physiological properties
of sound.
42. The competent physics teacher understands heat and matter.
Knowledge: The competent physics teacher understands
42A. basic concepts of heat and temperature as they relate
to temperature measurement and temperature dependent properties
of matter.
42B. the laws of thermodynamics as they relate to temperature,
work, energy, and entropy.
42C. the relationship between heat and work as it pertains to
thermodynamic systems.
42D. kineticmolecular theory of thermodynamic behavior in
gases, solids, and liquids.
Performance: The competent teacher of physics will
42E. explain the laws of thermodynamics giving appropriate
examples.
42F. identify allowed and disallowed physical processes through
application of the laws of thermodynamics.
42G measure and analyze changes in thermodynamic variables in
physical systems for various thermodynamic processes.
42H. use the kinetic-molecular models of thermodynamics to describe
the thermal properties and behaviors of solids, liquids, and gases.
42I. analyze the relationship between heat and work in heat engines.
43. The competent physics teacher understands electricity and magnetism and the relationship between them.
Knowledge: The competent physics teacher understands
43A. the characteristics and behavior of electric charges,
their fields, and potentials.
43B. the characteristics and behavior of both AC and DC electrical
current in different media.
43C. the behavior of series and parallel electrical circuits including
symbols used to represent components of electric circuits.
43D. the effect of magnetic fields on electric charges including
the direction and magnitude of the force on a moving charge or
a current-carrying conductor.
43E. the effect of currentcarrying wire, straight and coiled,
on the direction of the magnetic field and the effect of current
strength on magnetic field.
43F. electromagnetic induction.
Performance: The competent teacher of physics will
43G. identify characteristics and demonstrate applications
of magnets and magnetic fields in daily living.
43H. identify principles and applications of electromagnetism
in daily living.
43I. predict the influence of static distributions of charges
or of electric fields in space on electric charges.
43J. design and set up DC and AC electrical circuits using basic
circuit elements and analysis.
43K. illustrate the concepts of charge, fields, potentials and
currents using visual demonstrations and/or computer simulations.
43L. explain the operation of electric generators and motors.
44. The competent physics teacher understands atomic and nuclear structure.
Knowledge: The competent physics teacher understands
44A. models of atomic structure in both qualitative and quantitative
forms.
44B. the relationship of electron energy level changes to atomic
spectra.
44C. the characteristics of subatomic particles including basic
quark theory.
44D. the basic principles of radioactive decay.
Performance: The competent teacher of physics will
44E. balance partial equations on nuclear reactions using the
appropriate conservation laws.
44F. identify applications of radioactivity in science and technology.
44G. use the appropriate equipment to detect radioactive decay.
44H. analyze the interaction between atomic radiation and living
organisms.
45. The competent physics teacher understands the basic elements and implications of special relativity, quantum mechanics, and solid-state physics.
Knowledge: The competent physics teacher understands
45A. the implications of special relativity as they relate
to time, space, and mass.
45B. the waveparticle duality of radiation and matter.
45C. the quantum mechanical nature of the interaction between
radiation and matter.
45D. the quantum mechanical nature of matter as it applies to
electronic behavior in conductors, semiconductors, and insulators.
Performance: The competent teacher of physics will
45E. calculate changes in physical parameters related to relativistic
motion, and explain their origin.
45F. use simple theoretical models to describe and explain properties
of matter and the interaction of matter and energy.
45G. describe the importance of energy quantazation and how it
affects the atomic and electronic behavior of matter.