Course Description
Physical Science B continues to build on the physical science concepts presented in Physical Science A. Students study fundamental concepts related to matter, elements, mixtures, chemical reactions, motion, and technology, and demonstrate their understanding through activities that encourage critical thinking and analysis, journal entries, and writing assignments. All Units include small experiments and longer investigations requiring formal lab reports.
Credits: 5
Languages: English and Spanish
Course Content
UNIT 6 — Patterns in Matter
California Science Content Standards:
Biology 1: The fundamental life processes of plants and animals depend on a variety of chemical reactions that occur in specialized areas of the organism’s cells. (f.)
Biology 6: Stability in an ecosystem is a balance between competing effects. (d., e.)
Chemistry 1: The periodic table displays the elements in increasing atomic number and shows how periodicity of the properties of the elements relates to atomic structure. (a., b., c., e., f., i.)
Chemistry 3: The conservations of atoms in chemical reactions leads to the principle of conservation of matter.
Chemistry 6: Solutions are homogeneous mixtures of two or more substances.
Earth Science 4: Energy enters the Earth system primarily as solar radiation and eventually escapes as heat. (b., c.)
Earth Science 6: Sources of energy and materials differ in amounts, distribution, usefulness, and time required for formation. (a.)
Earth Science 7: Each element on Earth moves as part of biogeochemical cycles. (a., b.)
Investigation and Experimentation: Scientific progress is made by asking meaningful questions and conducting and performing careful investigations.
Life Sciences 2: All organisms need energy and matter to live and grow. (b., c.)
Life Sciences 2: Plants and animals have structures for respiration, digestion, waste disposal, etc. (f., g.)
Physical Science 1: Elements and their combinations account for all of the varied types of matter in the world. (a., b., c., d., f.)
Physical Science 1: Energy and matter have multiple forms and can be changed from one form to another. (a., e., g., h., i.)
Physical Science 3: Each of the more than 100 elements of matter has distinct properties and a distinct atomic structure; all forms of matter are composed of one or more elements.(a., b., d., e., f.)
Physical Science 5: Chemical reactions are processes in which atoms are rearranged into different combinations of molecules. (a., b., d.)
Physical Science 6: Principles of chemistry underlie the functioning of biological systems. (a., b., c.)
Physical Science 7: The organization of the periodic table is based on the properties of the elements and reflects the structure of atoms. (a., b., c.)
Unit Objectives
Upon completion of this Unit, students will be able to:
- understand and explain atomic structure.
- explain how Mendeleev developed his periodic table and define periodic properties.
- determine the atomic structure of elements based on the information supplied on a periodic table.
- identify some periodic properties of the elements.
- explain the nature of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates.
- explain nutrient cycling and how living things are involved in the process.
- analyze chemicals that are found on the Earth and in the atmosphere.
- discuss how fertilizers are added to soils or water to increase the nutrients available to plants.
- discuss how fertilizers come in a variety of forms and how labels clearly identify what the fertilizers contain.
- perform a nature of science investigation and write a lab report.
- formulate and construct, after reviewing the procedure, an essay on the theme of air pollution.
- perform small experiments that will help illustrate the concepts being discussed.
- practice scientific vocabulary and write brief journal entries about concepts presented in the chapter.
UNIT 7 — Interactions in Matter
California Science Content Standards:
Chemistry 2: Biological, chemical, and physical properties of matter result from the ability of atoms to form bonds. (a., b., g.)
Chemistry 3: The conservations of atoms in chemical reactions leads to the principle of conservation of matter and the ability to calculate the mass of products and reactants. (a., e.)
Chemistry 6: Solutions are homogeneous mixtures of two or more substances. (a., b., c.)
Chemistry 7: Energy is exchanged or transformed in all chemical reactions and physical changes of matter. (b.)
Chemistry 8: Chemical reaction rates depend on factors that influence the frequency of collision of reactant molecules. (a., b., c., d.)
Chemistry 9: Chemical equilibrium is a dynamic process at the molecular level. (a., b.)
Investigation and Experimentation: Scientific progress is made by asking meaningful questions and conducting and performing careful investigations.
Physical Science 1: Elements and their combinations account for all the varied types of matter in the world. (a., b., f., g.)
Physical Science 1: Energy and matter have multiple forms and can be changed from one form to another. (e., g., h.)
Physical Science 5: Chemical reactions are processes in which atoms are rearranged into different combinations of molecules. (a., b., c., d.)
Physical Sciences 3: Each of the more than 100 elements of matter has distinct properties and a distinct atomic structure; all forms of matter are composed of one or more elements.(b., d.)
Physics 3: Energy cannot be created or destroyed, although in many processes energy is transferred into the environment.
Unit Objectives
Upon completion of this Unit, students will be able to:
- explain the physical and chemical properties and changes of matter.
- understand chemical reactions, bonding, and equations.
- understand the relationship between chemical reactions and energy.
- understand varying rates of chemical reactions as well as completion and reversible reactions.
- identify the general physical and chemical properties of solutions.
- explore some common examples of chemical reactions in household and practical applications.
- perform small experiments that will help illustrate the concepts being discussed as well as a longer experiment and lab report.
- demonstrate their understanding through various activities, brief journal entries about concepts presented in the chapter, and an ethics essay.
UNIT 8 — More on Matter
California Science Content Standards:
Chemistry 1: The periodic table displays the elements in increasing atomic number and shows how periodicity of the physical and chemical properties of the elements relates to atomic structure. (a., b., c., f.)
Chemistry 2: Biological, chemical, and physical properties of matter result from the ability of atoms to form bonds from electrostatic forces between electrons and protons (a., c.)
Chemistry 5: Acids, bases, and salts are three classes of compound that form ions in water solutions (a., b., c., d., g.)
Chemistry 6: Solutions are homogenous mixtures of two or more substances (a.)
Chemistry 7: Energy is exchanged or transformed in all chemical reactions and physical changes of matter
Chemistry 10: The bonding characteristics of carbon allow the formation of many different organic molecules of varied sizes, shapes, and chemical properties and provide the biochemical basis of life (b.)
Chemistry 11: Nuclear processes are those in which an atomic nucleus changes, including radioactive decay of naturally occurring and human-made isotopes, nuclear fission, and nuclear fusion (a., b., c., d., e.)
Investigation and Experimentation: Scientific progress is made by asking meaningful questions and conducting and performing careful investigations.
Physical Science 1: Elements and their combinations account for all the varied types of matter in the world (a., b., c., d., g., i.)
Physical Science 1: Energy and matter have multiple forms and can be changed from one form to another (f., g., h.)
Physical Science 3: Each of the more than 100 elements of matter has distinct properties and a distinct atomic structure. All forms of matter are composed of one or more of the elements (a., b., c., f.)
Physical Science 5: Chemical reactions are processes in which atoms are rearranged into different combinations of molecules (a., e.)
Physical Science 6: Principles of chemistry underlie the functioning of biological systems (a., b.)
Physical Science 7: The organization of the periodic table is based on the properties of the elements and reflects the structure of the atoms (a., b., c.)
Unit Objectives
Upon completion of this Unit, students will be able to:
- review chemical bonding, ions, and solutions.
- explain acids, bases, and salts, how they are related, and how to find the pH of a solution.
- review the structure and how to read the periodic table.
- learn about the various groups on the periodic table and the properties of metals, nonmetals, and metalloids.
- understand radioactive elements and where they are located on the periodic table.
- learn about radioactive decay including alpha, beta, and gamma decay.
- explain the processes of nuclear fission and nuclear fusion.
- review information about experimentation and learn more specific ways to study matter through hands-on experimenting.
- perform a scientific investigation about plastics and prepare a formal lab report.
- write an essay about the use of the atomic bomb in WWII.
- perform small experiments that will help illustrate the concepts being discussed as well as a longer experiment and lab report.
- demonstrate their understanding through various activities, brief journal entries about concepts presented in the chapter, and an ethics essay.
UNIT 9 — Motion
California Science Content Standards:
Investigation and Experimentation: Scientific progress is made by asking meaningful questions and conducting and performing careful investigations.
Physical Science 1: The motion of objects can be observed and measured (a., b., c., d.)
Physical Science 1: The velocity of an object is the rate of change of its position. (a., b., c., d., e.)
Physical Science 2: Unbalanced forces cause changes in velocity. (a., b., c., d., e., f., g.)
Physics 1: Newton’s laws predict the motion of most objects. (a., b., c., d., e., f., g.)
Physics 2: The laws of conservation of energy and momentum provide a way to predict and describe the movement of objects. (e., f.)
Unit Objectives
Upon completion of this Unit, students will be able to:
- understand the concept of motion and how it is described and measured.
- explain the English System and SI System of units and their conversions.
- calculate instantaneous and average speed.
- understand velocity and how it is measured.
- understand and calculate acceleration and describe its relationship to gravity and air resistance.
- understand momentum.
- understand and explain Newton’s laws of motion.
- perform a scientific investigation about plastics and prepare a formal lab report.
- write an essay about an ethical decision.
- perform small experiments that will help illustrate the concepts being discussed as well as a longer experiment and lab report.
- demonstrate their understanding through various activities, brief journal entries about concepts presented in the chapter, and an ethics essay.
UNIT 10 — Technology
California Science and Career Technical Content Standards:
Career Technical Education Architectural and Structural Engineering B2: Students understand the telecommunications systems that apply to the transmission of data.
Career Technical Education Architectural and Structural Engineering B4: Students understand computer systems.
Career Technical Education C1.0: Students recognize historical and current events related to engineering design and their
Career Technical Education Engineering and Design E7.0: Students understand how computer hardware and software are combined to create systems and process information and data.
Career Technical Education Information Technology 10.3.2: Examine how scientific and technological changes brought about social, economic, and cultural change.
Career Technical Education Information Technology 4.0: Students understand contemporary and emerging technological resources in diverse and changing personal, community, and workplace environments.
effects on society.
Investigation and Experimentation: Scientific progress is made by asking meaningful questions and conducting and performing careful investigations.
Life Science 2: Plants and animals meet their needs in different ways. (c.)
Life Science 6: Students know how levers confer mechanical advantage. (i.)
Physical Science 1: The motion of objects can be observed and measured. (c., d.)
Physical Science 2: Unbalanced forces cause change in velocity. (a., b., d., f.)
Physics 1: Newton’s laws predict the motion of most objects. (d., e.)
Unit Objectives
Upon completion of this Unit, students will be able to:
- understand the difference between basic and applied science.
- explain the relationship between science and engineering.
- understand the concepts of work, force, and mechanical advantage and explain how they are related.
- identify and understand the six simple machines.
- describe important technological inventions (communications devices, the computer, etc.) and the difference between inventions and discoveries.
- perform a scientific investigation/experiment and prepare a formal lab report.
- write an essay about an ethical decision.
- perform small experiments that will help illustrate the concepts being discussed as well as a longer experiment and lab report.
- demonstrate their understanding through various activities, brief journal entries about concepts presented in the chapter, and an ethics essay.
