PHYSICS

Physics is a unique experience for the students at ZIS. Our goal is to provide the student with an appreciation and understanding of the physical world. An equally important goal is to prepare students for college courses and careers that require an understanding of physics. These include the sciences, engineering, medicine, pharmacy, education, agriculture, transportation, meteorology, and many other fields.

One essential tool in developing an understanding of physical principles is mathematics. Mathematical descriptions of motion, force, energy, electricity, magnetism, and light allow us to describe what we observe and predict what we have yet to observe in the most efficient manner possible. So in physics mathematics will be used as a tool to summarize and extend our observations.

Physics is about concepts and real events around us. Mathematics will be used as a very useful part of the language of physics. You will find the answers of daily life questions such as why the sky is blue and what gives a saxophone its brash sound.

There will be a number of type of activities to help students learn physics. Students observe and watch lecture/demonstration sessions on presentations, work through labs and activities, participate in live lab activities, and free to ask any question during physics courses. Students are encouraged to talk frequently with each other, their facilitator and the teacher. Discussion is very important in learning concepts.

Physics is taught in Khmer and English Languages. This gives advantage of learning physics from 2 different sources at the same time and helps the students understand physics concepts better. That is why our students have taken high degrees from Government examinations and we receive thankful messages from students who are studying abroad about physics

Worksheets are given, which contain supplementary information and/or questions. These worksheets are required to be completed.

Course Outline

International curriculum is used for physics taught in English. Conceptual Physics written by Hewitt is used in grade 9. College physics written by Serway & Faughn will be used in grade 10, 11 and 12.

Grade 9

Grade 9 is one of the most important steps of physics education. Students learn about physics terms and understand what is really going on around them. Students realize that physics is everywhere. They will search for answers of what is science, how the things move around, why the objects fall on to the ground, what will happen to our weight if we go to space, why the rain drops fall slowly while stones fall faster, how the rockets work, why there are tides, how the planets move, what is temperature, why the water cools slowly while the land cools faster.

Students will not need mathematics though basic mathematics is a plus.

Topics covered in grade 9 are about:

• science and measurement
• Newton's first law of motion
• Linear motion.
• Newton's second law of motion.
• Newton's third law of motion.
• Gravity and gravitational force between planets.
• Temperature heat and expansion
• Heat transfer.
• Change of phase.

Class activities, multimedia presentations and demonstrations help students to understand these basic physics principles better.

Grade 10

Here students learn how and why ordinary objects move as they do. Along the way you are introduced to extremely important fundamental quantities: displacement, velocity, acceleration, force, energy and momentum. The deep significance of these quantities dawns on you after you study physics for a few years.

Algebra, trigonometry, and calculus are used without apology. If you have serious ambitions in science, you must become competent in applying mathematics to the physical world. You will get a good intellectual workout solving lots of quantitative problems!

Topics covered in grade 10 are;

• Introduction to physics, SI units and measurement.
• Motion in one dimension, uniform motion.
• Vectors and 2 dimensional motion.
• Velocity and acceleration in 2 dimension, projectile motion.
• Newton's Law of motion.
• Work energy and power.
• Momentum and impulse.

In the laboratory that accompanies this course you will learn how physics works in daily life.

Grade 11

In grade 11 students will learn how the planets move, how the roads built for safe turn, how the waves are moving, what makes electricity useful, how the electric devices work. You will use angular quantities and trigonometry widely. Algebra is essential for calculations.

Topics covered in grade 11 are;

• Circular Motion and gravity
• Rotational motion, torque and center of gravity
• Vibration and waves, sound waves
• Static electricity
• Electrical energy and capacitance
• Current and resistance
• Direct current and connection of resistors.

In class activities, experiments and demonstrations you will learn how physics help us in daily life and how physics works.

Grade 12

At this last year of physics education in Zaman International School students will learn why some materials attract each others while others not, how the electricity is produced, why we use a.c. to transfer electrical energy, when the first radio invented, how the television, mobile phones are working, animals use magnetism to navigate, what is actually light, where does the colors of rainbow come, how the eyeglasses, microscopes, telescopes made. Students will use trigonometric graphs and functions and geometry widely. Trigonometry and geometry knowledge is essential for calculations.

Topics covered in grade 12 are:

• Magnetism, magnetic materials and earth
• Induced voltages and current, inductance
• A.C circuits, generators and rlc circuits.
• Nature of light, reflection and refraction.
• Geometrical optics, images formed by plane mirrors, spherical mirrors and lenses.
• Wave optics and wave nature of light.
• Optical devices, telescope, microscope and eye
• Relativity and Modern physics.

A wide variety of demonstrations multimedia presentations and class activities will help students to visualize physics and understand better.

Teaching Physics

• Physics education is held in English and in Khmer at ZIS. As all accept, education in any other language rather than native one has difficulties. But advantages are countless. First of all, the one having taught in a second language is one step before the other one having taught in native one. In any department of a university or any type of job application, the one having a second language is preferred. If someone wants to have a degree in his area, the first is a second language especially English.
• The second may be the most important one is having a deep understanding in that area. Because each pupil has an opportunity to review each subject from different sources. He may get easily information about each development in the world. He will have a second view to each fact and subject covered in Physics education.
• Physics is one of the sciences in which many terminological words and symbols are used. These symbols and words are commonly taken from Latin and Greek literature. Students who are educated in a second language will not have any difficulty to adapt these symbols and words. But for pupils having no other language these symbols and words are just messes.
• In every country, schools in which a second language is given, have a great success in educational purposes. These schools are listed in the first ten schools in their country.

As a conclusion, in our century, people need to be more interactive with each other. They must use a common language, in order to understand each other. They have to use media and read about new developments and discoveries. The most common and indispensable language in this area as all we accept is English language. Learning English language for communication is of course may not be satisfactory; one must also know some events and terminology in specific areas like physical sciences.

Coincidence of Curriculums

Our Physics curriculum is structured by following both the International and Khmer curriculum. We use variety of textbooks prepared for American and British Physics programs. These are as follows:

• 9th Class: Conceptual Physics (Hewitt), First Step to Physics (Surat).
• 10th College Physics - 1 (Serway& Faughn), Principles of Physics (Bueche), Principles of Physics (Blatt), Physics (Hetch)
• 11th College Physics - 2 (Serway& Faughn), Principles of Physics (Bueche), Principles of Physics (Blatt), Physics (Hetch)
• 12th College Physics - 3 (Serway& Faughn), Principles of Physics (Bueche), Principles of Physics (Blatt), Physics (Hetch)

In addition to these textbooks, every Physics teacher gives homework and solve problems from various exercise books written by Zulfi Erken, Bueche, Serway & Faugh, Eugene Hetch.