8th Grade Physics

Physics- Motor

Teacher:  Jamie York  (Read more about his biography here)

Dates for 4-week course:
November 11 to December 13, 2024 (with one week break for Thanksgiving)

Times for Live Sessions:  Monday through Thursday.  Each session lasts between 35 and 60 minutes, and the students spend around 20 minutes each day watching a record presentation.  Please note that all times are given in Mountain Time (MT), which is two hours behind ET, and one hour ahead of PT.

  • Option #1:  Starts at 8am MT
  • Option #2:  Starts at 11am MT

Course Description

In seventh grade physics we focused on the observation of natural phenomena. In contrast, in eighth grade physics our concern is with how knowledge of those natural phenomena has led to discoveries and inventions that have transformed our society.  The block is a mixture of laboratory demonstrations, hands-on experiments, and group work.  We expect students to write clearly about all of this in their main lesson books.  We begin with optics, studying prisms, refraction, the generation of color, and lenses.  We introduce electromagnetism by showing how an electrical current produces a magnetic field.  This can be used for work. Students discover this for themselves by building their own electric motors, and, perhaps, telegraphs.  Next, we concentrate on the idea of pressure. This leads nicely to hydraulics and its many applications.  The block ends with the concept of air pressure.

Topics covered:

  • Optics
  • Electromagnetism
  • Aeromechanics
  • Hydraulics

If you register your student for a science program and live outside the US, we will send you an invoice for an additional $30-$50 for your science kit shipping, depending on your location. 

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