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TEST SPECIFICATION: Physical Science - Physics - Grade 8
STANDARD 5.7.6 (PHYSICS), strands A & B (grade 6)
STANDARD 5.7.8 (PHYSICS), strands A & B (grade 8)

NOTE: This test specification encompasses both strands of standard 5.7.6 and 5.7.8.
IMPORTANT: For the purpose of instruction and assessment, a chart of the electromagnetic spectrum should be made available.
I

Macro statement:
The study of physics must include an understanding of force, energy, and motion.

II

Knowledge statements:

A.

Motion and Forces

  1. A body at rest remains at rest; a body in motion remains in uniform motion unless acted upon by an external force ( Newton’s First Law)
    1. An object is said to be in uniform motion when it stands still or moves in a straight-line at a constant speed.
    2. An object’s mass is a measure of its inertia.
  2. When more than one force acts on an object at the same time, the forces can reinforce or cancel each other producing a net (unbalanced) force that will change speed and/or direction of the object.
  3. Friction is a force that can retard motion.
  4. Every object exerts a gravitational force on every other object. The gravitational force depends on the mass of the objects and the distance between them.
B.

Energy Transformations

  1. Objects with high heat content transfer their heat energy through the collision of atoms and/or radiation to objects with low heat content.
    1. Conduction of heat energy occurs as a result of collisions between atoms and/or molecules.
    2. Convection is the transfer of heat energy by the movement of molecules within liquids and gases.
    3. Heat energy can be transferred across space by radiation.
  2. The Sun is the major source of energy for Earth. The Sun’s energy arrives as light with a range of wavelengths, including visible light, infrared, and ultraviolet radiation.
  3. Vibrations may transfer energy through a medium as a wave, e.g., sound and earthquakes.
    1. Vibrations in materials set up wavelike disturbances that spread away from the source.
    2. Waves move at different speeds in different materials.
  4. Some forms of energy require a medium to travel from one place to another and some do not.
  5. Energy exists in various forms, e.g., heat, light, sound, mechanical, electrical, chemical and nuclear. Energy cannot be created or destroyed, but can be changed from one form to another.
  6. Light interacts with matter by being reflected, refracted, or absorbed.
    1. Reflection occurs when light strikes a surface at an angle, then bounces off at an equal angle.
    2. Refraction occurs when light passes through a medium at an angle and comes into contact with a different medium. This causes the light to be bent or moved in a different direction.
    3. Absorption occurs when light strikes a medium and is taken into that medium.
III

Skill statements for strands:
In order to gain an understanding of the principles of physics, students must use the scientific skills delineated in standards 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, and 5.4.