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5
Dimension 3
DISCIPLINARY CORE IDEAS—
PHYSICAL SCIENCES
M
ost systems or processes depend at some level on physical and chemical
subprocesses that occur within it, whether the system in question is a
star, Earth’s atmosphere, a river, a bicycle, the human brain, or a living
cell. Large-scale systems often have emergent properties that cannot be explained
on the basis of atomic-scale processes; nevertheless, to understand the physical and
chemical basis of a system, one must ultimately consider the structure of matter at
the atomic and subatomic scales to discover how it influences the system’s larger
scale structures, properties, and functions. Similarly, understanding a process at
any scale requires awareness of the interactions occurring—in terms of the forces
between objects, the related energy transfers, and their consequences. In this way,
the physical sciences—physics and chemistry—underlie all natural and human-
created phenomena, although other kinds of information transfers, such as those
facilitated by the genetic code or communicated between organisms, may also be
critical to understanding their behavior. An overarching goal for learning in the
physical sciences, therefore, is to help students see that there are mechanisms of
cause and effect in all systems and processes that can be understood through a
common set of physical and chemical principles.
The committee developed four core ideas in the physical sciences—three
of which parallel those identified in previous documents, including the National
Science Education Standards and Benchmarks for Science Literacy [1, 2]. The
three core ideas are PS1: Matter and Its Interactions, PS2: Motion and Stability:
Forces and Interactions, and PS3: Energy.
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We also introduce a fourth core idea: PS4: Waves and Their Applications
in Technologies for Information Transfer—which introduces students to the ways
in which advances in the physical sciences during the 20th century underlie all
sophisticated technologies available today. This idea is included in recognition of
the fact that organizing science instruction around disciplinary core ideas tends to
leave out the applications of those ideas. The committee included this fourth idea
to stress the interplay of physical science and technology, as well as to expand
students’ understanding of light and sound as mechanisms of both energy trans-
fer (see LS3) and transfer of information between objects that are not in contact.
Modern communication, information, and imaging technologies are applications
of scientific understandings of light and sound and their interactions with mat-
ter. They are pervasive in our lives today and are also critical tools without which
much of modern science could not be done. See Box 5-1 for a summary of these
four core ideas and their components.
The first three physical science core ideas answer two fundamental
questions—“What is everything made of?” and “Why do things happen?”—
that are not unlike questions that students themselves might ask. These core
ideas can be applied to explain and predict a wide variety of phenomena that
occur in people’s everyday lives, such as the evaporation of a puddle of water,
the transmission of sound, the digital storage and transmission of information,
the tarnishing of metals, and photosynthesis. And because such explanations
and predictions rely on a basic understanding of matter and energy, students’
abilities to conceive of the interactions of matter and energy are central to their
science education.
The historical division between the two subjects of physics and chemistry is
transcended in modern science, as the same physical principles are seen to apply
from subatomic scales to the scale of the universe itself. For this reason we have
chosen to present the two subjects together, thereby ensuring a more coherent
approach to the core ideas across all grades. The designation of physical science
courses at the high school level as either physics or chemistry is not precluded by
our grouping of these disciplines; what is important is that all students are offered
a course sequence that gives them the opportunity and support to learn about all
these ideas and to recognize the connections between them.
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BOX 5-1
CORE AND COMPONENT IDEAS IN THE PHYSICAL SCIENCES
Core Idea PS1: Matter and Its Interactions
PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter
PS1.B: Chemical Reactions
PS1.C: Nuclear Processes
Core Idea PS2: Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions
PS2.A: Forces and Motion
PS2.B: Types of Interactions
PS2.C: Stability and Instability in Physical Systems
Core Idea PS3: Energy
PS3.A: Definitions of Energy
PS3.B: Conservation of Energy and Energy Transfer
PS3.C: Relationship Between Energy and Forces
PS3.D: Energy in Chemical Processes and Everyday Life
Core Idea PS4: Waves and Their Applications in Technologies for Information Transfer
PS4.A: Wave Properties
PS4.B: Electromagnetic Radiation
PS4.C: Information Technologies and Instrumentation
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Core Idea PS1 Matter and Its Interactions
How can one explain the structure, properties, and interactions of matter?
The existence of atoms, now supported by evidence from modern instruments,
was first postulated as a model that could explain both qualitative and quantita-
tive observations about matter (e.g., Brownian motion, ratios of reactants and
products in chemical reactions). Matter can be understood in terms of the types
of atoms present and the interactions both between and within them. The states
(i.e., solid, liquid, gas, or plasma), properties (e.g., hardness, conductivity), and
reactions (both physical and chemical) of matter can be described and predicted
based on the types, interactions, and motions of the atoms within it. Chemical
reactions, which underlie so many observed phenomena in living and nonliv-
ing systems alike, conserve the number of atoms of each type but change their
arrangement into molecules. Nuclear reactions involve changes in the types of
atomic nuclei present and are key to the energy release from the sun and the bal-
ance of isotopes in matter.
PS1.A: STRUCTURE AND PROPERTIES OF MATTER
How do particles combine to form the variety of matter one observes?
While too small to be seen with visible light, atoms have substructures of their
own. They have a small central region or nucleus—containing protons and
neutrons—surrounded by a larger region containing electrons. The number of pro-
tons in the atomic nucleus (atomic number) is the defining characteristic of each
element; different isotopes of the same element differ in the number of neutrons
only. Despite the immense variation and number of substances, there are only
some 100 different stable elements.
Each element has characteristic chemical properties. The periodic table, a
systematic representation of known elements, is organized horizontally by increas-
ing atomic number and vertically by families of elements with related chemical
properties. The development of the periodic table (which occurred well before
atomic substructure was understood) was a major advance, as its patterns sug-
gested and led to the identification of additional elements with particular proper-
ties. Moreover, the table’s patterns are now recognized as related to the atom’s
outermost electron patterns, which play an important role in explaining chemical
reactivity and bond formation, and the periodic table continues to be a useful way
to organize this information.
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The substructure of atoms determines how they combine and rearrange to
form all of the world’s substances. Electrical attractions and repulsions between
charged particles (i.e., atomic nuclei and electrons) in matter explain the struc-
ture of atoms and the forces between atoms that cause them to form molecules
(via chemical bonds), which range in size from two to thousands of atoms (e.g.,
in biological molecules such as proteins). Atoms also combine due to these forces
to form extended structures,
such as crystals or metals.
The varied properties (e.g.,
hardness, conductivity) of
the materials one encounters,
both natural and manufac-
tured, can be understood
in terms of the atomic and
molecular constituents pres-
ent and the forces within and
between them.
Within matter, atoms
and their constituents are
constantly in motion. The
arrangement and motion of
atoms vary in characteristic
ways, depending on the sub-
stance and its current state
(e.g., solid, liquid). Chemical composition, temperature, and pressure affect such
arrangements and motions of atoms, as well as the ways in which they interact.
Under a given set of conditions, the state and some properties (e.g., density,
elasticity, viscosity) are the same for different bulk quantities of a substance,
whereas other properties (e.g., volume, mass) provide measures of the size of the
sample at hand.
Materials can be characterized by their intensive measureable properties.
Different materials with different properties are suited to different uses. The ability
to image and manipulate placement of individual atoms in tiny structures allows
for the design of new types of materials with particular desired functionality (e.g.,
plastics, nanoparticles). Moreover, the modern explanation of how particular
atoms influence the properties of materials or molecules is critical to understand-
ing the physical and chemical functioning of biological systems.
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Grade Band Endpoints for PS1.A
By the end of grade 2. Different kinds of matter exist (e.g., wood, metal, water),
and many of them can be either solid or liquid, depending on temperature.
Matter can be described and classified by its observable properties (e.g., visual,
aural, textural), by its uses, and by whether it occurs naturally or is manufac-
tured. Different properties are suited to different purposes. A great variety of
objects can be built up from a small set of pieces (e.g., blocks, construction
sets). Objects or samples of a substance can be weighed, and their size can
be described and measured. (Boundary: volume is introduced only for liquid
measure.)
By the end of grade 5. Matter of any type can be subdivided into particles that
are too small to see, but even then the matter still exists and can be detected by
other means (e.g., by weighing or by its effects on other objects). For example,
a model showing that gases are made from matter particles that are too small
to see and are moving freely around in space can explain many observations,
including the inflation and shape of a balloon; the effects of air on larger par-
ticles or objects (e.g., leaves in wind, dust suspended in air); and the appearance
of visible scale water droplets in condensation, fog, and, by extension, also in
clouds or the contrails of a jet. The amount (weight) of matter is conserved
when it changes form, even in transitions in which it seems to vanish (e.g., sugar
in solution, evaporation in a closed container). Measurements of a variety of
properties (e.g., hardness, reflectivity) can be used to identify particular materi-
als. (Boundary: At this grade level, mass and weight are not distinguished, and
no attempt is made to define the unseen particles or explain the atomic-scale
mechanism of evaporation and condensation.)
By the end of grade 8. All substances are made from some 100 different types of
atoms, which combine with one another in various ways. Atoms form molecules
that range in size from two to thousands of atoms. Pure substances are made from
a single type of atom or molecule; each pure substance has characteristic physical
and chemical properties (for any bulk quantity under given conditions) that can be
used to identify it.
Gases and liquids are made of molecules or inert atoms that are moving
about relative to each other. In a liquid, the molecules are constantly in contact
with each other; in a gas, they are widely spaced except when they happen to
collide. In a solid, atoms are closely spaced and vibrate in position but do not
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change relative locations. Solids may be formed from molecules, or they may be
extended structures with repeating subunits (e.g., crystals). The changes of state
that occur with variations in temperature or pressure can be described and pre-
dicted using these models of matter. (Boundary: Predictions here are qualitative,
not quantitative.)
By the end of grade 12. Each atom has a charged substructure consisting of a
nucleus, which is made of protons and neutrons, surrounded by electrons. The
periodic table orders elements horizontally by the number of protons in the atom’s
nucleus and places those with similar chemical properties in columns. The repeat-
ing patterns of this table reflect patterns of outer electron states. The structure
and interactions of matter at the bulk scale are determined by electrical forces
within and between atoms. Stable forms of matter are those in which the electric
and magnetic field energy is minimized. A stable molecule has less energy, by an
amount known as the binding energy, than the same set of atoms separated; one
must provide at least this energy in order to take the molecule apart.
PS1.B: CHEMICAL REACTIONS
How do substances combine or change (react) to make new substances? How does
one characterize and explain these reactions and make predictions about them?
Many substances react chemically with other substances to form new substances
with different properties. This change in properties results from the ways in which
atoms from the original substances are combined and rearranged in the new sub-
stances. However, the total number of each type of atom is conserved (does not
change) in any chemical process, and thus mass does not change either. The prop-
erty of conservation can be used, along with knowledge of the chemical properties
of particular elements, to describe and predict the outcomes of reactions. Changes
in matter in which the molecules do not change, but their positions and their
motion relative to each other do change also occur (e.g., the forming of a solution,
❚ Understanding chemical reactions and the properties of elements
is essential not only to the physical sciences but also is foundational
❚
knowledge for the life sciences and the earth and space sciences.
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a change of state). Such changes are generally easier to reverse (return to original
conditions) than chemical changes.
“Collision theory” provides a qualitative model for explaining the rates of
chemical reactions. Higher rates occur at higher temperatures because atoms are
typically moving faster and thus collisions are more frequent; also, a larger frac-
tion of the collisions have sufficient energy to initiate the process. Although a
solution or a gas may have constant chemical composition—that is, be in a steady
state—chemical reactions may be occurring within it that are dynamically bal-
anced with reactions in opposite directions proceeding at equal rates.
Any chemical process involves a change in chemical bonds and the related
bond energies and thus in the total chemical binding energy. This change is
matched by a difference between the total kinetic energy of the set of reactant
molecules before the collision and that of the set of product molecules after the
collision (conservation of energy). Some reactions release energy (e.g., burning fuel
in the presence of oxygen), and others require energy input (e.g., synthesis of sug-
ars from carbon dioxide and water).
Understanding chemical reactions and the properties of elements is essential
not only to the physical sciences but also is foundational knowledge for the life
sciences and the earth and space sciences. The cycling of matter and associated
transfers of energy in systems, of any scale, depend on physical and chemical pro-
cesses. The reactivity of hydrogen ions gives rise to many biological and geophysi-
cal phenomena. The capacity of carbon atoms to form the backbone of extended
molecular structures is essential to the chemistry of life. The carbon cycle involves
transfers between carbon in the atmosphere—in the form of carbon dioxide—and
carbon in living matter or formerly living matter (including fossil fuels). The pro-
portion of oxygen molecules (i.e., oxygen in the form O2) in the atmosphere also
changes in this cycle.
Grade Band Endpoints for PS1.B
By the end of grade 2. Heating or cooling a substance may cause changes that can
be observed. Sometimes these changes are reversible (e.g., melting and freezing),
and sometimes they are not (e.g., baking a cake, burning fuel).
By the end of grade 5. When two or more different substances are mixed,
a new substance with different properties may be formed; such occurrences
depend on the substances and the temperature. No matter what reaction or
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change in properties occurs, the total weight of the substances does not change.
(Boundary: Mass and weight are not distinguished at this grade level.)
By the end of grade 8. Substances react chemically in characteristic ways. In a
chemical process, the atoms that make up the original substances are regrouped
into different molecules, and these new substances have different properties from
those of the reactants. The total number of each type of atom is conserved, and
thus the mass does not change. Some chemical reactions release energy, others
store energy.
By the end of grade 12. Chemical processes, their rates, and whether or not ener-
gy is stored or released can be understood in terms of the collisions of molecules
and the rearrangements of atoms into new molecules, with consequent changes
in total binding energy (i.e., the sum of all bond energies in the set of molecules)
that are matched by changes in kinetic energy. In many situations, a dynamic and
condition-dependent balance between a reaction and the reverse reaction deter-
mines the numbers of all types of molecules present.
The fact that atoms are conserved, together with knowledge of the chemical
properties of the elements involved, can be used to describe and predict chemical
reactions. Chemical processes and properties of materials underlie many important
biological and geophysical phenomena.
PS1.C: NUCLEAR PROCESSES
What forces hold nuclei together and mediate nuclear processes?
Phenomena involving nuclei are important to understand, as they explain the for-
mation and abundance of the elements, radioactivity, the release of energy from
the sun and other stars, and the generation of nuclear power. To explain and pre-
dict nuclear processes, two additional types of interactions—known as strong and
weak nuclear interactions—must be introduced. They play a fundamental role in
nuclei, although not at larger scales because their effects are very short range.
The strong nuclear interaction provides the primary force that holds nuclei
together and determines nuclear binding energies. Without it, the electromagnetic
forces between protons would make all nuclei other than hydrogen unstable.
Nuclear processes mediated by these interactions include fusion, fission, and the
radioactive decays of unstable nuclei. These processes involve changes in nuclear
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binding energies and masses (as described by E = mc2), and typically they release
much more energy per atom involved than do chemical processes.
Nuclear fusion is a process in which a collision of two small nuclei eventu-
ally results in the formation of a single more massive nucleus with greater net
binding energy and hence a release of energy. It occurs only under conditions of
extremely high temperature and pressure. Nuclear fusion occurring in the cores
of stars provides the energy released (as light) from those stars. The Big Bang
produced matter in the form of hydrogen and smaller amounts of helium and
lithium. Over time, stars (including supernova explosions) have produced and
dispersed all the more massive atoms, starting from primordial low-mass ele-
ments, chiefly hydrogen.
Nuclear fission is a process in which a massive nucleus splits into two or
more smaller nuclei, which fly apart at high energy. The produced nuclei are often
not stable and undergo subsequent radioactive decays. A common fission fragment
is an alpha particle, which is just another name for a helium nucleus, given before
this type of “radiation” was identified.
In addition to alpha particles, other types of radioactive decays produce
other forms of radiation, originally labeled as “beta” and “gamma” particles and
now recognized as electrons or positrons, and photons (i.e., high-frequency elec-
tromagnetic radiation), respectively. Because of the high-energy release in nuclear
transitions, the emitted radiation (whether it be alpha, beta, or gamma type) can
ionize atoms and may thereby cause damage to biological tissue.
Nuclear fission and radioactive decays limit the set of stable isotopes of ele-
ments and the size of the largest stable nucleus. Spontaneous radioactive decays
follow a characteristic exponential decay law, with a specific lifetime (time scale)
for each such process; the lifetimes of different nuclear decay processes range from
fractions of a second to thousands of years. Some unstable but long-lived isotopes
are present in rocks and minerals. Knowledge of their nuclear lifetimes allows
radiometric dating to be used to determine the ages of rocks and other materials
from the isotope ratios present.
In fission, fusion, and beta decay processes, atoms change type, but the total
number of protons plus neutrons is conserved. Beta processes involve an addition-
al type of interaction (the weak interaction) that can change neutrons into protons
or vice versa, along with the emission or absorption of electrons or positrons and
of neutrinos. Isolated neutrons decay by this process.
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Grade Band Endpoints for PS1.C
By the end of grade 2. [Intentionally left blank.]
By the end of grade 5. [Intentionally left blank.]
By the end of grade 8. Nuclear fusion can result in the merging of two nuclei to
form a larger one, along with the release of significantly more energy per atom
than any chemical process. It occurs only under conditions of extremely high
temperature and pressure. Nuclear fusion taking place in the cores of stars pro-
vides the energy released (as light) from those stars and produced all of the more
massive atoms from primordial hydrogen. Thus the elements found on Earth and
throughout the universe (other than hydrogen and most of helium, which are pri-
mordial) were formed in the stars or supernovas by fusion processes.
By the end of grade 12. Nuclear processes, including fusion, fission, and radio-
active decays of unstable nuclei, involve changes in nuclear binding energies. The
total number of neutrons plus protons does not change in any nuclear process.
Strong and weak nuclear interactions determine nuclear stability and processes.
Spontaneous radioactive decays follow a characteristic exponential decay law.
Nuclear lifetimes allow radiometric dating to be used to determine the ages of
rocks and other materials from the isotope ratios present.
Normal stars cease producing light after having converted all of the material
in their cores to carbon or, for more massive stars, to iron. Elements more massive
than iron are formed by fusion processes but only in the extreme conditions of
supernova explosions, which explains why they are relatively rare.
Core Idea PS2 Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions
How can one explain and predict interactions between objects and within systems
of objects?
Interactions between any two objects can cause changes in one or both of them.
An understanding of the forces between objects is important for describing how
their motions change, as well as for predicting stability or instability in systems at
any scale. All forces between objects arise from a few types of interactions: grav-
ity, electromagnetism, and the strong and weak nuclear interactions.
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PS3.D: ENERGY IN CHEMICAL PROCESSES AND EVERYDAY LIFE
How do food and fuel provide energy?
If energy is conserved, why do people say it is produced or used?
In ordinary language, people speak of “producing” or “using” energy. This refers
to the fact that energy in concentrated form is useful for generating electricity,
moving or heating objects, and producing light, whereas diffuse energy in the envi-
ronment is not readily captured for practical use. Therefore, to produce energy
typically means to convert some stored energy into a desired form—for example,
the stored energy of water behind a dam is released as the water flows downhill
and drives a turbine generator to produce electricity, which is then delivered to
users through distribution systems. Food, fuel, and batteries are especially conve-
nient energy resources because they can be moved from place to place to provide
processes that release energy where needed. A system does not destroy energy
when carrying out any process. However, the process cannot occur without energy
being available. The energy is also not destroyed by the end of the process. Most
often some or all of it has been transferred to heat the surrounding environment;
in the same sense that paper is not destroyed when it is written on, it still exists
but is not readily available for further use.
Naturally occurring food and fuel contain complex carbon-based mole-
cules, chiefly derived from plant matter that has been formed by photosynthesis.
The chemical reaction of these molecules with oxygen releases energy; such reac-
tions provide energy for most animal life and for residential, commercial, and
industrial activities.
Electric power generation is based on fossil fuels (i.e., coal, oil, and natural
gas), nuclear fission, or renewable resources (e.g., solar, wind, tidal, geothermal,
and hydro power). Transportation today chiefly depends on fossil fuels, but the
use of electric and alternative fuel (e.g., hydrogen, biofuel) vehicles is increasing.
All forms of electricity generation and transportation fuels have associated eco-
nomic, social, and environmental costs and benefits, both short and long term.
Technological advances and regulatory decisions can change the balance of those
costs and benefits.
Although energy cannot be destroyed, it can be converted to less useful
forms. In designing a system for energy storage, for energy distribution, or to
perform some practical task (e.g., to power an airplane), it is important to design
for maximum efficiency—thereby ensuring that the largest possible fraction of
the energy is used for the desired purpose rather than being transferred out of the
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system in unwanted ways (e.g., through friction, which eventually results in heat
energy transfer to the surrounding environment). Improving efficiency reduces
costs, waste materials, and many unintended environmental impacts.
Grade Band Endpoints for PS3.D
By the end of grade 2. When two objects rub against each other, this interaction is
called friction. Friction between two surfaces can warm of both of them (e.g., rub-
bing hands together). There are ways to reduce the friction between two objects.
By the end of grade 5. The expression “produce energy” typically refers to the
conversion of stored energy into a desired form for practical use—for example,
the stored energy of water behind a dam is released so that it flows downhill
and drives a turbine generator to pro-
duce electricity. Food and fuel also
release energy when they are digested
or burned. When machines or animals
“use” energy (e.g., to move around),
most often the energy is transferred to
heat the surrounding environment.
The energy released by burning fuel
or digesting food was once energy from
the sun that was captured by plants in the
chemical process that forms plant matter
(from air and water). (Boundary: The fact
that plants capture energy from sunlight is
introduced at this grade level, but details
of photosynthesis are not.)
It is important to be able to concentrate energy so that it is available for use
where and when it is needed. For example, batteries are physically transportable
energy storage devices, whereas electricity generated by power plants is transferred
from place to place through distribution systems.
By the end of grade 8. The chemical reaction by which plants produce complex
food molecules (sugars) requires an energy input (i.e., from sunlight) to occur. In
this reaction, carbon dioxide and water combine to form carbon-based organic
molecules and release oxygen. (Boundary: Further details of the photosynthesis
process are not taught at this grade level.)
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Both the burning of fuel and cellular digestion in plants and animals involve
chemical reactions with oxygen that release stored energy. In these processes, com-
plex molecules containing carbon react with oxygen to produce carbon dioxide
and other materials.
Machines can be made more efficient, that is, require less fuel input to per-
form a given task, by reducing friction between their moving parts and through
aerodynamic design. Friction increases energy transfer to the surrounding environ-
ment by heating the affected materials.
By the end of grade 12. Nuclear fusion processes in the center of the sun release
the energy that ultimately reaches Earth as radiation. The main way in which that
solar energy is captured and stored on Earth is through the complex chemical pro-
cess known as photosynthesis. Solar cells are human-made devices that likewise
capture the sun’s energy and produce electrical energy.
A variety of multistage physical and chemical processes in living organisms,
particularly within their cells, account for the transport and transfer (release or
uptake) of energy needed for life functions.
All forms of electricity generation and transportation fuels have associated
economic, social, and environmental costs and benefits, both short and long term.
Although energy cannot be destroyed, it can be converted to less useful
forms—for example, to thermal energy in the surrounding environment. Machines
are judged as efficient or inefficient based on the amount of energy input needed
to perform a particular useful task. Inefficient machines are those that produce
more waste heat while performing a task and thus require more energy input. It is
therefore important to design for high efficiency so as to reduce costs, waste mate-
rials, and many environmental impacts.
Core Idea PS4 Waves and Their Applications in Technologies for Information
Transfer
How are waves used to transfer energy and information?
Waves are a repeating pattern of motion that transfers energy from place to place
without overall displacement of matter. Light and sound are wavelike phenomena.
By understanding wave properties and the interactions of electromagnetic radia-
tion with matter, scientists and engineers can design systems for transferring infor-
mation across long distances, storing information, and investigating nature on
many scales—some of them far beyond direct human perception.
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PS4.A: WAVE PROPERTIES
What are the characteristic properties and behaviors of waves?
Whether a wave in water, a sound wave, or a light wave, all waves have some fea-
tures in common. A simple wave has a repeating pattern of specific wavelength,
frequency, and amplitude. The wavelength and frequency of a wave are related
to one another by the speed of travel of the wave, which, for each type of wave,
depends on the medium in which the wave is traveling. Waves can be combined
with other waves of the same type to produce complex information-containing
patterns that can be decoded at the receiving end. Waves, which transfer energy
and any encoded information without the bulk motion of matter, can travel
unchanged over long distances, pass through other waves undisturbed, and be
detected and decoded far from where they were produced. Information can be
digitized (converted into a numerical representation), sent over long distances as a
series of wave pulses, and reliably stored in computer memory.
Sound is a pressure wave in
air or any other material medium.
The human ear and brain working
together are very good at detecting
and decoding patterns of informa-
tion in sound (e.g., speech and
music) and distinguishing them
from random noise.
Resonance is a phenomenon
in which waves add up in phase
(i.e., matched peaks and val-
leys), thus growing in amplitude.
Structures have particular frequen-
cies at which they resonate when
some time-varying force acting
on them transfers energy to them.
This phenomenon (e.g., waves in a
stretched string, vibrating air in a pipe) is used in the design of all musical instru-
ments and in the production of sound by the human voice.
When a wave passes an object that is small compared with its wavelength,
the wave is not much affected; for this reason, some things are too small to see
with visible light, which is a wave phenomenon with a limited range of wavelengths
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corresponding to each color. When a wave meets the surface between two differ-
ent materials or conditions (e.g., air to water), part of the wave is reflected at that
surface and another part continues on, but at a different speed. The change of
speed of the wave when passing from one medium to another can cause the wave
to change direction or refract. These wave properties are used in many applications
(e.g., lenses, seismic probing of Earth).
Grade Band Endpoints for PS4.A
By the end of grade 2. Waves, which are regular patterns of motion, can be made
in water by disturbing the surface. When waves move across the surface of deep
water, the water goes up and down in place; it does not move in the direction of
the wave—observe, for example, a bobbing cork or seabird—except when the
water meets the beach.
Sound can make matter vibrate, and vibrating matter can make sound.
By the end of grade 5. Waves of the same type can differ in amplitude (height of
the wave) and wavelength (spacing between wave peaks). Waves can add or cancel
one another as they cross, depending on their relative phase (i.e., relative position
of peaks and troughs of the waves), but they emerge unaffected by each other.
(Boundary: The discussion at this grade level is qualitative only; it can be based on
the fact that two different sounds can pass a location in different directions with-
out getting mixed up.)
Earthquakes cause seismic waves, which are waves of motion in Earth’s crust.
By the end of grade 8. A simple wave has a repeating pattern with a specific
wavelength, frequency, and amplitude. A sound wave needs a medium through
which it is transmitted.
Geologists use seismic waves and their reflection at interfaces between layers
to probe structures deep in the planet.
By the end of grade 12. The wavelength and frequency of a wave are related to
one another by the speed of travel of the wave, which depends on the type of
wave and the medium through which it is passing. The reflection, refraction, and
transmission of waves at an interface between two media can be modeled on the
basis of these properties.
Combining waves of different frequencies can make a wide variety of pat-
terns and thereby encode and transmit information. Information can be digitized
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(e.g., a picture stored as the
values of an array of pixels); in
this form, it can be stored reli-
ably in computer memory and
sent over long distances as a
series of wave pulses.
Resonance is a phenom-
enon in which waves add up
in phase in a structure, grow-
ing in amplitude due to energy
input near the natural vibra-
tion frequency. Structures have
particular frequencies at which
they resonate. This phenomenon
(e.g., waves in a stretched string,
vibrating air in a pipe) is used in
speech and in the design of all
musical instruments.
PS4.B: ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
What is light?
How can one explain the varied effects that involve light?
What other forms of electromagnetic radiation are there?
Electromagnetic radiation (e.g., radio, microwaves, light) can be modeled as a
wave pattern of changing electric and magnetic fields or, alternatively, as particles.
Each model is useful for understanding aspects of the phenomenon and its inter-
actions with matter, and quantum theory relates the two models. Electromagnetic
❚ By understanding wave properties and the interactions of
electromagnetic radiation with matter, scientists and engineers can
design systems for transferring information across long distances, storing
information, and investigating nature on many scales—some of them far
❚
beyond direct human perception.
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waves can be detected over a wide range of
frequencies, of which the visible spectrum of
colors detectable by human eyes is just a small
part. Many modern technologies are based on
the manipulation of electromagnetic waves.
All electromagnetic radiation travels
through a vacuum at the same speed, called
the speed of light. Its speed in any given medi-
um depends on its wavelength and the proper-
ties of that medium. At the surface between
two media, like any wave, light can be reflect-
ed, refracted (its path bent), or absorbed.
What occurs depends on properties of the
surface and the wavelength of the light. When
shorter wavelength electromagnetic radiation
(ultraviolet, X-rays, gamma rays) is absorbed
in matter, it can ionize atoms and cause dam-
age to living cells. However, because X-rays
can travel through soft body matter for some
distance but are more rapidly absorbed by denser matter, particularly bone, they
are useful for medical imaging. Photovoltaic materials emit electrons when they
absorb light of a high-enough frequency. This phenomenon is used in barcode
scanners and “electric eye” systems, as well as in solar cells. It is best explained
using a particle model of light.
Any object emits a spectrum of electromagnetic radiation that depends on
its temperature. In addition, atoms of each element emit and preferentially absorb
characteristic frequencies of light. These spectral lines allow identification of the
presence of the element, even in microscopic quantities or for remote objects, such
as a star. Nuclear transitions that emit or absorb gamma radiation also have dis-
tinctive gamma ray wavelengths, a phenomenon that can be used to identify and
trace specific radioactive isotopes.
Grade Band Endpoints for PS4.B
By the end of grade 2. Objects can be seen only when light is available to illumi-
nate them. Very hot objects give off light (e.g., a fire, the sun).
Some materials allow light to pass through them, others allow only some
light through, and others block all the light and create a dark shadow on any
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surface beyond them (i.e., on the other side from the light source), where the light
cannot reach. Mirrors and prisms can be used to redirect a light beam. (Boundary:
The idea that light travels from place to place is developed through experiences
with light sources, mirrors, and shadows, but no attempt is made to discuss the
speed of light.)
By the end of grade 5. A great deal of light travels through space to Earth from
the sun and from distant stars.
An object can be seen when light reflected from its surface enters the eyes;
the color people see depends on the color of the available light sources as well as
the properties of the surface. (Boundary: This phenomenon is observed, but no
attempt is made to discuss what confers the color reflection and absorption prop-
erties on a surface. The stress is on understanding that light traveling from the
object to the eye determines what is seen.)
Because lenses bend light beams, they can be used, singly or in combination,
to provide magnified images of objects too small or too far away to be seen with
the naked eye.
By the end of grade 8. When light shines on an object, it is reflected, absorbed,
or transmitted through the object, depending on the object’s material and the fre-
quency (color) of the light.
The path that light travels can be traced as straight lines, except at surfaces
between different transparent materials (e.g., air and water, air and glass) where
the light path bends. Lenses and prisms are applications of this effect.
A wave model of light is useful for explaining brightness, color, and the
frequency-dependent bending of light at a surface between media (prisms).
However, because light can travel through space, it cannot be a matter wave, like
sound or water waves.
By the end of grade 12. Electromagnetic radiation (e.g., radio, microwaves, light)
can be modeled as a wave of changing electric and magnetic fields or as particles
called photons. The wave model is useful for explaining many features of electro-
magnetic radiation, and the particle model explains other features. Quantum theo-
ry relates the two models. (Boundary: Quantum theory is not explained further at
this grade level.)
Because a wave is not much disturbed by objects that are small compared
with its wavelength, visible light cannot be used to see such objects as individual
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atoms. All electromagnetic radiation travels through a vacuum at the same speed,
called the speed of light. Its speed in any other given medium depends on its wave-
length and the properties of that medium.
When light or longer wavelength electromagnetic radiation is absorbed in
matter, it is generally converted into thermal energy (heat). Shorter wavelength
electromagnetic radiation (ultraviolet, X-rays, gamma rays) can ionize atoms and
cause damage to living cells. Photovoltaic materials emit electrons when they
absorb light of a high-enough frequency.
Atoms of each element emit and absorb characteristic frequencies of light, and
nuclear transitions have distinctive gamma ray wavelengths. These characteristics
allow identification of the presence of an element, even in microscopic quantities.
PS4.C: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES AND INSTRUMENTATION
How are instruments that transmit and detect waves used to extend human senses?
Understanding of waves and their interactions with matter has been used to design
technologies and instruments that greatly extend the range of phenomena that can
be investigated by science (e.g., telescopes, micro-
scopes) and have many useful applications in the
modern world.
Light waves, radio waves, microwaves, and
infrared waves are applied to communications sys-
tems, many of which use digitized signals (i.e., sent
as wave pulses) as a more reliable way to convey
information. Signals that humans cannot sense
directly can be detected by appropriately designed
devices (e.g., telescopes, cell phones, wired or wire-
less computer networks). When in digitized form,
information can be recorded, stored for future
recovery, and transmitted over long distances with-
out significant degradation.
Medical imaging devices collect and interpret
signals from waves that can travel through the
body and are affected by, and thus gather infor-
mation about, structures and motion within it (e.g., ultrasound, X-rays). Sonar
(based on sound pulses) can be used to measure the depth of the sea, and a system
based on laser pulses can measure the distance to objects in space, because it is
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known how fast sound travels in water and light travels in a vacuum. The better
the interaction of the wave with the medium is understood, the more detailed the
information that can be extracted (e.g., medical imaging or astronomical observa-
tions at multiple frequencies).
Grade Band Endpoints for PS4.C
By the end of grade 2. People use their senses to learn about the world around
them. Their eyes detect light, their ears detect sound, and they can feel vibrations
by touch.
People also use a variety of devices to communicate (send and receive infor-
mation) over long distances.
By the end of grade 5. Lenses can be used to make eyeglasses, telescopes, or
microscopes in order to extend what can be seen. The design of such instruments
is based on understanding how the path of light bends at the surface of a lens.
Digitized information (e.g., the pixels of a picture) can be stored for future
recovery or transmitted over long distances without significant degradation.
High-tech devices, such as computers or cell phones, can receive and decode
information—convert it from digitized form to voice—and vice versa.
By the end of grade 8. Appropriately designed technologies (e.g., radio, television,
cell phones, wired and wireless computer networks) make it possible to detect and
interpret many types of signals that cannot be sensed directly. Designers of such
devices must understand both the signal and its interactions with matter.
Many modern communication devices use digitized signals (sent as wave
pulses) as a more reliable way to encode and transmit information.
By the end of grade 12. Multiple technologies based on the understanding of
waves and their interactions with matter are part of everyday experiences in the
modern world (e.g., medical imaging, communications, scanners) and in scientific
research. They are essential tools for producing, transmitting, and capturing sig-
nals and for storing and interpreting the information contained in them.
Knowledge of quantum physics enabled the development of semiconductors,
computer chips, and lasers, all of which are now essential components of modern
imaging, communications, and information technologies. (Boundary: Details of
quantum physics are not formally taught at this grade level.)
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REFERENCES
1. National Research Council. (1996). National Science Education Standards. National
Committee for Science Education Standards and Assessment. Washington, DC:
National Academy Press.
2. American Association for the Advancement of Science. (2009). Benchmarks for
Science Literacy. Project 2061. Available: http://www.project2061.org/publications/
bsl/online/index.php?txtRef=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eproject2061%2Eorg%2
Fpublications%2Fbsl%2Fdefault%2Ehtm%3FtxtRef%3D%26txtURIOld%3D%252
Ftools%252Fbsl%252Fdefault%2Ehtm&txtURIOld=%2Fpublications%2Fbsl%2
Fonline%2Fbolintro%2Ehtm [June 2011].
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Print copies of the Next Generation Science Standards are available for pre-order now or you can view the online version at nextgenscience.org
The standards are based largely on the 2011 National Research Council report A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas.
