HST 2001 Spain Physics Syllabuses

1. HST 2001 SpainPhysics Syllabuses Physics in the Spanish curriculum (Secondary Education: Ages 12 - 18) • Compulsory Secondary Education Ages 12 –16 • Upper Secondary Education (“Bachillerato”) Ages 16 - 18

2. Compulsory Secondary Education • In the first two years, all students have to take General Science courses (covering Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Geology) with 3 hours / week • In the third year, the combined subject “Physics and Chemistry” is compulsory, with 2 hours / week

3. Compulsory Secondary Education • In the fourth and final year, “Physics and Chemistry” is outside the core curriculum, but students can take 4 hours / week of that subject. • Topics covered in this year are marked with a “4” in the following list:

4. Compulsory Secondary EducationSyllabus Outline (Physics) • The Structure of Matter (States of matter, kinetic theory, atoms and electrons, the nuclear model,…) • Kinematics and Dynamics (4) • Energy (4) • Electrostatics and DC Currents • Waves and Geometrical Optics (4) • Hydrostatics (4)

5. Compulsory Secondary EducationSyllabus Outline (Physics) • During the four years, these topics are covered more than once, but you have to remember that those with a “4” make part of the optional final year, when the material is covered with a more formal approach.

6. Upper Secondary Education“Bachillerato” Students can choose between four routes. In two of them (Science, Technology): • Physics and Chemistry (First year, with 4 hours/week), and • Physics (Second year, 4 hours / week) are compulsory. Many teachers complain about Physics and Chemistry being combined into one subject in the first year

7. Upper Secondary Education“Bachillerato” Syllabus Outline • Kinematics and Dynamics. • Work and Energy. • Electric, Magnetic and Gravitational Fields. • Electromagnetism (Induction). • Vibrations and Waves. • “Modern” Physics.

8. “Modern” Physics in the Bachillerato Special Relativity • Galilean & Einstenian Relativity Principles. • The Lorentz Transformations and its consequences. • Rest mass and relativistic energy. • In many schools, this subject is not covered (though it should be)

9. “Modern” Physics in the Bachillerato Quantum Physics • Blackbody Radiation. Planck’ s hypothesis. • The photoelectric effect. Photons. • Atomic Spectra. • Wave – particle duality. De Broglie’ s Formula. • Heisenberg’ s uncertainty principle.

10. “Modern” Physics in the Bachillerato Nuclear and Particle Physics • The atomic nucleus. Binding energy. • Radioactivity. • Nuclear reactions. • Hadrons and leptons, quarks. • The fundamental interactions.

11. Note • Syllabuses can be slightly different in different regions.