Physical Systems

Matter, energy, forces, and how the physical world behaves.

K–12 objective ladder

• 1 D06.S3.01.01 Observe and describe the properties of materials (such as hard, soft, shiny, heavy, and light).
• 1 D06.S3.01.02 Describe how objects move (push, pull, roll, and slide) and what makes them start or stop.
• 2 D06.S3.02.01 Sort materials by their properties and explain how properties make them useful for different jobs.
• 2 D06.S3.02.02 Describe how sound, light, and heat are forms of energy we can observe.
• 3 D06.S3.03.01 Describe the three states of matter (solid, liquid, and gas) and how heating and cooling change them.
• 3 D06.S3.03.02 Explain that a push or pull (force) changes an object's motion, and describe friction.
• 4 D06.S3.04.01 Describe how energy moves from one place or object to another (such as heat, sound, and light) and is never destroyed.
• 4 D06.S3.04.02 Build a simple circuit and explain what conductors and insulators do.
• 5 D06.S3.05.01 Explain that matter is made of particles too small to see and use this idea to explain changes of state.
• 5 D06.S3.05.02 Describe gravity and magnetism as forces that act at a distance.
• 6 D06.S3.06.01 Describe the forms of energy (kinetic, potential, thermal, chemical, and electrical) and how energy changes between them.
• 6 D06.S3.06.02 Explain how balanced and unbalanced forces determine whether an object's motion changes.
• 7 D06.S3.07.01 Explain force, mass, and acceleration and use them to describe everyday motion.
• 7 D06.S3.07.02 Describe how waves (such as sound, light, and water) carry energy and relate wave properties to what we observe.
• 8 D06.S3.08.01 Explain atoms, elements, and compounds, and how chemical reactions rearrange atoms to form new substances.
• 8 D06.S3.08.02 Explain electric and magnetic fields and how they interact to produce forces and currents.
• 9 D06.S3.09.01 Explain the law of conservation of energy and analyze energy transformations and efficiency in a real system.
• 9 D06.S3.09.02 Use the structure of the atom to explain bonding and how chemical reactions absorb or release energy.
• 10 D06.S3.10.01 Explain motion, force, and energy quantitatively in everyday and engineered systems (such as work, power, and momentum).
• 10 D06.S3.10.02 Explain how energy generation (renewable and nonrenewable) works and evaluate its environmental and social trade-offs.
• 11 D06.S3.11.01 Explain how matter and energy behave at atomic and quantum scales and why this challenges everyday intuition.
• 11 D06.S3.11.02 Apply thermodynamics to real systems and evaluate the energy and material costs of technology.
• 12 D06.S3.12.01 Explain the fundamental forces and particles that make up matter, and how they unify physical explanations.
• 12 D06.S3.12.02 Weigh the promise and risk of physical technologies (energy, materials, and computing) for a just and sustainable future.

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