Concept Taxonomy
This taxonomy organizes the 200 physics concepts into 12 thematic categories for improved navigation and learning pathway visualization.
1. Foundation (FOUND)
Description: Core scientific practices, measurement, mathematical tools, and fundamental skills required for all physics study.
Concepts Include: Scientific method, measurement, units, significant figures, error analysis, dimensional analysis, vectors, scalars, graphical analysis, mathematical prerequisites.
2. Kinematics (KINEM)
Description: The study of motion without considering forces - displacement, velocity, acceleration, and their graphical representations.
Concepts Include: Linear motion, projectile motion, kinematic equations, motion graphs, free fall, relative velocity.
3. Dynamics (DYNAM)
Description: The study of forces and their effects on motion, including Newton's Laws and applications.
Concepts Include: Force, Newton's Laws, friction, tension, normal force, equilibrium, inclined planes, pulleys, centripetal force.
4. Energy (ENRGY)
Description: Work, energy transformations, conservation of energy, power, and simple machines.
Concepts Include: Work, kinetic energy, potential energy, conservation of energy, power, efficiency, simple machines, mechanical advantage.
5. Momentum (MOMNT)
Description: Linear momentum, impulse, collisions, and conservation of momentum.
Concepts Include: Linear momentum, impulse, elastic and inelastic collisions, center of mass, rocket propulsion.
6. Rotation (ROTAT)
Description: Rotational motion, torque, angular momentum, and rotational dynamics.
Concepts Include: Angular displacement, angular velocity, torque, rotational inertia, angular momentum, rolling motion.
7. Oscillations (OSCIL)
Description: Periodic motion, simple harmonic motion, springs, pendulums, and resonance.
Concepts Include: Simple harmonic motion, amplitude, frequency, period, Hooke's Law, pendulums, damping, resonance.
8. Waves (WAVES)
Description: Wave properties, behaviors, and phenomena including interference and wave types.
Concepts Include: Mechanical waves, transverse and longitudinal waves, wavelength, frequency, interference, standing waves, reflection, refraction, diffraction, Doppler effect.
9. Sound (SOUND)
Description: Sound waves, acoustic properties, intensity, and sound phenomena.
Concepts Include: Sound waves, speed of sound, intensity, decibel scale, pitch, loudness, beats, harmonics, resonance.
10. Optics (OPTIC)
Description: Light behavior, reflection, refraction, mirrors, lenses, and optical phenomena.
Concepts Include: Reflection, refraction, mirrors, lenses, Snell's Law, dispersion, diffraction, polarization, ray diagrams.
11. Light (LIGHT)
Description: The electromagnetic nature of light, spectrum, and fundamental light properties.
Concepts Include: Light waves, electromagnetic spectrum, visible spectrum, speed of light, luminous intensity, color.
12. Electricity (ELECT)
Description: Electric charge, electric forces, fields, and electric potential.
Concepts Include: Electric charge, conductors, insulators, charging methods, Coulomb's Law, electric fields, electric potential, voltage.
Taxonomy Summary
| TaxonomyID | Category Name | Abbreviation | Estimated Concepts |
|---|---|---|---|
| FOUND | Foundation | FOUND | ~19 |
| KINEM | Kinematics | KINEM | ~17 |
| DYNAM | Dynamics | DYNAM | ~24 |
| ENRGY | Energy | ENRGY | ~20 |
| MOMNT | Momentum | MOMNT | ~10 |
| ROTAT | Rotation | ROTAT | ~10 |
| OSCIL | Oscillations | OSCIL | ~14 |
| WAVES | Waves | WAVES | ~19 |
| SOUND | Sound | SOUND | ~11 |
| LIGHT | Light | LIGHT | ~6 |
| OPTIC | Optics | OPTIC | ~30 |
| ELECT | Electricity | ELECT | ~20 |
This balanced taxonomy distributes concepts evenly across domains, with no single category exceeding 30% of total concepts (60 concepts).