[Catalist] Do any Year 12 Physics syllabuses include reference to Gravitational Waves?

[Michael McGarry]

RE: Do any Year 12 Physics syllabuses include reference to Gravitational Waves?

Greetings Science Colleagues,

I can find no reference to Gravitational Waves in the WACE 2016 ATAR Physics Year 12 Syllabus.

URL 1: http://wace1516.scsa.wa.edu.au/syllabus-and-support-materials/science/physics <http://wace1516.scsa.wa.edu.au/syllabus-and-support-materials/science/physics>
Two relevant statements from the WACE 2016 ATAR Physics Year 12 Syllabus:

“Students develop their understanding of field theories of gravity …” [Page 9]

“Students understand how models and theories have developed over time …” [Page 9]

In my interactive PDF AUS PS7 SU STRAND MODULE 2: “Gravity and Gravitation” I include this section: “From Newton’s Gravity (1687) to Einstein’s Gravity (1916) on Pages 4 - 5. This Year 7 Physical Sciences Active Science curriculum module can be free downloaded from the online ASTA MOODLE URL: URL 2: http://moodle.asta.edu.au <http://moodle.asta.edu.au/>. Why Year 7? The seminal paper: ”How People Learn” URL 3: http://www.nap.edu/read/9853/chapter/7 <http://www.nap.edu/read/9853/chapter/7> suggests that we should not assume that younger students cannot understand abstract (science) concepts.

I contend that we physics teachers could update “models and theories …” of gravity with a brief discussion of Einstein’s Gravity (1916). We then could briefly discuss new evidence from LIGO of their recent detection of Gravitational Waves.

URL 4: https://www.ligo.caltech.edu/news/ligo20160211 <https://www.ligo.caltech.edu/news/ligo20160211>
URL 5: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/gravitational-waves-discovered-from-colliding-black-holes1/ <http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/gravitational-waves-discovered-from-colliding-black-holes1/>
URL 6: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravitational_wave <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravitational_wave>
URL 7: http://gravitycentre.com.au <http://gravitycentre.com.au/>
WA physics teachers and students are most fortunate to have access to the excellent Gravity Discovery Centre.

The search for Gravitational Waves by a collaboration of about 1000 Physicists from around our Science world illustrates Science as a Human Endeavour, which was started by Albert Einstein 100 years ago in 1916.

Best Wishes,

Mike McGarry 
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