IB-2 SEHS - August 2025: Course Outline & Newton's Laws of Motion

IB-2 SEHS - August 2025: Course Outline & Newton's Laws of Motion

BISJ SEHS Course Outline 2024-2026

General Information

  • Topic: IB-2 SEHS - August 2025

  • Subtopic: BISJ SEHS Course Outline 2024-2026

  • Department: British International School of Jeddah Physical Education Department

  • Curriculum: IB2 Sports Exercise and Health Science Curriculum

  • Reporting and Assessment Outline: For 2025-26

Units & Approximate Time Frames

  • A.2.3 Energy Systems (7 hours SL, 2 hours HL)

    • A.2.3.1 - Aerobic & anaerobic energy systems

    • A.2.3.2 - VO2 max

    • A.2.3.3 - Lactate inflection point (LIPhl)

    • A.2.3.4 - Excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC)

  • A.1 Communication, A.1.2 Maintaining Homeostasis, A.1.3 Transport

    • A.1.1 Inter-system communication (5 hours SL)

      • A.1.1.1 Nervous system

      • A.1.1.2 Endocrine system

    • A.1.2 Maintaining homeostasis (5 hours SL)

      • A.1.2.1 Homeostasis

      • A.1.2.2 - ST & LT responses to environment

    • A.1.3 Transport (6 hours SL)

      • A.1.3.1 CV system

      • A.1.3.2 Respiratory system

  • A.2 Hydration & Nutrition

    • A.2.1 Water & electrolyte (5 hours SL)

      • A.2.1.1 - Water & electrolyte balance

    • A.2.2 Fuelling for health & performance (5 hours SL / 4 hours HL)

      • A.2.2.1 Macronutrients

      • A.2.2.2 - Micronutrients

      • A.2.2.3 - Gut microbiome (HL)

  • C.1 Individual Differences

    • C.1.1 Personality (3 hours SL / 2 hours HL)

      • C.1.1.1 - Personality individual differences

      • C.1.1.2 Social Learning Theory

      • C.1.1.3 Personality change over time (HL)

      • C.1.1.4 Attribution Theory (HL)

    • C.1.2 Mental Toughness (2 hours SL / 4 hours HL)

      • C.1.2.1 - Mental Toughness (personality connection)

      • C.1.2.2 - Self Fulfilling prophecy (HL)

      • C.1.2.3 - Mental toughness & Health (HL)

  • C.2 Motor Learning

    • C.2.1 Motor Learning Processes (2 hours SL / HL)

      • C.2.1.1 Learning

      • C.2.1.2 - Psychological Refractory Period (HL)

      • C.2.1.3 Transfer of Learning

    • C.2.2 Attentional control (HL)

      • C.2.2.1 Attentional focus

  • B.1 Generating Movement in the Body

    • B.1.1 Anatomical position, planes and movement (3 hours SL / 3 hours HL)

      • B.1.1.1 Human Skeleton

      • B.1.1.2 Movement - axis and planes

      • B.1.1.3 - Anthropometry (HL)

    • B.1.3 Muscular function (2 hours SL / 2 hours HL)

      • B.1.3.1 Muscular contractions

      • B.1.3.2 - Sliding filament (HL)

    • B.1.2 Structure and function of connective tissues and joints (3 hours SL)

      • B.1.2.1 Connective tissues and joints

    • B.1.4 Levers in movement and sport (2 hours SL)

      • B.1.4.1 Lever classes

  • B.2 Forces, Motion & Movement

    • B.2.1 Newton's Law of Motion (5 hours SL / 12 hours HL)

      • B.2.1.1 - Linear and angular motion

      • B.2.1.2 Momentum (HL)

      • B.2.1.3 Friction (HL)

Other Units (with approximate dates)

  • B2- Forces, motion & movement: 24 Aug - 2 Oct (19 hours SL, 31 hours HL)

  • IA & Mock revision: 5 Oct - 9 Oct (8 hours SL, 10 hours HL)

  • Mock exam: Sun 23 Nov - Thu 27 Nov 2025

  • A3- Response: 9 Nov - 27 Nov (8 hours SL, 18 hours HL)

    • Subtopics: A3.2.2, A3.3.1, A3.3.2

  • B3: Injury: 30 Nov - 18 Dec (7 hours SL, 9 hours HL)

    • Subtopic: B3.1.3

  • C4: Stress & Coping: 11 Jan - 15 Jan (5 hours SL, 7 hours HL)

    • Subtopics: C4.2.2, C4.2.3

  • C3: Motivation: 18 Jan - 5 Feb (8 hours SL, 16 hours HL)

    • Subtopics: C3.1.3, C3.2.3

  • C5: Psychological skills: 8 Feb - 12 Feb (4 hours SL, 9 hours HL)

    • Subtopics: C5.1.2, C5.2.1

  • Revision: 22 Feb - 19 March

Reporting Outline

  • Report 1 data entry due: Wednesday 8th October, 2025

  • Report 2 data entry due: Sunday 14th December, 2025

  • Report 3 data entry due: Sunday 15th March, 2026

Assessment Outline

  • Learning Descriptor Grades determined through ongoing formative assessment by the class teacher.

  • Academic grades on each term report will be determined for IB Sports Exercise and Health Science for 2025-26 as outlined.

Useful Materials

  • Oxford Resources for IB Diploma Programme: SPORTS, EXERCISE AND HEALTH SCIENCE COURSE COMPANION (2024 Edition)

  • The EverLearner

  • A GUIDE TO THE SEHS INTERNAL ASSESSMENT (IA) (First evaluation May 2026)

Internal Assessment (IA) Key Dates

  • First Draft: 12 October, 2025 (before mocks)

  • Feedback on first draft returned: 9 November, 2025 (after mocks)

  • Final IA Deadline: 7 December, 2025

  • IA form to complete

B.2.1 Newton's Laws of Motion

Syllabus Understandings

  • B.2.1.1: Linear and angular motion can be analysed using Newton's laws of motion. (SL)

  • B.2.1.2: A collision results in a change in momentum in the colliding bodies. (HL)

  • B.2.1.3: The force of friction is determined by the coefficient of friction. (HL)

  • B.2.1.4: Work results from the application of a force over a distance. (HL)

Introduction

  • Newton’s Laws are the primary governing laws of classical physics that determine the general movement of objects through space.

  • Force, Power, Velocity, and Energy are specifically defined terms in this context.

Kinematics: The Study of Motion

  • Definition: Kinematics is the study of motion, which is the change in position of a body or object.

  • Types of Motion:

    • Linear: In one-dimensional space (e.g., someone running, a ball rolling).

    • Curvilinear: In two-dimensional space, up/down AND forward/back (e.g., a ball thrown).

    • Angular: Around an axis in a circular motion (e.g., a lever, a gymnast on a bar).

    • General: A combination of linear and angular motion (most common in sport).

Measurements and Position

  • Scalar vs. Vector:

    • Vector: A measurement with both size (magnitude) and direction (e.g., 10 m/s North). Direction is crucial; vector addition considers direction, potentially resulting in zero if directions cancel.

    • Scalar: A measurement with only size (magnitude) but no direction (e.g., 10 kg).

  • Position: Measured with coordinates, indicating distance from an origin along two or three axes (horizontal, vertical, lateral).

    • Example: Speed is a scalar; Velocity is a vector.

Linear Kinematics

  • Distance (d): How far an object has traveled. The path taken matters.

  • Displacement (s): How far an object is from its origin/start point. The path taken does not matter; it's the shortest straight-line distance.

    • Example: Walking 5km in a winding path to a friend's house 2km away. Displacement is 2 km, distance traveled is 5 km.

    • Question Example (400m run): If an athlete runs a 400m race on a track, their distance is 400m. Their displacement, if they finish at the starting line, is 0m as their start and end points are the same.

    • Distinguishing Distance and Displacement:

      • Distance is the total length of the path traveled by a body, regardless of direction; it is a scalar quantity.

      • Displacement is the shortest straight-line distance from the start point to the finish point, including direction; it is a vector quantity.

      • Application (Zig-zag run): When a midfielder runs in a zig-zag pattern, the distance is the sum of all small paths covered. The displacement is only the straight-line measurement from the start to the end position, which is shorter than the distance covered.

  • Linear Velocity (v or u): Change in displacement over time. It is a vector quantity.

    • Formula: v = rac{ ext{change in displacement}}{ ext{change in time}} = rac{ ext{final displacement} - ext{initial displacement}}{ ext{final time} - ext{initial time}} = rac{ ext{s}}{ ext{t}}

    • Units: metres ext{ per second } (ms^{-1} ext{ or } m/s)

  • Linear Acceleration (a): Change in velocity over time, with size and direction. It is a vector quantity.

    • Formula: a = rac{ ext{change in velocity}}{ ext{change in time}} = rac{ ext{final velocity} - ext{initial velocity}}{ ext{time}} = rac{v - u}{t}
      where v is final velocity and u is initial velocity.

    • Units: metres ext{ per second per second } (ms^{-2} ext{ or } m/s/s)

    • Example: In a 100m race, if an athlete starts from rest and reaches 6 m/s in 3 seconds, their acceleration is 2 m/s/s. This means their velocity increased by 2 m/s every second.

    • Note: Acceleration is a change in speed, direction, or both.

Key Symbols for Linear Kinematics

Movement

Symbol

Unit

Linear displacement

s

Metres

Linear distance

d

Metres

Linear velocity

v, u

Metres per second (ms^{-1} or m/s)

Linear acceleration

a

Metres per second per second (ms^{-2} or m/s/s)

Angular Kinematics

  • Definition: Deals with rotation around an axis (e.g., a joint).

  • Examples of rotation in sports/exercise:

    • A spinning baseball pitch.

    • A flip turn in swimming.

    • A golf club swinging.

    • A gymnast spinning on the uneven bars.

    • A dancer twirling.

    • A cartwheel.

    • Joint movements (e.g., bicep curls).

  • Angular Displacement ( heta): The difference between start and end positions when a body moves around an axis.

  • Angular Velocity ( ext{ω}): Describes how fast something spins (change in angular displacement over time).

    • Example (Bicep Curl): If a bicep curl goes through 150^ ext{o} (or rac{5 ext{π}}{3} radians) in 0.5s, the angular velocity is 300^ ext{o}/s or rac{5 ext{π}}{3} rad/s. If the forearm length is 30cm, the weight in the hand moves at 157 cm/s (linear velocity derived from angular velocity).

  • Angular Acceleration ( ext{α}): Change in angular velocity over time.

Key Symbols for Angular Kinematics

Movement

Symbol

Unit

Angular displacement

heta

Degrees ( ext{°}) or radians (rad)

Angular velocity

ext{ω}

Degrees per second ( ext{°s}^{-1} or /s) or radians per second (rad s^{-1} or rad/s)

Angular acceleration

ext{α}

Degrees per second squared ( ext{°s}^{-2} or ext{°/s}^2) or radians per second squared (rad s^{-2} or rad/s^2)

Instantaneous vs. Average Measurements

  • Instantaneous: Refers to measurements at any single point in time.

  • Average: Refers to the overall measurement over a period.

  • Example (100m Sprint):

    • An athlete starts from stop, accelerates, reaches maximum velocity, and then slows down. Their average velocity over 20 seconds might be 5 m/s.

    • However, instantaneous velocities at the start would be lower than 5 m/s (due to acceleration), and higher in the middle/end (at maximum velocity).

    • Similarly, instantaneous acceleration might be 2 m s^{-2} during the first 3 seconds, but the average acceleration over the entire race (including slowing down) would be lower, e.g., 0.5 m s^{-2}.

Kinetics: Forces Acting on Objects

  • Definition: Kinetics involves the forces acting on objects.

  • Force: A mechanical interaction between two objects, which can involve contact or no contact (e.g., gravity).

  • Resultant Motion: The motion of an object determined by the sum of all forces acting on it.

  • Gravity: An attractive force between all objects with mass.

  • Mass: The amount of material in an object.

  • Weight: The effect of gravity acting on an object's mass.

Newton's Laws of Motion

  • First Law: Law of Inertia

    • Principle: An object at rest stays at rest, and an object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and in the same direction, UNLESS acted upon by an unbalanced external force.

    • Inertia: The resistance of an object to a change in its state of motion.

    • Sporting Example: A golf ball will remain on the tee until a golfer applies a force by hitting it. Once hit, it will continue to fly until air resistance and gravity act upon it to bring it back down.

  • Second Law: Law of Acceleration

    • Principle: The acceleration (a) of an object is directly proportional to the net force (F) acting on it and inversely proportional to its mass (m).

    • Formulas:

      • F = m imes a

      • F_g = m imes g (Force of gravity, where g is gravitational acceleration)

      • F = m rac{(vf - vi)}{t} (Force as mass times change in velocity over time)

    • Explanation: To accelerate an object, a greater force must be produced. For a constant force, a higher mass results in lower acceleration, and a lower mass results in higher acceleration.

    • Sporting Example: A rugby player tackling another player. The force of the tackle determines the acceleration of the tackled player, with the tackled player's mass affecting how much they accelerate. A heavier player will accelerate less for the same tackling force.

  • Third Law: Law of Reaction

    • Principle: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Forces are always in pairs, equal in magnitude, and opposite in direction.

    • Note: The forces are equal, but the results (e.g., acceleration) might not be the same due to differing masses.

    • Sporting Example: A swimmer pushing off the wall of a pool. The swimmer exerts a force on the wall (action), and the wall exerts an equal and opposite force back on the swimmer (reaction), propelling the swimmer forward.

Application of Newton's Laws

  • Principle of Stability: Factors affecting an object's resistance to being toppled.

    • Height of the Centre of Mass: Lower centre of mass relative to the supporting surface leads to greater stability.

    • Size of the Support Base: A larger support base increases stability.

    • Position of the Line of Gravity: If the line of gravity (horizontal centre of mass) falls within the support base, the object is stable. Moving it closer to the edge reduces stability.

    • Mass: Greater mass generally leads to greater stability.

  • Principle of Summing Joint Forces: Multiple forces can act on any joints. The overall movement is the sum (resultant) of these forces. If forces act in the same direction, they add up.

  • Principle of Linear Momentum (p) and Linear Impulse (J):

    • Linear Momentum: The quantity of motion an object possesses. p = m imes v (momentum is mass times velocity).

    • Linear Impulse: The product of force and the time interval over which the force acts. Impulse causes a change in momentum. J = F imes ext{Δt}.

    • Relationship: A large force acting for a long time results in a large change in momentum (and thus velocity).

  • Principle of Impulse Direction: The direction of the applied force dictates the direction of the change in momentum. A stopped object will move in the direction of the impulse. A moving object's motion will shift towards the direction of the impulse, though it may not entirely move that way.

Principles of Angular Movement

  • Torque (T): A force that causes rotation around an axis.

    • Factors: Torque depends on:

      1. The size of the force (F).

      2. The perpendicular distance (d) from the axis of rotation to the line of action of the force (lever arm).

      3. The angle ( heta) at which the force is applied relative to the lever arm.

    • Formula: T = F imes d imes ext{sin} heta

    • Optimization: A big force, a large lever arm, or a perpendicular angle of force ( ext{sin}90^ ext{o} = 1) creates the largest torque.

  • Moment of Inertia (I): A measure of an object's resistance to angular acceleration (difficulty to rotate).

    • Factors:

      • Mass Distribution: A large moment of inertia means it's hard to rotate. If the centre of mass of the rotating object is far from the axis of rotation, it will have a difficult time rotating.

      • Shape: Also affected by the object's shape.

    • Units: kg ext{ } m^2

  • Angular Momentum (L): The quantity of rotation an object possesses.

    • Formula: L = I imes ext{ω} (moment of inertia times angular velocity).

    • Generation: Generated in the body through muscle contraction.

    • Units: kg ext{ } m^2 s^{-1}

  • Conservation of Angular Momentum: An angular version of Newton's First Law.

    • Rotation will continue unless acted upon by an external torque, or it won't begin until acted upon by an external torque.

    • Application (Diving/Gymnastics): When a person is rotating (e.g., in diving or gymnastics), they can change their body shape. This change in shape alters their moment of inertia (I). To conserve angular momentum (L), their angular velocity ( ext{ω}) must change inversely. For example, pulling arms/legs in decreases I, thus increasing ext{ω} (spinning faster); extending arms/legs out increases I, thus decreasing ext{ω} (spinning slower). This allows athletes to perform flips and twists easier in certain positions.

  • Trading Angular Momentum: As an object spins, if a body changes its shape to have greater angular velocity on one side, the rotation can be transferred to a different axis. This means a flip can turn into a spin by changing body position.

Angular Momentum Questions & Answers

  • How is angular momentum calculated?

    • Angular ext{ Momentum} = Moment ext{ of } Inertia imes Angular ext{ Velocity}

  • What causes an increase in angular velocity during a spin where no additional forces are applied after the initial push?

    • Decrease in moment of inertia (e.g., pulling limbs closer to the axis of rotation).

  • Tuck Dive (Position 2 to 3): How does angular velocity change?

    • It increases in order to conserve momentum (as the diver tucks, decreasing moment of inertia).

  • Figure Skater Example (Explanation, 6 marks):

    • Angular Momentum Definition: Angular momentum (L) equals moment of inertia (I) multiplied by angular velocity ( ext{ω}) (i.e., L = I imes ext{ω}).

    • Conservation of Angular Momentum: Angular momentum is conserved (remains constant) in the absence of external torques while spinning.

    • Moment of Inertia: Depends on how mass is distributed relative to the axis of rotation.

      • Arms/legs extended = higher moment of inertia.

      • Arms/legs pulled in = lower moment of inertia.

    • Angular Velocity: Is inversely proportional to the moment of inertia.

      • When the skater pulls arms in, moment of inertia decreases, so angular velocity increases (spins faster).

      • When the skater extends arms out, moment of inertia increases, so angular velocity decreases (spins slower).

  • Diver A (Straight) vs. Diver B (Pike/Tuck) Comparison (5 marks):

    • Definition: Angular momentum is defined as moment of inertia (I) multiplied by angular velocity ( ext{ω}); they are inversely proportional. Angular momentum occurs when a body spins about an axis. Moment of inertia is determined by the distance of the load from the rotational axis.

    • Similarities:

      • Angular momentum remains constant unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.

      • Start Phase: Both divers may use a longer maximal radius (arms/legs) to correct body position/stability before initiating rotation.

      • Final Phase: Both divers maximize their radius (arms/legs extended) to maximize moment of inertia, which reduces angular velocity/rotation, allowing them to enter the water vertically without spin.

      • Both rotate about the same transverse axis.

    • Differences:

      • Diver B (versus A) initiating rotation: Change in arm position (e.g., B1-B2 upward thrust) to initiate rotation.

      • Diver B (Pike/Tuck, phase B4): Radius is significantly reduced, decreasing moment of inertia and consequently increasing angular velocity, allowing a faster somersault completion.

      • Diver A: Does not significantly change moment of inertia during the dive itself (remains straight).

      • Diver B (Exiting Pike, phase B6): Coming out of the pike maximizes moment of inertia, which reduces angular velocity, allowing for a slower spin speed to facilitate a vertical entry into the water without rotation.

HL Only Topics (B.2.1.2, B.2.1.3, B.2.1.4)

B.2.1.2 Collisions (12 hours with B.2.1.3/4)

  • Definition: A collision is the physical contact of two or more objects for a short time.

  • Conservation of Linear Momentum: When a collision happens, the total momentum of the system remains the same (m1v1 + m2v2 = m1v'1 + m2v'2).

    • Example: If a 100kg person at 10 m/s hits a stopped 50kg person, and all momentum is transferred, the 100kg person stops, and the 50kg person bounces off at 20 m/s (assuming a perfectly elastic collision).

  • Coefficient of Restitution (Cr): While momentum is conserved, some energy may be lost to the surroundings as heat and sound during a collision, resulting in lower final speeds than expected.

    • Formula (for two objects, a and b): Cr = rac{v{fb} - v{fa}}{v{ia} - v{ib}} (where vf are final velocities and vi are initial velocities of objects b and a).

    • Interpretation: A Cr closer to 1 indicates an elastic collision where less energy is lost.

  • Collisions in Sports Examples:

    • Baseball: Teams have sometimes cooled baseballs to reduce their Cr, making them bounce less when struck with a bat (e.g., Chicago White Sox around 1967).

    • Squash: Warming up squash balls increases their temperature and elasticity, improving their bounce.

    • Golf: Golf club design regulations have been changed to limit the