AP Physics 1
Course Syllabus
2014 – 2015  Corbin High School  Deidre Higgins  deidre.higgins@corbin.kyschools.us
Curricular Requirements
CR1 Students and teachers have access to college-level resources including college-level textbooks and
reference materials in print or electronic format.
Page(s)
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CR2a The course design provides opportunities for students to develop understanding of the foundational
principles of kinematics in the context of the big ideas that organize the curriculum framework.
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CR2b The course design provides opportunities for students to develop understanding of the foundational
principles of dynamics in the context of the big ideas that organize the curriculum framework.
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CR2c The course design provides opportunities for students to develop understanding of the foundational
principles of gravitation and circular motion in the context of the big ideas that organize the curriculum
framework.
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CR2d The course design provides opportunities for students to develop understanding of the foundational
principles of simple harmonic motion in the context of the big ideas that organize the curriculum
framework.
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CR2e The course design provides opportunities for students to develop understanding of the foundational
principles of linear momentum in the context of the big ideas that organize the curriculum framework.
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CR2f The course design provides opportunities for students to develop understanding of the foundational
principle of energy in the context of the big ideas that organize the curriculum framework.
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CR2g The course design provides opportunities for students to develop understanding of the foundational
principles of rotational motion in the context of the big ideas that organize the curriculum framework.
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CR2h The course design provides opportunities for students to develop understanding of the foundational
principles of electrostatics in the context of the big ideas that organize the curriculum framework.
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CR2i The course design provides opportunities for students to develop understanding of the foundational
principles of electric circuits in the context of the big ideas that organize the curriculum framework.
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CR2j The course design provides opportunities for students to develop understanding of the foundational
principles of mechanical waves in the context of the big ideas that organize the curriculum framework.
2
CR3 Students have opportunities to apply AP Physics 1 learning objectives connecting across enduring
understandings as described in the curriculum framework. These opportunities must occur in addition to
those within laboratory investigations.
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CR4 The course provides students with opportunities to apply their knowledge of physics principles to real
world questions or scenarios (including societal issues or technological innovations) to help them
become scientifically literate citizens.
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CR5 Students are provided with the opportunity to spend a minimum of 25 percent of instructional time
engaging in hands-on laboratory work with an emphasis on inquiry-based investigations.
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CR6a The laboratory work used throughout the course includes investigations that support the foundational AP
Physics 1 principles.
3, 4, 5
CR6b The laboratory work used throughout the course includes guided-inquiry laboratory investigations
allowing students to apply all seven science practices.
3, 4, 5
CR7 The course provides opportunities for students to develop their communication skills by recording
evidence of their research of literature or scientific investigations through verbal, written, and graphic
presentations.
CR8 The course provides opportunities for students to develop written and oral scientific argumentation skills.
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5, 6
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Course Description:
AP® Physics 1 is an algebra-based course in general physics that meets for 70 minutes
each day for the entire school year. General physics topics presented during the course closely
follow those outlined by the College Board and also mirrors an introductory level university
physics course.
AP® Physics 1 is organized around six big ideas, listed below, that bring together the
fundamental science principles and theories of general physics. These big ideas are intended to
encourage students to think about physics concepts as interconnected pieces of a puzzle. The
solution to the puzzle is how the real world around them actually works. The students will
participate in inquiry-based explorations of these topics to gain a more conceptual
understanding of these physics concepts. Students will spend less of their time in traditional
formula-based learning and more of their effort will be directed to developing critical thinking
and reasoning skills.
Prerequisite: Algebra II
Textbook: Giancoli, Douglas C. Physics: Principles with Applications. 6th ed. Upper Saddle
River, New Jersey: Pearson, 2009. [CR1]
Supplemental References: Jacobs, Greg, and Joshua Schulman. 5 Steps to a 5: AP Physics
B & C. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2008.
The College Board. AP Central. 2014. <http://apcentral.collegeboard.com>.
Big Ideas for AP® Physics 1:
1. Objects and systems have properties such as mass and charge. Systems may have
internal structure.
2. Fields existing in space can be used to explain interactions.
3. The interactions of an object with other objects can be described by forces.
4. Interactions between systems can result in changes in those systems.
5. Changes that occur as a result of interactions are constrained by conservation laws.
6. Waves can transfer energy and momentum from one location to another without the
permanent transfer of mass and serve as a mathematical model for the description of
other phenomena.
The big ideas for AP® Physics 1 are correlated to the content of the course in the table on the
following page.
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Outline of AP® Physics 1 Principles and Correlation to Big Ideas (BI):
Physics Principles
Kinematics [CR2a]
Ch 1: Introduction, Measurement, Estimating
-Experimental Process
-Modeling
-Measurement, Uncertainty, & Significant Figures
-Units & Conversions
-Trigonometry Review
Ch 2: Kinematics in One-Dimension
-Displacement
-Average & Instantaneous Velocity
-Average & Instantaneous Acceleration
-Uniformly Accelerated Motion
-Graphical Analysis
Ch 3: Kinematics in Two-Dimensions; Vectors
-Vector Operations
-Projectile Motion
Dynamics of Force & Motion [CR2b]
Universal Law of Gravitation [CR2c]
Ch 4: Dynamics: Newton’s Laws of Motion
-Types & Properties of Forces
-Newton’s 1st, 2nd, & 3rd Laws of Motion
Ch 5: Circular Motion; Gravitation
-Uniform Circular Motion
-Centripetal Force & Acceleration
-Newton’s Law of Universal Gravitation
-Kepler’s Laws
Work, Energy, & Conservation of Energy [CR2f]
Ch 6: Work and Energy
-Work
-Types of Energy
-Hooke’s Law
-Work-Energy Theorem
-Law of Conservation of Energy
-Power
Impulse, Linear Momentum, & Conservation of
Linear Momentum [CR2e]
Ch 7: Linear Momentum
-Momentum
-Law of Conservation of Momentum
-Elastic & Inelastic Collisions
-Center of Mass
BI 1
BI 2
BI 3
BI 4
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BI 5
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BI 6
Rotational Kinematics & Conservation of Angular
Momentum [CR2g]
Ch 8: Rotational Motion
-Angular Quantities
-Uniform Angular Acceleration
-Torque
-Rotational Dynamics
-Rotational Kinematics & Energy
-Conservation of Angular Momentum
Simple Pendulum & Mass-Spring Systems [CR2d]
Ch 4: Dynamics: Newton’s Laws of Motion
-Forces & Newton’s Laws
Ch 6: Work and Energy
-Hooke’s Law
-Law of Conservation of Energy
Ch 11: Vibrations and Waves
-Simple Harmonic Motion
Waves & Sound [CR2j]
Ch 11: Vibrations and Waves
-Wave Motion
-Mechanical Waves
-Interference & The Superposition Principle
Ch 12: Sound
-Properties of Sound Waves
-Intensity
-Doppler Effect
Electrostatics [CR2h]
Ch 16: Electric Charge and Electric Field
-Electric Charge
-Law of Conservation of Charge
-Electric Force & Coulomb’s Law
-Electric Field
-Field Lines
Ch 17: Electric Potential
-Electric Potential Energy & Potential Difference
-Equipotential Lines
-Potential Due to Point Charges
-Capacitance
Simple DC Circuits [CR2i]
Ch 18: Electric Currents
-Batteries
-Electric Current
-Ohm’s Law
-Resistivity
-Power
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Ch 19: DC Circuits
-EMF & Terminal Voltage
-Equivalent Resistance
-Ohm’s Law for simple DC resistor circuits
-Kirchoff’s Laws for simple DC resistor circuits
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Lab Activities
Lab activities will provide “hands-on” experiences and will occur throughout the school year.
Students will spend at least 25% of their instructional time participating in laboratory
investigations [CR5]. Labs can be teacher-directed, student-directed, or open-ended. During a
teacher-directed lab, or inquiry-based lab, the students will be given instruction on the
operation of lab equipment and guidance in the experimental process. During a studentdirected lab, students are given an objective along with standard materials needed to conduct
an appropriate experiment. Students will then be allowed to design their own experiment,
collect data, and analyze it through graphical methods. During an open-ended lab, students
will be given materials and asked to create both an objective and a procedure. They will then
collect and analyze data as described for the other types of lab activities. Following lab
activities, students will be asked to present, explain, and support their results. They will then
have the opportunity to critique the approaches presented by their classmates, and will
evaluate the various methods used to solve the problem [CR8].
Students will work cooperatively to conduct each type of lab activity, however, each
individual student will be required to turn in his or her own lab report. Each report must
include the following components [CR7]: Problem Statement, Hypothesis, Outline of
Procedure, Data Collection, Data Analysis, Conclusion (including Error Analysis), and Peer
Review.
Students will be required to keep all lab reports organized in a lab notebook for the duration of
the school year. The notebook must include both the original notes and data collection taken
during the lab activity as well as the graded report [CR7].
Additionally, some lab activities may require students to collect and analyze data from outside
sources. They will use this data analysis to extend their learning of a particular topic by
answering questions or solving problems either given by the instructor or created themselves.
Students will be asked to cite their sources appropriately.
The lab activities planned for the course, along with their correlation to the big ideas for AP®
Physics 1, are summarized in the table on the following pages. A description of the real-world
enrichment activities follows the table.
Outline of AP® Physics 1 Labs & Investigations with Correlation to Big Ideas (BI):
Physics Principles & AP® Science Practices [CR6a]
[CR6b]
Kinematics
1. Acceleration Due to Gravity: Students will
determine the Earth’s acceleration due to gravity by
dropping a ball from various heights.
1.1, 1.2, 1.4, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 3.3, 4.1, 5.1, 6.2
2. Reaction Time: Students will design a procedure
to determine their reaction time.
Guided-Inquiry Investigation
1.4, 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 4.2, 5.1, 6.1, 6.2, 7.2
3. Projectile Motion #1: Students will predict the
landing location of a ball launched from various
angles and heights.
1.1, 1.2, 1.4, 2.1, 2.2, 3.3, 5.1, 6.1
4. Projectile Motion #2: Students will predict the
landing location of a ball launched using a device
they create using any of the provided materials.
Guided-Inquiry Investigation
1.1, 1.2, 1.4, 2.1, 2.2, 3.3, 5.1, 6.1
Dynamics of Force & Motion
5. Equilibrium: Students will determine missing
forces acting on objects in equilibrium.
1.1, 1.2, 1.4, 2.1, 2.2, 3.3, 5.1, 5.2, 6.2
6. Kinetic Friction: Students will determine the
coefficient of kinetic friction between their textbook
and the classroom floor.
Guided-Inquiry Investigation
1.1, 1.2, 1.4, 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 4.2, 5.1, 5.2, 6.1, 7.2
7. Inclines: Students will examine the relationship
between the angle of inclination and the
acceleration of the object using a low-friction cart.
1.1, 1.2, 1.4, 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 4.2, 5.1, 5.2, 6.1, 7.2
Universal Law of Gravitation
8. Flying Toy: Students will determine the tension
in the string and the centripetal acceleration of a
tethered flying toy.
1.1, 1.2, 1.4, 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 5.3, 6.1, 6.4, 7.2
9. Universal Gravitation: Students will examine
Newton’s Law of Universal Gravitation using an
online applet simulation.
Guided-Inquiry Investigation
1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 2.2, 2.3, 3.1, 4.1, 4.3, 5.1, 6.4
BI 1
BI 2
BI 3
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BI 4
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BI 5
BI 6
Work, Energy, & Conservation of Energy
10. Roller Coasters: Students will design their own
roller coaster, within certain parameters, using the
concepts of work and energy. They will then
construct and test their design using foam pipe and
marbles. They will also do research to collect and
analyze data about real-life roller coasters.
1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 3.1, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 5.3,
6.1, 6.2, 6.4, 7.1, 7.2
11. Egg Drop: Students will attempt to allow a
dropped egg to get as close to the ground as
possible, without actually touching the ground or
being damaged, by determining the appropriate
length of “bungee cord” to use.
Guided-Inquiry Investigation
1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 2.2, 2.3, 3.1, 4.2, 4.3, 5.1, 5.3, 6.1, 6.4
Impulse, Linear Momentum, & Conservation of
Linear Momentum
12. Gaining Momentum: Students will use
concepts of kinematics, energy, and momentum to
predict the landing location of a projectile that is
launched as a result of being hit by another object.
1.1, 1.2, 1.4, 1.5, 2.2, 2.3, 3.3, 4.2, 4.3, 6.4, 7.2
13. Car Crash: Students will examine impulse in
crashes between two low-friction carts. They will
also do research to collect and analyze data about
real-life car crashes and safety devices.
1.1, 1.2, 1.4, 1.5, 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 3.3, 4.1, 4.4, 5.1, 5.2, 6.1,
6.2, 7.2
Rotational Kinematics & Conservation of Angular
Momentum
14. Torque: Students will determine the factors
that affect the rotational motion of an object and
examine the relationships between these factors.
1.1, 1.2, 1.4, 2.1, 2.2, 3.3, 4.1, 5.1, 6.2
15. Level-Headed: Students will determine the
appropriate place to hang a mass within various
laboratory setups in order for the system to reach
equilibrium.
1.1, 1.2, 1.4, 2.2, 2.3, 3.1, 4.3, 6.4
16. Barrel Roll: Students will examine the
relationship between rotational inertia and
acceleration by observing identical cylinders with
identical amounts of mass, located at various
distances from the center of the cylinder, roll down
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an incline.
1.1, 1.2, 1.4, 2.1, 2.2, 3.3, 4.1, 5.1, 6.2
17. On a Roll: Students will determine the heights
from which two rolls of toilet paper should be
released in order for them to reach the ground at
the same time, given that one roll will be dropped
and the other will be unrolled.
1.1, 1.2, 1.4, 2.1, 2.2, 3.3, 4.1, 5.1, 6.2
Simple Pendulum & Mass-Spring Systems
18. That’s a Stretch: Students will determine if a
rubber band obeys Hooke’s Law.
1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 2.1, 2.2, 3.3, 4.1, 5.1, 6.2, 7.2
19. Tick-Tock: Students will examine the
relationships between variables to predict the
period of a given pendulum.
1.1, 1.2, 1.4, 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 5.2, 6.1, 6.2, 7.2
Waves & Sound
20. Resonance: Students will determine the speed
of sound using resonance created in a tube.
Guided-Inquiry Investigation
1.1, 1.2, 1.4, 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 5.2, 6.1, 6.2, 7.2
21. S’mores: Students will determine the frequency
and wavelength of the output of a standard
microwave by heating a plate of miniature
marshmallows and observing the patterns created.
1.1, 1.2, 1.4, 2.2, 2.3, 3.1, 4.3, 5.1, 6.2, 6.4
Electrostatics
22. Coulomb’s Law: Students will investigate
Coulomb’s Law using an online applet simulation.
Guided-Inquiry Investigation
1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 2.2, 2.3, 3.1, 4.1, 4.3, 5.1, 6.4
Simple DC Circuits
23. Circuit-Building: Students will build a variety
of simple circuits, with resistors connected in
parallel, in series, and in a combination of ways.
They will make predictions about the voltage and
current of each resistor, then test their predictions
using multi-meters.
1.1, 1.4, 1.4, 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 5.2, 6.1, 6.2, 7.2
24. Capacitance: Students will construct a capacitor
using sheets of aluminum foil and their textbooks.
They will examine the relationship between the
area of and distance between the “plates” by using
a meter to measure capacitance.
1.1, 1.2, 1.4, 2.2, 3.1, 4.2, 4.3, 5.1, 5.3, 6.1, 6.2
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25. Bright Idea: Students will predict the
arrangement of a hidden circuit, based on the
brightness of light bulbs connected to the circuit.
Guided-Inquiry Investigation
1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 2.3, 3.1, 3.2, 4.2, 4.3, 6.1, 6.2, 6.4
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Real-World Connections:
Activity 1: As an addition to Lab Activity 2, during which students will design a procedure to
determine their reaction time, students will build upon their understanding of the topics
covered while making real-world connections. After determining their “normal” reaction
time, students will be asked to determine their reaction time while sending text messages.
They will be asked to compare the two times, as well as research published data concerning
texting and driving. They will be asked to present their findings about the safety concerns of
texting while driving, including their own numerical calculations, to their peers and also be
asked to suggest solutions for this commonly occurring issue. This activity requires the
application of Learning Objectives 3.A.1.1, 3.A.1.2, and 3.A.1.3. [CR4]
Activity 2: As an addition to Lab Activity 10, during which students will design and build
their own roller coasters, they will conduct research to collect and analyze data about real-life
roller coasters. They will be asked to use their findings, which are to include their own
calculations, to explain elements of the engineers’ designs of real-life coasters. They will also
be asked to propose new solutions for improving commonly used design elements. They will
present their findings to their peers, who will be given the opportunity to critique and provide
feedback using their own research and calculations. This activity requires the application of
Learning Objectives 3.A.1.1, 3.A.1.2, 3.A.1.3, 3.E.1.1, 4.C.1.1, 4.C.1.2, 5.A.2.1, 5.B.4.2, and 5.B.5.1.
[CR3]
Activity 3: As an addition to Lab Activity 13, during which students will examine the impulse
occurring in crashes between two low-friction carts, they will research and analyze data about
the impulse that occurs in real-life car crashes, as well as about existing safety devices
commonly found in vehicles. They will be asked to do calculations to make the typical
impulse occurring during a crash more understandable to their peers (such as, “this would be
equivalent to...”). They will also be asked to propose improvement plans for modern safety
devices and to provide support for their suggestions. This activity requires the application of
Learning Objectives 3.A.1.1, 3.A.1.2, 3.A.1.3, 3.A.3.1, 3.D.1.1, 3.D.2.1, 3.D.2.4, 4.B.1.1, 4.B.2.1,
5.A.2.1, and 5.D.1.4. [CR3]