AP Physics Syllabus
Mr. Sullivan
Fall 2007 B-3
582-3640
AP Physics serves students that have an interest in pursuing science-related studies at the
university level. I will attempt to make the course equivalent to a year of college physics, with the
specific goal of helping students pass the AP-B exam so that they might be able to progress directly
to calculus-based physics upon enrollment in a university. The curriculum is defined by the
culminating AP-B test (the Sequim High course catalog incorrectly advertises AP-C). Although
students are not required to take that test for this class, the goal of this class is to prepare students
to do so. Therefore, the lessons will often feel like an applied math class, where physics problems
are presented in daily work and quizzes. Also, the course topics will be narrowed to align with the
requirements of the test. If a more general and conceptual physics education is desired, students
are advised to enroll in regular physics.
The Good News
I am very excited that we share a common interest in understanding our world through the study
of physics. I look forward to doing all I can to help you in that respect, and am also committed to
helping you advance toward university and a science career. My job is to help you and to report
on your progress. Sequim High is fortunate to have students interested in AP physics and I will do
my best to serve your needs.
Grading
Your quarter and semester grades will be assigned using the following scale:
A 93-100%
A- 90-92%
B+ 87-89%
B 83-86%
B- 80-82%
C+ 77-79%
C 73-76%
C- 70-72%
D+ 67-69%
D 60-66%
F
0-59%
I will round up 0.5%, and borderline grades can sometimes be raised based on effort.
Resources
The class will utilize the following text:
Giancoli, Douglas C. Physics: Principles with Applications. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall
Each student will be assigned the newest (6th) edition of this college-level book.
We are also fortunate in that each student will be assigned a student pocket companion book and a
guide to preparing for the AP B exam.
Assignments and Late Work
It is important to keep up with assignments in AP Physics because each assignment will
improve your understanding and prepare you for quizzes and exams.
Unexcused late work will receive 50% credit.
If an assignment is not turned in before the date of the exam, you will receive a 0%.
In the case of an absence, it is your responsibility to approach me and find out what you missed.
All missed assignments will receive full credit if you turn them in within the number of days you
were absent. If you were gone two days, your work is due two days after you return.
It is common practice to start each day of this class with a one-question quiz in lieu of
collecting the homework. Explicit directions regarding whether homework is to be collected or
quizzed will be available each day.
Academic Honesty
It is expected that students will do their own work on all quizzes and exams. It is also
understood that students can be a valuable resource to one another on homework assignments,
especially in a class with students as academically skilled as AP Physics. In general, keep in mind
the difference between asking “What did you get for #8?” vs. “How did you solve #8?”. There is
very little incentive to copy work in AP physics since you will be unable to seek assistance on
exams and quizzes. Cheating will result in a zero and disciplinary action.
Instructional Methods
Whenever possible, lessons in this course will begin will follow the model of the 5E’s: Engage,
Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate. Many labs will be open-ended and student-directed,
meaning a problem will be presented and lab groups must develop a hypothesis, design an
experiment, and collect data. The purpose of this format is that it fosters students’ inquiry skills
and prepares them to think like research scientists who have no easy solutions presented to them.
Each lab will culminate in a discussion of error and expected results. Students will then learn
what the larger scientific community has established regarding each lab phenomenon.
Each unit will involve mathematical problem solving. Much of the class is devoted to helping
students become skilled with solving physics story problems through repeated practice and
experiments. Although homework will be assigned most nights, it will not always be collected as a
one-question “homework quiz” at the beginning of each period will serve as a more accurate check
on your level of understanding.
The AP Test
More accurate specifics and preparation regarding the AP Physics-B test are forthcoming. The
basics are that the test is sometime in May, costs around $80, and is a good way of demonstrating
your knowledge to any university you plan to attend. The test is very difficult and does require
additional out-of-class study and review.
Content of the Course:
(Taken Directly from AP Curriculum Website—These are the topics of the AP-B Exam.)
All chapter numbers refer to the assigned Giancoli text.
First Semester:
I.
Mechanics
A. Kinematics
1. Motion in one dimension (Ch. 2)
2. Motion in two dimensions (Ch. 3)
a. Projectile motion
b. Uniform circular motion
c. Torque and Rotational statics
d. Angular Momentum and its Conservation
B. Newton’s Laws of Motion
1. Static Equilibrium (Ch. 4)
2. Dynamics of a Single Particle (Ch. 4)
3. Systems of Two or More Bodies (Ch.4)
C. Work, energy and Power
1. Work and the work-energy theorem (Ch. 6)
2. Conservation forces and potential energy (Ch. 6)
3. Conservation of energy (Ch. 6)
4. Power (Ch. 6)
D. Systems of Particles, Linear Momentum
1. Imuplse and Momentum (Ch. 7)
2. Conservation of Linear Momentum and Collisions (Ch. 7)
E. Oscillations and Gravitation
1. Simple harmonic motion (Ch. 11)
2. Mass on a spring (Ch. 11)
3. Pendulum and other Oscillations (Ch. 11)
4. Newton’s law of gravity (Ch. 5)
5. Kepler’s laws (Ch. 5)
Second Semester:
II.
Heat, Kinetic Theory, and Thermodynamics
A. Temperature and Heat
1. Mechanical Equivalent of Heat (Ch. 13)
2. Specific and Latent Heat (Ch. 14)
3. Heat Transfer and Thermal Expansion (Ch. 13)
B. Kinetic Theory and Thermodynamics
1. Ideal Gases (Ch. 13)
a. Kinetic model
b. Ideal gas law
2.
III.
Laws of thermodynamics (Ch. 15)
a. First Law (pV diagrams)
b. Second Law (heat engines)
C. Fluid Dynamics
1. Pressure in Fluids (Ch. 10)
2. Buoyancy and Archimedes’ Principle (Ch. 10)
3. Pascal’s Principle
4. Bernoulli’s Equation
Electricity and Magnetism
A. Electrostatics
1. Charge, field, and potential (Ch. 16)
2. Coulomb’s law and point charge field and potential (Ch. 16)
B. Conductors and Capacitors
1. Electrostatics with Conductors (Ch. 16)
2. Capacitors—Parallel plates (Ch. 17)
C. Electric circuits
1. Current, resistance, power (Ch. 18)
2. Direct current circuits (Ch. 18)
D. Magnetostatics
1. Forces on moving charges in magnetic fields (Ch. 20)
2. Forces on current carrying wires in magnetic fields (Ch. 20)
3. Fields of long current carrying wires (Ch. 20)
E. Electromagnetic induction and waves
IV.
Waves and Optics
A. Wave Motion
1. Properties of traveling and standing waves (Ch. 11)
2. Doppler effect (Ch. 12)
3. Superposition (Ch. 11)
4. Interference and Diffraction (Ch. 11)
5. Dispersion of Light and the Electromagnetic Spectrum (Ch. 24)
B. Geometric Optics
1. Reflection and Refraction (Ch. 23)
2. Mirrors (Ch. 23)
3. Lenses (Ch. 23)
V.
Modern Physics
A. Atomic Physics and Quantum Effects
1. Alpha particle scattering and the Rutherford Model (Ch. 27)
2. Photons and the photoelectric effect (Ch. 27)
3. Bohr model (Ch. 27)
4. Wave particle duality (Ch. 27)
B. Nuclear Physics
1. Radioactivity and half-life (Ch. 30)
2. Nuclear Reactions (Ch. 30)
3. Mass and Energy Effects (Ch. 30)
Laboratory Activities
Hands-on labs will be a regular part of this course and will require written reports compiled into a
lab notebook. Students will work in groups, but each individual will compose a report including:
a. purpose (what problem/question are you addressing, and hypothesis)
b. background
c. methods
d. results (data, calculations, tables)
e. conclusion
The following is a list of some of the hands-on labs you will conduct.
Each will take a minimum of one 55 minute period. If block schedules are implemented,
Mondays and Tuesdays will allow us to conduct 90 minute lab periods.
1. Measurement of velocity and acceleration—graph displacement over time and find the resultant
slopes
2. Measurement of the acceleration of gravity—find the rate of speed change for a falling object
3. Projectile Motion—use a marble launcher with variable spring energy and launch angle to
discover the optimal launch angle for horizontal displacement.
4. Collisions and Momentum (m1v1=m2v2)—Use air carts and hovercraft toys to discover the
mathematical difference between elastic and inelastic collisions.
5. Newton’s Second Law—Discover F=ma using spring scales and weights.
6. Finding a coefficient of friction-use a variably inclined plane, a shoe, and math!
7. Conversion of Potential Energy to Kinetic Energy—Mathematically predict and measure the
velocity resulting from a conversion from spring or gravitational potential energy.
8. Weighing with Torque—discover T=Fxd and use it to find the weight of an object balanced by a
known mass at a known distance.
9. Gas Laws—discover and quantify the relationship between temperature, pressure, and volume.
10. Motion of Pendulums and Oscillators—determine the period of pendulums and oscillators when
mass, length, and stiffness are manipulated.
11. Wave superposition and interference—use a variety of spring types to create longitudinal and
transverse waves and observe the effects of wave collisions.
12. Sound waves from vibrating strings—discover the effects of manipulating string length, tension,
and thickness
13. Concave and Convex Mirrors—predict and find images with ray diagrams
14. Lenses and Focal Length—predict and find images
15. Refraction—Measure the refraction of a laser in plastic.
16. Specific Heat—find the temperature of a Bunsen burner flame
17. Static Electricity Exploration—develop and qualify charges with silk, glass, rubber, fur, a
Vandegraff generator, and a Leyden jar.
18. Voltage, Current, Resistance—create a simple circuit and use a multimeter to find voltage,
current, and resistance… verify with Ohm’s law
19. Series and Parallel Circuits—learn the effects of series and parallel wiring on voltage, current,
and resistance by constructing and measuring.
20. Half-Life—measure and graph a simulation of radioactive decay and calculate half-life