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9-12
AP Physics
One Year
9 th Grade Physics (Honors or College Prep)
Algebra
Geometry
Pre-Calculus
/
Algebra II
Advanced Placement Physics is a college level Physics course covering first year college content. The Advanced
Placement program provides students with an opportunity to gain college credit before they actually go to the school of their choice.
AP Physics would give the students an opportunity to earn college credit as well as set them on their way to a successful college career. The concepts involved are mechanics, thermal physics, electricity, magnetism, waves, optics, fluid mechanics, and atomic and nuclear physics. AP Physics B is an algebra-based physics course with connections to calculus. Calculus, however, is not the primary math needed. The students taking this course should be interested in a career in science, physics, or engineering. The curriculum is rigorous and challenging but the benefits they receive are well worth the effort.
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Marking Period Grades
Major Test Average – 50%
Announced and on material covered in class, in the book, and for homework
Quizzes. Labs, Projects – 25%
Announced and Unannounced quizzes to insure that the students are keeping up with the material
Lab assignments and projects will be weighted according to difficulty
Homework – 25%
Each homework assignment will count as 100% if done on time and completed with the students’ best effort.
Homework will be collected and graded for each chapter covered
Late assignments will be dropped a whole letter grade for each day that they are late.
Course Grading
1 st marking period
2 nd marking period
Midterm
3 rd marking period
4 th marking period
Final Exam
Total
20%
20%
10%
20%
20%
10%
100%
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Course Resources
Text Resources
Textbook for course:
1. Jones/Childers, Contemporary College Physics,
WCB/McGraw –Hill, 1999.
Laboratory Book
Practice Problems and Resources
Test Bank
2. Leduc, Steven A., Cracking the AP: Physics B & C Exams (The Princeton Review),
Random House, Inc., 2005-2006
Other Textbook Sources:
3. Serway & Faughn, College Physics,
Saunders College Publishing, 1999.
4. Giancoli, Physics,
Prentice Hall, 1991.
5. Hecht, Physics: Algebra/Trig,
Brooks/Cole Publishing Company, 1998
6. Halliday, Resnick, & Walker, Fundamentals of Physics,
John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1997
7. Walker, James S., Physics: AP Edition, 3 rd Edition,
Prentice Hall, 2002.
8. PASCO Scientific, Physics Labs with Computers: Volume 1,
PASCO Scientific, 1999.
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Internet Resources
Class Zone by McDougall Littell http://www.classzone.com/books/worldapphysics /index.cfm
Dr. Eugenia Etkina, PhD, Rutgers University, Science Inquiry, Video Experiments http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~etkina/
ActivPhysics, Conservation of Energy http://wps.aw.com/aw_young_physics_11
Connect ED, Rider University http://tlc.rider.edu:16080/index.html
Rubrics Generator http://rubistar.4teachers.org/index.php
AP College Board http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/
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1.
Vectors
2.
Kinematics a.
Velocity b.
Acceleration c.
Projectile Motion
3.
Newton’s Laws a.
Force
4.
Work, Power, Energy
5.
Linear Momentum
6.
Rotational Motion a.
Dynamics b.
Equilibrium c.
Torque
7.
Gravitation
8.
Oscillations
9.
Thermal Physics
10.
Electric Forces and Fields
11.
Electric Potential and Capacitance
12.
DC Circuits
13.
Magnetic Forces and Fields
14.
Electromagnetic Induction
15.
Waves
16.
Optics
17.
Atomic and Nuclear Physics
18.
Fluids
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
What is Physics and how is Physics a quantitative study of the physical world?
 What is scientific literacy and why is it important for everyone?
 How do scientists think?
 What are the different representations used by scientists to present and to analyze their data?

What is a vector and what does it represent?

What are the practical uses of vectors?

What is velocity and acceleration?
 How are they related mathematically as well as physically?
 How do we measure and represent velocity and acceleration?

What are the components of projectile motion?

How do we mathematically predict a projectile’s path?
 How do we use the kinematic equations to predict a projectile’s path?
 What are Newton’s three laws of motion?

What are some of their practical purposes?
 What is force and how is it used?
 How do we calculate work, power, and energy?

What are the situations in which work is done?

How is power used in connection with work and time?

What are the different forms of energy and how is energy transferred from one type to another?
 What is mechanical energy and determine how it is defined?
 What is linear momentum and how does it follow the law of conservation?
 What are the characteristics of a situation that determines an object’s equilibrium?

What is torque and its relation to distance and force?

How did Newton explain gravitation and what are its practical uses?
 What is periodic motion, simple harmonic motion, and circular motion? What is the connection with oscillations?
 What is force and energy’s role with these types of motions?

What is thermal physics and its role in energy?

How is thermal energy measured and how is it transferred from one object to another?

What is the definition of static electricity?
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
What is electricity on an atomic level and how does force effect how electricity reacts in certain situations?

What is an electric field and how does it control the effects of charges?
 What is electric potential and how does it control a circuit?

What is resistance, current, capacitance, and conductors?

What is the difference between a parallel circuit and a series circuit?
 How can you predict a circuit’s production using mathematical means such as Ohm’s Law?

What causes something to be magnetic?
 How do forces and fields determine an object’s reaction to magnetism?

What is the connection between electricity and magnetism to create electromagnetic induction?

What are the practical uses of electromagnetic induction?

What are waves and how are they connected to energy?
 What are the parts of a wave and how are waves measured?
 What is the difference between a transverse wave and a longitudinal wave?

How does sound and light travel?

What role do waves play in light travel?

What is the difference between reflection and refraction?

How do you predict where a light ray is going to go?
 What role does a medium play in light travel?
 What is atomic and nuclear physics?

How do fluids react in certain situations?

What laws control fluid motion and how does pressure change a fluid’s motion?
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The attitudes and behaviors of the student taking this AP Physics B course should reflect those of a college level student. They should be geared towards developing a student for an upper level understanding of Physics as well as preparing the student for a college workload. This course should develop the following attitudes and behaviors.
The student will:
1.
acquire and demonstrate a positive attitude and appreciation for the study of physics.
2.
develop a scientific curiosity and sense of involvement as a result of exposure to the history of physics.
3.
discover that the physical laws studied are reflected or applied in many aspects of daily life.
4.
recognize that science is complex, understandable, fallible, and ever changing.
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The skills and behaviors that a student develops in this AP Physics B course should be on a level that the student can take into future science courses.
The student should recognize these skills and behaviors as tools for education and life. They will develop these skills through experiencing the whole curriculum and will culminate with the mastery of the AP exam.
These skills and behaviors are stated in the following list.
The student will:
1.
draw and interpret diagrams.
2.
interpret or express physical relationships in graphical form.
3.
account for observed phenomena.
4.
interpret experimental data, including their limitations and uncertainties.
5.
construct and use conceptual models.
6.
explain procedures taken to predict future physical behavior.
7.
manipulate equations that describe physical relationships.
8.
make reasonable estimates.
9.
identify sources of error and how they propagate.
10.
design experiments, including procedures, lists of equipment, controls, etc.
11.
analyze data, including data in graphical form.
12.
perform appropriate calculations.
13.
make extrapolations and interpolations from data.
14.
communicate results, suggesting ways to improve experiments.
15.
propose questions for further study.
16.
use computer interfaced real time data collection sensors.
17.
use spreadsheets and presentation software to present results of experiments.
18.
use basic mathematical reasoning to solve problems.
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Laboratory expectations are at a college level. All laboratory experiments will be performed in the classroom laboratory and follow the AP Physics B curriculum. These experiments will be directly related to the concepts discussed within the classroom.
Experiments will be open-ended and based on inquiry. Students are expected to achieve results that are expected from a college student.
The students will be given an objective and a list of equipment. The students will devise their own procedures to gather their data. They will collect the data and analyze using their own methods. Students will derive a conclusion based on their own particular methods. The following general scientific method will used.
1.
Objective/Problem/Questions
2.
Hypothesis
3.
Materials
4.
Procedures
5.
Data and Analysis
6.
Conclusions and Recommendations
Lab reports will be formally written and be handed in to be placed in a portfolio.
Each student will keep their own portfolio as the AP Board suggests. The students will use the portfolio for future references. The portfolios will be left in the classroom.
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There are multiple methods of teaching for teachers to provide a suitable environment for a student/s to learn. As a teacher, we are reminded by John Dewey
(1916) in his Laboratory School and Democracy and Education that it is our duty to promote learning by providing individual students “tools” to be a successful learner and to prepare them as part of a “democratic society”. Like the Laboratory School, we should look at our lessons in terms of the “student-side”, “teacher-side” and “society”. We should also consider the research done in the fields of cognitive psychology specifically in science education in terms of the transfer of learning, scaffolding, inquiry, discovery, questioning, novice-expert learning and many others. The pace and method shall be determined by the individual teacher based on the progress and “learning style” of his/her own students. Here are some of the Instructional Methods that are commonly used in science classrooms today:

Guided Inquiry

Cooperative Learning/ Team Learning

Teacher- Student Discourse

Direct Instruction

Question and Answer

Small Group Instruction

Laboratory Investigation

The use of instructional media (video, DVD, etc.)

Computer assisted learning

Project-based learning
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Assessment is the systematic process of gathering information about students’ learning in order to describe what they know, are able to do, and are working toward.
From the evidence and information collected in assessments, teachers describe each students learning and performance. They use this information to provide students with ongoing feedback, plan further instructional and learning activities, set subsequent learning goals and determine areas requiring diagnostic teaching and intervention.
Teachers base their evaluation of a student’s performance on the information collected through assessment. They use their insight, knowledge about learning, and experience with students, along with the specific criteria they establish, to make judgments about student performance.
Teachers determine: the purpose, aspects, attributes of learning on which to focus the assessment, when to collect the evidence, and the assessment methods, tools, or techniques most appropriate to use. Assessment focuses on the critical or significant aspects of the learning to be demonstrated by the student. Students benefit when they clearly understand the learning goals and learning expectations.
Each teacher will determine the appropriate means of assessment and evaluation of their students. The individual teacher will provide ample opportunities using a variety of instruments to assess learning. The instruments of evaluation and assessment in this course shall include but not limited to the following:

Tests

Quizzes

Laboratory Reports

Practice AP Physics B Exams from previous years

Class Participation

Homework (Mostly Problem Sets from Chapters)

Problems from Cracking the AP Exam

Written Reports

Oral Reports

Projects

Cooperative Learning Activities such as groups discussion and reflection
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I. Vectors
Instructional time: 1 week
Text: Chapter 3
Concepts: vector
Scalar
Direction of vectors/path of particles
Add and subtracting vectors
Vector operations using components
Lab activities: Drawing vectors
Modeling
Scaling
II. Kinematics
Instructional Time: 2 weeks
Text: Chapter 2 and 3
Concepts: displacement
Velocity
Acceleration
Interpreting Graphs (Position-Time; Velocity-Time; Acceleration Time)
Kinematic Equations
Average and Instantaneous velocity/acceleration
2 Dimensional Motion (Projectile Motion)
Slopes and areas under curves
Free Fall
Gravity
Lab activities: Velocity Lab
Acceleration Lab
Discover Gravity Lab
Predict the path of a projectile lab
III. Newton’s Laws: Force
Instructional Time: 3 weeks
Text: Chapters 4 and 5
Concepts:
Newton’s 3 Laws of Motion
Relationships between mass, force, acceleration
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Different types of forces (normal, friction, tension)
Static equilibrium
Dynamics of a single particle
Systems of two or more bodies
Centripetal Force
Universal Gravitation
Kepler’s Laws
Free Body Diagrams
Lab activities: F=ma Lab
Centripetal Force Lab
Torque Lab
IV. Work, Power, Energy
Instructional Time: 2 weeks
Text: Chapter 6
Concepts: Work
Net work with 2 or more forces
Work done by a variable force
Relationships between work, energy, and power
Work-Energy Theorem
Kinetic and Potential Energy
Conservation of Energy
Gravitational Potential Energy
Machines
Efficiency of machines using work
Lab activities: Horsepower Lab
Torque Lab with Levers
Energy Lab - Calculating Kinetic and Potential Energy and testing the
Conservation of Energy
V. Linear Momentum
Instructional Time: 1 week
Text: Chapters 7 and 8
Concepts: Center of mass
Momentum
Conservation of momentum
Changes in momentum in terms of force and time
Impulse
Elastic and Inelastic collisions
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Finding velocity in perfectly elastic and inelastic collisions
Lab activities: Collision in one dimension lab – Carts
Collisions in two Dimensions lab – Steel Balls and Vectors
VI. Rotational Motion
Instructional Time: 2 weeks
Text: Chapter 9
Concepts: Rotational mechanics
Torque and force
Angular momentum
Conservation of angular momentum
Rotational kinetic energy
Kinematic equations for rotational motion
Equilibrium
Equilibrium using torque
Lab activities: Torque Lab
Momentum and Energy Lab
VII. Gravitation
*** Refer to Newton’s Laws – Gravitation is discussed
VIII. Oscillations
Instructional Time: 2 weeks
Text: Chapter 14
Concepts: Simple Harmonic Motion
Simple Harmonic Motion and energy
Spring Force
Hooke’s Law
Period and frequency of an object in simple harmonic motion
Pendulum
Sinusoidal Motion with SHM
Lab activities: Pendulum Lab
Hooke’s Law Experiment
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IX. Thermal Physics
Instructional Time: 1.5 weeks
Text: Chapters 11, 12, 13
Concepts: Temperature and Temperature Scales
Work done in Thermodynamic Process
Heat transfer
Stefan’s Law and its relationship to Blackbody radiaton
Efficiency of a heat engine
Carnot Cycle
Physical changes due to heat transfer
Heat transfer and temperature change
Calorimetry
Heat transfer and phase change
Calculate thermal expansion
Kinetic theory of gases and the ideal gas law
Laws of Thermodynamics
Lab activities: mc∆T Lab
Calorimetry Lab
X. Electric Forces and Fields
Instructional Time: 2 weeks
Text: Chapter 16
Concepts: Electric charges
2 or more electric charges
Electric field
Electric field lines
2 or more electric fields behavior of a charge in an electric field
Electric force
Coulomb’s Law
Compare electric force to gravitational force
Conductors
Insulators
Lab activities: Electrostatics Lab
Mapping an electric field
Testing Conductivity
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XI. Electric Potential and Capacitance
Instructional Time: 1 week
Text: Chapter 17
Concepts: Electric Potential Energy
EMF
Potential Energy using a Voltmeter
Electric potential energy used within a circuit
Capacitance
Capacitors within a circuit
Energy stored in a capacitor
Faraday
Lab activities: Electric Potential Lab
DC circuit lab
XII. DC Circuits
Instructional Time: 2 weeks
Text: Chapter 18
Concepts: Electric Current
Direct current and alternating current
Amperes
Resistance
Ohms and Ohm’s Law
Construct circuit diagrams
Practical uses of circuits
Relationship between voltage, current, and resistance
Mathematically interpreting Ohm’s Law
Series and Parallel Circuits
Kirchoff’s Laws
Conservation of charge
Electric potential energy
Power within a circuit
Lab activities: Series Circuit Lab
Parallel Circuit Lab
Ohm’s Law Lab - Combination of both labs above
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XIII. Magnetic Forces and Fields
Instructional Time: 2 weeks
Text: Chapter 19
Concepts: Magnets
Magnet field
Magnetic field lines
Orientation of a magnetic field – Use earth as an example
Tendencies of objects within a magnetic field
Magnetic force
Magnetic force on a moving charge
Magnetic force on a current carrying wire
Directions of forces and fields
Lab activities: Large Magnet Lab
Determining magnetic field lines with 2 or more magnets
XIV. Electromagnetic Induction
Instructional Time: 1 week
Text: Chapter 20
Concepts: Induced EMF
Faraday’s Law
Magnetic fields induced by a current-carrying wire
Importance of discovery
Current produced by magnetic field
Right Hand Rule
Multiple loops
Lab activities: Galvanometer and Wire Lab
XV. Waves
Instructional Time: 1.5 weeks
Text: Chapter 15
Concepts: Sinusoidal model of a wave
Parts of a wave
Transfer of energy through a medium
Displacement of a medium
Transverse and Longitudinal (Compressional Wave)
Wave Equations
Sound and Light
Rarefactions and Compressions
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Doppler Effect
Frequency
Wavelength
Electromagnetic Radiation
Wave Speed and Medium
Resonance
Interference
Law of Superposition
Lab activities: Slinky Lab – Waves on Springs
Wave Tank Lab
Tuning Fork Lab
XVI. Optics
Instructional Time: 2.5 weeks
Text: Chapters 22 and 24
Concepts: Electromagnetic waves
Electromagnetic spectrum
Frequency/Wavelength
Reflection/Law of Reflection
Refraction/Snell’s Law
Total Internal Reflection
Dispersion
Index of refraction
Mirrors and Lenses
Images: real and virtual
Convex mirrors and lenses
Concave mirrors and lenses
Interference
Principle of Superposition
Double Slit
Thin Film
Diffraction
Single/Double Slit
Diffraction Gratings
Polarization
Lab activities: Verification of the Laws of Reflection and Refraction
Optical Bench: Lens lab
Spectroscope Lab
Young’s Double – Slit Experiment
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XVII. Atomic and Nuclear Physics
Instructional time: 1.5 weeks
Text: Chapter 27
Concepts: Photoelectric Effect
Energy and linear momentum of a photon
Energy levels in an atom
DeBroglie Hypothesis
Compton Effect
Nuclear Symbols
Nuclear Reaction
Neutrino
Nuclear Forces
Nuclear Fission and Chain Reaction
E=mc
2
and applications to nuclear reactions
Lab activities: Rutherford alpha-particle scattering experiment – nuclear model\
Photoelectric Effect
XVIII. Fluids
Instructional time: 1.5 weeks
Text: Chapter 10
Concepts: Density
Pressure
Fluids
Force/Area
Hydrostatic Pressure
Pascal’s Principle
Archimedes Principle
Buoyancy
Bernoulli’s Equation
Flow rate
Lab activities: Pressure Lab
Density using Archimedes Principle
XIX. AP Exam Review
Instructional time: 2 weeks recommended
Text: Practice Exams
Concepts: Review all concepts from year
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