AP Physics B
Course Overview:
AP Physics B meets for seven forty-four minute periods a week for the duration
of the school year. Two of these periods back up to regular class periods, allowing for a
two-period lab twice a week. The two-period lab is utilized roughly once a week as time
for student experimentation and once a week for extended group recitation and complex
problem solving. There are 30 instructional weeks prior to the May exam date.
The course is a second year physics course, following the successful completion
of either honors or college prep physics. All students willing to undertake the challenge
of college-level coursework are encouraged to enroll with no restrictions other than the
completion of the prerequisite physics course. The goal of the course is to encourage
critical problem solving abilities, information/data synthesis and analysis, cooperative
learning behaviors and creative reasoning at a rigorous level in the context of the physics
learning objectives established by the AP Physics B course outline.
The first year physics course studies Newtonian Mechanics in-depth, and a
summer assignment serves as a fairly rigorous review of mechanics. This reduces the
amount of class time spent on mechanics, allowing for 2 full weeks of review before the
exam. Essentially all formal review must be completed before the first week in May, as
most students miss several classes that week for other AP exams.
Grading Policy:

Tests/Exams-50 percent
Tests are administered after each unit of material. Tests are modeled after the AP exam,
with a multiple-choice section and a free response section weighted equally. The
majority of questions used are actual past AP questions and the grading rubric is modeled
after that used on the AP exam. There are two cumulative exams given, one at the end of
each semester. Their combined weight represents ten percent of the final course grade.

Labs – 25 percent
The objective of most labs is provided for the students, although several are entirely
open-ended. The time allotted for labs includes planning, equipment selection,
performance of the actual experiment and data collection and essential calculations. The
in-depth data analysis and report are completed by the students at home.

Class Work/ Quizzes – 15 percent
Quizzes assess essential concepts covered in class work and homework problems.
Graded class work problems are free response AP problems relating to the current unit.
Both class work and quizzes emphasize problem solving techniques and the integration of
related concepts.

Homework – 10 percent
A problem set is assigned for each unit comprised of problems from the texts. This set is
due the day of the unit test. Additional homework problems are assigned on a daily basis
to more specifically focus on the concepts being addressed that day.
Textbook:
Physics: Principles with Applications
Sixth Edition by Douglas C. Giancoli
ISBN 0-13-184661-2
Prentice Hall, 2005
Secondary textbook:
University Physics
Ninth Edition by Hugh D. Young and Roger A. Freeman
ISBN 0-201-57157-9
Addison-Wesley, 1996
Course Syllabus
Introduction
Unit and Dimensions
Data Collection, Error and Analysis
Scalars and Vectors
(1 week)
I. Newtonian Mechanics
(4 weeks)
A. Kinematics
1. Motion in One Dimension
 Position-time and Velocity-time graphs
 Constant acceleration equations
2. Motion in Two Dimensions
 Projectiles
B. Newton’s Laws
1. Static Equilibrium – 1st Law
2. Dynamics of a particle –2nd Law
3. Multi-body systems – 3rd Law
4. Applications
 Friction
 Inclined Planes
 Atwood’s Machines
 Torque
C. Work, Energy, Power and Momentum
1. Work and work-energy theorem
2. Conservation of energy
3. Power
4. Impulse and momentum
5. Conservation of linear momentum, 1 and 2 dimensions
6. Angular momentum
D. Circular Motion, Gravitation and Oscillations
1. Uniform circular motion
2. Horizontal and vertical circles
3. Newton’s Law of Universal Gravitation
4. Simple Harmonic Motion
5. Simple pendulum
6. Mass-Spring system
II. Fluid Mechanics and Thermal Physics
(6 weeks)
A. Fluid Mechanics
1. Density and pressure
2. Pascal’s Principle
3. Buoyancy and Archimedes’ Principle
4. Bernoulli’s Equation
B. Thermal Physics
1.Temperature and Heat
 Mechanical equivalent of heat
 Heat transfer and thermal expansion
 Calorimetry
C. Kinetic Theory and Thermodynamics
1. Ideal Gases
2. Laws of Thermodynamics
 PV diagrams and processes
 Heat engines and efficiency
III. Electricity and Magnetism
(8 weeks)
A. Electrostatics
1. Coulomb’s Law
2. Electric Fields
3. Electric Potential and Potential Energy
4. Capacitance
B. Electric Circuits
1. Current, resistance, EMF and Power
 Ohm’s Law
 Resistors in series and parallel
 Voltmeters and Ammeters
2. Capacitors in circuits
C. Electromagnetism
1. Magnetostatics
 Force of a magnetic field on a moving charge
2. Electromagnetic Induction
 Magnetic flux
 Faraday’s Law and Lenz’s Law
IV. Waves and Optics
(5 weeks)
A. Wave Motion and Sound
1. Types of waves and their properties
2. Standing and traveling waves
3. Doppler effect
B. Physical Optics
1. Interference
 Single Slit
 Double Slit
 Diffraction Grating
 Thin Film
C. Geometric Optics
1. Reflection
2. Refraction
 Snell’s Law
 Critical angle and total internal reflection
2. Images formed by mirrors
 Plane Mirrors
 Spherical Mirrors
3. Images formed by lenses
 Concave lenses
 Convex lenses
 Two-lens systems
V. Atomic and Nuclear Physics
(3 weeks)
A. Modern Physics
1. Photons and the photoelectric effect
2. Energy levels in the electron
3. Linear momentum and the DeBroglie wavelength
4. Compton effect
B. Nuclear Physics
1. Nuclear reactions
2. Nuclear Decay (  ,  ,  )
 Radioactivity and half-life
3. Mass defect and binding energy
4. Mass-Energy equivalence ( E  mc 2 )
Exam Review
(2 weeks)
Laboratory Experiments
Note: All labs are hands-on and student performed
Unit I – Newtonian Mechanics
Title
Objective
Constant Speed Lab
Acceleration Lab
Hit the Spot Lab
Hanging Mass Lab
The  Lab
Conservation of
Momentum Lab
The Work Lab
Centripetal Force Lab
Hooke’s Law
Analyze and graph motion at a constant speed
(position vs time and velocity vs time graphs)
Analyze and graph object with constant acceleration
(position vs time and velocity vs time graphs)
Determine relationship between initial height, speed and
range to predict landing of horizontal projectile
Determine resultant force vector both graphically and
analytically
To determine the coefficient of kinetic friction between
different surfaces.
To determine the total momentum before and after a
collision.
Demonstrate the relationship between work and energy
Determine speed of an object rotating on a string and
find tension in string.
Determine the spring constant of a spring
Time
(min)
40
40
60
40
60
60
40
40
30
Unit II – Fluid Mechanics and Thermal Physics
Title
Objective
Density Lab
Heat Lab
Conservation of Energy
Lab
Change of State Lab
Determine the density of an unknown metal
Determine the specific heat of an unknown metal
Demonstrate that thermal energy of a system is
conserved
Determine the heat of fusion for ice
Time
(min)
40
30
40
60
Unit III – Electricity and Magnetism
Title
Electrostatics Lab
Circuits Lab
Magnetic Field
Lines
Objective
Determine the charge on various objects
Determine effects of adding/removing resistors in series,
parallel and combination circuits
Investigate magnetic field lines formed with various shapes
of magnets and iron filings
Time
(min)
30
60
30
Unit IV – Waves and Optics
Title
Refraction Index
Lens Lab
Diffraction Grating
Objective
Determine the index of refraction of a substance
Determine the focal length of a convex lens
Determine the wavelength of a He-Ne laser
Time
(min)
60
40
40
Unit V – Atomic and Nuclear Physics
Title
Photoelectric effect
Objective
Determine Planck’s constant
Time
(min)
60