Course: AP Physics C
Teacher: Stephen P. Cook
Email: cooks@trinityvalleyschool.org
Location: room 139, Upper School
. Classroom phone: ext. 433
Class Web Page: http://faculty.trinityvalleyschool.org/cooks
Textbook: primary—Physics for Scientists and Engineers, by Serway and Beichner, 5th edition (2000).
supplemental: Fundamentals of Physics, by Halliday, Resnick, Walker, 6th edition (2001)
What Else You Need to Provide: 1) large three ring binder for notes, handouts, quizzes, homework problems,
etc; 2) medium three ring binder for lab reports; 3) graphing calculator (e.g. TI 83); 4) miscellaneous: three
hole notebook paper, pen, pencils, etc
Overall Course Description: A year long calculus-based course that covers Mechanics during the fall semester
and Electricity & Magnetism during the spring one. Its prerequisites include one year of high school physics
and a math background that includes at least concurrent enrollment in Calculus. It is a problem solving intensive
class aimed at preparing students for taking the AP Physics C exam and receiving college credit for one year of
physics. Given the typical importance of lab work to such courses, students will spend about 20 % of their class
time doing labs. The handout “Physics Laboratory Information” lists the lab objectives. Course objectives
follow those on AP website: http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/members/repository/ap05_phys_objectives_45859.pdf.
1st Semester, Mechanics
The first part of the semester will largely consist of reviewing topics students have already been exposed to in
their previous physics course. Here there will be a minimum of lecture, and lots of time for students to work
problems selected both to help reinforce / extend prior learning and identify areas of difficulty. Thus it will
move fast, slowing down chiefly in areas students identify as needing more time and in places where the
calculus treatment extends previous coverage. By its halfway point (see Fall schedule, next page)—with two
dimensional collisions, and especially rotational mechanics—it will venture into more new / difficult topics, and
accordingly slow to include more lecture, demo and discussion. For labs, see below. Since normal class time
will be at a premium-- seventy four teaching days are anticipated, whereas some schools have up to ninety!—
students may be asked to attend T period or lunch sessions (bringing their lunch into the classroom and working
while they eat). Spending most of the last week of the semester reviewing / taking final exam is anticipated.
Grading
Fall Semester—Labs
Approximately ten labs will be selected from the following list:
Cart on a Ramp
Falling Bodies--in One Dimension (With and Without Air Resistance)
Projectile Motion--in Two Dimensions (With and Without Air
Resistance)
Centripetal Acceleration and Centripetal Force
Atwood's Machine
Static and Kinetic Friction
Energy Conversions
Ballistic Pendulum and Projectile Motion
Two Dimensional Collisions
Who's Fastest Down the Incline?
Rotational Motion
The Conservation of Angular Momentum
Solar System Celestial Mechanics
Inertial Balance and Gravitational Mass
Oscillations and Simple Harmonic Motion
Physical Pendulum
Quarter grades will be based on the
following categories with relative
weights indicated as follows:
Quarter Exam: 20%
Quizzes: 40%
Homework Problems: 15%
Labs: 20%
Class participation: 5%
There will be a semester
comprehensive final exam on all
material covered during the
semester. Semester grades will be
based on 40% first quarter grade,
40% second quarter grade, and 20%
semester final exam.
Physics C Mechanics Fall 2008 Schedule keyed to Serway & Beichner 5th edition text
"weeks" refer to five days of instruction--the schedule below requires 14 weeks x 5 days / week = 70 days + 4 for review / final exam
2.1 Displacement, Velocity & Speed
chapter 1:
1.1 Standards of Length, Mass, Time
2.2 lnstantaneous Velocity & Speed
week #1
1.2 Building Blocks of Matter
2.3 Acceleration
1.3 Density
2.4 Motion Diagrams
1.4 Dimensional Analysis
2.5 1-D Motion, Constant Acceleration
1.5 Conversion of Units
chapter 2:
2.6 Freely Falling Objects
1.6 Estimation, Order-of-Magnitude
week #1
2.7 Kinematic Equations Derived w/ Integral Calculus
1.7 Significant Figures
chapter 3:
week #2
chapter 4:
week #2
chapter 5:
week #3
chapter 6:
week #4
chapter 7:
week #5
chapter 8:
week #6
chapter 9:
week #7
chapter 10:
week #8, 9
chapter 11:
week #10,
11
chapter 12:
week #12
chapter 13:
week #13
chapter 14:
week #14
3.1
3.2
3.3
3.4
Coordinate Systems
Vector and Scalar Quantities
Some Properties of Vectors
Vector Components & Unit Vectors
5.1
5.2
5.3
5.4
5.5
5.6
5.7
5.8
Concept of Force
Newton’s 1st Law and Inertial Frames
Mass
Newton’s 2nd Law
The Force of Gravity & Weight
Newton’s 3rd Law
Applications of Newton’s Laws
Forces of Friction
7.1
7.2
7.3
7.4
7.5
7.6
7.7
Work Done by a Constant Force
The Scalar Product of Two Vectors
Work Done by a Varying Force
Kinetic Energy & the Work-Energy Theorem
Power
Energy and the Automobile
Kinetic Energy at High Speeds
8.1 Potential Energy
8.2 Conservative and Non-Conservative Forces
8.3 Conservative Forces and Potential Energy
8.4 Conservation of Mechanical Energy
8.5 Work Done by Non-Conservative Forces
8.6 Relationship between Conservative Forces & Pot. Energy
8.7 Energy Diagrams and Equilibrium of a System
8.8 Conservation of Energy in General
8.9 Mass-Energy Equivalence (omit)
8.10 Quantization of Energy (omit)
9.1
9.2
9.3
9.4
9.5
9.6
9.7
Linear Momentum and its Conservation
Impulse and Momentum
Collisions
Elastic & Inelastic Collisions in 1-D
2-D Collisions
The Center of Mass
Motion of a System of Particles
10.1
10.2
10.3
10.4
10.5
10.6
10.7
10.8
Angular Displacement, Velocity & Acceleration
Rotational Kinematics: Constant Angular Acceleration
Angular & Linear Quantities
Rotational Energy
Calculating Moments of Inertia
Torque
Relationship between Torque and Angular Acceleration
Work, Power & Energy in Rotational Motion
12.1
12.2
12.3
12.4
Conditions for Equilibrium
More on the Center of Gravity
Examples of Rigid Bodies in Static Equilibrium
Elastic Properties of Solids
11.1
11.2
11.3
11.4
11.5
11.6
11.7
13.1
13.2
13.3
13.4
13.5
13.6
13.7
Rolling Motion of a Rigid Object
The Vector Product and Torque
Angular Momentum of a Particle
Angular Momentum of a Rigid Object
Conservation of Angular Momentum
Motion of Gyroscopes and Tops
Angular Momentum as Fundamental Quantity
(omit)
Simple Harmonic Motion
The Block-Spring System Revisited
Energy of Simple Harmonic Oscillator
The Pendulum
Comparing SHM & Uniform Circ Motion
Damped Oscillations
Forced Oscillations
4.1
4.2
4.3
4.4
4.5
4.6
6.1
6.2
6.3
6.4
6.5
Displacement, Velocity & Acceleration
2-D Motion with Constant Acceleration
Projectile Motion
Uniform Circular Motion
Tangential and Radial Acceleration
Relative Velocity and Relative Acceleration
Newton’s Laws & Uniform Circular Motion
Non-uniform Circular Motion
Motion in Accelerated Frames
Motion in the Presence of Resistive Forces
Numerical Modeling in Particle Dynamics (omit)
14.1 Newton’s Law of Universal Gravitation
14.2 Measuring the Gravitational Constant
14.3 Free-fall Acceleration and Gravitational Force
14.4 Kepler’s Laws
14.5 The Law of Gravitation and Motion of Planets
14.6 The Gravitational Field
14.7 Gravitational Potential Energy
14.8 Energy Considerations in Planetary & Satellite Systems
14.9 Gravity Force Between Extended Object and a Particle
14.10 Gravity Force Between Particle and a Spherical Mass