AP PHYSICS 2
Course description
The school day consists primarily of eight 42 minute periods. AP Physics classes meet 7 times a week for 42
minutes each section. AP Physics B is an algebra-based course in general Physics. Its syllabus is designed by the
College Board. There are a wide range of topics covered in 2 semesters. Laboratory work is an important part of
the class.
Class can consist of lecture, discussion, problem solving activities, labs, and time to work cooperatively on
understanding notes or practice problems.
You will often be working in groups. Cooperative learning is a key component of my class. You will often work
with others to propose solutions, solve problems, create projects and design experiments.
Texts
College Physics, Serway and Vuille; 8th Edition, Brooks/Cole, Belmont CA, 2009.
Contact Information:
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The best way to reach me outside of class is through email: storystelznerb@hopewellarea.org
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I may need up to 24 hours to respond, so plan for this.
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I cannot promise to check email on the weekends. I often will, but your best bet is to send your email
before Friday afternoon to ensure my response.
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I am also available for help most days after school. Please schedule ahead, as I occasionally have other
meetings.
Homework
The goal of homework in this class is to provide you with practice and an idea of how well you are doing.
You will nearly always be provided with full solutions to homework. You are expected to treat each homework
problem like a test question. You should complete the problem to the best of your ability in a clear, organized
manner, complete with descriptions, units, sig figs… Only when you have completed this work should you check
to see if you solved the homework problem correctly. Often, we will begin class by going over problems you had
difficulty with. You will also be given insight into how AP graders will grade your work. I will endeavor to grade
your work in accordance to these grading procedures. Please also keep in mind:
 Homework may or may not be collected and entered into the grade book. I may check some homework at
random. Other times, you will be notified that the homework you are about to complete will be
collected. If a class is doing well, most homework is not collected, but is used as a space for practice and
learning.
 Quiz questions will frequently reflect the skills practiced in the homework, so students who are not
completing the homework will generally fail the quizzes.
 Do not throw out or lose any of your work. If you begin to fail quizzes, I will demand to see this work. It
is also helpful in preparation for the AP exam.
Assessments
Being able to demonstrate what you have learned is a vital portion of this course. You will be given multiple
forms of assessment throughout this course. Each form is designed to test your understanding, hold you
accountable and, most importantly, provide you with feedback that will enable you to grow as a physics student.
Quizzes
While homework’s main function in is to give you a place to practice and make mistakes, quizzes are an
opportunity to demonstrate what you know and receive feedback on your current understanding of the material.
These quizzes will be graded very thoroughly and I will generally offer extensive feedback. You will often be
asked to correct these problems after they have been returned to you. The quizzes will cover materials covered
in homework, readings, lab or class discussion. The emphasis will be on problem solving and explaining your
thinking.
Tests
Tests occur at the end of each unit. The course consists of eight units. Tests are two day experiences. The first
day will only cover the material covered in that unit. The second day will cover all course material learned up to
that point. All tests are generally curved, to reflect the substantial curving which occurs on the actual end of the
year AP test.
Projects
You will be asked to complete engineering projects throughout the course. You will be given a particular
problem you must solve or a task you must complete. Projects are generally completed in groups, with particular
roles assigned to each group member. These projects are meant to supplement the rigorous course material with
an innovative approach to problem solving. Students are to work on these projects outside of the school day with
the exception of the day of demonstration or competition.
Course Outline
This is a broad vision of the course. Within each section, I will be providing you with a much more detailed vision
of how that unit will progress. As this is the first time we are running this course in this format, the information
below may be subject to change. I will alert you to any changes well ahead of time.
Topic
Introduction to Course and Math
Skills
Fluids
Thermodynamics
Electrostatics
Circuits
Electromagnetism
Optics
Modern Physics
Approximate Class Time
7 days
Percent of Course
2%
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
14%
14 %
14%
14%
14%
14%
14%
days
days
days
days
days
days
days
Labs
Labs are conducted throughout the year. Some units contain more lab opportunities than others, but every
attempt is made when materials are available to perform the labs where they best fit the curriculum. Lab
experiments are “hands-on” activities. Many of these labs are open ended- you will be given on objective and
you must decide how to best meet this objective. You will often need to form your own hypotheses and then
construct your own procedure. This will involve you making use of extensive data collection and graphical
analysis. We will frequently be working with Excel. Because these labs are inquiry-based, you many find that
there is not an obvious, clear path to the solution. You will sometimes make assumptions and mistakes that lead
you astray. Please have patience with yourself and the learning process. This type of laboratory work will help
you learn a great deal more than prescribed, connect-the-dots labs. You will have lots of support as grow as an
experimenter.
You will keep a lab notebook that meets course requirements and submit subsequent formal lab reports for lab
activities. You are required to keep a portfolio of all lab reports.
Lab Write Up Components
Title:
The title should be a short descriptive name for the lab of your own devising. Don’t
try to be funny. Remember, these are subject to audit by your future college.
Objective:
A short paragraph which, in your own words, describes what it is you are to
explore/discover/experience/wonder at in the experiment. It is why you are doing
the experiment.
Background: References to lab scripts, text books, manuals etc. If you know any are relying on any
scientific facts, equations, laws… they should be stated and referenced here. If you
are using information from your notes or your book, copy the information here and
make sure you note where you got the information (including the page numbers, when
applicable). If you use any webpages for help during this lab, you will need to record
the url here.
Materials:
You must carefully list all materials involved in the lab. Be specific. Do not write
“weight”. Write: “500 g weight.” If you use more than one of an object you must
include its quantity. In addition, you should include a labeled picture of how the
materials were set up. If the lab involves multiple set ups, you must include a labeled
picture of each.
Procedure: A brief but complete description of what you did and how you did it.
Data:
What you actually measured. These are ALL the raw, unprocessed measurements you
made. These could be length measurements, times, velocities, voltage, current, etc.
The data should always be organized in a logical, sensible, readable manner.
Results and Analysis: This is what you did with the data after you got it. How did you use the
observations you gathered. It includes the calculations and graphs. Calculations must be done in
full problem solving format with at least one sample of each calculation. You will also be
calculating error in this section.
Conclusions: Here you present your proud results. In your lab notebook, think of it as a quick tour of each
section of lab, in your final lab report this will be a more extensive, detailed description of the analysis and
principles of physics. In this section you will state your objective/purpose was, briefly describe what you
did, and discuss your results. A declaration of the findings should be explained and defended based on the
data from the previous sections. This is also the place to state the percent error and discuss sources of
error.
Course labs
These labs are all hands-on and involve extensive data collection. Most are inquiry based and are designed to
deepen your understanding of the material. The list below is general guideline for labs, and is subject to change.
Additional labs may also be added, time allowing.
Title
Measurement Lab
Buoyancy
Fluid Dynamics
Boyle’s Law
Misconceptions in Electrostatics
Plotting Equipotential and Field Lines
Ohm’s Law: Derivation through Analysis
Resistivity
Series and Parallel Circuits
Magnetic Misconceptions
Electromagnetic Induction
Electric Motor
Law Reflection
Snell’s Law
Focal Length Measurement in Mirror and Lenses
Diffraction Grating Analysis
Emission Line Lab
Stopping Voltage
Topic/Unit
Error analysis/Lab Expectations
Fluids
Fluids
Thermodynamics
Electrostatics
Electrostatics
Circuits
Circuits
Circuits
Magnetism
Magnetism
Magnetism
Light
Light
Light
Light and Quantum
Modern
Modern