AP C Physics Mechanics Course Objective and Expectations
Identification:
This is the Advanced Placement C course in mechanics. This course is equivalent to 1st
semester, calculus-based college physics class. The course is designed to prepare
students to move into the second half of text book, to take Static and Dynamics courses
for pre-engineering majors and to take a Classical Mechanics for physics majors. This
course follows the syllabus for AP Physics C exam for the first 2.5 quarters of year.
Parts of 3rd quarter and all of 4th quarter will investigate chapters from the text in waves,
thermodynamics and fluid mechanics before beginning a strong review for the AP exam
during April. The course will consistently use differential and integral calculus at or
above the level of the AP exam. Students enrolled in the course must have mastered an
equivalent AP Calculus course or take AP Calculus as a co-requisite.
Purpose:
There are two, equally good, reasons why a high school student might decide to take
this course. First, he/she may like the subject enough to desire a more profound,
college-level understanding of its complexities. Physics teaches a person how to think
analytically and the thrill of successful problem solving, coupled with a deeper insight
into the everyday function of the world around them, instills self-confidence and peace
of mind. Second, the student may desire to take the AP Physics C Mechanics Exam in
order to obtain college credit for this course and thereby accelerate their undergraduate
program. In this respect, it needs to be stressed that this course may not qualify for
credit towards a physics or engineering degree. For these majors, universities often
require a more rigorous treatment of this subject matter, with a much greater emphasis
on calculus. Thus the student taking the Physics C Mechanics course and majoring in
these fields may still need to take introductory physics in college. Of course, the
preparation of such a student will be much better than average. Having said this,
individual colleges vary greatly in their requirements and several students pursuing
engineering degrees have had the Physics C Mechanics course accepted for credit.
The AP Physics C Mechanics Exam:
This ninety (90) minute exam is divided into two, forty-five minute sections. The first
includes 40 multiple choice questions, the second contains three, multiple-part free
response questions (word problems). The exams take place between the first and
second weeks of May each year.
Course Outline:
The over-riding consideration in this, and any AP course, is the large quantity of
material that must be covered in order to prepare completely for the AP exam in May.
We meet for 45 minutes, every day. Typically, class resources will be budgeted as
follows: a) we open with time for questions concerning the previous day's material or
about concepts or problems encountered during the night's study; b) then we move into
AP C Physics Mechanics Course Objective and Expectations
lecture introducing and illustrating new concepts - and punctuated with demonstrations
as frequently as possible; c) finally sample problems, based on the new material, are
solved. Certain days will be dedicated solely to problem solving and/or laboratories and
activities. Many online and multimedia resources will be used to help the student gain
an understanding of the material. Please see the course affidavit for the sequence and
scope of all the topics we will cover. Please reference the course objective written by
AP Central for the knowledge and skills we will master during the year.
Course Objectives:
1. Provide an overview of the major conceptual developments in historic and
contemporary physics. It might be thought of as a lay person’s guide to what
physicists have had to say about the universe; from the earliest periods of
recorded history humanity has asked questions and sought answers relating to
the physical world. As a result of these inquiries, the knowledge of the human
species has advanced.
2. Develop within the student an understanding of the scientific processes and
theories designed to provide answers to the questioning mind.
3. Instill a certain appreciation for the science of physics as a quest to know and
understand the physical world.
4. Help the students understand the science and issues surrounding the use of
modern technology this has its basis in physics.
5. The intended outcome of this course is the development of an ability to think in a
critical manner using both concrete and abstract examples from physics as
models.
6. Apply calculus techniques in solving word problems
Expectations:
Science involves your commitment to lab activities, problem solving, cooperative group
work, and note taking. My job is to expand your brain through encouragement and
challenge. Your job is to be an active learner (thinker) and allow an environment that
enables others to do the same. I assume that you are mature, motivated and willing to
broaden your understanding of the physical would: that you are curious, objective, and
interested in new ideas: and above all, that you are ready, willing, and able to work and
study every day. This course is demanding: successful completion requires full
determination and dedication from beginning to end. Your work in this course can be
likened to the flight of an airplane. If you cruise at altitude (study regularly), the amount
of work required is reasonable; if you are constantly landing and taking off (periodically
cramming), it requires more fuel and the odds of crashing (failure) increase. We will
need to talk about workload management.
Discipline:
AP C Physics Mechanics Course Objective and Expectations
1. Disrespect towards one-self, your classmates and your teachers will not be
tolerated. All instances of disrespect will be recorded and reported to the office
per standard school policy. This includes events that I witness outside the
classroom.
2. All instances of being late to class will be recorded and reported to the office per
standard school policy. 2nd instance in a week will be a phone call home.
3. All instances of unsafe behavior in class and during laboratory will be recorded.
Repetitive unsafe behavior will result in a student losing lab privileges. Nonparticipation in lab will result in a lower grade.
4. Students are expected to arrive at class fully prepared. This includes and is not
limited to completed assignments, binder, calculator, book, pen or pencil, paper,
and other material necessary for class. Unprepared students will get lower
grades!
5. Cheating:
a. For most labs, you lab data SHOULD match your assigned partner(s) for
that event. If it matches someone else, I will question as to where and how
you secured that information. Wrong data is a possibility. You need to
include what went wrong.
b. Homework is practice. I encourage students working together on
HOMEWORK!
c. If you get caught copying another person’s paper on an assignment that is
intended to be individual work (quizzes, tests, etc…), both papers will be
taken away. Both students will receive zeros. The office will be informed
of the incident. You may face further disciplinary measures.
Study:
This course necessitates a large quantity of at-home preparation on the part of
the student (and teacher!). Time must be spent going over class notes, reading new
and re-reading old material from the two texts, solving conceptual and numerical word
problems, and thinking. Physics is unique from many courses in that almost all of its
components require periods of unbroken concentration and coherent thought in order to
master them. You cannot really "get" physics merely by reading the words. Proper and
fruitful textbook study involves reading, pausing, considering, analyzing book graphics,
and sometimes note taking.
Texts:
The AP Physics C Mechanics course here at White Station High School uses
Fundamentals of Physics, 9th ed., by Halliday/Resnick/Walker, (2011), John Wiley &
Sons. This course develops student comprehension and mastery of chapters 2 – 20.
This book does an excellent job of explaining the principles of physics and has an
enormous amount of examples in the book for problem solving. This text book is used
AP C Physics Mechanics Course Objective and Expectations
by most colleges and universities in both physics and engineering programs. Classical
Dynamics, 3rd ed., by Marion and Thornton. (1988) HBJ Inc. used as reference.
Word Problems:
Each unit includes about 35 assigned homework problems at a rate of 7 per night.
Classes meet 4 days per week with about 33 contact hours per quarter. There are 60
lessons devoted to Mechanics and 27 periods devoted to mechanics labs. Since many
students in this course are first-year physics students there will be intense development
in three critical areas: (1) fundamental conceptual development, (2) connection to realworld experiences through scientific inquiry and (3) critical thinking skills using
mathematical applications and problem solving at the single-variable calculus level.
These should be done according to a set, step by step scheme (including the writing of
related quantities, symbols and data, base equations, solved equations, and problem
solutions with units, as well as occasional dimensional analysis). These problems are
tough but, in the end, enjoyable (dare I say fun?). All students must have a good
scientific calculator that they are familiar with. Also, students should consider forming
study groups - often several heads are better than one.
Class Participation:
Active class participation is encouraged in science. Our class periods are relatively few
(given the magnitude of what lies ahead) and, therefore, precious. Use it to clarify
doubts encountered in your study at home.
Notes:
Lectures will completely cover the major themes of this course. They will be organized
according to the AP Physics C Mechanics syllabus. Lectures will be presented in a way
that should be clear to the student, less cluttered with obscuring detail than is often
found in textbooks, so that students can see just what the important points really are.
Students will be provided my entire set of lesson plans as the basis for their notes.
Class notes on this lecture material should prove most valuable, especially when
plowing through the textbooks at home. Most of the conventions for notation will be the
widely recognized ones used by AP Central.
Labs:
Teacher-led labs for each unit will take place in the lab room during scheduled class
time. PBL’s for most units must take place outside of scheduled class time except for
final oral presentations. We should have a two to three labs per unit. Emphasis will be
placed on in-class demonstrations should labs be curtailed. More complete lab writeups will be required, occasionally. Due to equipment and lab supply limitations, some
labs may be virtual labs done using software or online resources.
AP C Physics Mechanics Course Objective and Expectations
Students are expected to maintain a portfolio with three separate folders labeled as (1)
Measurements (M), (2) Teacher-led labs (TLL) and (3) Project-based learning (PBL).
All required labs are hand-on using student hands. The “Measurements” folder,
students will store documents on how to collect data and on error analysis. In the
“Teacher-led” folder, students will store lab reports in a standard format outlined in the
objectives for AP Physics using Microsoft Word with data imported from Microsoft Excel
or LoggerPor spreadsheets. The standard format includes a written explanation of
purpose, procedure, data displayed in tables, linear graphical analysis and results with
conclusions. The third folder will hold the Power Point presentations of student designed
(PBL) investigations that were used to give an oral report of final results. Part of the
fourth quarter grade will be an evaluation of the completed, student portfolio submitted
to remain on file with the school.
Grading:
Quarter grades are determined by total points accumulated. A clicker system will be
used on a daily basis. We will have three or four exams per quarter. These will
emphasize the skills demanded by the AP test - there will be an emphasis on problem
solving. In addition, there will be quizzes, labs, and homework problem sets. These
exams will contain released exam items from past AP exams.
Method Homework
Points
70
Clicker
Questions
40
Teacher-led
PBL’s
lab*
50
90
Unit test
100
Me:
I am here to help you succeed in this course. There are liable to be many questions with
concepts and word problems - encountered in evening study. Working in study groups
should help students answer many of these on their own. Otherwise, I am available for
questions and extra help during free periods, breaks, and after school. Please feel free
to come and talk if you are having doubts or difficulties. You may also email me with
questions at cornellm@scsk12.org or cornelme@hotmail.com. I usually check my email
each evening and on weekends. Students also have my cell phone for texting or calling.
Remember, your success in this course depends on YOUR EFFORT and the time
you spend on this course. This is a college level course, and as such, it will
require college-level time. You should be spending, at a minimum, one hour,
every day, on this course. Even if there is no official homework, you should be
reviewing your notes and reading the textbook. Take time to explore the web links
on the class web site and explore physics in more depth.
AP C Physics Mechanics Course Objective and Expectations
I have read and understanding all requirements and expectations for AP Physics C
Mechanics.