Belton High School
AP Physics C Policies - Giustino
2012 - 2013
Materials List







Ruled paper (spiral or loose) and Binder
Lab book (graphed)
Writing implement – pencil, blue or black ink pen
Graphing calculator
Textbook–Physics for Scientists and Engineers,
6th ed., by Paul A. Tipler, 2008, W.H. Freeman
and Company.
iPad!
Registered UT eid account
Grading
AP Physics C – Mechanics and Electromagnetism
This course is equivalent to two semesters of a first-year
COLLEGE class and is designed to prepare students for
both the AP Physics C Mechanics and Electromagnetism
exams given in May. To not take these tests is to be
lame, so please take them! Our first semester will deal
with the mechanics portion, and the second semester will
finally get into electro-magnetism. Expect high rigor
throughout the year.
Course Prerequisites
AP Physics C is designed for students who have already
completed pre-AP Physics. A calculus course is also
required and is normally taken concurrently. The course
requires students to use basic calculus throughout the
year. Let me know if this is not the case for you.
Student Responsibilities and Expectations
1. Follow all school and class policies
2. Be RESPECTFUL of yourself and others.
3. Complete all assignments and labs.
4. Seek out help when needed.
6. No food or drinks in the lab. Screw-top drinks are
allowed in seated area.
Consequences
The following represent a minimum response to
violations of our health and safety policy:
1. Visual or verbal warning
2. Student/teacher conference
3. Parent contact and/or detention
4. Referral to Assistant Principal
Late work policy
All work is due at the beginning of class. If it is turned in
late, it is worth 70% of the maximum points.
Your grades will be broken into categories with the
following weights:
• Tests – 75% • Major Labs/Projects – 75%
• Quizzes/Minor Labs– 25% • In-class/Homework – 25%
Tests will be graded on a square root curve.
Retests


Nope
You are welcome to do corrections, but they will not
change your score.
Absences
It is the student’s responsibility to request their make-up
assignments. The number of days allowed to complete
an assignment is equal to the number of days missed for
an excused absence. If you are absent the day a lab is
done, you have one week to make it up.
Student IDs
IDs are worn around the neck at ALL times.
Bathroom
Please use the bathroom before or after class. If you
must go during class, please do not ask to go 10 minutes
after or before the bell (BISD Policy).
Only go AFTER teacher gives you permission. You will
need to take the restroom pass.
Lab Safety
Please read and sign the lab safety contract. Always
follow the lab procedures or instructions. Students are
responsible for completing pre-lab assignments before
beginning lab. Physics is a lab intensive course and
participation is expected.
Teacher Website and E-mail
pietro.giustino@bisd.net
http://www.bisd.net/bhs/
->go to Teacher Sites tab and look under “G”
Tutorial Schedule
7:45-8:15am every morning, and 3:45-4:30pm Tuesdays
and Thursdays.
Course Outline
I.
Mechanics
a. Kinematics
i. Vectors
ii. 1d motion
iii. 2d motion
b. Newton’s Laws
i. 1st law (equilibrium)
ii. 2nd law (dynamics)
iii. 3rd law (reaction forces)
c. Work, energy, power
i. Work and work-energy theorem
ii. Forces and potential energy
iii. Conservation of energy
iv. Power
d. Linear momentum
i. Center of mass
ii. Impulse and momentum
iii. Conservation of linear momentum,
collisions
e. Circular motion
i. Uniform circular motion
ii. Torque and rotational statics
iii. Rotational kinematics and dynamics
iv. Angular momentum and its
conservation
f. Oscillations and gravitation
i. Simple harmonic motion (dynamics and
energy relationships)
ii. Mass on a spring
iii. Pendulum and other oscillations
iv. Newton’s law of gravity
v. Orbits of planets and satellites
1. Circular
2. General
II. E&M
a. Electrostatics
i. Charge and coulomb’s law
ii. Electric field and electric potential
iii. Gauss’s Law
iv. Potential fields
b. Capacitors
i. Electrostatics with conductors
ii. Capacitors
1. Capacitance
2. Parallel plate
3. Spherical and cylindrical
iii. Dielectrics
c. Circuits
i. Current, resistance, power
ii. Steady-state direct current circuits
iii. Capacitors in circuits
1. Steady state
2. Transients in RC circuits
d. Magnetic Fields
i. Forces on moving charges in magnetic fields
ii. Forces on current-carrying wires in magnetic
fields
iii. Fields of long current-carrying wires
iv. Biot-Savart law and Ampere’s law
e. Electromagnetism
i. Electromagnetic induction (including
Faraday’s law and Lenz’s law)
ii. Inductance (including LR and LC circuits)
iii. Maxwell’s equations
Review for AP Exam
5/13/13 – Mechanics in the morning; E&M in the
afternoon
Resources:
Familiarize yourself with the College Board’s “AP Central”
website. It is invaluable for finding exam information,
scoring rubrics, and even sample test questions. And no,
it’s not cheating! You can check out other useful study
materials and guides on my webpage’s resource links.
It is also acceptable to form study groups for test reviews
and exam preparation. Study, study, study! 
New this year! We are enrolled in an online homework
service called Quest. A UT eid is required to register and
participate. Questions will be pulled from your Tipler
textbook.
This is a year full of new beginnings! I can’t say how we
are going to fully take advantage of the iPad yet, because
there are many possibilities we have yet to explore.
Please don’t hesitate to share ideas throughout the year!