AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism, 2015-2016
Teacher: Brett Caswell
Room: B209
Phone: 512-594-1274
Email: brett.caswell@pfisd.net
Class Website: www.physicsteachersguidetothegalaxy.weebly.com
Main text: Physics for Scientists and Engineers, Tipler and Mosca, 6th edition
Course Description
This course is equivalent to a first-year college physics class and designed to prepare students for the AP
Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism Exam given in May. This course follows the syllabus for that
examination, and students passing the exam may receive college credit. The course requires and employs
a basic understanding of calculus (differentiation and integration) and requires a prior course, AP Physics
1 (on level physics is an acceptable prerequisite as well). The prerequisite calculus course may be taken
concurrently. Typically, 80% of class time will be devoted to class work and lecture, and 20% will be
laboratory work.
Grading
Grading for the course is broken down as follows:
Major grades
Minor grades
70%
30%
Major grades consist of exams, projects, and major labs. Minor grades consist of quizzes and minor labs.
Homework
Homework will be assigned but not picked up for grading. Homework should be viewed as practice in
preparation for exams and quizzes.
Quizzes
Quizzes will consist of questions (modified when necessary) from past AP Physics exams. Quiz questions
will be reflective of the questions on current assignments. Students should expect roughly one quiz per
week with the exception of weeks where an exam occurs. Short quizzes will be worth one minor grade,
long quizzes will be worth two.
Exams
Each exam will consist of a multiple choice and free response section, and each section will count as a
separate exam grade. The main purpose of this is to emulate the 50/50 weighting schema between
multiple choice and free response sections on the AP exam.
Exam Corrections
Exams may be corrected within two class days of receiving graded exam. Exam corrections are worth 50%
of missed exam points regardless of initial score. An exam score of less than 40% should result in
corrections and the student may retest.
Missed Exams
If you miss an exam due to an absence, you have 3 weekdays to make it up. If you have not made up the
exam by then, you will be required to take the exam during the first available class period.
Laboratory
Students will work in small groups to perform student-conducted, hands-on laboratory assignments, but
each student must write his or her own report. Laboratories are included in the schedule below. Most labs
begin as a problem for which the students must propose and develop their own solution. They then
conduct an experiment to test their ideas, make observations, and take measurements. Finally, they form
conclusions based on their collected measurements, observations, and data and error analysis.
Course Planner
Unit
1
Number of Days
4
2
6
3
5
4
6
Topics
Electric Charges and Forces
The Electric Field
Gauss’s Law
The Electric Potential
Potential and Field
Current and Resistance
Fundamentals of Circuits
The Magnetic Field
Electromagnetic Induction