AP Physics B – Syllabus
School: Marion Senior High School, Marion Va.
Instructor: Scott Yost
Text: Physics: Principles and Problems , 2005. Glencoe-McGraw-Hill Inc.
Course Description: AP Physics B is a college level Physics course that uses advanced algebra and trigonometry as the primary tool for problem solving. It follows the guidelines set by the College Board for content and lab experience, and is equivalent to that covered in a typical college level algebra based physics course. Algebra II and Chemistry are pre-requisites to taking this course. This course covers topics in mechanics, energy, waves, thermodynamics, electricity, magnetism, optics, quantum theory and nuclear physics. The course will be covered in 2 - 90 day semesters and will meet 5 days a week for 50 minutes per day. The two weeks prior to the AP exam will be reserved as review for the AP Physics B Test.
Evaluation:
Classwork / Homework: 20%
Quizzes: 20%
Labs: 20%
Tests: 20%
Final Exam: 20%
Students Grades will be averaged every 9 weeks, to coincide with Marion Senior High School’s report card schedule to indicate progress.
Labs will be open ended with a problem stated, materials provided and you will be expected to use the scientific method to discover a solution to the problem, either mathematically or graphically, through observation and data collection.
Course Content:
I. Newtonian Mechanics
1. Introduction
What is Physics? / Physics and it’s applications
SI Units / Conversions / Significant Digits / Accuracy and Precision
The Scientific Method
2. Motion in one dimension
Describing Motion (speed, velocity, acceleration and free fall)
Graphing Representation of Motion in one dimension
3. Motion in two dimensions
Vectors and Scalar
Graphical and Analytical Method of Vector Addition
Relative Velocity
Projectile Motion
“Newton’s Cannon”
Equilibrium
4. Force and Motion
Newton’s Laws of Motion and friction
Impulse and Momentum
Angular Momentum
5. Circular Motion and Universal Gravitation
Centripetal Force
Satellite Motion
Unversal Gravitation
Einstein’s Theory of Gravitation
Kepler’s Laws of Planetary Motion
6. Work, Energy and Simple Machines
Work
Potential Energy
Kinetic Energy
Conservation of Energy
Energy Conversions
Ideal and Mechanical Advantage
7. Rotational Motion
Torque
8. Static Equilibrium
Translational Equilibrium
II. Fluid Mechanics and Thermal Physics
9. Fluids
Hydrostatic pressure
Buoyancy
Fluid Flow Continuity
Bernoulli’s Equation
10. Kinetic Theory and Temperature
Thermal Expansion
Kinetic Theory
11. Heat
Mechanical Equivalent of Heat
Heat Transfer
12. Laws of Thermodynamics
First & Second Law of Thermodynamics
Heat Engines
Energy Conservation
III. Electricity and Magnetism
13. Electric Charge and Electric Field
Electrostatic Force
Coulomb’s Law
Electric Field
14. Electric Potential and Capacitance
Electric Potential Energy
Electric Potential Difference
Capacitance
15. Electric Current
Ohm’s Law
Resistance
Power
16. DC Circuits
Series Circuits
Parallel Circuits (Kirchhoff’s Rules)
17. Magnetism
Magnetic Field and Magnetic Forces
Electromagnetic Induction
Faraday’s Law
Lenz’s Law
Transformers
IV Waves and Optics
18. Vibrations and Waves
Simple Harmonic Motion
The Pendulum
Types of Waves / Behavior of Waves at a Boundary
19. Standing Waves
Sound
Source of Sound
Interference
Doppler Effect
20. Light: Optics
Reflection
Refraction
Interference and Diffraction
Snell’s Law of Refraction
Total Internal Reflection
Speed of Light in a medium
Image Formation
Lens / Mirror Equation and Magnification
Wave Nature of Light
Electromagnetic Waves and Electromagnetic Spectrum.
V. Atomic and Nuclear Physics
Early Quantum Theory
Quantum Theory
Photoelectric Effect
Atomic Energy Levels
Compton Effect
21. Nuclear Physics
Mass Defect and Binding Energy
22. Nuclear Energy
Nuclear Recations
Fission
Fusion
Nuclear Reactors
Laboratory Activities
Students are required to maintain a Lab Portfolio ( usually kept in the classroom in a portfolio for quick reference) of graded Laboratory Reports. All labs are hands on activities where students have a procedure that they must follow, collect data and answer a list of questions for a written conclusion.. t Also there is an analysis component to most labs where graphs plotted must be analyzed, and relationships between variables identified. Students can plot graphs by hand or on a computer and print them out with appropriately labeled axis. Laboratory data is collected in class and taken home.
Students will be required to Design experiments to investigate problems, by using the scientific method to organize and collect data and display their results.
Laboratory investigations to include the following topics:
Vector Addition and Resolution : (Graphically adding vectors in 2 –dimensions, finding Resultants)
Graphical Analysis of motion : (Graphical Representation of velocity and acceleration on position-time and velocity-time graphs)
Air Tracks ( Online Lab)
Acceleration down an incline
Pulley systems (calculating IMA, MA and efficiency of various pulley systems)
Projectile Motion (Analysis of horizontal and vertical components of velocity, predicting range)
Archimedes Principle
The Force table
Torque and Balancing Forces
The Coefficient of Friction (Determining which factors influence friction, calculating the coefficient of friction for various materials)
Electric Circuits: ( Series and Parallel, constructing various circuits from schematic diagrams, analyzing brightness, calculating current voltage, resistance)
Magnetic Fields (Drawing Magnetic Fields)
Optics ( Ray Diagrams and Optical Bench)
The Simple Pendulum : (Calculating gravity, predicting length of a pendulum with a specific period. Analyzing effect of mass and arc length on period of a pendulum)
Conservation of Momentum / Conservation of energy: (analyzing collisions in one dimension, calculating changes in momentum and changes in kinetic energy, describing energy loss)
Ohm’s Law in a simple circuit
Verifying Kepler’s Laws from planetary data
Using Experimental Probability to determine size (combining experimentation and the mathematics of probability to determine the size of a marble.
Snell’s Law of Refraction: (calculating angle of refraction for known medium, identifying unknown media by angle of refraction.)
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