AP Physics B Text: Serway, Raymond A., and Jerry S. Faugh, College Physics, 7 th ed. Belmont, CA: Thomson Brooks/Cole, 2006. Course evaluation: - Grade determination Final Exam 15% Unit Exams 42.5% Daily Work 42.5% - chapter assignments, quizzes - laboratory activities - formal lab report Unit assessments are composed of multiple choice and free response questions from AP exams. Assignments for each chapter/unit are completed using Quest (https://quest.cns.utexas.edu/). The laboratory component of this course is described in detail after the course outline. Course outline Summer Review - Chapter 1 Introduction Topics Covered - Standards of length, mass, and time - Dimensional analysis - Conversion of units - Geometry / Trigonometry / Algebra - Significant figures - Coordinate systems - Vectors and scalars Unit 1 C1 Curricular Requirement: Newtonian mechanics - Instructional time: 3.5 weeks - Chapter 2 Motion in One Dimension - Displacement - Velocity - Acceleration - One-dimensional motion with constant acceleration - Free-fall Chapter 2 Quiz - Chapter 3 Vectors and Two-Dimensional Motion
- Vectors and Scalars - Projectile motion - Relative velocity Chapter 3 Quiz - Unit 1 Assessment Unit 2 C1 Curricular Requirement: Newtonian mechanics - Instructional time: 3.5 weeks - Chapter 4 Forces and the Laws of Motion - Force - Newton s laws - Force of friction - Air resistance Chapter 4 Quiz - Chapter 5 Work and Energy - Work - Energy - Conservation of energy - Work, energy, and power Chapter 5 Quiz - Unit 2 Assessment Unit 3 C1 Curricular Requirement: Newtonian mechanics - Instructional time: 4.5 weeks - Chapter 6 Momentum and Collisions - Momentum - Impulse - Conservation of momentum - Elastic and inelastic collisions Chapter 6 Quiz - Chapter 7 Rotational Motion and the Law of Gravity - Rotational quantities - Tangential and centripetal acceleration - Causes of circular motion - Newton s universal law of gravitation - Kepler s laws Chapter 7 Quiz - Chapter 8 Rotational Equilibrium and Rotational Dynamics - Torque - Rotational equilibrium - Simple machines
Chapter 8 Quiz - Unit 3 Assessment Unit 4 C2 Curricular Requirement: Fluid mechanics and thermal physics - Instructional time: 2 weeks - Chapter 9 - Fluids - Defining a fluid - Density - Pressure - Buoyant Force - Atmospheric pressure - Fluid flow - Conservation laws in fluids - Unit 4 Assessment Unit 5 C2 Curricular Requirement: Fluid mechanics and thermal physics - Instructional time: 3.5 weeks - Chapter 10 Thermal Physics - Zeroth law of thermodynamics - Constant-volume gas thermometer and the Kelvin scale - Thermal expansion - Ideal gases - Avogadro s number and the ideal gas law - Kinetic theory of gases - Molecular interpretation of temperature Chapter 10 Quiz - Chapter 11 Energy in Thermal Processes - Heat and internal energy - Units of heat - Specific heat - Calorimetry - Latent heat and phase change Chapter 11 Quiz - Chapter 12 The Laws of Thermodynamics - Work in thermodynamic processes - The first law of thermodynamics - Heat engines and the second law of thermodynamics - Reversible and irreversible processes - The Carnot engine - Entropy Chapter 12 Quiz - Unit 5 Assessment
Fall Semester Final Exam Unit 6 C3 Curricular Requirement: Waves and optics - Instructional time: 3 weeks - Chapter 13 Vibrations and Waves - Simple harmonic motion - Elastic potential energy - Velocity as a function of position - SHM compared to uniform circular motion - Motion of a pendulum - Damped oscillations - Waves - Frequency, amplitude, and wavelength - Speed of waves on strings - Interference of waves - Reflection of waves Chapter 13 Quiz - Chapter 14 - Sound - Producing a sound wave - Categories of sound waves - The speed of sound - The Doppler effect - Interference of sound waves - Standing waves - Standing waves in air columns - Beats Chapter 14 Quiz - Unit 6 Assessment Unit 7 C4 Curricular Requirement: Electricity and magnetism - Instructional time: 2.5 weeks - Chapter 15 Electric Forces and Electric Fields - Properties of electric charges - Insulators and conductors - Coulomb s law - The electric field - Electric field lines - Conductors in electrostatic equilibrium Chapter 15 Quiz - Chapter 16 Electrical Energy and Capacitance - Potential difference and electric potential
- Electric potential and potential energy due to point charges - Potential and charged conductors - Equipotential surfaces - Capacitance - The parallel-plate capacitor - Combinations of capacitors - Energy stored in a charged capacitor Chapter 16 Quiz - Unit 7 Assessment Unit 8 C4 Curricular Requirement: Electricity and magnetism - Instructional time: 3 weeks - Chapter 17 Current and Resistance - Current and charge movement - Drift velocity - Sources and types of current - Behavior of resistors - Electric energy and power Chapter 17 Quiz - Chapter 18 Direct Current Circuits - Sources of emf - Resistors in series and in parallel - Kirchhoff s rules and complex DC circuits - RC circuits Chapter 18 - Unit 8 Assessment Unit 9 C4 Curricular Requirement: Electricity and magnetism - Instructional time: 2.5 weeks - Chapter 19 - Magnetism - Magnets - Magnetic fields - Magnetic forces - Magnetic force on a current-carrying conductor - Torque on a current loop in a uniform magnetic field - Charged particles in a magnetic field - Magnetic field a given distance from a current-carrying wire - Magnetic force between two parallel conductors - Magnetic field of a solenoid - Determining the magnetic field created by a toroid - Magnetic domains Chapter 19 Quiz - Chapter 20 Induced Voltages and Inductance
- Faraday s law of induction - Lenz s law - Motional emf Chapter 20 Quiz - Unit 9 Assessment Unit 10 C3 Curricular Requirement: Waves and optics - Instructional time: 3 weeks - Chapter 22 Reflection and Refraction of Light - Speed of light - Reflection of light - Refraction of light Chapter 22 Quiz - Chapter 23 Mirrors and Lenses - Mirrors - Lenses - Ray diagrams Chapter 23 Quiz - Chapter 24 Wave Optics - Conditions for interference - Young s double-slit interference - Change of phase due to reflection - Interference in thin films - Diffraction - Polarization Chapter 24 Quiz - Unit 10 Assessment Unit 11 Modern Physics C5 Curricular Requirement: Atomic and nuclear physics Instructional time: 2 weeks - Blackbody radiation and Plank s hypothesis - Photoelectric effect and the particle theory of light - Wave properties of particles - X-rays - Compton scattering - Atomic spectra - Properties of nuclei alpha decay beta decay gamma decay Unit 11 Assessment
AP Physics B Exam Relativity Unit Instructional time: 1.5 weeks - Michelson-Morley experiment - Einstein s principle of relativity - Consequences of special relativity - Relativistic momentum - Relativistic energy and the equivalence of mass and energy - General relativity Spring Semester Final Exam Laboratory Activities The majority of the following laboratory activities are computer-based using PASCO materials. Activities are incorporated in the curriculum to provide students experience with and/or understanding of the following as described in Objectives for the AP Physics Courses : 1) experimental design; 2) observation and measurement of real phenomena; 3) data analysis; 4) error analysis; and 5) communication of results. Students are required to maintain a portfolio of all laboratory activities. Students have one formal lab write up per semester over a major activity (60 minutes or longer) of their choosing. C6 Curricular Requirement: The course utilizes guided inquiry and student-centered learning to foster the development of critical thinking skills. C7 Curricular Requirement: The course includes a laboratory component comparable to college-level physics laboratories, with a minimum of 12 student-conducted laboratory investigations representing a variety of topics covered in the course. A hands-on laboratory component is required. Each student should complete a lab notebook or portfolio of lab reports. Mechanics - Position and time understanding motion (hands-on/30 minutes) investigate the motion of an object (mass) and graph results - Graphing position, velocity, and acceleration (hands-on/45 minutes) investigate the relationship between graphical representations - Acceleration due to gravity (hands-on/45 minutes) determine acceleration due to gravity - Newton s 2 nd law (hands-on/45 minutes) investigate the relationship between force, mass, and acceleration - Freefall with coffee filters (hands-on/60 minutes) determine terminal velocity
- Projectile motion (hands-on/75 minutes) investigate the relationship between initial velocity,, and projected distance - Circular motion (hands-on/60 minutes) investigate the relationship between tangential velocity, radius, centripetal acceleration, mass, and force (tension) - Conservation of momentum (hands-on/45 minutes) investigate the relationship between mass and velocity in collisions and explosions - Conservation of energy (hands-on/60 minutes) investigate transfer of potential energy (gravitational and elastic) and kinetic energy - Coefficient of kinetic friction (hands-on/60 minutes) determining coefficients of kinetic friction Fluids and Thermodynamics - Virtual fluids (virtual/45 minutes) use internet sites to better understand pressure, density, and fluid dynamics - Heat transfer (hands-on/45 minutes) determine heat transfer between objects/fluids - Heat engines (hands-on/45 minutes) investigate thermodynamic processes involved in a simple heat engine - PV diagrams and heat engines (hands-on/60 minutes) graphically represent thermodynamic processes Waves/Oscillations - Hooke s law and simple harmonic motion (hands-on/45 minutes) determine spring constants and understand their impact on the simple harmonic motion of a mass-spring system - Simple harmonic motion - pendulums (hands-on/60 minutes) graphically investigate the motion of a pendulum and relate conservation of energy concepts - Speed of sound with standing waves (hands-on/45 minutes) determine the speed of sound using resonance - Speed of sound with reflection (hands-on/30 minutes) analyze data to calculate the speed of sound Optics/Light - Mirrors/Reflection (hands-on/15 minutes) investigate basic concepts of reflection - Prisms (hands-on/15 minutes) investigate refraction of different wavelengths of light - Color addition (hands-on/15 minutes) investigate additive colors - Snell s law (hands-on/15 minutes) determine the index of refraction of acrylic - Lenses (hands-on/15 minutes) investigate basic concepts of refraction - Focal length of a thin lens (hands-on/60 minutes) analyze data to determine the focal length of a thin lens
- Telescope (hands-on/60 minutes) construct and determine the magnification of a telescope - Total internal reflection (hands-on/15 minutes) determine index of refraction after finding the critical angle for a material - Wavelength of light (hands-on/45 minutes) determine the wavelength of the dominate colors of light using a diffraction grating - Single slit diffraction (hands-on/45 minutes) investigate single slit diffraction - Double slit interference (hands-on/45 minutes) investigate double slit interference - Comparing diffraction and interference patterns (hands-on/60 minutes) compare the patterns formed by laser light passing through various combinations of slits Electromagnetism - Charging by conduction and induction (30 minutes) transfer charge between objects by conduction and induction - Static electricity (hands-on/45 minutes) investigate basic examples of static electricity - Equipotential mapping (hands-on/60 minutes) delineate an equipotential map and derive electric field lines - Ohm s Law (hands-on/45 minutes) investigate the relationship between resistance, current, and potential difference - Introduction to multimeters (hands-on/60 minutes) understand and use multimeters to measure resistance, current, and potential difference - Resistors in series and in parallel (hands-on/75 minutes) investigate the combination of resistors in series and in parallel - Electromagnets (hands-on/45 minutes) investigate the properties of electromagnets and magnetic fields - Electromagnetic induction (hands-on/45 minutes) investigate electromagnetic induction qualitatively and quantitatively - Transformers (hands-on/45 minutes) investigate several of the factors influencing the operation of a transformer - Virtual electricity and magnetism (virtual/45 minutes) use internet sites to better understand electromagnetic concepts Modern Physics - Introduction to atomic spectra (hands-on/45 minutes) investigate atomic spectra and atomic energy levels - Blackbody radiation (hands-on/60 minutes) compare theoretical wavelength to measured wavelength - The photoelectric effect (hands-on/60 minutes) investigate the photoelectric effect and determine Planck s constant