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AP Physics C: Mechanics

Overview of AP Physics C

This course in AP Physics C is taught as a second year course following the Pre-AP Physics course. The two subjects, Mechanics and Electricity and Magnetism (E & M) are taught over a two semester academic year using an alternating block schedule with ninety minute class periods every other school day. AP Physics C: Mechanics is taught during the fall semester. Because the course uses calculus in the conceptual development, AP Calculus is required as a pre-requisite or concurrent enrollment.

Textbook:

Fundamentals of Physics Extended, 10th Edition

by David Halliday, Robert Resnick, Jearl Walker

ISBN 978-1-118-23072-5

August 2013, ©2014

Hardcover, 1448 pages

Calculator: TI-83, TI-83 Plus

The classes are conducted using a combination of interactive multimedia presentations and demonstrations using a guided inquiry strategy. I encourage full participation by using participation points and peer collaboration for problem-solving discussions.

Grading Policy:

Tests – 50%

Tests are administered after each unit of material. Each test consists of 2 sections – 30-40 multiple choice questions and 3-5 free response problems.

Laboratory Work – 25%

Most of the lab experiments are open-ended, i.e. the student is given an objective and a list of equipment. Students design their own procedure, and after having been compared to a pre-existing procedure, they collect and analyze data in their own methods. Data collection is most commonly through the use of Vernier Software or PASCO probes and equipment. Data collection time is built into the syllabus, however procedure development, data analysis, and laboratory reports are work to be done outside of the classroom. Labs are either full or half class periods (90 minutes or 45 minutes), however this is experimentation time, not including time discussing aspects or conclusions from the labs.

A laboratory report is to be completed for each of the completed laboratory experiments. This laboratory report contains a proper title, problem, hypothesis, materials, setup schematic, procedure, data collection and analysis, and conclusion. If the data analysis includes any graphical representations, it must be shown on graph paper, with properly identified axes and values. The conclusion contains a discussion of sources of error in the laboratory experiment as well as any concepts or equations that can be developed from the experimental data. In most labs, additional post-lab discussion questions are handed out in order to point out important concepts that may not be readily apparent. If thought necessary, post-lab quizzes are given to reinforce concepts and ideas shown by the experiment. Labs are to be collected in a lab notebook for their own records or reference in future physics lab courses.

Each lab will require:

• The formation of an hypothesis or hypotheses, based on in-class discussion of the presented problem or focus of each experiment

• Design of (an) experiment(s), also based on in-class discussion, to test the hypothesis or hypotheses

• Collection of data and observations

• Calculations using the collected data

• Conclusions about how well the hypothesis or hypotheses held up based on the experiment. This may or may not involve analysis of graphs of the data

• Class discussion of variance and error analysis

• Written report

Daily Grades, Homework and Quizzes – 25%

Quizzes mostly consist of problems from the test, questions concerning a reading assignment, and previous AP exam free response problems. Homework assignments are typically given from the textbook.

Course Outline and Labs

1. Kinematics (including vectors, vector algebra, components of vectors, coordinate systems, displacement, velocity, and acceleration) (18%)

a. Instructional Time: 3 weeks

b. Corresponding Text:

i. Chapter 2: Motion in 1 Dimension

ii. Chapter 3: Motion in 2 and 3 Dimensions

c. Laboratory Experiments:

i. Motion in One Dimension

1. Objective: To analyze the motion of objects moving at constant speed and at uniform accelerated motion. Data should be collected to produce a graph of x versus t and use the graph to plot a v versus t graph for each object.

2. Equipment: CBL, motion detectors, stopwatch, meter stick

3. Type of Lab: Inquiry-based/Open-ended

4. Allotted time: 45 minutes

ii. Accelerated Motion

1. Objective: To analyze the motion of objects moving at accelerating speed at a uniform rate. Data should be collected to show the relationship between the angle of a ramp and its acceleration as compared to free fall acceleration.

2. Equipment: CBL, ramp, dynamics carts, motion detectors, protractor, stopwatch

3. Type of Lab: Inquiry-based/Open-ended

4. Allotted time: 90 minutes

iii. Vector Addition

1. Objective: To compare the experimental value of a resultant of several vectors to the values obtained through graphical and analytical methods.

2. Equipment: Force table set, ruler, meter stick, protractor

3. Type of Lab: Inquiry-based/Open-ended

4. Allotted time: 90 minutes

iv. Projectile Motion

1. Objective: To determine the initial velocity of a projectile and the angle at which the maximum range can be attained.

2. Equipment: Projectile launcher, meterstick, stopwatch

3. Type of Lab: Inquiry-based/Open-ended

4. Allotted time: 90 minutes

2. Newton’s Laws of Motion (20%)

a. Instructional Time: 3 weeks

b. Corresponding Text:

i. Chapter 4: Newton’s Laws

ii. Chapter 5: Applications of Newton’s Laws

c. Laboratory Experiments:

i. Atwood’s Machine & Newton’s Second Law

1. Objective: To determine the acceleration of a system and the tension in the string.

2. Equipment: CBL, Atwood’s machine (string, weights, pulley), “smart pulley” data collection device, meter stick, stopwatch

3. Type of Lab: Inquiry-based/Open-ended

4. Allotted time: 90 minutes

ii. Frictional Forces

1. Objective: Determination of static and kinetic coefficients of friction using two different methods.

2. Equipment: CBL, Rectangular friction blocks (felt, wood, sand paper), spring scale, track, motion detectors, electronic scale, ramp, protractor, force carts.

3. Type of Lab: Inquiry-based/Open-ended

4. Allotted time: 90 minutes.

3. Work, Energy and Power (14%)

a. Instructional Time: 3 weeks

b. Corresponding Text:

i. Chapter 6: Work and Energy

ii. Chapter 7: Conservation of Energy

c. Laboratory Experiments:

i. Conservation of Mechanical Energy

1. Objective: To determine the velocity of a system in order to verify the conservation of mechanical energy.

2. Equipment: CBL, modified Atwood’s machine, dynamics cart and track, assorted masses, meter stick, stopwatch, smart pulley

3. Type of Lab: Inquiry-based/Open-ended

4. Allotted Time: 90 minutes

ii. Conservation of Spring Potential Energy

1. Objective: To determine the conservation of mechanical energy of a spring using both the determination of the velocity of a system and the change in height of a vertical spring.

2. Equipment: CBL, clamps, lab stands, assorted masses, meter stick, motion detector, assorted springs of unknown spring constants.

3. Type of Lab: Inquiry-based/Open-ended

4. Allotted time: 90 minutes

4. Systems of Particles, Linear Momentum (12%)

a. Instructional Time: 2 weeks

b. Corresponding Text:

i. Chapter 8: Systems of Particles and Conservation of Momentum

c. Laboratory Experiments:

i. Conservation of Linear Momentum

1. Objective: To determine the velocity of each cart before and after a collision. This will be done for both inelastic and perfectly inelastic collisions. Recoil ‘collisions’ are also investigated.

2. Equipment: CBL, motion detector, dynamic carts, meter stick

3. Type of Lab: Inquiry-based/Open-ended

4. Allotted time: 90 minutes

5. Circular Motion and Rotation (18%)

a. Instructional Time: 3 weeks

b. Corresponding Text:

i. Chapter 9: Rotation

ii. Chapter 10: Conservation of Angular Momentum

c. Laboratory Experiments:

i. Centripetal Force

1. Objective: To determine the velocity of a flying object and the tension in the string.

2. Equipment: Electronic scale, meter stick, stop watch, various masses including self-propelling toys

3. Type of Lab: Inquiry-based/Open-ended

4. Allotted time: 90 minutes

6. Oscillations and Gravitation (18%)

a. Instructional Time: 3 weeks

b. Corresponding Text:

i. Chapter 11: Gravity

ii. Chapter 14: Oscillations

c. Laboratory Experiments:

i. Potential Energy Investigation: Spring and Gravitational

1. Objectives: To determine the spring constant of the spring, the evaluation of the extent to which the change in gravitational potential energy of the mass is equal to the change in the spring potential energy.

2. Equipment: CBL, motion detectors, Hooke’s law apparatus, assorted masses, meterstick, stopwatch

3. Type of Lab: Inquiry-based/Open-ended

4. Allotted time: 90 minutes

ii. Potential Energy Investigation: Pendula

1. Objective: To determine the variation of periods of a pendulum in relationship to length, mass and maximum angle.

2. Equipment: Lab stand, stop watch, meter stick, protractor, various masses

3. Type of Lab: Inquiry-based/Open-ended

4. Allotted time: 90 minutes

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