WEBSITE

Professor Chris Kappelmeier
Room 321 A
(973) 875-3101 ext. 313

A.P. Physics

Honors Physics

C.P. Physics A

A.P. / Honors Calculus

2007-2008 Teaching Schedule

Period	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
1		A.P. / Honors Calculus	A.P. / Honors Calculus	A.P. / Honors Calculus	A.P. / Honors Calculus
2	C.P. Physics A	C.P. Physics A	C.P. Physics A	C.P. Physics A	C.P. Physics A Lab
3	A.P. Physics Lab	Honors Physics Lab		A.P. / Honors Calculus	C.P. Physics A Lab
4	A.P. Physics	A.P. Physics	A.P. Physics	A.P. Physics	A.P. Physics
5			C.P. Physics A Lab
6	C.P. Physics A	C.P. Physics A	C.P. Physics A Lab	C.P. Physics A	C.P. Physics A
7	A.P. / Honors Calculus	A.P. / Honors Calculus	A.P. / Honors Calculus	A.P. / Honors Calculus	A.P. / Honors Calculus
8		A.P. Physics	A.P. Physics	A.P. Physics	A.P. Physics
9	Internal / Halls		Internal Halls		Internal Halls

AP^® Calculus AB

Text

Calculus of a Single Variable, Early Transcendental Functions, 4^th ed., by Larson/Hostetler/Edwards, 2007, Houghton Mifflin Company.

Course Description

This course follows the Calculus AB topic outline as it appears in the AP^® Calculus Course Description, including several topics to be covered after the exam. The two objectives of this course are that the students do well on the AP exam and in subsequent courses.

Most of the content for this course will be covered during the first twenty-four weeks. The TI graphing calculator will be used throughout the course, however, it is important that the students first understand the calculus before using their calculators. When all of the course content has been covered, the remaining time will be devoted to preparing for the AP exam and student activities.

After the exam has been taken, several additional topics will be presented and included on the final exam for this course.

This course meets six periods per week. In a typical week, three periods are devoted to classroom lecture and three periods are used for collaborative problem solving.

Lecture

Concepts, proofs, and problem-solving techniques are introduced through a combination of lectures, demonstrations, question-answer sessions, and homework assignments. The lectures and demonstrations are given with the help of an interactive whiteboard and a TI graphing calculator, equipped with TI Connect software, whenever appropriate.

Problem Solving

Students are given a set of problems to solve in class. Students work collaboratively in small groups to solve each of the problems. The solutions are then presented to the class by students using the interactive whiteboard. Students are encouraged to challenge any solutions they do not agree with while the authors of the solution defend their work.

Student Activities

A collection of mini-laboratory experiments are conducted to demonstrate appropriate applications of the fundamental principles of Calculus. These experiments are conducted using Vernier Probes and Vernier Lab Pro devices along with the TI graphing calculators.

Picket Fence Free Fall

Students measure the free fall acceleration of a body to a better than 0.5% accuracy using a motion sensor.

Ball Toss

Students analyze the position, velocity, and acceleration curves vs. time as measured by a motion detector and compare them to calculated values.

Newton’s Law of Cooling

Students use the solution of differential equations to predict the temperature of cooling water. They then compare these results to measurements made with a temperature probe.

Course Outline

Week 1-2: Pre-Calculus Review

· Lines and Linear Functions

· Polynomials and Rational Functions

· Functions and Graphs

· Exponential, Logarithmic, and Trigonometric Functions

Week 3-5: Limits and Continuity

· Finding Limits Graphically and Numerically

· Evaluating Limits Analytically

· Continuity and One-Sided Limits

· Limits Involving Infinity

Week 6-10: Derivatives

· Definition of Derivative

· The Tangent Line Problem

· Differentiability

· Basic Differentiation Rules and Rates of Change

· Product and Quotient Rules

· Higher Order Derivatives

· The Chain Rule

· Implicit Derivatives

· Derivatives of Inverse Trigonometric Functions

· Derivatives of Logarithmic and Exponential Functions

Week 11-15: Applications of the Derivative

· Extreme Values

· Rolle’s Theorem and Mean Value Theorem

· Increasing and Decreasing Functions and the 1^st Derivative Test

· Concavity and the 2^nd Derivative Test

· Limits at Infinity

· Curve Sketching

· Optimization Problems

· Linearization Models

· Related Rates

· Differentials

Week 16-19: Integration

· Antiderivatives and Indefinite Integration

· Approximating Areas

· Riemann Sums and Definite Integrals

· The Fundamental Theorem of Calculus

· Integration by Substitution

· Numerical Integration

· Integration of Natural Logarithmic Functions

· Integration of Inverse Trigonometric Functions

Week 20-21: Differential Equations

· Slope Fields

· Growth and Decay

· Separable Differential Equations

Week 22-25: Applications of Definite Integrals

· Area of a Region Between Two Curves

· Volume: The Disk Method

· Volume: The Shell Method

Week 26-31: Exam Preparation

· Review

· Practice Exams

· AP® Exam

Week 32-36: Topics for After the Exam

· Newton’s Method

· Arc Length and Surfaces of Revolution

· Integration by Parts

· Trigonometric Substitution

· Partial Fractions

· Improper Integrals

· Indeterminate Forms

· Sequences

· Series

· Tests for Convergence

Graphing Calculators

Students will use a graphing calculator throughout the course, although on some assignments, quizzes, and tests they will not be permitted to use them. Almost all students use either the TI84+ or TI89 graphing calculators.

The graphing calculators will be used as a tool to illustrate ideas and topics. Emphasis will be placed on the four required functionalities of graphing technology:

Finding a root.
Sketching a function.
Approximating a derivative at a particular point.
Approximating a definite integral at a particular point.

Student Evaluation

Final grades will be based on the following:

Mid-Term & Final Exam: 20%

Quizzes and Tests: 50%

Homework: 20%

Activities: 10%

Throughout the course quizzes and tests are given in AP multiple choices or free response formats and graded in the AP style. When all of the material for the AP course has been covered, usually by mid-March, a series of practice AP exams are given. These practice exams include both free response and multiple choice questions.

Teacher Resources

Finney Demana, Waits, & Kennedy, Calculus, Graphical, Numerical, Algebraic, 3^rd ed., New York, Prentice Hall, 2007.

Hockett and Brock, How to Prepare for the Advanced Placement Exam Calculus, 8^th ed., New York, Barron’s, 2005.

Lederman, Multiple Choice and Free Response Questions in Preparation for the AP Calculus AB Exam, 8^th ed., New York, 2003.

AP Calculus Multiple Choice Question Collection 1969-1998, College Board Advanced Placement Program, 2005.

College Placement Physics A

Text

Physics Principles with Applications, 5^th ed., by Giancoli, 2002, Prentice Hall.

Course Description

This course is designed to prepare students for an algebra based college physics course for non-science majors. The course requires a fundamental understanding of algebra.

In this course, major activities include:

Lecture and Discussion
Problem Solving
Laboratory

The class meets six periods per week. During a typical week four periods are devoted to lecture, discussion, and problem solving. The other two periods are devoted to laboratory experiments.

Lecture and Discussion

Concepts and problem-solving techniques are introduced through a combination of lectures, demonstrations, question-answer sessions, and homework assignments from the textbook. Lectures and demonstrations are given with the help of an interactive whiteboard. However, many demonstrations are the classic physical demonstrations using a variety of lab equipment. Students are given sets of conceptual questions to solve together in small groups. Group and individual ideas are then discussed together in the classroom.

Problem Solving

Students are given a set of homework problems. These problems are a combination of textbook problems, conceptual questions, online problems, and teacher generated problems. Students work to solve these problems individually, in small groups, and as a whole class. Periodically students are asked to use the interactive whiteboard to present their solutions to the class.

Laboratory

Students work in small groups to perform hands-on laboratory assignments. Each student must write his or her own laboratory report . Many of the laboratory experiments begin with students given a problem to solve experimentally. The students develop their own experimental procedure, make measurements, and form conclusions based upon their data and observations. Many of the laboratory experiments are conducted using Vernier Sensors with Vernier LabPro^TM.

The laboratory experiments conducted during this course are included in the schedule below.

Course Outline

Because all students in this course have completed a first year physics course which included mechanics, many of the topics of mechanics are only reviewed in this course.

Week 1

Measurements

· Metric System Review

· Significant Digits Review

Density Lab

Students will measure the mass and dimensions of several objects using a variety measurement devices and techniques. They will then calculate the density of each object using proper dimensional analysis, units, and significant digits. Students will then conduct a thorough error analysis using the results of five trial measurements of each object.

Week 2-4

Kinematics in One-Dimension

· Displacement

· Velocity

· Acceleration

· Uniformly Accelerated Motion

· Graphical Analysis of Motion

· Free Fall

Accelerated Motion Lab

Students will use a motion sensor to measure distance and velocity for a cart as it accelerates down a slope and then determine the mathematical relationships between distance, velocity, acceleration, and time.

Picket Fence Free Fall Lab

Students will use a smart pulley and a photogate to determine the acceleration due to gravity on a freely falling object. They will then compare their results with the accepted value of g.

Week 5-7

Kinematics in Two Dimensions

· Vectors and Scalars

· Addition and Subtraction of Vectors

· Vector Components

· Projectile Motion

· Relative Velocity

Projectile Motion Lab

Students will use a photogate to measure the speed of a ball as it rolls off a table and use kinematics to predict the point of impact.

Week 8-11

Motion and Force

· Force

· Newton’s 1^st law of Motion; Inertia

· Mass

· Newton’s 2^nd Law of Motion; Acceleration

· Weight

· Newton’s 3^rd Law of Motion; Reaction

· Free-Body Diagrams

· Solving Problems Using Newton’s Laws

· Applications Involving Friction and Incline Planes

· Frictional Forces

Newton’s Second Law Lab

Students will use a force sensor and an accelerometer to make measurements and determine the relationship between force, mass, and acceleration.

Atwood’s Machine Lab

Students will use a photogate to determine the acceleration of an Atwood’s Machine and develop the relationship between acceleration and each of the masses.

Static and Kinetic Friction Lab

Students will use a force sensor and a motion detector to determine the coefficients of friction of several objects as they are pulled across a particular surface.

Force Table Lab

Students will determine the force created by the combination of several forces of different magnitude and in different directions.

Week 12-14

Circular Motion; Gravitation

· Uniform Circular Motion

· Non-uniform Circular Motion

· Newton’s Law of Universal Gravitation

· Satellites and Weightlessness

Centripetal Force Lab

Students will determine the centripetal force keeping a ball spinning in uniform circular motion by measuring the tension in the string.

Week 13-16

Work, Power, & Energy

· Work

· Work Done by a Varying Force

· Kinetic Energy

· Gravitational Potential Energy

· Work-Energy Theorem

· Conservation of Mechanical Energy

· Non-Conservative Forces

· Power

Energy of a Tossed Ball Lab

Students will use a motion detector to measure the changes in potential and kinetic energy of a ball as it moves in free-fall.

Energy in Simple Harmonic Motion Lab

Students will test the principle of conservation of energy using a motion detector and an oscillating spring-mass system.

Week 17-18

Review and Mid-Term Exam

Week 19-20

Linear Momentum

· Impulse

· Conservation of Linear Momentum

· Collisions

· Two-Dimensional Collisions

Impulse and Momentum Lab

Students will measure the momentum change of a cart using a motion detector and compare it to the impulse it received using a force sensor.

Week 21-24

Waves and Sound

· Transverse and Longitudinal Waves

· Wave Speed

· Superposition of Waves

· Standing Waves

· Simple Harmonic Motion

· Energy in a Harmonic Oscillator

· Pendulums

· Resonance

· Damped Oscillations

· Sound Waves

· Loudness and Intensity

· Resonance

· Doppler Effect

· Shock Waves

Pendulum Lab

Students will determine the factors that effect the period of a pendulum.

Sound Waves and Beats Lab

Students will measure the frequency and amplitude of sound waves produced by tuning forks and observe the beats between sounds of two tuning forks.

Speed of Sound Lab

Students will measure the speed of sound in a long tube and compare it to the accepted value of the speed of sound.

Week 25-28

Optics

· The Electromagnetic Spectrum

· Reflection and Refraction of Light

· Dispersion

· Total Internal Reflection

· Plane & Spherical Mirrors

· Thin Lenses

· Lens Equation & Ray Tracing

Light, Brightness, and Distance Lab

Students will determine the mathematical relationship between intensity and distance from a light source.

Reflection and Refraction: Tracing Light Rays Lab

Students will study the bending and bouncing of light incident on different surfaces.

Telescope Lab

Students will build a telescope using basic lab equipment to simulate the telescope Galileo used to look at the moon.

Week 29-32

Fluids

· Density

· Pressure

· Hydrostatic Pressure

· Pascal’s Principle & Hydraulics

· Archimedes’s Principle & Buoyancy

· Continuity

· Bernoulli’s Equation

· Application of Bernoulli’s Principle

Archimedes Lab

Students will use Archimedes’s principle of buoyancy to determine the density of an unknown material.

Week 35-36

Review and Final Exam

Course Evaluation

Final grades will be based on the following:

Mid-Term and Final Exam: 20%

Quizzes and Tests: 40%

Homework: 20%

Laboratory Work: 20%

Honors Physics

Text

College Physics, 6^th ed., by Serway/Faughn, 2003, Thomson.

Course Description

This course is equivalent to a first-year algebra based college physics class designed to prepare students for the AP^® Physics C course and subsequent courses. The course requires a fundamental understanding of algebra and trigonometry.

In this course, major activities include:

Lecture and Discussion
Problem Solving
Laboratory

The class meets six periods per week. During a typical week four periods are devoted to lecture, discussion, and problem solving. The other two periods are devoted to laboratory experiments.

Lecture and Discussion

Problem Solving

Students are given a set of homework problems. These problems are a combination of textbook problems, online problems, teacher generated problems, and conceptual questions. Students work to solve these problems both individually, in small groups, and as a whole class. Periodically students are asked to use the interactive whiteboard to present their solutions to the class.

Laboratory

Students work in small groups to perform hands-on laboratory assignments. Each student must write his or her own laboratory report and keep a copy of all laboratory investigations and reports. Many of the laboratory experiments begin with students given a problem to solve experimentally. The students develop their own experimental procedure, make measurements, and form conclusions based upon their data and observations. Many of the laboratory experiments are conducted using Vernier Sensors with Vernier LabPro^TM.

The laboratory experiments conducted during this course are included in the schedule below.

Course Outline

Because all students in this course have completed a first year physics course which included mechanics, many of the topics of mechanics are only reviewed in this course.

Week 1-2

Measurements and Vectors

· Metric System Review

· Significant Digits Review

· Magnitude and Direction

· Vector Addition and Subtraction

· Vector Components

Density Lab

Week 3-6

Kinematics

· Displacement

· Velocity

· Acceleration

· Uniformly Accelerated Motion

· Graphical Analysis of Motion

· Free Fall

· Projectile Motion

Accelerated Motion Lab

Projectile Motion Lab

Students will use a photogate to measure the speed of a ball as it rolls off a table and use kinematics to predict the point of impact.

Week 7-11

Newton’s Laws

· Newton’s 1^st law of Motion; Inertia

· Newton’s 2^nd Law of Motion; Acceleration

· Newton’s 3^rd Law of Motion; Reaction

· Fundamental Forces

· Weight vs. Mass

· Frictional Forces

· Restoring Forces

· Incline Planes

· Uniform Circular Motion

Newton’s Second Law Lab

Students will use a force sensor and an accelerometer to make measurements and determine the relationship between force, mass, and acceleration.

Atwood’s Machine Lab

Students will use a photogate to determine the acceleration of an Atwood’s Machine and develop the relationship between acceleration and each of the masses.

Static and Kinetic Friction Lab

Students will use a force sensor and a motion detector to determine the coefficients of friction of several objects as they are pulled across a particular surface.

Week 12-14

Work, Power, & Energy

· Work

· Work Done by a Varying Force

· Kinetic Energy

· Gravitational Potential Energy

· Work-Energy Theorem

· Conservation of Mechanical Energy

· Non-Conservative Forces

· Power

Energy of a Tossed Ball Lab

Students will use a motion detector to measure the changes in potential and kinetic energy of a ball as it moves in free-fall.

Energy in Simple Harmonic Motion Lab

Students will test the principle of conservation of energy using a motion detector and an oscillating spring-mass system.

Week 15-16

Linear Momentum

· Impulse

· Conservation of Linear Momentum

· Collisions

· Two-Dimensional Collisions

Impulse and Momentum Lab

Students will measure the momentum change of a cart using a motion detector and compare it to the impulse it received using a force sensor.

Week 17-18

Review and Mid-Term Exams

Week 19-22

Thermal Physics

· Temperature Scales

· Specific Heat

· Latent Heat

· Calorimetry

· Thermal Expansion

· Heat Transfer

· Kinetic Theory of Gases

· Ideal Gas Law

· The 1^st Law of Thermodynamics

· The 2^nd Law of Thermodynamics

· The Carnot Cycle

Introduction to Thermodynamic Principles I Lab

Students will use calorimetry to determine the specific heat of an unknown material.

Introduction to Thermodynamic Principles II Lab

Students will use calorimetry to determine the latent heat of fusion of an ice cube.

Greenhouse Lab

Students will use temperature probes to determine the rise in temperature in a box due to the greenhouse effect.

Week 23-25

Waves and Sound

· Transverse and Longitudinal Waves

· Wave Speed

· Superposition of Waves

· Standing Waves

· Sound Waves

· Loudness and Intensity

· Resonance

· Doppler Effect

Pendulum Lab

Students will determine the factors that effect the period of a pendulum.

Sound Waves and Beats Lab

Students will measure the frequency and amplitude of sound waves produced by tuning forks and observe the beats between sounds of two tuning forks.

Speed of Sound Lab

Students will measure the speed of sound in a long tube and compare it to the accepted value of the speed of sound.

Week 25-28

Optics

· The Electromagnetic Spectrum

· Reflection and Refraction of Light

· Dispersion

· Total Internal Reflection

· Plane & Spherical Mirrors

· Thin Lenses

· Lens Equation & Ray Tracing

Light, Brightness, and Distance Lab

Students will determine the mathematical relationship between intensity and distance from a light source.

Reflection and Refraction: Tracing Light Rays Lab

Students will study the bending and bouncing of light incident on different surfaces.

Telescope Lab

Students will build a telescope using basic lab equipment to simulate the telescope Galileo used to look at the moon.

Week 29-32

Fluids

· Density

· Pressure

· Hydrostatic Pressure

· Pascal’s Principle & Hydraulics

· Archimedes’s Principle & Buoyancy

· Continuity

· Bernoulli’s Equation

· Application of Bernoulli’s Principle

Archimedes Lab

Students will use Archimedes’s principle of buoyancy to determine the density of an unknown material.

Week 33-34

Relativity

· Postulates of the Special Theory of Relativity

· Galilean Relativity

· The Speed of Light

· The Michelson – Morley Experiment

· Einstein’s Principle of Relativity

· Consequences of Special Relativity

· Time Dilation

· The Twin Paradox

· Length Contraction

· Relativistic Momentum

· Relativistic Addition of Velocities

· The Equivalence of Mass and Energy

· General Relativity

· Black Holes

Week 35-36

Review and Final Exam

Course Evaluation

Final grades will be based on the following:

Mid-Term and Final Exam: 20%

Quizzes and Tests: 40%

Homework: 20%

Laboratory Work: 20%

AP^® Physics C (Mechanics)

Text

Fundamentals of Physics, 7^th ed., by Halliday/Resnick/Walker, 2005, John Wiley & Sons.

Course Description

This course is equivalent to a first-year college physics class and is designed to prepare students for the AP^® Physics C Mechanics Exam given in May. This course follows the syllabus for that exam, and students passing the exam may receive college credit. The course requires an understanding of calculus, and also requires the completion of a prior physics course.

In this course, major activities include:

Lecture and Discussion
Problem Solving
Laboratory
Exam Review

The class meets six periods per week. Typically four periods per week are devoted to lecture, discussion, and problem solving and two periods are spent doing laboratory experiments. Over the course of the semester, about 20% of the instructional time is spent engaged in laboratory work

Lecture and Discussion

Concepts and problem-solving techniques are introduced through a combination of lectures, demonstrations, question-answer sessions, and homework assignments from the textbook. Calculus is used throughout wherever it is appropriate. Lectures and demonstrations are given with the help of an interactive whiteboard. However, many demonstrations are the classic physical demonstrations using a variety of lab equipment. Students are given a set of conceptual questions to solve together in small groups. Group and individual ideas are then discussed together in the classroom.

Problem Solving

Students are given a set of homework problems. These problems are a combination of textbook problems, online problems, teacher generated problems, and sample AP^® problems. Students work to solve these problems both individually, in small groups, and as a whole class. Periodically students are asked to use the interactive whiteboard to present their solutions to the class.

Laboratory

Many laboratory experiments were conducted by the students during their first year of physics. Laboratory experiments conducted during this course are listed below.

1. Accelerated Motion Lab

Students will use a motion detector to collect data as a cart accelerates down a ramp. They will then develop a mathematical relationship between velocity and time, and distance and time.

2. Picket Fence Free-Fall

Students will measure the acceleration of a freely falling bogy (g) using a Picket Fence and a Photogate.

3. Air Resistance Lab

Students will observe the effect of air resistance on falling objects and determine how air resistance and mass affect the terminal velocity.

4. Simple Harmonic Motion Lab

Students will measure the position and velocity as a function of time for an oscillating mass and spring system and compare the observed motion to the mathematical model.

5. Spring and Gravity Potential Energy Lab

Students will examine the energies in an oscillating spring and mass system and test the law of conservation of energy.

6. Impulse and Momentum Lab

Students will measure a cart’s change in momentum and compare it to the impulse it receives. They will also compare peak and average forces in an impulse.

7. Mass of the Moon Lab

Students will apply Kepler’s Laws to calculate the mass of the Moon.

8. Inertial Pendulum Lab

Students will determine mass using an inertial pendulum.

9. Static and Kinetic Friction

Students will determine the coefficients of static and kinetic friction using a force sensor and a motion detector.

10. Newton’s Second Law with a Pulley Lab

Students will determine the acceleration of a dynamic system using a pulley of non-negligible mass.

11. Energy in Simple Harmonic Motion Lab

Students will test the principle of energy conservation of a harmonic oscillator using a motion detector.

12. Momentum, Energy, and Collisions Lab

Students will measure energy changes during inelastic collisions using a motion detector.

13. Centripetal Accelerations at the Playground

Students will use an accelerometer to determine the relationship between acceleration, radius, and angular velocity.

14. Atwood’s Machine

Students will study the relationship between the masses on an Atwood’s machine and the acceleration using a photogate.

Exam Review

Review for the exam begins about six weeks prior to the exam after all topics have been covered. A series of sample Free Response and Multiple Choice Questions from released AP Exams will be assigned. Each exam will be graded like an AP exam.

Course Outline

Because all students in this course have completed a first year physics course which included mechanics, many of the topics of mechanics are only reviewed in this course.

Week 1-4: Calculus for AP Physics

· Vectors

· Differentiation

· Integration

· Differential Equations

· Kinematics with Calculus

· Potential Energy Curves

· Center of Mass

Week 5-7: Rotational Motion

· Rotational Kinematics

· Torque

· Rotational Inertia

· Rotational Energy and Power

· Angular Momentum

· Rotational Equilibrium

Week 8-10: Newton’s Laws of Gravitation;

· Kepler’s Laws

· Newton’s Inverse Square Law

· Gravitational Potential Energy

· Elliptical Orbits

Week 11-13: Oscillations

· Simple Harmonic Motion

· Energy in Simple Harmonic Motion

· Pendulums

· Spring and Mass Oscillating Systems

Week 14-18: Review & Exam Preparation

Course Evaluation

Final grades will be based on the following:

Final Exam: 20%

Quizzes and Tests: 40%

Homework: 20%

Laboratory Work: 20%

Teacher Resources

Tipler, Physics for Scientists and Engineers, 4^th ed., Freeman Worth, 1999.

Serway & Beicher, Physics for Scientists and Engineers, 5^th ed., Saunders, 2000.

Leduc, Princeton Review; Cracking the Advanced Placement Physics B & C Exams, 2004-2005 Edition.

Patel, Multiple Choice Questions in Preparation for the AP Physics “B” & “C” Examination, 2^nd ed., 1995

Centorino, CliffsAP Physics B & C, 2004.

AP^® Physics C (Electricity & Magnetism)

Text

Fundamentals of Physics, 7^th ed., by Halliday/Resnick/Walker, 2005, John Wiley & Sons.

Course Description

This course is equivalent to a first-year college physics class and is 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 a fundamental understanding of calculus, and requires completion of a prior physics course.

In this course, major activities include:

Lecture & Discussion
Problem Solving
Laboratory
Exam Review

Lecture & Discussion

Concepts and problem-solving techniques are introduced through a combination of lectures, demonstrations, question-answer sessions, and homework assignments from the textbook. Calculus is used throughout wherever it is appropriate. Lectures and demonstrations are given with the help of an interactive whiteboard. However, many demonstrations are the classic physical demonstrations using a variety of lab equipment. Students are given a set of conceptual questions to solve together in small groups. Group and individual ideas are then discussed together in the classroom.

Problem Solving

Laboratory

Laboratory experiments conducted during this course include the following.

1. Electroscopes

Students will investigate electroscopes and learn the effects of electric charge, conduction, and induction.

2. Ohm’s Law Lab

Students will determine the mathematical relationship between current, potential difference, and resistance in a simple circuit, and compare the potential vs. current behavior of a resistor to that of a light bulb.

3. Series and Parallel Circuits Lab

Students will study current flow in series and parallel circuits and use Ohm’s Law to calculate the equivalent resistance of each type of circuit.

4. Capacitors Lab

Students will measure an experimental time constant of an RC circuit and compare this to the predicted time constant. Students will also measure potential across a capacitor as a function of time as it discharges and fit an exponential function to the data.

5. The Magnetic Field in a Coil Lab

Students will measure the magnetic field at the center of a coil and determine the relationships between magnetic field strength, current, and number of turns in a coil.

6. The Magnetic Field in a Slinky Lab

Students will determine the relationship between magnetic field and current, and number of turns, in a solenoid. Students will also study the magnetic field inside and outside the solenoid and calculate the value of the permeability constant, μ₀.

7. Current Balance

Students will investigate forces between two current-carrying wires.

8. Electrical Energy Lab

Students will measure the power and energy used by an electric motor as well as calculate the efficiency of the motor.

9. Magnetic Field of a Permanent Magnet Lab

Students will use a magnetic field sensor to measure the field of a small magnet and compare the distance dependence of the magnetic field to the magnetic dipole model.

10. Magnetic Field of the Earth

Students will measure the magnetic field strength of the earth.

11. Kirchoff’s Rules Experiment

Students will create a series of multi loop circuits and measure the current through each branch using current probes.

12. Faraday’s Icepail Experiment

Students will recreate the famous Faraday’s Icepail experiment using an electroscope to measure charge.

13. Faraday’s Laws of Induction Experiments

Students will recreate both experiments demonstrating Faraday’s Law. (1) A magnet moved through a wire loop will induce a current in the loop. (2) A current through a primary loop will induce a current through a secondary loop.

14. Electric Motors

Students will build an electric motor using magnets, a wire loop, and a power source.

Exam Review

Review for the exam begins about six weeks prior to the exam after all topics have been covered. A series of Free Response and Multiple Choice Questions from released AP exams will be assigned. Each exam will be graded like an actual AP exam.

Course Outline

Week 1-2: Electric Forces and Field

· Electric Charge

· Coulomb’s Law

· Electric Field

· Electric Dipole

· Insulators and Conductors

· Gauss’s Law

Week 3-4: Electric Potential and Capacitance

· Electric Potential Energy

· Electric Potential

· Potential of a Sphere

· Potential of a Cylinder

· Capacitance

· Combining Capacitors in Series and Parallel

· Energy Stored in a Capacitor, Dielectrics

Week 5-7: Direct Current Circuits

· Electric Current, Resistance

· Electric Circuits

· Kirchoff’s Rules

· Combining Resistors in Series and Parallel

· RC Circuits

· Charging and Discharging a Capacitor

Week 8-10: Magnetic Forces and Fields

· Magnetic Force on Moving Charges

· Magnetic Force on Current Carrying Wires

· Magnetic Fields Created by Current Carrying Wires

· Biot-Savart Law

· Ampere’s Law

Week 11-13: Electromagnetic Induction

· Electromotive Force Induced by a Motion

· Faraday’s Law of Electromagnetic Induction

· Induced Electric Fields

· Inductance

· RL Circuits

· LC Circuits

· Maxwell’s Equations

Week 14-19: Review & Exam Preparation

Week 20-22: Relativity

Course Evaluation

Final grades will be based on the following:

Final Exam: 20%

Quizzes and Tests: 40%

Homework: 20%

Laboratory Work: 20%

Teacher Resources

Tipler, Physics for Scientists and Engineers, 4^th ed., Freeman Worth, 1999.

Serway & Beicher, Physics for Scientists and Engineers, 5^th ed., Saunders, 2000.

Leduc, Princeton Review; Cracking the Advanced Placement Physics B & C Exams, 2004-2005 Edition.

Patel, Multiple Choice Questions in Preparation for the AP Physics “B” & “C” Examination, 2^nd ed., 1995

Centorino, CliffsAP Physics B & C, 2004.

ckappelmeier@hpregional.org