AP Physics C Mech Syllabus

Text

Fundamentals of Physics, 8^th ed., by Halliday/Resnick/Walker. 2008, John Wiley & Sons.
This course develops student comprehension and mastery of chapters 2 – 20.
Classical Dynamics, 3^rd ed., by Marion and Thornton. 1988, HBJ Inc. used as reference

Course Description

This course is equivalent to 1^st semester, calculus-based college physics class. The course is designed to prepare students to move into the second half of text book, to take Static and Dynamics courses for pre-engineering majors and to take a Classical Mechanics for physics majors. This course follows the syllabus for AP Physics C exam for the first 2.5 quarters of year. Parts of 3^rd quarter and all of 4^th quarter will investigate chapters from the text in waves, thermodynamics and fluid mechanics before beginning a strong review for the AP exam during April. The course will consistently use differential and integral calculus at or above the level of the AP exam. Students enrolled in the course must have mastered an equivalent AP Calculus course or take AP Calculus as a co-requisite.

Classes meet 4 days per week with about 33 contact hours per quarter. There are 60 lessons devoted to Mechanics and 27 periods devoted to mechanics labs. Since many students in this course are first-year physics students there will be intense development in three critical areas: (1) fundamental conceptual development, (2) connection to real-world experiences through scientific inquiry and (3) critical thinking skills using mathematical applications and problem solving at the single-variable calculus level.

Course Evaluation

Quarter grades are determined by total points accumulated. Each unit includes about 35 assigned homework problems at a rate of 7 per night. Teacher-led labs for each unit will take place in the lab room during scheduled class time. PBL’s for most units must take place outside of scheduled class time except for final oral presentations. A clicker system will be used on a daily basis.

Laboratory and Project-Based Learning Activities

Students are expected to maintain an electronic portfolio with three separate folders labeled as (1) Measurements (M), (2) Teacher-led labs (TLL) and (3) Project-based learning (PBL). All required labs are hand-on using student hands. The “Measurements” folder, students will store documents on how to collect data and on error analysis. In the “Teacher-led” folder, students will store lab reports in a standard format outlined in the objectives for AP Physics using Microsoft WordÒ with data imported from Microsoft ExcelÒ spreadsheets. The standard format includes a written explanation of purpose, procedure, data displayed in tables, linear graphical analysis and results with conclusions. The third folder will hold the Power Point presentations of student designed (PBL) investigations that were used to give an oral report of final results. Part of the fourth quarter grade will be an evaluation of the completed, student portfolio submitted on a CD to remain on file with the school.

Course Planner

Week 1 (2hrs of lab; 2 hr of class time)

Topic: Introduction to data collection, error analysis, propagation of error

Labs: Students will determine the density of solids using balances and calipers. Students will learn how to handle propagation of error.

Weeks 2 and 3 (3 hrs of lab; 5 hrs of class time) 1/D Kinematics

·        Graphical Analysis (reading graphs)

·        Graphical Analysis (graph construction)

·        Uniformly accelerated motion

·        x(t) ↔ v(t) ↔ a(t)

Labs: Teacher led labs include position vs. time graphs for ball rolling at constant speed. A second lab for ball uniformly accelerating down ramp. PBL cycle will ask students to collect data and construct a position vs. time graph for an actual car accelerating from rest at an intersection close to school. Spreadsheet numerical modeling of one-dimensional motion will be done in lab using school set of laptops.

Weeks 4 and 5 (2 hrs of lab; 5 hrs of class time) 2/D Kinematics

·        vector addition

·        parametric equations

·        projectile motion

·        circular motion

Labs: Teacher-led lab will study horizontally launched projectile. PBL cycle will challenge students to use a spring loaded, toy gun to verify the Range equation using a foam dart.

Weeks 6 - 8 (4 hrs of lab; 7 hrs of class time) Newton’s Laws of Motion

·        1^st Law/ weight & Tension

·        1^st Law/ normal and friction

·        2^nd Law/single mass

·        2^nd Law/Multiple mass pulleys

·        2^nd Law/ Centripetal Forces**

·        3^rd Law/Multiple mass touching

**Horizontal circular paths only at this time.

Labs: Measurement of static/kinetic coefficients of friction placed in first folder. Teacher-led labs include verification of F = ma and a static force table lab. PBL cycle will challenge students to use a small playground, merry-go-round to verify F = mv²/r for centripetal forces.

Weeks 9 (0 hrs of lab; 4 hours of review and comprehensive test)

No new learning this week. Students will get some exposure to AP level testing in both Free Response and Multiple Choice.
 

Weeks 10 - 12 (4 hrs of lab; 7 hours of class time) Work, Energy, Power

·        Work defined three ways

·        Power, average and instant

·        Conserv. F’s/Potential Energy

·        Conservation of Mech Energy

·        Centripetal F’s***/Consv. of E

·        Energy / non-conservative F’s

*** Now we do the vertical circular paths
Labs: Teacher-led labs include KE vs. PE for a Pasco cart rolling down a variable height ramp and then repeated for a ball rolling down the same ramp. Measurement of a spring constant from a standard Hooke’s Law graph will be accomplished. Students will measure average human power as a function of individual height, weight and height/weight ratio for a person climbing a set of stairs. PBL cycle will require teams to build a spring-launched device that can launch a small ball horizontally. Students will use device to perform an experiment for range vs. spring compression.

Weeks 13-14 (3 hrs of lab; 5 hours of class time) Systems of particles

·        Center of Mass

·        Define impulse/momentum

·        1 dimension collisions

·        2 dimension collisions

·        Explosions

·        Rocket exhaust/ thrust

Conservation of Linear Momentum developed in bullets 3 – 5.

Labs: Measurement of center of mass will be placed in the first folder. Teacher-led labs include use of a force-probe to capture an impulse for a ball dropped into a small bucket and use of motion sensors to analyze elastic and inelastic collisions for PASCO carts on a track. PBL cycle will challenge students to construct a device that can be used to analyze conservation of momentum for concrete block striking a golf ball sideways.

Weeks 15 – 17 (4 hrs of lab; 6 hours of class time) Rotational Dynamics

·        Static Torques/Rigid Bodies

·        Rotational Kinematics

·        Moments of Inertia/parallel
-axis theorem

·        Unbalanced Torques for heavy
pulleys, rolling bodies

·        Conservation of Energy/
Rotational KE

·        Conservation of Angular Momentum

Labs: Teacher-led labs include measurements of tension for support cables of horizontal and tilted struts, conservation of energy using a PASCO system and an angular momentum lab using the local merry-go-round from campus playground. Student groups will be given an empty plastic spool from a speaker supply company. They will be challenged to develop a theoretical model for spool moment of inertia and to test their value experimentally.

Fall exam covers all topics in AP Physics C Mechanics course except gravity, harmonic oscillators and velocity-dependent forces.

Weeks 19 – 20 (3 hrs lab; 5 hours class time) Simple harmonic motion

·        Oscillation kinematics

·        Finding natural period
from differential equation

·        Conservation of Energy

·        Finding natural period with
energy methods

·        Damped, harmonic oscillators

Labs: Measurement of the period of a plane pendulum using stopwatch for multiple swings will be placed in the first folder. Teacher-led labs will include the verification of equations for period of the mass on a spring and plane pendulum. A motion sensor will be used to explore damped oscillators for a mass on a spring with significant air resistance. PBL cycle will call for students to select an object for a physical pendulum. Determine theoretical period of oscillation, experimentally verify prediction.

Weeks 21-22 (2 hrs of lab; 6 hrs of class time) Gravitation/ F = f(v, t)

·        Newton’s Law of Gravity

·        Gravity Field Strength, g

·        Force and field due to
continuous mass distributions

·        Circular Orbits/ Kepler’s Laws

·        Elliptical Orbits

·        Velocity dependent forces