VHS Course Catalog

AP® Physics C

Prerequisites
1. Grade of B+ or better in prior Physics class.
2. Recommendation by former Physics teacher.
3. Completion or co-enrollment in AP Calculus.

Description
This course provides a systematic introduction to the main principles of Mechanics, Electricity and Magnetism, that will form a foundation for college studies of other sciences, engineering and technology. This algebra, geometry, and calculus based course emphasizes several components - knowledge of the basic laws of nature, the ability to apply that knowledge to the particular phenomenon and the ability to achieve its complete experimental and theoretical explanation. Great attention is given to the connectivity between the sciences. In addition to this interdisciplinary approach, modern technology is used to increase the level of study, which includes a multimedia approach to reports and projects. The sequence of topics is traditional and relies on the College Board requirements. Theory, discussion, labs and problem solving are the major tools for the students' education.

As an advanced placement (college-level) course, this course is rigorous, and students can expect to spend a minimum of 2 hours per day (5 days per week) doing coursework. Students should be highly motivated & interested in pursuing college studies science, engineering and/or technology. Access to Excel spreadsheet is important as it is used frequently for mathematical modeling of physics problems.

Basic knowledge of integrals and derivatives is required; students concurrently enrolled in AP Calculus may find that the calculus components of this course may be introduced before these same topics are covered in their AP Calculus course.  Students taking calculus concurrently can successfully complete this course under those conditions but should work closely with their AP Physics Instructor to avoid unnecessary frustration due to the timing of calculus topics. Students should always let instructors know when calculus topics in physics precede what they have learned in calculus class

**Please Note: This course may not be appropriate for students with specific accessibility limitations as written. Please refer to the VHS Handbook policy on Special Education/Equity for more information on possible modifications. If you need additional assistance, please let us know at service.goVHS.org.

Students enrolled in Advanced Placement VHS courses are required to take the AP exam, and are required to report their AP examination scores to VHS (note: students who are failing their AP class are not required to take the exam). Upon receipt of the student's exam score, each score will be recorded by VHS and assigned an anonymous tracking number to ensure student anonymity and confidentiality. By enrolling in an AP VHS class, the student authorizes their school site coordinator and school administration to report AP examination scores to VHS. Exam results will not affect the student's VHS grade or future enrollment in VHS courses.

Course Objectives
This course will help prepare students to fully understand both the qualitative and quantitative aspects of the content on the AP Physics C Exam. College Board standards are high and participation in this class does not guarantee a high score on the AP Exam but after the completion of this course it is intended that students will:

1. Read, Understand, and Interpret physical information-verbal, mathematical, and graphical.
2. Develop problem-solving skills, reflected by formulating usable questions and hypotheses, interpreting and analyzing data from the real or the computer simulated experiments, drawing conclusions.
3. Describe and explain the sequence of steps in the analysis of a particular physical phenomenon or problem.
4. Describe the idealized model to be used in the analysis, including simplifying assumptions where necessary.
5. State the principles and/or definitions that are applicable.
6. Specify the relevant limitations on applications of those principles.
7. Carry out and describe the steps of the analysis verbally and mathematically.
8. Interpret the results or conclusions, including discussions of particular cases of special interest.
9. Apply calculus for the solution of the physics problems.
10. Gain an understanding of natural laws as they apply to the above-mentioned sections of physics.
11. Recognize the correlation between the science and technology and their mutual influence.
12. Be able to evaluate the possible effect of measurement errors on calculations.
13. Learn to express physical relationships in term of mathematical equations derived from the theoretical approach and experimental data.
14. Perform experiments and interpret the results of observations, including making an assessment of experimental uncertainties.