Mr. D. Zapata

I. LEARNING OBJECTIVES FOR EDUCATIONAL SUCCESS

1) Develop your scientific curiosity and understanding of the physics of your universe.

2) Develop your concentration, observation, memory, and analytical thinking skills.

3) Improve your laboratory techniques and skills.

4) Develop your aural(listening), oral, and written communication skills.

5) Improve your problem-solving skills.

6) Develop teamwork interaction through respect for individuality, flexibility, and adaptability.

7) Improve your work habits: concentration, patience, initiative, motivation, perseverence, and striving for excellence.

II. THE LEARNING PROCESSES

1) Direct and instrumental OBSERVATIONS of physical phenomena are made through experiments and demonstrations.

2) Written materials are studied for class discussion, and written EXPLANATIONS of physical phenomena are produced.

3) Memory-practice methods and skills are used in class and during study.

4) Puzzle-solving is practiced in class and during study.

5) Individual and team work is encouraged for puzzle-solving, and written analysis of specific concepts and experiments.

6) Quizzes and Tests require multiple-choice and written problem-solving, and essay-question skills.

III. GRADING

1) quizzes and tests--your performances are 80% of your academic grade. They will be graded on a % scale(NOT a CURVE) that reflects the scale used for the AP PHYSICS EXAM. YOU MUST TAKE THE AP PHYSICS TEST FOR YOUR COMPREHENSIVE FINAL EXAM ON WED AFTERNOON, MAY 1?,2001 , WHICH WILL COUNT AS AN "A" FOR 20% OF YOUR SPRING SEMESTER FINAL GRADE.

2) experiments, classwork, homework, and peer tutoring--count the other 20% of your academic grade.

4) unexcused absences and tardies--3 tardies = 1 cut which will lower your academic grade by 1/3 (A- to B+, and so on) and your citizenship grade to W or U(3 or more cuts).

IV. THE AP PHYSICS B TOPICS

Mathematics,a dominant Tool in Physics/Scientific Measurement Lab

UNIT 2 KINEMATICS and UNIFORMLY ACCELERATED MOTION(13 days)

Velocity and accleration/Free-fall/Projectile Motion/Acceleration Lab

UNIT 3 NEWTON’S LAWS of MOTION(15 days)

Newton’s Laws/Free-body diagrams/Friction/Net Fc Lab (SEE P.2) AP PHYSICS B SYLLABUS, P.2

UNIT 4 CIRCULAR MOTION and GRAVITATION(10? days)

Uniform Circular Motion/Gravitation and Satellite Motion

Uniform Circular Motion Lab

UNIT 5 WORK and ENERGY(10 days)

Work and power/Potential and kinetic energy/Conservation of energy

Energy Lab

UNIT 6 IMPULSE and MOMENTUM(10 days)

Impulse/Momentum

Conservation of Momentum-Elastic and inelastic collisions

Center of mass/Momentum Lab /Observations of Momentum

Impulse and Momentum

UNIT 7 ROTATIONAL MOTION and STATIC EQUILIBRIUM(5? days)

Rotational Kinematics/Torque and rotational dynamics/Angular momentum

Torque and conditions of equilibrium

UNIT 8 HEAT(3? days)

Temperature/Thermal expansion/Heat capacity/Phase change

Conduction, convection, radiation

UNIT9 THERMODYNAMICS?(2? days)

Equations of state/Ideal gases and pV diagrams

First and second laws of thermodynamics

UNIT11 LIGHT and OPTICS(10 days)

Reflection, refraction/Images formed by mirrors and lenses

Reflection Lab/Refraction Lab/Lenses and Images Lab

UNIT 12 INTERFERENCE and DIFFRACTION(5? days)

UNIT 13 ELECTRIC FORCES, FIELDS and POTENTIAL(15 days)

Coulomb ‘s Law/Electric Field/Electric Potential

Capacitors and dielectrics/Electrostatics Lab

UNIT 14 CIRCUITS(10 days)

Electric current, resistance, resistivity/Series and parallel circuits

RC circuits/Series and Parallel Circuits Lab

UNIT 15 MAGNETISM and ELECTROMAGNETIC INDUCTION(15? days)

Magnetic field/Charges and wires in a magnetic field

Electromagnetic induction, Lenz’s law, and Faraday’s law

UNIT 16 MODERN PHYSICS(10 days)

Atomic physics; Photons; Quantum mechanics; Nuclear physics and radioactivity

AP PHYSICS B TEST and FINAL EXAM REVIEW(5? days)

70 Multiple-choice and 7 Free-response(4x15 pts, and 3x10 pts) (SEE P.3)

AP PHYSICS B SYLLABUS, P.3

V. COMMITMENT CONTRACT (return with signatures)

Most students find that the study of Physics is a fundamental and one of the most challenging, but interesting, of all sciences. For that reason colleges and universities view your Physics grade as a strong indication of your willingness to accept and meet general academic challenge and adversity . AP Physics B at George Washington High School is taught as a college freshman-level Physics class. The University of California system, Stanford, and other universities and colleges grant ABOUT 5 semester units toward graduation for a passing grade(rating of 3,4, or 5) on the May AP PHYSICS B examination. As most students who pass this course with a C or better know, they receive an extra point for their grade-point average(A = 5.0, B = 4.0, C =3.0).

This is an extremely demanding class, especially if it is taken along with other AP or HONORS classes here at George Washington High School. Your son or daughter will have homework up to 7 nights per week, consisting of studying a college-level English-written physics text, problem-solving, and analytical questioning requiring 1 to 2 hours of work per night. If your son or daughter has difficulty meeting these work requirements, I shall highly recommend a program change to the less intense, college-preparatory regular Physics class within the first two weeks of school.

I am asking that BOTH you and your parent or guardian study this syllabus and sign that you understand that successful completion of the course requires a well-prepared student with a highly supportive family and friend environment.

Thank you,

Daryl J. Zapata

(415)750-8400, x 3337 or 3338

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