Science

AP Physics 1 banner with images of rollercoaster, sound wave, Newton, graph, physics apparatus, and roller coaster problem

AP Physics 1: Algebra-Based

Course Code: 3A057X0

Course Level: Advanced Placement

Course Offering: Year-long for 1 credit

Prerequisites

Students should have completed Math II and be concurrently taking Math III or an equivalent course. A prior physics course is helpful but not required.

Course Description

AP Physics is a challenging, intensive course designed to prepare the student for further coursework in college physics or as an alternative to freshman Physics. Students should expect to spend about an hour or more per night on the course. The academic year begins in August and ends in May, so the time remaining after the AP exam will be dedicated to a final project. On average, students will complete one or two labs every week.

AP Physics 1 is designed as an all-inclusive stand-alone course. This course covers Kinematics, Newton's Laws of Motion, Circular Motion, Rotation, Gravitation, Work, Power, Energy, Momentum, Waves, Sound, Oscillation, and Electric Circuits.

Course Materials

Required Text

The textbook you will need for the course is available via OpenStax. College Physics for AP® Courses, by Gregg Wolfe. https://openstax.org/details/books/college-physics-ap-courses

Course Materials

You will need to have your own graphing calculator. Any allowed calculator on the AP Exam is acceptable for use in this class. See https://apstudent.collegeboard.org/apcourse/ap-calculus-ab/calculator-policy for more information.

You will need the lab equipment listed below at some point during the year. Do not feel obligated to collect all of these items immediately. I recommend you carefully peruse the list and make note of any items you think will be difficult for you to access and make sure you get these in advance of when you need them.

computer & graphing software
two battery-powered cars that move at constant speed
meter stick
stopwatch
physics cart or freely rolling car of other type
fan for cart (if available)
tape
golf ball
cup
balance
pulley that can clamp to end of a table
paper clip
hanging masses (or alternate weights)
thread and/or string
2-3 spring scales (different ranges preferable)
protractor
flying pig toy (alternate materials described in lab procedure)
2 springs
2 foam pipe insulation tubes
marble or small ball
assortment of wooden blocks
paper
scissors
ring stand
accelerometer (or smartphone with accelerometer app)
Magic ® write-on tape or equivalent
plastic drinking straw
plastic pen
assorted cloth (wool, silk, fur, fleece)
play doh
electrical multimeter that can measure voltage and current (amps)
variable power supply (or several AA, C, or D batteries)
electrical tape
wire (with alligator clip leads preferred)
small light bulbs and wires or cut up Christmas light strings
assortment of resistors

Course Work Grade Determination

Pre-Assessments: 0%

Check Your Knowledge: 0%

Activities/Assignments: 24%

Quizzes: 20%

Post-Assessments: 36%

Take-Twos: 0%

Final Exam or Project: 20%

Course Alignment

Course Alignment Chart

Course at A Glance

Course at a Glance

AP Exam

AP Exam registration is the responsibility of the student’s face-to-face school. Students enrolled in NCVPS AP courses must have a College Board account and join two AP Classroom sections on the College Board AP Central website: one section created by the NCVPS teacher (join code provided by the NCVPS teacher) and an “Exam Only” section created by the face-to-face school. Failure to join both sections will affect access to AP resources and the ability to order exams. Students whose schools do not offer AP exams (homeschool or private schools) will need to find a local school that administers exams using the AP Course Ledger on the College Board website.