AP Physics I (Period 3)

I am looking forward to a wonderful year with you! 

AP® Physics 1 is an algebra-based, general physics course.  This class will meet Mondays (20-30 minutes), Tuesdays (90 minutes), and Thursday (90 minutes) for the entire school year. The topics introduced are as outlined by the College Board and mirror an introductory college course in Physics.

“AP® Physics 1 is organized around six big ideas that bring together the fundamental science principles and theories of general physics. These big ideas are intended to encourage students to think about physics concepts as interconnected pieces of a puzzle. The solution to the puzzle is how the real world around them actually works. The students will participate in inquiry-based explorations of these topics to gain a more conceptual understanding of these physics concepts. Students will spend less of their time in traditional formula-based learning and more of their effort will be directed to developing critical thinking and reasoning skills.” (from the College Board website).

Big Ideas for AP® Physics 1

Big Idea 1: Objects and systems have properties such as mass and charge. Systems may have internal structure.

Big Idea 2: Fields existing in space can be used to explain interactions.

Big Idea 3: The interactions of an object with other objects can be described by forces.

Big Idea 4: Interactions between systems can result in changes in those systems.

Big Idea 5: Changes that occur as a result of interactions are constrained by conservation laws.

Big Idea 6: Waves can transfer energy and momentum from one location to another without the permanent transfer of mass and serve as a mathematical model for the description of other phenomena.

The big ideas for AP® Physics 1 are correlated to the content of the course and to the lab and inquiry-based investigations done throughout the school year.  Laboratory exercises will comprise at least 25% of our classroom time.  If you have any questions or concerns about “inquiry-based” labs and investigations (and what that will look like for you), please contact me!

It is strongly recommended that you have completed Algebra II before beginning this course, but it may be taken as a co-requisite.  Please see me if you have any questions or concerns about this.