Download AP Physics C Course Syllabus EM- 2015

Course Requirements and Syllabus
AP Exam Date: Monday, May 9th, 2015
2:00P Session
Course Description – AP Physics C: Electricity & Magnetism
The AP Physics C course is a challenging class that closely follows the syllabus designed by the
College Board which prepares students to take the AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism exam.
As the course utilizes differential and integral calculus where appropriate throughout, about half of
the students in take Calculus concurrently (most in AB Calculus), the other half have taken Calculus
in junior year (most are in BC Calculus). This course is intensive and requires the students’
dedication and focus both in and out of class.
Textbooks:
ISBN#:
Publisher:
Author(s)
Date
0471332364
0130611433
John Wiley & Sons
Prentice Hall
Halladay & Resnick
Giancoli
2001
Schedule
The class meets five days during a 2-week AB cycle for 84 minutes for both Fall (Mechanics) and
Spring (E&M) semesters. This schedule provides a measure of flexibility to perform experiments or
have extended problem solving sessions. In a typical week, 55-80 minutes will be dedicated to lab
activities with the rest of the time devoted to class discussion, problem solving strategies and
practice with solving problems, and assessment.
Grading:
Student grades will be based on specific learning expectations for each unit. Student work and
contributions will be assessed using both formative (non-graded) and summative feedback (graded).
The course grade will be based on the summative feedback only and may include unit assessments,
lab assessments, and research projects.
Course format: Modeling Instructional Methods
A comprehensive understanding of physics is built upon a solid understanding of models that
describe physical phenomena. Science education research has demonstrated that student learning is
enhanced when student-centered instructional strategies are implemented. In AP Physics C, we will
develop a collaborative learning community, utilizing the Collaborative Learning Teams established
over the summer, peer review of practice problems during “whiteboard” sessions, and guidedinquiry lab investigations.
A few words about Modeling Instruction are needed to appreciate the unique features most
responsible for its success. Its big difference from other approaches is that all stages of inquiry
are structured by modeling principles. Typical inquiry activities (or investigations) are organized
into modeling cycles about two weeks long [8].
The teacher subtly guides students through the activities with modeling discourse [10]:
which means that the teacher promotes framing all classroom discourse in terms of models and
modeling. The aim is to sensitize students to the structure of scientific knowledge, in both
declarative and procedural aspects.
7
The culmination of student modeling activities is reporting and discussing outcomes in a
whiteboard session [8, 10]. This may be where the deepest student learning takes place, because
it stimulates assessing and consolidating the whole experience in recent modeling activities.
Whiteboard sessions have become a signature feature of the Modeling Method, because they are
flexible and easy to implement, and so effective in supporting rich classroom interactions. Each
student team summarizes its model and evidence on a small (2ft 2.5ft) whiteboard that is easily
displayed to the entire class. This serves as a focus for the team’s report and ensuing discussion.
Comparison of whiteboards from different teams is often productively provocative. The main
point is that class discussion is centered on visible symbolic inscriptions that serve as an anchor
for shared understanding [17, 18].
Students will be assigned background reading and online physics lessons to complete outside class
time. Class sessions will be reserved for CLT work, “whiteboard” sessions, and lab investigations.
The lab investigations will explore physical phenomena and using collected data and observations,
students will determine patterns and develop representations that develop a physical model.
Students will receive formative feedback on contributions to their CLT, class “whiteboarding”
sessions, and regular reviews of their course lab book. Students will also be given various concept
inventories to determine level of understanding before and after an instructional unit.
Course Outline: The course will cover the following topics. Approximate length of time that will be
allotted to the topics is given in parenthesis. Short summative assessment will be given during a 5
class session cycle. Approximately, 4 comprehensive summative assessments will be administered
throughout the semester in addition to an end of semester examination.

Electric Charge (1 week)
o Coulomb’s Law
o Conductors and Insulators
o Conservation of Charge

Electric Field (E) (2 weeks)
o Due to a Point Charge
o Due to Charge Distribution
o Discrete
o Continuous
o Electric Field Lines
o Electric Dipole

Electric Potential Energy and Electric Potential (2 weeks)
o Electric Potential Energy
o Two-Point System
o Many-Particle System
o Electric Potential
o PE and V of a Point Charge
o PE and V of a Charge Distribution
o Relationship Between V and E
o Electrical Properties of a Charged Conductor

Gauss’ Law (1 week)
o Area Vector
o Electric Flux
o Gauss’ Law Applications

Capacitance (1 week)
o Capacitor
o Parallel Plate Capacitor
o Cylindrical Capacitor
o Spherical Capacitor
o Energy Stored in Capacitor
o Energy Stored in Electric Field
o Capacitors with Dielectric

DC Circuits (2 weeks)
o Electric Current
o Kirchoff’s Junction Rule/Loop Rule
o Resistors in Series and Parallel
o Capacitors in Series and Parallel
o Ohm’s Law/Joule’s Law
o Energy in Circuits
o RC Circuits (Steady State and Transients)

Magnetic Fields (1 week)
o Magnetic Interactions
o Magnetic Poles or Lack Thereof
o Force on a Moving Charge in a Magnetic Field
o Circulating Charge
o Force on Electric Current in a Magnetic Field
o Electric Motor

Magnetic Field due to Electric Current (1 week)
o Long Straight Wire
o Circular Loop
o Solenoid
o Parallel Wires
o Biot-Savart Law and Applications
o Ampere’s Law and Applications

Faraday’s Law of Induction (1 week)
o Electromagnetic Induction
o Lenz’s Law Applications
o Electric Generator
o Transformer

Inductance (2 weeks)
o Self-inductance
o LR-Circuits
o Energy Stored in a Magnetic Field
o LC-Circuit and Electromagnetic Oscillations

Maxwell’s Equations (1 week)
o The Basic Equations of Electromagnetism
o Displacement Current and Ampere’s Law
o Maxwell’s Equations
Possible Lab Experiments: Labs are chosen to enhance the students’ learning and reinforce concepts
that need it. Therefore, experiments will be designed with attention to this. Possible experiments
that students may perform include the following:
Electrostatic charge on scotch tape (approx 45 minutes)
Variable Capacitor (Capacitance, Charge, and Voltage) (approx 75 minutes)
Mapping the electric potential of plates and points (approx 60 minutes)
Voltage/Current in circuits (Kirchoff’s rules) (approx 90 minutes)
Deriving Ohm’s Law (approx 60 minutes)
Mystery circuit (approx 45 minutes)
Internal resistance of battery (approx 60 minutes)
RC Circuits (approx 90 minutes)
Measure unknown capacitance/resistance in circuit (approx 60 minutes)
Measurement of EMF in coil (approx 60 minutes)
Resistivity of nichrome wire (approx 30 minutes)
Magnetic Field around current carrying wire (approx 75 minutes)
Magnetic Force on current carrying wire (approx 75 minutes)
RLC Circuits (approx 90 minutes)
Induction - Magnet through Coil (approx 60 minutes)