This course provides a physics curriculum similar to the college-level coursework required of physical science or engineering majors. Most of the year will be devoted to the study of advanced topics in Newtonian mechanics. In the first trimester, focus is placed on those topics on the APC exam which do not require calculus, but the computer is used to explore the limits of algebra-based physics and develop physical intuition concerning calculus-based physics. Additional topics in electricity and magnetism and modern physics, including relativity theory, chaos theory, atomic theory, interaction of radiation and matter, astrophysics and quantum mechanics will be included as time allows. Solutions to problems often require the use of calculus and computational methods and their importance increases over the course of the year. Laboratory work aids the student in understanding physical phenomena and in developing mathematical reasoning. Most students in this course choose to sit for the first half of the Advanced Placement (AP) Physics C examination, covering Newtonian mechanics.
unit 1: pendulums and simple harmonic motion (2 weeks)
review of Newtonian mechanics (2 weeks)
Students study the new topic of pendulums and simple harmonic motion, while reviewing most of honors physics. An emphasis is placed on skills that will be required for advanced work throughout the year, including symbols only problems, scaling and estimation, use of VPython to conduct computational experiments and advanced lab skills including square-root curve fits and handling complex experiments.
unit 2: rotational motion (3 weeks) - rotational kinematics and dynamics including rolling and compound and (chaotic) double pendulums
unit 3: orbital mechanics (3 weeks) - one, two and three body (chaotic) central force problems with circular, elliptical, parabolic and hyperbolic orbits
unit 4: viscosity (3 weeks) - experimental approximation of fluid friction and application to the 2-dimensional motion of objects in fluids, resonance and forced damped pendulum (chaos)
units 1 through 4 will be revisited during the second and third trimesters as the students have studied the necessary topics in their math class to solve appropriate problems using calculus. Approximately one additional week will be spent on each unit. This will complete preparation for the first half of the APC exam, except for an extensive review during the few weeks prior to the test.
The following topics will be covered as time permits.
unit 5: electric circuits and electric and magnetic fields (this year only?)
unit 6: waves (this year only?)
unit 7: special relativity
unit 8: atomic physics - Bohr atom, measurement of e/m and e
unit 9: quantum mechanics - black body radiation, Compton effect, pre-cursors to quantum mechanics, simply quantum mechanical problems using the time independent Schrodinger Equation
unit 10: astrophysics - stellar evolution, cosmic distance scale, age of the universe
Note: This year, we will also cover the additional topics of waves, electric circuits and electric and magnetic fields, as these were not covered last year in honors physics. It is the intention of the department to cover more of these topics in honors physics in the future.
For a more detailed course description and requirements for lab reports, please see my website - http://web1.caryacademy.org/facultywebs/matt%5Fgreenwolfe/ .
Click on the "+" sign next to "Advanced-Physics-C" then "00-general-info" and open the documents "Description-rules-grading" and "lab-reports."