AP® Physics 1 Self-Paced Virtual Lab

Course Essential Questions:

• How do we distinguish an object from a system and how does the internal structure of a system determine its properties?
• How do fields that exist in space explain interactions between objects and systems?
• How do forces describe the interactions between objects?
• How do interactions between systems result in changes within those systems?
• How do conservation laws constrain the changes that occur as a result of interactions between systems?
• How are the forces acting on objects within a fluid and the behavior of the fluid influenced by its physical properties?

Course Learning Objectives:

• Use representations and models to communicate physics phenomena and solve physics problems.
• Use mathematics appropriately to calculate unknown physics values and support physics principles.
• Engage in scientific questioning to extend thinking or to guide investigations within the context of the AP Physics 1 curriculum.
• Plan and implement data collection strategies in relation to a particular scientific question and perform data analysis and evaluation of evidence.
• Articulate scientific explanations and theories and justify claims with evidence.
• Connect and relate knowledge across various scales, concepts and representations in and across domains of physics.

Unit 1: Kinematics (Topics 1-7)

Topic 1: Introduction to AP Physics 1

• Understand the rules and policies of the course, and expectations of a contributing member of the class.
• Begin to build community by sharing important and interesting information with the teacher and classmates.
• Develop skills for navigating the course environment and using the various course tools.

Topic 2: Introduction to Motion, Measurement and Models

• Draw and interpret motion diagrams to represent motion using the particle model.
• Describe motion in terms of position, displacement and velocity.
• Calculate the speed and velocity of an object.
• Identify fundamental SI units used for measuring standard quantities, express quantities using correct units and convert units from one set to another.
• Use scientific notation, express quantities and perform calculations using correct significant digits.
• Check algebraic results using dimensional analysis.
• Distinguish vector and scalar quantities and understand conceptually how vectors are added using the "tip-to-tail" method.
• Explain how vectors can be used to describe the displacement and velocity of an object.
• Use significant digits to track uncertainties in measurements.

Topic 3: Introduction to Kinematics

• Define and explain the relationships among distance, displacement, instantaneous velocity, average velocity and average speed.
• Calculate the average speed and average velocity of an object.
• Describe uniform motion (constant velocity) using narrative, mathematical and graphical representations.
• Define acceleration and explain its relationship to velocity.
• Create and interpret position-time and velocity-time graphs.
• Calculate the acceleration of an object and determine and interpret the sign of acceleration.

Topic 4: Kinematics- Constant Acceleration

• Describe linear, uniformly accelerated motion using narrative, mathematical and graphical representations.
• Solve linear motion, constant acceleration problems given a description of motion in the form of words, data or graphs.
• Solve multi-part problems where an object's motion changes over a given time interval.
• Describe the motion of an object in free-fall using narrative, motion diagrams, motion graphs and equations.
• Use the problem-solving approach to solve problems for objects in free fall.
• Explain under what conditions an object is in free fall.
• Describe how to multiply a vector by a scalar.

Topic 5: Vectors and 2D Motion

• Apply graphical methods to perform vector addition and subtraction.
• Sketch the components of a vector on a coordinate system and calculate components using trigonometry.
• Perform vector addition and subtraction using algebraic methods (components).
• Recognize the difference between one- and two-dimensional motion.
• Use vectors and vector components to analyze and solve problems for the motion of an object on a ramp.
• Collect and analyze position and velocity data for an object in free-fall.

Topic 6: Projectile and Relative Motion

• Identify the key features of projectile motion.
• Use vector components to decompose projectile motion problems into related horizontal and vertical motion problems.
• Solve problems involving projectile motion.
• Use vectors to illustrate and solve relative motion problems.

Topic 7: Unit 1 Kinematics: Review and Exam

Unit 2: Dynamics (Topics 8-13)

Topic 8: Forces and Newton’s Laws of Motion

• Describe a force as an interaction between 2 objects and identify the interacting objects for any force.
• Distinguish long-range and contact forces.
• Apply Newton's three laws of motion to predict and explain the motion of objects.
• Distinguish between force diagrams and free-body diagrams.
• Recognize and identify the forces acting on an object; construct force and free-body diagrams.
• Articulate the connection between force and motion.
• Identify Action/Reaction pairs of forces on interacting objects.

Topic 9: Applying Newton’s Laws: Part 1

• Distinguish between static and dynamic equilibrium and solve dynamics problems for an object in equilibrium.
• Describe the relationship between friction and the normal force.
• Explain the microscopic causes of friction.
• Use free-body diagrams and Newton's second law to solve dynamics problems.
• Solve problems involving sliding, rolling and static friction.
• Recognize the distinctions among mass, weight, and inertia.
• Distinguish inertial and gravitational mass.
• Explain "apparent weight" and solve for an object's apparent weight.

Topic 10: Applying Newton’s Laws: Part 2

• Discuss the factors that affect air resistance and understand how and why a falling object reaches terminal velocity.
• Use Newton's third law to identify forces and to solve "coupled mass" problems where two or more objects interact.
• Describe the properties of tension in a rope, string or cable.
• Solve problems involving ropes and pulleys.

Topic 11:Uniform Circular Motion

• Calculate period, frequency and speed for objects in circular motion.
• Identify the direction of velocity, acceleration and net force for objects in circular motion.
• Use Newton's laws to solve dynamics problems for objects in uniform circular motion.
• Solve for the minimum or maximum speed at which an object can move and still maintain its circular path for various scenarios.
• Solve for the apparent weight of an object moving in a vertical circle.

Topic 12: Gravity and Orbits

• Use Newton's law of gravity to describe and calculate the gravitational force that two objects.
• Use the law of universal gravitation to analyze the circular orbits of satellites and planets.
• Derive the expression for the critical speed of a satellite using Newton's second law and the law of gravity.
• Explain what is meant by a gravitational field and calculate gravitational force from the field vector.

Topic 13: Unit 2 Dynamics: Review and Exam

Unit 3: Work, Energy and Power (Topics 14-17)

Topic 14 Introduction to Energy

• Explain what it means for a quantity to be conserved.
• Understand the basic energy model, including conservation of energy, energy transformations within a system and energy transfers between a system and the environment.
• Identify the forms of energy that are important in mechanical motion and describe energy transformations that take place in a variety of scenarios.
• Articulate the connection between thermal energy and the microscopic kinetic and potential energies of the particles in an object.
• Explain the relationship between work and the energy transferred to and from a system.
• Describe the conditions that must be met for work to be done on an object, distinguish positive and negative work and calculate the work done by a force.

Topic 15: Potential Energy & Conservative Forces

• Distinguish conservative and non-conservative forces and describe the properties of each.
• Use the definition of work to show that the work done by a conservative force is independent of path.
• Explain the meaning of potential energy and how conservative interactions (such as those described by the gravitational and spring force) give rise to changes in potential energy.
• Recognize that kinetic energy can be associated with a single object while potential energy is a property associated only with a system of interacting objects.
• Describe the factors that determine gravitational and elastic potential energy and calculate the potential energy of a system.
• Define mechanical energy and calculate the total mechanical energy of an object or system.
• Describe the transformations of energy that take place in a system in which mechanical energy is conserved.

Topic 16: Conservation of Energy

• Explain the relationship between thermal energy and the temperature of an object.
• Use energy diagrams (LOL) to track the energy transformations within a system, and the energy transfers between a system and its environment.
• Recognize that the work done by dissipative forces such as friction or drag results in changes in thermal energy, and calculate the changes in thermal energy, both internal and external to a system.
• Gain experience recognizing and defining an isolated system.
• Apply the work-energy equation to solve problems for isolated systems and for open systems in which work done by external forces transfers energy into or out of the system by external forces.
• Identify the conditions under which the mechanical energy of a system is conserved.
• Explain why the transformations of energy for a freely falling object depend on whether the Earth is included in the system.
• Recognize situations in which using energy techniques to interpret and analyze motion is favorable to applying a kinematics.

Topic 17: Energy Diagrams, Power and Unit 3 Review

• Sketch and interpret diagrams of energy as a function of position.
• Define power and describe its relationship to work and energy.
• Explain how the power delivered to an object or system is related to the force exerted on the object or system.
• Solve problems involving power, including energy transfer and forces.

Unit 4: Linear Momentum (Topics 18-20)

Topic 18: Momentum, Impulse and Conservation of Momentum

• Define the linear momentum of an object and explain how it differs from kinetic energy.
• Explain the concept of impulse, and calculate impulse as the area under the force-time curve.
• Relate the change in momentum of an object to the impulse exerted on that object (Impulse-Momentum Theorem); solve problems involving impulse and momentum.
• Use the impulse-momentum relationship to explain a variety of phenomena, including safety features in cars, follow-through in sports, etc.
• Explain the conditions under which the total momentum of a system remains constant and solve problems in which momentum is conserved.

Topic 19: Momentum and Energy Changes During Collisions

• Describe the differences and similarities between elastic, inelastic, and perfectly inelastic collisions.
• Make qualitative predictions about the post-collision velocities of objects in elastic and inelastic collisions based on momentum conservation.
• Apply conservation of momentum and conservation of energy to solve problems involving elastic collisions.
• Apply momentum conservation to collisions that take place in two dimensions.
• Find the center of mass of a system and describe how the net force acting on a system affects the motion of the center of mass.
• Interpret and predict the velocity of the center of mass for a system of colliding objects.

Topic 20: Unit 3 Work, Energy and Power and Unit 4 Linear Momentum: Review and Exam

Unit 5: Torque and Rotational Motion (Topics 21-22)

Topic 21: Rotational Kinematics & Torque

• Describe rotating objects in terms of angle, angular velocity, and angular acceleration.
• Interpret motion graphs for rotational motion.
• Understand the connection between the variables and equations for linear motion and angular motion.
• Apply equations for rotational kinematics to solve constant acceleration angular motion when given a description of motion in words, graphs, or experimental data.
• Explain the conditions under which a force applied to a rigid object or system causes rotation.
• Define the concept of "lever arm" ("moment") and calculate the torque exerted on a rigid body or a system of rigidly connected objects.
• Determine an object's center of gravity and gravitational torque.
• Explain why an object that is free to rotate comes to rest with the CG below its pivot point.

Topic 22: Rotational Dynamics & Moment of Inertia

• Describe the factors that determine an object or system's moment of inertia.
• Calculate the moments of inertia for a single particle, a collection of particles, and for rigid objects with common shapes
• State the relationship between torque, rotational inertia, and angular acceleration.
• Apply the problem-solving strategy and Newton's second law to solve rotational dynamics problems.
• Describe the constraints on a system involving ropes and pulleys when the pulley turns without the rope slipping
• Solve integrated problems involving knowledge of translational and rotational kinematics and dynamics.
• Understand the role of net torque and net force in determining the equilibrium of extended objects and solve problems involving torque and static equilibrium.

Unit 6: Energy and Momentum of Rotating Systems (Topics 23-22)

Topic 23: Rolling Motion and Rotational Kinetic Energy

• Analyze rolling motion as a combination of rotational and translational motions.
• Describe the constraint for "rolling without slipping" motion.
• Explain what force causes an object to start rolling on a surface, or to accelerate as it rolls down an incline.
• Calculate the rotational kinetic energy of an object or system of objects.
• Apply conservation of energy techniques to analyze motion and solve problems involving rolling and/or rotational motion.

Topic 24: Angular Momentum

• Define the angular momentum of a particle moving in a circle or a rotating extended object and explain the conditions under which the angular momentum of a system remains constant.
• Identify the rotational analogs to the variables and equations for linear momentum and impulse.
• Calculate the angular impulse acting on an object or system using a graph of net torque as a function of time.
• Apply the concepts of angular momentum and its conservation to describe and predict the motion of rotating systems.
• Use conservation laws to solve problems involving angular momentum.
• Give an example of how an isolated rotating object can experience a change in angular velocity and explain how this happens even without an external torque acting on it.
• Describe a scenario in which an object moving in a straight line has angular momentum and calculate the angular momentum relative to the center of rotation

Unit 7: Oscillations (Topics 25-27)

Topic 25: Simple Harmonic Motion in a Mass-Spring System

• Define oscillations and give everyday examples of systems that oscillate.
• Define the angular quantities and units that are used to specify position, displacement and velocity for a particle moving with circular motion.
• Define the period, frequency, and amplitude of oscillatory motion.
• Describe the characteristics of oscillations, including the key properties of simple harmonic motion.
• Describe the role played by linear restoring forces for oscillating systems with simple harmonic motion.
• Understand the connection between uniform circular motion and SHM.
• Describe the physical properties that determine the frequency of an object oscillating on a spring, and explain how the characteristics of motion depend on those properties.
• Describe oscillatory motion with graphs and equations, and use these descriptions to solve problems of oscillatory motion.

Topic 26: Energy in Spring-Mass Systems

• Describe the physical properties that determine the frequency of an object oscillating on a spring, and explain how the characteristics of motion depend on those properties.
• Describe oscillatory motion with graphs and equations, and use these descriptions to solve problems of oscillatory motion.
• Apply conservation of energy to predict energy transformations in an oscillating system and to analyze simple harmonic motion for spring-mass systems.

Topic 27: Pendulum Motion

• Describe the physical properties that determine the frequency of a simple pendulum and explain how the characteristics of motion depend on those properties.
• Describe the role that gravity plays in the oscillation of a pendulum.
• Explain the concept of damping and its impact on oscillating systems.
• Apply conservation of energy to predict energy transformations and to analyze simple harmonic motion for a simple pendulum.

Unit 8 Fluids (Topics 28-30)

Topic 28: Density and Pressure

• Describe, measure and calculate the density of gases and liquids.
• Calculate and use the pressure in a liquid.
• Describe the effects due to fluid pressure.

Topic 29: Buoyancy and Bernoulli

• Describe the static and dynamic properties of fluids.
• Use Archimedes’ principle to calculate buoyancy.
• Use the equation of continuity to solve problems about fluid flow.
• Use Bernoulli’s equation to solve problems about fluid dynamics.

Topic 30: Units 7 Oscillations and Unit 8 Fluids: Review and Exam

• Analyze results from experiments about buoyancy and Bernoulli's principle.
• Review your knowledge of topics in Units 7 and 8.
• Take an exam to demonstrate understanding of Units 7 and 8.
• Prepare for the AP Physics 1 Exam.

Unit 9: Review and Preparation for AP Exam (Topics 31-33)

Topic 31: Review and Practice Exam

• Review content from the year.
• Complete a full-length AP practice exam.

Topic 32: AP® Practice Exam Review and Reflections

• Review results of AP Practice Exam and reflect on performance.
• Identify areas of confusion and resources for review.

Topic 33: Reflections and Final Thoughts

• Reflect on course experience.
• Share final thoughts