The first half of College Physics for AP Courses covers material for AP Physics 1, including kinematics, Newton’s laws, motion, force, energy, oscillating motion and waves, electricity and currents. The second half addresses AP Physics 2, including fluid dynamics, thermodynamics, electromagnetism, optics, quantum mechanics, atomic and nuclear physics. Instruction is organized in terms of physics concepts and begins with detailed definitions of terminology and explanations of concepts. As lessons progress, students learn how concepts are relevant to real-world phenomena. Frequent example problems frame how concepts can be used to understand and solve every day problems (e.g., What acceleration can a person produce when pushing a lawn mower?). Example problems provide step-by-step guidance in identifying mathematical solutions and detailed discussions of problem-solving strategies. The text provides frequent opportunities for students to apply what they have learned and check their understanding using problems presented in textboxes (e.g., “Applying the Science Practices” and “Check Your Understanding”). Other textboxes highlight formulas, note important and/or interesting information, and identify frequent misconceptions.
College Physics for AP Courses is an open-source resource that encourages science educators to submit new information and course material to ensure instruction is accurate, up-to-date, and relevant to students’ lives. Content is math dependent; students will need a strong understanding of concepts in algebra and statistics in order to be successful. The course does not include a laboratory component, so a separate laboratory manual will be needed in order to fully address the AP Science Practices.
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