Advanced Placement Physics at Brockport High School

   AP Physics B is a college level course that uses algebra as the primary tool for problem solving. The course covers topics in mechanics, energy, wave motion, fluids, thermodynamics, electricity, magnetism, optics, quantum theory, and nuclear physics. Students can obtain college credit either through the AP examination offered by the College Board or through the 3-1-3 program at SUNY Brockport (Physics 115 and 116, 8 credits).  A final exam is given shortly after the AP Exam, and a special project is due in June to complete the course.

     Students should expect to spend 2-4 hours per week outside of class on physics related assignments. You will need a scientific calculator and a lab notebook. Access to a microcomputer is required for word processing and graphing. The textbook is Physics by Giancoli (6th ed. 2005).

     AP Physics is an intense course and is purposely designed to extract your best reasoning skills. Consequently, it is not unusual for students to occasionally become frustrated with laboratory work, problem solving, and tests. For this reason, there are several fundamental requirements that I expect from you that will allow you to reach your personal goals in this course. Firstly, students are expected to attend all classes. Absences related to legitimate reasons are unavoidable, however, it becomes your responsibility for obtaining the information and assignment for that day. Secondly, problems assigned in class are valuable for understanding the material. It is expected that all assignments be completed on time to the best of your ability as a requisite to continuing in the class. Generally, students who are behind in their work will not be allowed to takes quizzes, tests, or participate in lab work.

     You can best reach your goals in this course through daily preparation. There is no substitute for hard work, especially in a course such as AP Physics that requires a collection of skills (i.e., writing, mathematics, reasoning, etc.) to succeed. You should expect to work much harder in this course than what you are accustomed to in high school courses, but the rewards will be worth it all. 

Back to the Brockport High School Science Department