About AP Physics C

AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism is a calculus-based, college-level physics course, especially appropriate for students planning to specialize or major in physical science or engineering. The course explores topics such as electrostatics; conductors, capacitors, and dielectrics; electric circuits; magnetic fields; and electromagnetism. Introductory differential and integral calculus is used throughout the course.

AP Physics C: Mechanics is a calculus-based, college-level physics course. It covers kinematics; Newton’s laws of motion; work, energy, and power; systems of particles and linear momentum; circular motion and rotation; oscillations; and gravitation.

Laboratory Requirement

This course requires that 25 percent of the instructional time will be spent in hands-on laboratory work. Students ask questions, make observations and predictions, design experiments, analyze data, and construct arguments in a collaborative setting, where they direct and monitor their progress. Each student should complete a lab notebook or portfolio of lab reports.

Skills You'll Learn

• Interpreting and describing visual representations of physical situations

• Coming up with a hypothesis and designing an experiment to test it

• Creating graphs and diagrams to represent data and physical situations

• Analyzing data shown in a graph

• Determining the relationship between physical qualities

• Solving physics problems using mathematical relationships

• Developing and supporting a scientific claim with evidence