AP Physics C - Unit 1, Tools for Scientific Thinking

"the foolishness begins here"

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This unit is an introduction to (or review of, depending on student background), conceptual modeling in physics, data analysis and graphing, elementary calculus, and vectors.

This unit is intended for students without a previous physics course and may be skipped in some years. This makes more time to complete electricity and magnetism, and review for the AP Exam at the end of the year. Typically this unit begins with a paradigm lab on the idea of mathematical modeling.

After the lab is complete, we will practice applying ideas of uncertainty, dimensional/unit analysis, and vector analysis to the study of motion.

This unit and the next one are inspired by the work of Galileo Galilei (CE 1564-1642). Isaac Newton (CE 1642-1726/27).