What follows is the Google Calendar for AP Physics 1 for periods 1 and 3.

Tests and major assignments will be posted here.

Daily assignments will be posted through Google Classroom.

AP Physics 1

In 2019, Westfield 'replaced' Physics Honors with AP Physics 1.  Although the content is similar, the focus of the class became more conceptual and more inquiry-based.

What is Physics?

• Physics is the study of the physical world.

• Physics studies motion – kinematics.

• Physics studies forces – dynamics.

• Physics studies fields – gravitational, electric and magnetic.

• Physics studies momentum and energy.

• Physics studies the relationship between physical quantities.

• Physics is the application of mathematics.

• Physics is the foundation of the other sciences and engineering.

AP Physics 1 is a college-level algebra-based physics course.  The College Board's curriculum focuses on inquiry-based labs, conceptual problem solving, claim-evidence-and-reasoning (CER), and applying Physics principles to unfamiliar situations.  The course 's quick pace is necessitated by the depth of the AP curriculum and the AP test in May.

In Physics, the curriculum builds on prior concepts.  Students who find themselves struggling with class material are encouraged to see me for help promptly.  Essential concepts and skills will reoccur throughout the year in new contexts.

Lab activities will usually open with a question, immerse students in the practice of science, and facilitate the uncovering of relationships between physical quantities.  Student's findings will be summarized to establish a foundation and then applied to more complex or more general situations.  Specific skill sets will be modeled and taught as they become necessary.

Physics has a vocabulary and language of its own. Terms used in daily conversation often have very different and specific meanings in Physics.  In addition, numbers have physical meaning.  Their meaning is communicated through the value’s units.

We will work exclusively with MKS units—meters, kilograms and seconds—in this course.  These units represent length, mass and time.  Derived units, which are combinations of the base units, are used to describe more complex relationships, such as velocity, acceleration, force and energy.

Grade Calculation

Marking period grades will be weighted averages for homework, labs, conceptual problems (CER tasks) and tests.  The weights are similar to the points basis I used in previous years and to those used by my colleagues.  The scoring information is provided below.