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Dr. Philhour and Dr. Dann

"Wisdom is not a product of schooling but of the life-long attempt to acquire it." — Albert Einstein

AP Physics C (2° & 3°) 1st Quarter 2004-05

Most recent update December 30, 2004 11:32 AM

Schedule

• Friday, August 27th
  • First Day of Class (Activity Schedule): Introduction; Units
    • Syllabus [5 min]; explanation of lab portion of course (one big project per quarter)
    • Introductions [10 min]
    • Collect independent study work from students who didn't take physics last year; these students should come in after school next week to take a physics exam; we'll talk about the results informally
    • Pass around How it Works sheet
    • Unit conversions and dimensional analysis as a problem-solving tool [25 min]
    • HW: Read "The Fermi Solution" (pp. 11-14 in Tipler Ch 1); do Ch 1 problems 1, 4, 29, 31, 34 (Fermi-style), 41

• Week of Monday, August 30th: Calculus; Motion in One Dimension; The Big Three
  • Day 1
    • Homework questions [10 min]
    • Position, velocity, and acceleration (as defined with calculus and using graphs) [20 min]
    • Instantaneous velocity v(t) vs. average velocity; instantaneous acceleration a(t) vs. average acceleration [10 min]
    • Graphing velocity and acceleration [5 min]
    • Difference between speed & velocity [5 min]
    • Introduction to the derivative [5 min]
    • HW: Ch 2 #s 1, 11, 13, 17, 18, 43; suggested reading Ch 2-1 & 2-2
  • Day 2
    • Homework questions & recap [15 min]
    • Use RANGE FINDER to demonstrate x(t), v(t), and a(t) for various physical situations [10 min]
    • Introduction to the antiderivative [5 min]
    • Derive the Big Three equations from first principles & do example problems [20 min]
    • Announce calculus special session for 5th period Day 3 in Room 310 hosted by Dr. Philhour: polynomials, antiderivatives, area under the curve, check your integrals by taking derivatives, etc. (Second special session next week.)
    • Announce physics club & ask for volunteers to TA at the homework parties (see Dr. Dann)
    • Start Ch 2 #49 in class [5 min]
    • HW: Ch 2 #s 21, 23, 25, 49, 53, 57; suggested reading Ch 2-3 & 2-4
  • Day 3
    • Homework questions [15 min]
    • Example: the well problem [10 min]
    • Review for quiz [25 min]
    • HW: take practice quiz in preparation for the quiz on Day 4; suggested reading Ch 2-5 & chapter summary
  • Day 4
    • Quiz (50% individual; 50% group work)
    • HW: Ch 2 #s 28, 55, 59, 62, 63; suggested reading: Ch 3-6 & 3-7 on relative velocity and projectile motion; also, I suggest that you re-read Ch 2 if you feel you didn't do well on the quiz.

• Week of Tuesday, September 7th: Relative velocity & two-dimensional motion
  • Day 1 (Activity Schedule)
    • hand back quizzes & solutions; go over quizzes
    • relative velocity (air speed vs. ground speed); addition of velocity vectors
    • In-class examples: friend on the opposite shore problem; you & the farmer problem; shark problem (this could save your life!)
    • HW: Tipler Ch 3 #s 27, 28, 48
  • Day 2 (Activity Schedule)
    • Homework questions [15 min]
    • James Bond demo; independence of two dimensions (linked through time)
    • Big Three --> Big Six
    • projectile motion & demos (dive bomber "air drop", etc.)
    • example problems
    • HW: Tipler Ch 3 #s 29, 32, 33, 49
  • Day 3 (Activity Schedule)
    • Homework questions [20 min]
    • In-class work: Tipler Ch 3 #s 62 & 57
    • HW: Tipler Ch 3 #s 53, 59, 69
  
  
• Week of Monday, September 13th: Circular motion & Newton's Laws of Motion
  • Day 1
    • Homework questions [15 min]
    • Centripetal acceleration & circular motion (& worked problem)
    • In-class work: Tipler Ch 3 # 43
    • HW: Tipler Ch 3 #s 36, 37, 38
  • Day 2
    • Homework questions [15 min]
    • Newton's Laws of Motion
    • HW: Tipler Ch 3 #65; Ch 4 #s 1, 3, 5, and 9; read pp. 77-85
  • Day 3
    • Homework questions [30 min]
    • Review for test (using demonstrations & predictions) [25 min]
    • HW: review for test & do sample test at Dr. Dann's website (if available)
  • Day 4
    • Test: 1-D motion, Projectile Motion, and Circular Motion (Chapters 2 and 3); Individual exams (not group)
    • HW: Tipler Ch 4 #s 11, 17, 23, 25; read pp. 86-92

• Week of Monday, September 20th: Newton's Laws of Motion (Spirit Week)
  • Day 1
    • Homework questions [15 min]
    • Recap of Newton's Laws
    • Elevator and spring problems
    • Here's the problem I goofed up in class - Dr. Philhour
    • HW: Tipler Ch 4 #s 29, 33, 35, 36, 42
  • Day 2
    • Homework questions [15 min]
    • Newton's Laws in two dimensions
    • Inclined plane; use cross-stick and plumb bob to demonstrate angles involved
    • Practice problems: one on inclined planes, one on two dimensions (wagon)
    • HW: Tipler Ch 4 #s 32, 37, 41, 50
  • Day 3
    • Homework questions [15 min]
    • Stuck in the mud movie?
    • Friction (kinetic and static) / demo with the force probe (static friction rises to the occasion)
    • HW: Tipler Ch 5 #s 3, 7, 14, 37; read pp. 92-100
  • Day 4
    • Quiz (~80% individual; ~20% group work) on Newton's Laws, elevator and spring problems, friction, and inclined planes
    • HW: Tipler Ch 4 #s 17, 43
    • ARE YOU COMING TO VISIT DR. DANN or DR. PHILHOUR for HELP????!?

• Week of Monday, September 27th: Newton's Laws continued
  • Day 1
    • Dr. Philhour's class only: reseating [5 min]
    • Homework questions [15 min]
    • Centripetal force; start two-object problems (contact forces between stacked objects; pulley problems)
    • The Mass Medium handout
    • HW: Tipler Ch 4 # 51, Ch 5 #s 17, 31, 34, 49; read pp. 107-115; read MM handout; check your grade online at my front page
  • Day 2
    • Homework questions [15 min]
    • Finish two-object problems (contact forces between stacked objects; pulley problems)
    • Work some practice problems
    • HW: Tipler Ch 5 #s 14, 15, 35, 40; read pp. 116-120
    • ARE YOU COMING TO VISIT DR. DANN or DR. PHILHOUR for HELP????!?
  • Day 3
    • Homework questions [15 min]
    • Homework check! (Bring your homework from the last week.)
    • Lab: problem-solving on forces, using force probes & inclined planes (student-building; bring calculators)
    • HW: Tipler Ch 5 # 41, 43, 45
  • Day 4
    • Lab: problem-solving on forces, using force probes & inclined planes (student building; bring calculators)
    • HW: Tipler Ch 5 #s 26, 27, 57, 6

• Week of Monday, October 4th: Newton's Laws continued
  • Day 1
    • Homework questions [15 min]
    • Lab: problem-solving on forces, using force probes & inclined planes (student building; bring calculators)
    • HW: Tipler Ch 5 #s 18, 44, 47; review Chapter 4; write-up lab for Day 3
  • Day 2
    • Homework questions [15 min]
    • Air resistance (solve for terminal velocity (easy), then do the differential equation for a(t), v(t), x(t) (very hard -- see question 52 in chapter 5 if you don't follow this in class))
    • Start AP problem on air resistance (finish for homework)
    • HW: Tipler Ch 5 #s 11, 36, finish problem from class; write-up lab for Day 3
  • Day 3
    • Homework questions [25 min]
    • Turn in lab writeup at start of class
    • Review / catchup for test
    • ARE YOU COMING TO VISIT DR. DANN or DR. PHILHOUR for HELP????!?
    • HW: practice test; review old homework problems; review previous tests; review reading; get help; form a study group, and read about this year's Nobel prize winners in physics. AND check out this thing!
  • Day 4
    • Test: Newton's Laws, elevator and spring problems, inclined planes, friction, centripetal forces, two-object problems, air resistance, and laboratories
    • HW: Read Tipler Ch 6 summary (pp. 171-172) and Ch 6 sections 1, 2, and 3 (pp. 135-147)

• Week of Monday, October 11th: Work and Energy (short week -- no classes on Wednesday due to PSAT)
  • Day 1
    • Homework questions [15 min]
    • Conservation of energy!
    • "Work" defined as the transfer of energy ("Ein" and "Eout" from physics honors last year) / area under curve
    • Connection between work and force (as integrals) / "dot product" or force along direction of motion
    • Total work derived from first principles as change in kinetic energy
    • HW: Ch 6 #s 5, 7, 19, 29, 30; Read Tipler Ch 6 sections 4, 5 and 6 (pp. 144-161)
  • Day 2
    • Homework questions [15 min]
    • Connection between work and force (as derivatives)
    • Potential energy as "negative" work (Dr. Dann & Dr. Philhour think "work" is a dumb concept but we have to teach it because that's what the AP test calls it. C'est la vie.)
    • Roller coaster demo (greased and ungreased?); based on Ch 6 #77
    • HW: Ch 6 #s 37, 49, 51
  • Day 3
    • Homework questions [15 min]
    • In-class work: Ch 6 # 80
    • Power! as the time derivative of work
    • In-class work: Ch 6 # 66
    • HW: Ch6 #s 45, 50, 59, 74, 81; Read Tipler Ch 6 sections 7, 8 and 9 (pp. 161-172)

• Week of Monday, October 18th: Work and Energy continued & Midterm Exam
  • Day 1 (Activity Schedule)
    • Homework questions [15 min]
    • Equilibrium (stable, unstable, etc.)
    • In-class work: Ch 6 #s 61, 62, 65, 73, 76 (optional, involves integration)
    • HW:  finish in-class problems (as needed) & prepare for midterm exam
  • Day 2 (Activity Schedule)
    • Homework questions [15 min]
    • Review for exam: three actual AP problems & solutions! Yay!
    • HW:  prepare for midterm exam
  • Day 3 (Midterm Exam - Wednesday)
    • Midterm Exam
    • Optional: Join Dr. Dann, Mr. Cannady & Dr. Philhour at Wednesday's Physics colloquium at USF (Harney Science Center, Room 127) 4-5 PM: Prof. Lori Lubin of UC Davis on "Massive Clusters of Galaxies"

END OF FIRST QUARTER