We are using the wide-angle lens to see the scope of content covered in the Physics 1 course.
We are using the wide-angle lens to see the scope of content covered in the Physics 1 course. The exam is 3 hours long and will consist of 50 multiple choice questions and 5 free-response questions (1:47). Although the exam will be comprehensive, the 10 units on the exam are not given equal amounts of attention (3:20). Don’t forget, you are provided with an extensive formula sheet and can use a calculator! (6:15)
The Question of the Day asks (7:16) What does the slope of graph of an object’s position vs. time represent?
Thank you for listening to The APsolute RecAP: Physics 1 Edition!
(AP is a registered trademark of the College Board and is not affiliated with The APsolute RecAP. Copyright 2020 - The APsolute RecAP, LLC. All rights reserved.)
Website:
EMAIL:
Follow Us:
Hi and welcome to the APsolute Recap: Physics 1 Edition. Today’s episode will introduce you to the world of physics and the content covered on the AP Physics 1 exam.
Lets Zoom out:
We are using the wide-angle lens to see the scope of content covered in the Physics 1 course. Our loftier goal will be to see our familiar world in a completely new way. No longer will a football thrown through the air be the same. What seemed like one simple motion will be pulled apart into two distinct motions that will etch themselves on invisible graph paper that permeates our world.
The Physics 1 exam will test your knowledge in 10 main units. As you progress through the units, your physics toolkit continues to grow so that you can solve more involved problems. The goal of physics is to take the very complicated motions of our world, and describe them in the simplest way that we can. In order to make the complex simpler, we tend to agree on some very idyllic circumstances. For example, we often are guilty of saying things like, “Well, we will ignore air resistance because that makes it more complicated. And… let’s ignore surface friction too for the time being.” See what I mean?
Lets Zoom in:
Although the exam will be comprehensive, the 10 units on the exam are not given equal amounts of attention. Additionally, some units are more foundational than others, and as a result will be integrated throughout much of the course. The exam is 3 hours long and will consist of 50 multiple choice questions and 5 free-response questions. Equal time is split between these two portions of the exam. Your eventual score on the exam will also be split equally between the multiple choice and free response sections 50/50.
For the multiple choice section, 45/50 are single-select (one correct answer) and 5/50 are multiple-select (pick both correct answers). The 5 free-response questions (FRQs) come in a variety of forms. One of these questions will be a 12 point, 25 minute experimental design which will require you to determine the equipment needed, the procedure, and the quantities to be measured. One of the FRQs will be a 12 point, 25 minute quantitative/qualitative translation. These questions often involve conflicting statements made by two students, and you are asked to identify the portions that are correct from each individual. Additionally, this question often has other portions that require you to derive an equation that can be used to investigate particular relationships. The third question type is a 7 point, 13 minute paragraph length response that requires you to construct a clear and coherent argument using the physics that you have learned. Finally, you will encounter two short answer questions that can be asked in a variety of ways and will each be worth 7 points and will take approximately 13 minutes. Some times these questions ask you to make a selection from 2 or 3 options, and you can bet you will be asked to justify your selection. Let’s jump in.
Unit 1: Kinematics will have you describing how an object moves using a set of 3 equations. In this unit, you will investigate displacement, velocity, and acceleration. Of the 3, acceleration is the most difficult to wrap your head around.
Unit 2: Dynamics emphasizes forces, and the effects that forces have on the motion of objects… or the lack of motion in some cases. I have three words for you, free… body… diagram.
Unit 3: Circular Motion and Gravitation, spoiler alert… acceleration is still soaking up the limelight as you learn about “G-forces” encountered by fighter pilots and predict the time it takes for the International Space Station to complete an orbit around Earth.
Unit 4: Energy is hands-down the most important unit to master since it is the unit with the largest presence on the exam. This is the unit of roller coasters and spring launchers, pole vaulters and bobsledders, astronauts and racecar drivers.
Unit 5: Momentum is another key unit and will help you to better understand collisions. Most people find momentum easier to understand than the concepts forces or energy, and when given the choice momentum should be your bread and butter.
Unit 6: Simple Harmonic Motion is a quick unit. This unit will help to stitch together circular motion, energy, and forces. Pendula and springs make their debut in unit 6, and they do not disappoint. Their predictable oscillatory motions make them perfect for use as timepieces.
Unit 7: Torque and Rotational Motion is another big one. There is good news, and there is bad news. Good news 1st! Many of the equations used in this unit have been seen before throughout the previous 6 units. The bad news… none of the measurement units are the same, so we have some vocabulary to get comfortable with. 10 to 16 % of the exam will focus on this unit so it is worth the effort to learn it well.
Unit 8: Electric Charge and Electric Force can feel like magic. We quickly unpack what is going on when someone’s hair stands on end or when we get zapped reaching for the doorknob. You may be shocked to find out that electric force is quite powerful compared to gravity. See what I did there?
Unit 9: DC Circuits will have you playing the role of electrical engineer as you learn about series and parallel circuits and how voltage, current, and resistance are intertwined. A lot of what you learn in Units 8 and 9 can be built upon if you decide to take AP Physics 2 or AP Physics C.
Unit 10: Mechanical Waves and Sound. If a tree falls in the woods, and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? Well, as a physicist I would say, “That depends, was there any air in the woods?”
Now, that may sound like a wide variety of topics, and you are correct. But, you are not totally on your own for this exam. You are provided with an extensive formula sheet that includes some simple trig ratios, metric prefixes, and even the names of the variables in the equations. Additionally, you are allowed to bring the calculator you used all year long with any formulas you have created on there. For example, you may find it helpful to program the quadratic formula in there to help with kinematics problems. A list of acceptable calculators is provided on the AP Physics 1 website.
To recap……
The AP Physics 1 exam content will span 10 units. The big units are 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, & 10, while the units on circular motion, simple harmonic motion, and electricity are less prominent portions of the exam. The world of physics is a beautiful place, and I can’t wait for you to see it through a whole new perspective.
Coming up next on the APsolute RecAP Physics 1 Edition: Mathematical Parent Functions & The Problem Solving Mindset.
Today’s Question of the day is about Kinematics.
Question: What does the slope of graph of an object’s position vs. time represent?