AP Physics I

Mr. Nappo’s Classroom Rules and Policies (Physics)

Teacher:

          Steven Nappo ([email protected])  *Conference: 5^th Period (12:55pm - 1:45pm)

Tutoring Hours:

            ~7:30-8:10 Most Mornings

            *Tutoring is available after school as well, but the time should be scheduled beforehand.

Textbook:

Physics:  Conceptual Physics by Paul G. Hewitt (Available for Checkout upon Request)

AP Physics I:  Physics: Principles with Applications AP Edition by Giancoli (Distributed)

Required Materials:

• Composition Book - 100 sheet count (For Labs/Activities)
• Spiral Notebook or Ruled Paper (For Notes/Homework)
• Pens/Pencils (For Writing) and Red Pens (For Grading)
• Graphing Calculator (Distributed in Math Classes but Personal Recommended)

Student Expectations:

• Firmly grasp all physics concepts introduced in class.
• Make mathematical calculations involving equations related to the concepts.
• Understand the scientific method and be able to design and carry out experiments by making measurements which test those concepts and draw conclusions from the data.

Classroom Rules (Mr. Nappo’s 5B’s):

1. Be Punctual! (Arrive to class ON TIME and return from breaks quickly.)
2. Be Productive! (Stay on task and always do your best on all assignments.)
3. Be Respectful! (Treat others and their property with utmost courtesy.)
4. Be Responsible! (Come to class prepared with your work and knowledge ready.)
5. Be Disciplined! (Behave and control yourself. Absolutely NO)

       *All additional rules located in the student handbook are always in effect.

Consequences:

      A warning is first given for disobeying any rule*.  After the warning punishments** are:

• 1^st Strike – Parent/Guardian Contacted
• 2^nd Strike – Detention
• 3^rd Strike – Office Referral

        *ANY horseplay during labs will result in a zero for the assignment and ejection from the class.

        **The teacher reserves the right to skip disciplinary steps or increase punishment depending on the nature of the student’s behavior.

Make-Up Work/Late Work:

            Students with excused absences are given one additional day for each class day missed from the time they return to school to complete all assignments given during their absence for full credit.  The assignments must be turned in to the teacher by the beginning of the period on the final due date.  Otherwise, assignments will be accepted a maximum of one day late* for a highest possible grade of 70.  Anything not turned in before the tardy bell on the day of the final late deadline will not be accepted.

        *Any work turned in after the assignment is collected during class is considered late.

        **Students are allowed two zeros for not completing classwork/homework per six weeks.  After this, the student will receive an academic detention to complete any assignment which is not turned in by the late deadline.  They can still complete the assignment for a late grade during the detention.

Re-test Policy:

            If a student receives a failing grade on a test*, they may earn the ability to retake the test once up to a maximum of one week after it is returned to the class for a highest possible grade of 70.  To earn the right to take a re-test, the student must complete test corrections, an additional assignment to be determined by the teacher, and attend 20 minutes of tutoring.

         *Re-tests are never given for quizzes.

Extra Credit:

            No extra credit assignments will ever be given in the class.  (So do your work!)

Grading:

          10% - Classwork/Homework                      20% - Quizzes

          30% - Lab Reports                                     40% - Tests/Projects

Privileges:

      Any and all privileges may be revoked if the student abuses them.  These include but are not limited to:

• Restroom Breaks
• Chewing Gum in Class
• Talking and Working with Friends During Class Assignments

Homework Guarantee:

            Homework will never be given without the intention of using it for grading purposes.  The assignment will be taken up and graded, a quiz will be given based on the assignment, or the student will be allowed to use the assignment during a quiz.  (So do your work!)

Lab/Project Participation:

            Teamwork is an essential skill which all students will need when they enter the workforce as adults, especially in the field of science.  To this end, group work is treated as major component of this class, whether the students are working on an experiment or just problem solving.  Over a third of each student’s grade for the year will consist of assignments which they complete with others.  Therefore, students will sit with lab group members each and every class day (these groups change about once per six weeks).  It is absolutely vital that students get along with their fellow members, and most importantly, share the work!  If a student does not contribute a fair portion of work to the group, they may lose points or receive a zero on assignments.

Cell Phones:

            Technology is an integral part of our modern lives for both students and adults.  Although we use our mobile devices throughout the day, there are times and places where they should be used, and during class is not one of them.  They can interfere with a student’s learning and cause them to miss vital information.  Cell phones are never to be used in class without the teacher’s permission.  There are some assignments and activities where students will be allowed to use their phones for educational purposes, but they are prohibited at all other times.  If a student is ever caught using their phone during class for any purpose without the teacher’s consent, it will be taken up and sent to the office where the parent must pay a fine to retrieve it.  In order to encourage students to pay attention in class and not be distracted by their cell phones, they can receive rewards each six weeks for placing them in classroom slots each day for the entire period.  The rewards are as follows:

            Cell Phone in Slot All But 5 or Less Days of Six Weeks – Get Out of Homework Pass

            Cell Phone in Slot All But 2 or Less Days of Six Weeks – Lowest Quiz Grade Dropped

These rewards require attendance.  If a student is absent from class (extracurricular activities excluded) they cannot be counted for turning in their cell phone.

Cheating:   

            Cheating is absolutely never tolerated for any reason whatsoever.  Any student caught cheating on an assignment, quiz or test will receive a zero for their grade and an office referral.  NO EXCEPTIONS!

 

Download a Copy of the Classroom Rules for AP Physics I Below:

AP Physics 1 Syllabus for the 2019-2020 Year

Mr. Nappo ([email protected])

AP Expectations

By enrolling in AP Physics 1, you are expected to take the College Board’s AP Physics 1 Test on May 7^th, 2020.  By passing the AP Physics 1 Test, not only can you receive college credit (if your college accepts it), but you will also receive a refund from the school for the cost of the test.  Since this course is a college level class, you are expected to perform and behave like college students, both in the quality of your work and the strength of your character.  This means that you are expected to complete all of your work and do so on time.  You are expected to take high caliber notes and keep up with the material, especially with your understanding of it.  You are expected to come to quizzes and tests prepared with the knowledge and practice needed to be successful.  Ultimately, it is your responsibility to master the material, so you must work hard outside of class and come in to get help whenever you need it before it becomes an issue. Be aware that this course is very fast paced, so if you are involved with any extracurricular activities, you may have to work harder than others.  Most importantly, you are expected to always be on your best behavior.  I should never have to deal with discipline issues in an AP class, and I have zero patience for any disruptions of class time.  Consider yourselves warned.

 

The “Big Ideas”

The entire framework for this course is structured around six “big ideas” of physics which encompass the principles and theories, including all assignments, quizzes, labs, tests, and other activities presented in the class.  They are as follows:

          Big Idea 1:             Objects and systems have properties such as mass and charge.  Systems may have internal structure.

            Big Idea 2:             Fields existing in space can be used to explain interactions.

            Big Idea 3:             The interactions of an object with other objects can be described by forces.

            Big Idea 4:             Interactions between systems can result in changes to those systems.

            Big Idea 5:             Changes that occur as a result of interactions are constrained by conservation laws.

            Big Idea 6:             Waves can transfer energy and momentum from one location to another without the permanent transfer of mass and serve as a mathematical model for the description of other phenomena.

 

Mastering Physics

There is an online component to this class, known as Mastering Physics, which contains tutorials, homework assignments, and test reviews.  We will take time in class to get everyone set up with their own account within a few days.  You will be assigned work often from this webpage and are expected to complete it individually as the vast majority of questions are randomized.

 

Lab Reports

Labs are an extremely important component of the AP Physics 1 course, and thus make up a large portion of your grade.  The focus of these assignments is on inquiry-based investigation, which means that students will be expected to design and implement their own experiments based on a given question with little to no assistance from the teacher.  It is paramount that groups work well together and combine their efforts to complete the given task.  Labs will often take multiple class periods to complete, or even require you to come in before or after school.  Conclusions drawn from data should show a solid understanding of the concepts and material.  Your lab reports are expected to be of professional quality, both in their presentation and the language you use.

 

Test Scores

Tests in this class are extremely difficult and time consuming; therefore you are expected to spend ample time preparing for them.  You will not have much time to “think it out” during the limited time you have.  Even with preparation though, students will often make mistakes or not fully finish all questions.  For this reason there is a curving formula which is applied to every test.  But in order to qualify to receive it, students must complete test corrections for each question missed on every test given.

 

The AP Physics 1 Test Format

The AP Physics 1 Test is divided into two main parts.  A multiple choice section with 50 questions, and a free response section with 5 questions.  You are given 90 minutes for each section and each counts towards 50% of your score.  We will discuss the types of questions you are likely to encounter at multiple points throughout the year, and all tests will contain several AP style questions.

 

The Content Areas

The course is divided into ten units, with each unit covering various concepts and topics.  The tentative schedule is as follows:

1^st Six Weeks:

Class Introduction

• • • • Scientific Notation, Unit Conversion and Significant Figures
      • Scientific Method and Lab Equipment

• • • • Motion in One Dimension: Constant Velocity and Uniform Acceleration
      • Vectors: Components and Resultants
      • Motion in Two Dimensions: Projectile Motion

• • • • Forces: Types and Representations (FBD)
      • Newton’s Three Laws of Motion
      • Friction and Interacting Objects: Pulleys

• • • • Uniform Circular Motion: Kinematics and Dynamics
      • Newton’s Universal Law of Gravitation

• • • • Work and Power
      • Kinetic and Potential Energy
      • Conservation of Energy

• • • • Impulse and Momentum: Impulse-Momentum Theorem
      • Conservation of Momentum
      • Elastic and Inelastic Collisions

• • • • Linear Restoring Forces and Graphical Representations
      • Simple Pendulums
      • Mass-Spring Systems

• • • • Center of Mass and Torque
      • Rotational Kinematics and Dynamics Including Rotational Inertia
      • Rotational Energy and Angular Momentum
      • Conservation of Angular Momentum

• • • • Wave Characteristics
      • Traveling Waves: Transverse and Longitudinal (Sound)
      • Wave Superposition and Standing Waves: String and Sound

• • • • Electric Charge and Conservation of Charge
      • Electric Force: Coulomb’s Law

• • • • Electric Current and Potential Difference
      • Electric Resistance and Ohm’s Law
      • Series and Parallel Connections in DC Circuits
      • Kirchhoff’s Laws

• • • • Practice Exams and Understanding Scoring Guidelines