AP Physics B

AP Physics B is a full-year, single-period Advanced Placement course that teaches preparatory physics for college. This course is the continuation of the Regents Physics course, and gives a wider scope of knowledge of the physical world. Key topics include linear mechanics, rotational motion, energy, springs and pendulums, thermodynamics, fluid dynamics, electricity and magnetism, waves and optics, light, quantum mechanics, and relative theory. Mr. John Avallone teaches this course.

Contrary to the information on the Stuyvesant course site, Precalculus is not needed as a prerequisite or a corequisite. However, basic algebra and trigonometry skills are needed to take the course. Most of the course focuses on concept rather than mathematical formulas, although formulas are used to help students to understand some of the concepts.

Curriculum
The Fall term consists of the first three units. The first unit deals with Newtonian motion, including kinematics, Newton's laws of motion, energy, momentum, rotation, oscillation, and gravitation. The second unit deals with fluid mechanics, which is a new topic not mentioned in the Regents Physics course. This unit deals with Archimedes' Principle, hydrostatics, continuity, and Bernoulli's equation. The third unit deals with thermal physics. This unit includes heat, temperature, kinetic theory, and mechanical systems involving heat energy.

The Spring term begins with discussion of electricity and magnetism, and discusses charge, electric fields and forces, circuits, currents, resistance, magnetic fields, and electromagnetic induction. The next unit focuses on waves and optics. This unit goes in-depth on the movement of waves, wave interference, diffraction, refraction, light properties, lenses, and mirrors. The next unit takes ideas from the wave unit and integrates it to discuss atomic and nuclear physics. This unit includes quantum physics, atomic structure, wave-particle duality, nuclear reactions, and mass-energy equivalence. The final unit, perhaps the most interesting, is the relativity unit, which discusses Einstein's relativity theory and its meaning.

Mr. Avallone
Mr. John Avallone is a relatively lax teacher and emphasizes the learning aspect of the class. In fact, he does not care about the AP test. He feels that his class is solely a learning experience, and that whomever would like to take the AP test will be fully prepared for it by the end of the year. He uses an interactive learning experience structured on physics demonstrations, such as a few using a stuffed Narwhal.

Mr. Avallone's class begins with an introduction to the topic via some demonstration or a straightforward example, but seldom a Do Now, and goes into the topic of the day. Mr. Avallone then explains the concept of the topic. If the topic is mathematical, such as Bernoulli's equation, he gives a few practice problems for the rest of the period. If the topic is more conceptual, such as black body radiation, Mr. Avallone goes in depth on the topic. In addition, often he stresses dimensional analysis as the best way to "guess" formulas, and recommends that his students apply these skills on a test.

Mr. Avallone also teaches topics not in the curriculum, such as moment of inertia, because he feels that the student will not truly understand how the world works without understanding some of the basic physical concepts that are not part of the curriculum.

Tests are given in a standard fashion, with about six tests per term. Mr. Avallone's tests are considered by many to be relatively difficult. His tests are considered more fun by his students, evidenced by the tendency of most of his students to giggle during his tests(often aliens and narwhals can be found in the questions). Students tend to score below average, but Mr. Avallone allows each student two resubmissions of tests; the student redoes the problems he or she got wrong, and gets back half the points he or she lost, or if the entire class does subpar, the class would often a free test submission with the square root curve, depending on Mr. Avallone's choice. (For example, a 76 becomes an 88 and a 90 becomes a 95 under the first curve, and a 64 becomes an 80 and an 81 becomes a 90 under the square root curve.) This extra resubmission may or may not be allowed to be combo-ed with the existing "half-credit" resubmission.

Grading Policy

 * Participation &mdash; 5%
 * Homework &mdash; 5%
 * Labs &mdash; 10%
 * Tests &mdash; 60%
 * Final &mdash; 20%

Labs
There are about 8 labs per term in AP Physics B. Most of them are revamped versions of Regents labs, with extra additions to fit the AP curriculum. For example, the photogate timer lab is slightly changed with the addition of rotational motion and rotational energy. Other labs are brand new to students, such as the electric field lab.

Labs are done in a lab notebook; this may be a graph paper book, a binder, or a folder filled with papers. They are graded the same way as Regents labs. Labs are held in room 827.

AP exam
Students who take AP Physics are expected to take the AP exam in May. The test is based on the following percentage goals as stated in the college board course description site: The test consists of 70 multiple choice questions in 90 minutes, during which calculators or reference table with formulas aren't allowed, and 7 short answer questions in 90 minutes, during which calculators are allowed and reference tables with formulas will be given.
 * Newtonian mechanics &mdash; 35%
 * Fluid mechanics &mdash; 15%
 * Electricity and magnetism &mdash; 25%
 * Waves and optics &mdash; 15%
 * Atomic and nuclear physics &mdash; 10%

Most students consider the multiple choice to be harder, due to the lack of a reference tables and calculators. The short answers are usually broken down into parts, so really there are more than 7 questions. Nonetheless, Stuyvesant students typically score 4s and 5s on this test.