Preface  (Page 2/6)

Coverage, scope, and alignment to the ap® curriculum

The current AP ^® Physics curriculum framework outlines the two full-year physics courses AP® Physics 1: Algebra-Based and AP ^® Physics 2: Algebra-Based. These two courses replaced the one-year AP ^® Physics B course, which over the years had become a fast-paced survey of physics facts and formulas that did not provide in-depth conceptual understanding of major physics ideas and the connections between them.

AP ^® Physics 1 and 2 courses focus on the big ideas typically included in the first and second semesters of an algebra-based, introductory college-level physics course, providing students with the essential knowledge and skills required to support future advanced course work in physics. The AP® Physics 1 curriculum includes mechanics, mechanical waves, sound, and electrostatics. The AP ^® Physics 2 curriculum focuses on thermodynamics, fluid statics, dynamics, electromagnetism, geometric and physical optics, quantum physics, atomic physics, and nuclear physics. Seven unifying themes of physics called the Big Ideas each include three to seven enduring understandings (EU), which are themselves composed of essential knowledge (EK) that provides details and context for students as they explore physics.

AP ^® science practices emphasize inquiry-based learning and development of critical thinking and reasoning skills. Inquiry usually uses a series of steps to gain new knowledge, beginning with an observation and following with a hypothesis to explain the observation; then experiments are conducted to test the hypothesis, gather results, and draw conclusions from data. The AP ^® framework has identified seven major science practices, which can be described by short phrases: using representations and models to communicate information and solve problems; using mathematics appropriately; engaging in questioning; planning and implementing data collection strategies; analyzing and evaluating data; justifying scientific explanations; and connecting concepts. The framework’s Learning Objectives merge content (EU and EK) with one or more of the seven science practices that students should develop as they prepare for the AP ^® Physics exam.

College Physics for AP ^® Courses is based on the OpenStax College Physics text, adapted to focus on the AP curriculum's concepts and practices. Each chapter of OpenStax College Physics for AP ^® Courses begins with a Connection for AP ^® Courses introduction that explains how the content in the chapter sections align to the Big Ideas, enduring understandings, and essential knowledge in the AP® framework. This textbook contains a wealth of information, and the Connection for AP ^® Courses sections will help you distill the required AP ^® content from material that, although interesting, exceeds the scope of an introductory-level course.

Each section opens with the program’s learning objectives as well as the AP ^® learning objectives and science practices addressed. We have also developed Real World Connections features and Applying the Science Practices features that highlight concepts, examples, and practices in the framework.