Chapter Objectives

Chapter Objectives for AP Physics B

Study Tip. A guide to knowing what you should be getting out of the chapter, or any chapter for that matter, is the list of objectives. Review the list as it is presented for each chapter so that you will know what the teacher expects you to be able to do.

Chapter 1

Know the three most common basic physical quantities in physics and their units.
Know how to determine the dimension of a quantity and perform a dimensional check on any equation.
Be familiar with the most common metric prefixes.
Be able to perform calculations keeping proper account of significant figures.
Be able to convert quantities from one set of units to another.
Be able to perform quick order-of-magnitude calculations.

Chapter 2

know the difference between distance and displacement.
know the difference between speed and velocity.
know the difference between velocity and acceleration.
be able to define acceleration and give examples of both positive and negative acceleration.
be able to calculate displacements, velocities, and accelerations using the equations of one-dimensional motion.
be able to interpret x-versus-t and v-versus-t plots for both motion with constant velocity and constant acceleration.
be able to describe and solve problems involving the motion of freely falling objects.

Chapter 3

Know how to represent vectors both graphically and mathematically.
Know the difference between scalars and vectors.
Be able to determine the magnitude and direction of a vector.
Be able to determine the components of a vector.
Know how to add and subtract vectors both graphically and algebraically.
Be able to represent position, displacement, velocity, and acceleration as two-dimensional vectors.

Chapter 4

Understand the characteristics of motion with constant acceleration vertically and constant velocity horizontally.
Be able to develop and apply equations for two-dimensional motion to projectiles.
Be able to calculate positions, velocities, and times for various types of projectile motion.

Chapter 5

Be able to state, and understand the meaning of, Newton's three laws of motion.
Be able to apply Newton's laws to simple situations in one and two dimensions.
Be able to identify these force types: weight, normal, tension, friction.
Be able to draw free-body (force) diagrams.
Know the difference between weight and mass.
Be able to apply Newton's laws on inclined surfaces.

Chapter 6

Be able to do net force problems in situations involving both static and kinetic friction.
Be able to do net force problems in situations involving string tensions and spring force
Be able to do net force problems in situations involving translational equilibrium
Understand the roles of force and acceleration in circular motion
Be able to do net force problems in situations involving circular motion

Chapter 7

Be able to calculate the work done by constant forces.
Be able to use Hooke's Law and calculate the work done by Hooke's Law forces.
Be able to interpret force-position graphs.
Be able to apply the work-energy theorem.
Be able to calculate the average power delivered when work is done.

Chapter 8

Understand the differences between conservative and non-conservative forces.
Understand the concept of potential energy and be able to apply it to gravitational and spring forces.
Be able to identify the system, states, external forces, and energy changes for a conservation of energy problem.
Be able to apply the general conservation of energy equation to systems having conservative forces of gravity and spring forces as well as to systems with external forces such as friction.

Chapter 9

Know the definition of linear momentum and how it relates to force.
Know the meaning of impulse and how to apply the impulse-momentum relationship.
Know the conditions under which the momentum of a system is conserved.
Be able to use linear momentum to analyze elastic and inelastic collisions in 1 and 2 dimensions.
Be able to calculate the position of the center of mass of a rigid object.
Be able to analyze the motion of the center of mass of a rigid object.

Chapter 10

Know the definitions of angular position, velocity, and acceleration.
Be able to apply the relationships connecting rotational quantities and the corresponding linear quantities.
Be able to apply the kinematics equations for uniformly-accelerated rotational motion.
Be able to calculate total acceleration for an object that has both tangential and centripetal acceleration.
Be able to determine the relationship between the velocity of the CM of a rolling object and the velocities of points on the circumference of the object.
Know and be able to apply the concept of rotational inertia.
Be able to solve conservation of energy problems involving rolling and rotating objects.

Chapter 11

Be able to calculate the torque due to a given force about a given axis.
Be able to calculate the net torque acting on an object about a given axis and determine the direction of the angular acceleration.
Be able to analyze situations of static equilibrium.
Be able to solve problems involving the application of both net torque and net force.
Know and be able to calculate the angular momenta of particles and rigid, rotating objects.
Be able to apply the law of conservation of angular momentum.

Chapter 12

Know and be able to apply Newton's universal law of gravitation.
Be able to apply the principle of superposition to gravitational forces.
Know and be able to use Kepler's laws of orbital motion. Be able to derive Kepler's 3rd law using a net force method.
Be able to solve gravitation problems using proportional reasoning.
Be able to apply the exact formula for gravitational potential energy, U = -GmM/R, in situations where the approximation mgh can't be used.
Be able to solve conservation of energy problems involving the exact formula for gravitational potential energy as, for example, in determining escape velocity.

Chapter 13

Know the characteristic quantities that describe periodic motion.
Be able to analyze simple harmonic motion and understand its connection to uniform circular motion.
Be able to interpret graphs of position, velocity, and acceleration for an object undergoing SHM in one dimension.
Be able to write and interpret mathematical equations for the position, velocity, and acceleration of an object undergoing SHM in one dimension.
Be able to apply conservation of energy to systems undergoing simple harmonic motion.
Know the condition under which the motion of a simple pendulum can be approximated with SHM, and be able to calculate the period of a pendulum under these conditions.
Be able to calculate the period of a physical pendulum, given the appropriate formula.

Chapter 14

Know the two main types of waves, longitudinal and transverse and be able to give examples of each.
Know the main characteristics of waves and wave motion and be able to determine them from graphs.
Be able to use the equation λ = v/f.
Be able to write and interpret the equation of a traveling wave.
For a transverse wave, realize that each point of the medium oscillates in simple harmonic motion perpendicular to the motion of the wave. Be able to write the equation of motion for a single point of the media.
Be able to use the relationship between the speed of a wave on a string and the tension and mass per unit length of the string.
Understand the nature of sound waves.
Understand how the Doppler effect is produced for a moving source and be able to interpret wave diagrams.
Be able to solve problems involving the Doppler effect for a moving source, a moving observer, and a combination of the two.
Understand how waves add algebraically to produce a superposition.
Know how to determine where two sources of sound oscillating in phase or out of phase interfere constructively and destructively.
Know how standing waves are generated and understand their modes of vibration on strings and in air columns. Be able to draw diagrams of standing wave patterns on strings and springs and in open and closed pipes. Be able to relate wavelength to the length of the vibrating medium and be able to determine what frequencies the vibrating medium will produce.
Know what beats are and what causes them. Be able to determine beat frequencies.
Be able to determine frequency from a graph of sound pressure vs. time.

Chapter 15

Be able to use the definition of pressure.
Know and be able to apply the difference between atmospheric and gauge pressure.
Be able to use the relationship for pressure as a function of depth in a static fluid.
Know and be able to apply Pascal's principle.
Know and be able to apply Archimedes' principle.
Understand the behavior described by the equation of continuity.
Know and be able to apply Bernoulli's equation.

Chapter 16

Understand the meaning of thermal equilibrium
Understand the difference between heat and temperature.
Know how to convert between the Celsius, Fahrenheit, and Kelvin temperature scales.
Be able to determine heat energy produced from work.
Understand and be able to use the concept of specific heat.
Be able to perform calorimetry calculations.

Chapter 17

Understand the basic properties of an ideal gas.
Be able to apply the ideal gas law.
Understand how the kinetic theory of gases relates microscopic and macroscopic properties.

Chapter 18

Be able to use the first law of thermodynamics in solving problems.
Understand the behavior of gases that undergo constant-pressure, constant-volume, isothermal, and adiabatic processes.
Be able to calculate the work done, internal energy change, and heat gained or lost in thermal processes.
Be able to draw and interpret P-V graphs.
Know the basic functions of heat engines, refrigerators, and heat pumps and how to calculate their efficiencies or coefficients of performance.
Know and be able to use the concept of Carnot engine.
Know and be able to use the concept of entropy.

Chapter 19

Know the different types of electric charge and the magnitude of the smallest available charge.
Be able to explain electrostatic phenomena qualitatively using the concepts of polarization, conduction, and induction.
Know Coulomb's law and the principle of superposition and be able to apply them in net force problems involving point charges.
Know the definition of electric field and be able to find the net electric field at specific locations due to a distribution of point charges.
Be able to determine the force on a charged particle, given the electric field in which the particle is located.
Be able to sketch electric field lines for a distribution of charges or interpret the electric field from an electric field diagram.

Chapter 20

Know and be able to apply the concepts of electric potential and electric potential energy.
Understand how both electric potential relates to electric field.
Be able to determine potential from a graph of electric field vs. position.
Be able to apply conservation of energy to charged particles moving in electric fields.
Be able to determine the electric potential of a configuration of point charges.
Be able to plot equipotential lines.
Given a difference of potential between two points, be able to calculate the work required to move a charge from one point to the other.
Be able to calculate the capacitance of, electric field of, and energy stored in a parallel-plate capacitor.
Be able to calculate the work required to change the separation of the plates of a capacitor, given either that the battery remains connected or the battery is disconnected.

Chapter 21

Know and be able to apply the definitions of electric current, potential difference, and resistance.
Know how to determine whether a circuit component obeys Ohm’s law.
Know how to determine energy production and consumption in electric circuits.
Be able to correctly combine resistors and capacitors in series and parallel.
Be able to apply Kirchhoff’s rules to determine potential difference and current in electric circuits.
Know how ammeters and voltmeters should be properly connected into circuits.

Chapter 22

Know the rules for how magnetic poles interact, and know how to draw and interpret magnetic field lines.
Be able to describe the magnetic field of the Earth, and know which way a compass points.
Be able to predict and describe the motion of charged particles in uniform magnetic fields and velocity selectors.
Be able to determine the direction and magnitude of the force on a current-carrying wire in a magnetic field.
Be able to determine the direction of the net torque on a current loop in a magnetic field.
Be able to determine the magnitude and direction of the magnetic field of a long, straight current, a current loop, and a solenoid.
Be able to determine the magnitude and direction of the magnetic forces between pairs of long, parallel wires.

Chapter 23

Know how to calculate the magnetic flux through a surface of area A.
Know and be able to use the relationship between induced emf and rate of change of magnetic flux: Faraday’s law of induction.
Be able to use Lenz’s law to determine the direction of an induced field.
Be able to use the concept of motional emf in solving problems.
Understand the basic principle of how electric generators produce alternating current.
Understand how step-up and step-down transformers work, and be able to apply the transformer equation.

Chapter 26

Know and be able to use the law of reflection.
Know how to determine the characteristics of images formed by mirrors and lenses.
Be able to draw ray diagrams to locate images formed by mirrors and lenses.
Be able to use the mirror equation and the thin-lens equations to solve problems quantitatively.
Be able to calculate the magnification of images formed by reflection and refraction.
Be able to determine the speed of light in different media. (Walker problem 26-45)
Be able to interpret wave front diagrams.
Be able to use Snell's law.
Be able to determine when a ray will be totally-internally reflected.
Understand how a prism disperses light and be able to trace rays through prisms.

Chapter 28

Be able to describe Young's double-slit experiment, tell what it shows, and use measurements from such an experiment in calculations of wavelength or slit separation. (P26, L19)
Be able to determine the locations of bright and dark fringes in the two-slit experiment. (P26, L19)
Be able to use the conditions for constructive and destructive interference of reflected waves in air wedges and thin films. (E.28.02)
Be able to determine the locations of the dark fringes in single-slit diffraction.
Be able to determine the locations of maxima of different order for diffraction gratings.
Know the similarities and differences between the interference patterns for single, double, and multiple slits. (L19)

Chapter 29

Know the postulates of Special Relativity and the meaning of inertial reference frame.
Be able to identify reference frames for proper time and proper length.
Be able to calculate the time interval between events using the time dilation formula.
Be able to calculate the distance between points using the length contraction formula.
Be able to use the formula for relativistic addition of velocities for one-dimensional motion.
Be able to calculate relativistic momentum.
Be able to calculate rest energy, relativistic kinetic energy, and relativistic total energy.

Chapter 30

Be familiar with the quantum hypothesis and how it explains blackbody radiation, the photoelectric effect, and Compton scattering.
Be able to use Wien's displacement law.
Be able to draw and interpret graphs of maximum kinetic energy of photoelectrons vs. the frequency of light incident on a surface.
Know the concept of work function and be able to calculate it.
Be able to calculate the energy and momentum of a photon.
Be able to write and use conservation of energy and momentum equations for Compton scattering.
Be able to calculate the wavelength shift of a photon in Compton scattering.
Be able to determine the de Broglie wavelength of a particle and be familiar with the process of electron diffraction and how it can be used to determine inter-atomic spacing.

Chapter 31

Be familiar with the Thomson plum pudding model.
Be familiar with Rutherford's alpha particle experiment and the conclusions thereof.
Be able to determine wavelengths of photons in the emission spectrum of hydrogen.
Given an energy level diagram, be able to calculate the energy of photons emitted in transitions between energy levels.
Know the basic mechanisms for production of X-rays, laser light, and fluorescent and phosphorescent light.

Chapter 32

Know the basic constituents of the nucleus.
Interpret symbols for isotopes indicating mass number and charge.
Use conservation of mass number and charge to complete nuclear reactions.
Be familiar with the three processes of radioactive decay and be able to determine the mass number and charge of a nucleus after it has undergone a specified decay process.
Know the characteristics of nuclear force and how its strength and range compare to that of the electromagnetic force.
Understand neutron-induced fission reactions and be able to explain why a chain reaction is possible.
Understand the effects of nuclear binding energy and why it leads to nuclear fission and fusion as energy sources.
Be able to use conservation of energy and mass-energy equivalence to calculate the energy released in nuclear reactions.
Understand radioactivity as a random process and be able to use the concept of half life to determine the activity of a radioactive sample.