AP Physics B
Encyclopedia
AP Physics B is an Advanced Placement science course that is divided into nine different sections: Newtonian Mechanics, Electricity
and Magnetism
, Fluid Mechanics
and Thermal Physics
, Waves
and Optics
, and Atom
ic and Nuclear Physics
. The course is equivalent to a one-year college course that includes a laboratory component. It is not the usual preparation for more advanced physics and engineering courses like AP Physics C: Mechanics or Electricity and Magnetism may be.
The course is non calculus based and only involves algebra
and basic trigonometry
to solve various physics problems. It is supposed to be equivalent to an introductory college course in physics.
This course can help prepare students for the SAT Subject Test in Physics
which is also administered by College Board.
section and a six to eight question free response
section. Each section must be completed within a 90 minute time limit. In order to test knowledge as well as skills, the multiple choice section is taken without a calculator
. The free response section permits the use of a calculator as well as a list of common formulas. The test is weighted such that each section is worth fifty percent of the final score. Overall, the exam is configured to approximately cover a set percentage of each of the five target categories:
In the 2010 administration, 67,312 students took the exam. The mean score was a 2.86 with a standard deviation of 1.35 and 59.4% of students achieving a score of 3 or higher.
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
and Magnetism
Magnetism
Magnetism is a property of materials that respond at an atomic or subatomic level to an applied magnetic field. Ferromagnetism is the strongest and most familiar type of magnetism. It is responsible for the behavior of permanent magnets, which produce their own persistent magnetic fields, as well...
, Fluid Mechanics
Fluid mechanics
Fluid mechanics is the study of fluids and the forces on them. Fluid mechanics can be divided into fluid statics, the study of fluids at rest; fluid kinematics, the study of fluids in motion; and fluid dynamics, the study of the effect of forces on fluid motion...
and Thermal Physics
Thermodynamics
Thermodynamics is a physical science that studies the effects on material bodies, and on radiation in regions of space, of transfer of heat and of work done on or by the bodies or radiation...
, Waves
WAVES
The WAVES were a World War II-era division of the U.S. Navy that consisted entirely of women. The name of this group is an acronym for "Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service" ; the word "emergency" implied that the acceptance of women was due to the unusual circumstances of the war and...
and Optics
Optics
Optics is the branch of physics which involves the behavior and properties of light, including its interactions with matter and the construction of instruments that use or detect it. Optics usually describes the behavior of visible, ultraviolet, and infrared light...
, and Atom
Atom
The atom is a basic unit of matter that consists of a dense central nucleus surrounded by a cloud of negatively charged electrons. The atomic nucleus contains a mix of positively charged protons and electrically neutral neutrons...
ic and Nuclear Physics
Nuclear physics
Nuclear physics is the field of physics that studies the building blocks and interactions of atomic nuclei. The most commonly known applications of nuclear physics are nuclear power generation and nuclear weapons technology, but the research has provided application in many fields, including those...
. The course is equivalent to a one-year college course that includes a laboratory component. It is not the usual preparation for more advanced physics and engineering courses like AP Physics C: Mechanics or Electricity and Magnetism may be.
The course is non calculus based and only involves algebra
Algebra
Algebra is the branch of mathematics concerning the study of the rules of operations and relations, and the constructions and concepts arising from them, including terms, polynomials, equations and algebraic structures...
and basic trigonometry
Trigonometry
Trigonometry is a branch of mathematics that studies triangles and the relationships between their sides and the angles between these sides. Trigonometry defines the trigonometric functions, which describe those relationships and have applicability to cyclical phenomena, such as waves...
to solve various physics problems. It is supposed to be equivalent to an introductory college course in physics.
This course can help prepare students for the SAT Subject Test in Physics
SAT Subject Test in Physics
The SAT Subject Test in Physics is the name of a one-hour multiple choice test given on physics by The College Board. A student chooses whether to take the test depending upon college entrance requirements for the schools in which the student is planning to apply...
which is also administered by College Board.
The exam
The exam is administered in two sections, a seventy question multiple choiceMultiple choice
Multiple choice is a form of assessment in which respondents are asked to select the best possible answer out of the choices from a list. The multiple choice format is most frequently used in educational testing, in market research, and in elections-- when a person chooses between multiple...
section and a six to eight question free response
Free response
Free response is a type of question used in tests in education, workplace, and government. Most free response questions ask or require the test-taker to state a belief, opinion, or write a short essay and support it with facts, examples, or other evidence...
section. Each section must be completed within a 90 minute time limit. In order to test knowledge as well as skills, the multiple choice section is taken without a calculator
Calculator
An electronic calculator is a small, portable, usually inexpensive electronic device used to perform the basic operations of arithmetic. Modern calculators are more portable than most computers, though most PDAs are comparable in size to handheld calculators.The first solid-state electronic...
. The free response section permits the use of a calculator as well as a list of common formulas. The test is weighted such that each section is worth fifty percent of the final score. Overall, the exam is configured to approximately cover a set percentage of each of the five target categories:
| Topic | Percent |
|---|---|
| Newtonian Mechanics | 35% |
| Fluid Mechanics and Thermal Physics | 15% |
| Electricity and Magnetism | 25% |
| Waves and Optics | 15% |
| Atomic and Nuclear Physics | 10% |
Purpose
According to the College Board web site, "the Physics B course provides a foundation in physics for students in the life sciences, premedicine, and some applied sciences, as well as other fields not directly related to science." Additionally, students who receive a certain score (usually 3 or above) on the AP Exam may have the opportunity to bypass the preliminary physics course at the college they choose to attend, depending on that institution's policy However, students are cautioned to check with their intended college or university, as acceptance policies vary widely. Some schools require a higher score (4 or 5) in order to receive credit, while others will only give credit for a lower level physics course. It is the intention of the College Board, however, for this class to be taken by those students wishing to challenge themselves in a physics class but have no desire to pursue a rigorously science based college major or career. .Grade distribution
In the 2009 administration, 62,702 students took the exam. The mean score was a 2.88 with a standard deviation of 1.34 and 60.8% of students achieving a score of 3 or higher.In the 2010 administration, 67,312 students took the exam. The mean score was a 2.86 with a standard deviation of 1.35 and 59.4% of students achieving a score of 3 or higher.
| Year | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | Mean grade |
Stand Dev |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 15.5% | 17.5% | 27.5% | 18.3% | 21.2% | 2.88 | 1.35 |
| 2009 | 14.9% | 18.6% | 27.2% | 18.3% | 20.9% | 2.88 | 1.34 |
| 14.8% | 18.5% | 26.1% | 18.6% | 21.9% | 2.86 | 1.35 | |