Name________________________________________

AP PHYSICS
SUMMER WORK For both AP Physics I and II
AP Physics 1 Curriculum
- Kinematics
- Linear Dynamics (Newton’s Laws, momentum, oscillations)
- Rotational Dynamics
- Energy, Work, and Power
- Mechanical Waves and Sound
- Intro to Electric Circuits

Welcome to AP Physics! This summer work must be completed by anyone who is taking an
AP Physics course for the first time. If you have already taken AP Physics 1 and will be taking AP-2
next year, then you do not have any summer work. While I will not grade everyone’s packet for
correctness, there will be a quiz on this material on the second day of class (we will review problems
on the first day). The quiz will include the following topics, each of which has its own section in this
packet.

- Significant figures
- Metric conversions and Scientific Notation
- Solving algebraic equations
- Right triangle trigonometry
- Basic kinematics
- Proportionality and graphing

Notice how most of these are mathematics topics. Since honors physics is not a prerequisite for
AP Physics, you are not required to know much physics in order to take this class. However, I do
expect everyone to come in with a general understanding of basic kinematics, the first physics topic
that we will study. More information on how to learn about basic kinematics can be found later in this
packet.

Much of this packet is reference material and important reading. While it may not be as much
physical “work” as other summer work, it is very important that when we begin class you understand
all of this material. If you do not have the skills that are necessary to complete this, then you are
expected to learn them on your own over the summer. If you lose this packet, remember that a digital
copy will be available on the Conrad website in the AP Summer Work folder.

If you feel that you do not have the ability to complete this work, then you need to speak to me in
person (Do not drop this course without speaking to me first). AP Physics is a difficult course and it is
important that you get off to a good start.

If you have any questions please feel free to email me at [email protected]

1
 Answers and Solutions

In physics, the solution to a problem is usually more important than the answer. An answer is
the number that you circle at the end of the process of solving a problem. The entire process is called
the solution. On the free response portion of the AP exam, you can earn most of the credit for a
problem with a good solution but the wrong answer, yet a correct answer alone with no solution will
earn you nothing. Throughout the year, we will use the same process for writing a solution. If you
exclude any of the steps in the process, you will lose credit. The steps to writing a solution are as
follows:

1) Draw a diagram if needed

2) List given variables on far left, include unknown variable
3) Write the full relevant equation.
4) Plug in values including units.
5) Solve for an answer (including units) and circle/box answer.
(Note: it is not necessary to show all of the mathematical steps involved in solving an equation)

Example of a full solution:

Ex) A 50 kg mass is subject to a horizontal force of 100 N on a frictionless surface. Determine
the acceleration of the mass.
Equation
FN Fnet = ma
F = 100 N
m = 50 kg 100 N 100 N = (50 kg)a Variables with units
a=?
a = 2 m/s2 Boxed/circled answer
Fg with units

List of known and

unknown variables diagram Note: If you didn’t remember the correct
units for your variable (acceleration here),
it is also acceptable to use dimensional
analysis and determine equivalent units
directly from the equation; for example in
this question you could still receive full
credit for:
a = 2 N/kg

You will need to use this process later in this packet…

Significant Figures
Significant figures (also known as significant digits or sig-figs) are the numbers in a value which
are precisely known. Its importance can be understood with an example:
4
Billy is using a pair of calipers to determine the volume of a sphere (𝑉 = 3 𝜋𝑟 3 ) for a
physics lab. His calipers can only measure to the nearest millimeter. He measures the radius of
the sphere to be 3.5 cm (35 mm) with his calipers. Then he calculates the volume of the sphere
in a calculator, which outputs 179.59438 cm3. Billy shares this information with his lab group,
who then use it in their calculations.
But what if the actual radius was 3.51 cm but Billy couldn’t get that precision with his
calipers? Using 3.51 cm, the volume would be calculated as 181.138 cm3. Clearly a different
answer than before. For this reason, it would be incorrect to report an answer with that many
digits, since most of them cannot be known that precisely. He can only accurately report the
volume to two significant figures (since he only measured 2 digits, 3.5) and so he would report
that the volume is 180 cm3, as precise as he can get.
When you report a value based on measurements, it is understood by everyone reading it
that you know that number to be precise, so you would essentially be lying if you didn’t take
significant figures into account.
On the AP Physics exam, you are expected to report your final answers on the free response with the
correct number of significant figures. Failure to do so will lose you points. There are very specific
rules for doing calculations with significant figures. Fortunately, the AP graders are not terribly strict
with this and you can simply use the same number of sig figs as the given value that has the least
amount. For example, if you were given the following values and asked to calculate a final velocity:
v0 = 3.55 m/s 3 sig figs
a = 2.0 m/s2 2 sig figs Report your answer with 2 sig figs
Δx = 2052 m 4 sig figs vf2 = v02 + 2(a)(Δx)
vf = 91 m/s
So all we really need to be able to do is determine the total number of sig figs.
Rules for determining the number of sig. figs:

Rule Example # of sig

figs
1) All non-zero numbers are significant. 33,451 5

2) Any zeros in between non-zero numbers are significant. 7052 4

3) All zeros shown at the end of a number AND to the right of a 30.00 4
decimal point are significant.
4) Zeros to the left of non-zero numbers in a number smaller than 0.0000000053 2
one are NOT significant.
5) All zeros to the left of a written decimal point are significant. 3000. 4
If there is no decimal, they are not. 3000 1
Use scientific notation for clarity. If you can get rid of zeros and 0.0000034 = 2
write a number in sci. notation, they are NOT significant. 3.4 x 10-6
Significant Figure Practice:

2. Convert the following numbers into scientific notation, and also indicate how many significant
figures there are in each.

Scientific Notation # Sig. Figs

1) 5,690 __________________ _________

2) 1,200,000 __________________ _________

3) 832 __________________ _________

4) 0.00459 __________________ _________

5) 0.0000116 __________________ _________

6) 3,200,000,000 __________________ _________

7) 0.123 __________________ _________

8) 103,000,000 __________________ _________

9) 4.05 __________________ _________

10) 0.093 __________________ _________

Metric Conversions
Physics makes heavy use of the wonderfully simple metric system in which large and small
numbers can be expressed with ease through use of a prefix. All of our variables (such as
distance, acceleration, force, etc) may sometimes have metric prefixes. In order to use them in
an equation, it is often best to convert it to the base unit without a prefix.

Express the following distances in terms of the base unit for distance, the meter. Express the
answer in scientific notation if it is larger than 100 or smaller than 0.01. The first one has been
done for you. Refer back to the metric system reference page if needed.

Kilo = 103 so…

1) 65 km --------> 65 x 103 m = 6.5 x 104 m

2) 126 cm

3) 500 cm

4) 1,000 cm

5) 0.05 km

6) 0.10 km

7) 550 nm

8) 12 km

9) 3.8 nm

10) 84 mm

11) 2.1 Gm

12) 50 μm

13) 4000 nm

14) 50,000,000 pm
Algebraic Solutions
(For help see <http://www.khanacademy.org/math/algebra/solving-linear-equations-and-inequalities>)
In AP Physics it is always helpful and often required to solve algebraic equations in the terms of variables,
rather than with given values or numbers. This involves basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division
of coefficients and variables as seen in the example below. Please solve each equation or expression for the
desired coefficient. Doing this quickly and efficiently is a critical skill required for this class. It is very
helpful to think of this process as “rearranging” an equation to make it more useful for a specific purpose. Do
not worry if you have no idea what any of these equations mean, this is only a mathematical exercise.

Example) Solve for v

Note: It is not necessary to show your
mathematical work or to explain in words
𝐯𝟐
𝐚= 𝒓𝒂 = 𝒗𝟐 𝒗 = √𝒓𝒂 what you did. You only need to show the
𝐫 individual steps you took to arrive at your
Multiply both sides by ‘r’ square root both sides final expression.

Problems:
1) Solve for v

𝟏
𝐦𝐯 𝟐 = 𝒎𝒈𝒉
𝟐

2) Solve for a

𝐯𝐟 𝟐 = 𝐯𝟎 𝟐 + 𝟐(𝐚)(∆𝐱)

3) Solve for x

𝟏 𝟐 𝟏
𝐤𝐱 = 𝐦𝐯 𝟐
𝟐 𝟐

4) Solve for ϴ2

𝒏𝟏 𝐬𝐢𝐧(𝜽𝟏 ) = 𝒏𝟐 𝐬𝐢𝐧(𝜽𝟐 )

5) Solve for T2

𝑷 𝟏 𝑽𝟏 𝑷 𝟐 𝑽𝟐
=
𝑻𝟏 𝑻𝟐

6) Solve for v

𝐆𝐌𝐦 𝐌𝐯 𝟐
=
𝐫𝟐 𝐫
7) Solve for r in terms of ONLY B, L, 2π, FB, μ0. (In other words, you cannot have an I in your expression).

𝑭𝑩 = 𝑩𝑰𝑳
𝝁𝟎 𝑰
𝑩= 𝟐𝝅𝒓

8) Solve for g

9) Solve for vf

10) Solve for x

11) Solve for r

12) Solve for FA in terms of m, g, and 𝜭. (You cannot have a T in your expression)

𝑇 sin(𝛳) = 𝐹𝐴

𝑇 cos(𝛳) = 𝑚𝑔
Right Triangle Trigonometry
(Calculator allowed)

Since many chapters in this course deal with two dimensions, it is crucial that you can break vectors
into their horizontal (left-right) and vertical (up-down) components with ease. This means using basic
trigonometry (SOH CAH TOA). However, it is often more useful to just memorize the results of using
SOH CAH TOA (see below) to determine the sides of a right triangle. The side opposite the given
angle is always H∙sin(ϴ) and the side adjacent to the given angle is always H∙cos(ϴ) (where H is the
hypotenuse).

Hypotenuse
(H) Opposite side Opp = H∙sin(ϴ)
(opp)
ϴ Adj = H∙cos(ϴ)
Adjacent side
(adj)

y = 5sin(30) = 2.5 m
5m
y=?
x = 5cos(30) = 4.33 m

30°
x=?

10
y=?

20°
x=?

25 m 50°
y=?

x=?

Determine the magnitudes of θ1, θ2, and R.

θ1
R
20

θ2
30
Basic Kinematics
Everyone in AP-Physics 1 should walk into class with a good understanding of a basic kinematics, which in
physics is the study of motion. Watch the Khan Academy videos below and answer the questions that follow,
using proper solutions. Even if you’ve taken physics before, the following videos are still required. Believe it
or not, none of you are experts on kinematics. This is a good practice for what’s called a flipped classroom,
where you learn content at home using video lessons and text, and then put that learning to use in the classroom.
We will do this occasionally throughout the year.

As you are watching, keep in mind that the KA videos sometimes use slightly different variables than we will be
using. The variables we will use for kinematics are listed below.

x = x-axis position (horizontal position)

y = y-axis position (vertical position)
Δx or Δy = change in position a.k.a. displacement
v0 = initial velocity (pronounced v-nought, as in “velocity at time t = 0s”)
v = final velocity, velocity after some amount of time
a = acceleration

Khan Academy Videos

Go to:
https://www.khanacademy.org/science/physics/one-dimensional-motion

Watch:
1) Displacement, velocity, and time
- Introduction to vectors and scalars
- Calculating average velocity or speed
- Solving for time
- Displacement from time and velocity example
- Instantaneous speed and velocity

2) Acceleration
- Acceleration
- Airbus A380 take-off time
- Airbus A380 take-off distance
- Why distance is area under velocity-time line

3) Kinematic Formulas and Projectile Motion

- Average velocity for constant acceleration
- Acceleration of aircraft carrier takeoff
- Deriving displacement as a function of time, acceleration, and initial velocity
- Plotting projectile displacement, acceleration, and velocity

Once you have watched these videos, solve the basic kinematics problems on the next page. Remember to write
full solutions to your problems as explained earlier in this packet. The first problem has been done for you.
Some kinematics equations have been provided for you below.

Constant Velocity Constant Acceleration

(only applies for NO acceleration)

∆𝐱 ∆𝐯
𝐯= a=
𝐭 𝐭
Basic Kinematics Problems

1) A car begins from rest and accelerates at a rate of 5 m/s2 for 6 seconds.
What is the cars final velocity?

v0 = 0 m/s (starts from rest) vf = v0 + at

a = 5 m/s2
t=6s vf = 0 + (5m/s2) (6s)
vf = ?
vf = 30 m/s

2) A truck travelling at 30 m/s slams on the breaks and comes to a stop after 7 seconds.
a) What is the value of the truck’s acceleration? Is it positive or negative?

b) How far did the truck travel in this time?

3) A 7000 kg train car moving at 5 m/s accelerates at a constant rate of 1 m/s2 for 15 seconds. How far
does the train car travel in this time?

4) A car is travelling at a constant speed of 30 m/s. How long does it take it to travel 110 meters?

5) A car travelling 25 m/s on a highway accelerates to 35 m/s over a time period of 11 seconds. How
far does it travel in this time?
6) You are driving along I-95 at 30 m/s when you decide to pass the slow elderly driver in front of you.
You change lanes and accelerate at 3.5 m/s2 for 5 seconds. What is your final velocity after 5 seconds?

7) A baseball is thrown straight up into the air with an initial velocity of 15 m/s.
a) What maximum height will it reach?

b) How long will it be in the air before it returns to the height it was thrown?

8) A car is travelling with an unknown initial velocity. For a brief period of time, the car accelerates
with an acceleration of a = . During this time, the car experiences a displacement ‘’ and ends up
with a final velocity of ‘Φ’.
Write an equation for the initial velocity ‘v0’ of the car in terms of , , and Φ.
Proportionality
Understanding proportionality can be extremely helpful in AP Physics. When two values are
proportional, that means that as one increases, so does the other. When two values are inversely
proportional, that means as one increases, the other decreases. Ohm’s law, when rearranged for
current, shows both of these clearly.

Current (I) is proportional to voltage (V). As voltage increases, so does current.

Current (I) is inversely proportional to resistance (R). As R increases, I decreases.
A constant of proportionality is any number included in an equation that is NOT a
variable (doesn’t change, is constant). There is no C.o.P. in the example to the left.

Graphs of Proportionality
If you were to plot a directly proportional relationship, such as I vs. V, you would see a trend like the
one below on the left (notice how the line passes through the origin, if there is 0 voltage there must
also be 0 current). If you were to plot an inversely proportional relationship, such as I vs. R, you
would see a trend like the one on the right (notice how it approaches infinity and zero as R becomes
very small or large respectively).

Direct Proportion Inverse Proportion

I I

V R

A slightly more complicated example of proportionality…

Newton’s law of Gravitation is stated as follows:

“The gravitational force (FG) between any two masses (m1 and m2) is directly proportional to
the mass of both objects, and is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between the masses
(r).” The constant of proportionality is the “universal gravitational constant” (G = 6.67 x 10-11 Nm2/kg2).

In equation form, this looks like:

C.o.P.
Proportional
Inversely proportional
Proportionality Practice Problems
Write an equation based on the stated proportionality of the given law.
(It’s OK if you have no idea what some of these laws mean… this is just a mathematical exercise)

1) The capacitance (C) of a parallel plate capacitor is directly proportional to the charge (Q) stored
on the plates and is inversely proportional to the voltage (V) across the plates. Write an equation for
capacitance (C) in terms of voltage (V) and charge (Q).

2) The force (F) needed to stretch a spring is directly proportional to both the stiffness of the spring (k)
and the distance (x) that it is stretched. Write an equation for the force (F) needed to stretch a spring.

3) The power (P) dissipated in a circuit element is proportional to the square of the voltage (V) across
the element and inversely proportional to the resistance (R) of the element. Write an equation for the
power (P) dissipated in a circuit element in terms of voltage and resistance.

4) The period (T) of an oscillator is inversely proportional the frequency (f) of the oscillator. Write the
equation for the period of an oscillator in terms of frequency.

5) The rate of heat transfer (H) through a rectangular slab of material (seen below) is proportional to
the temperature difference (ΔT) from end to end of the slab, the cross sectional area (A) of the slab,
and the thermal conductivity of the material (k). It is inversely proportional to the length of the slab
(L) that the heat must travel through. Write the equation for the rate of heat transfer (H) through a slab
of material. L

heat

Thot A Tcold
Mathematical Relationships and Graphs

and is the slope of the graph.

Graphs:

Direct Proportion Linear

y y

x x

Inverse Quadratic
x y

t x
Graphing
Graphing and analyzing data is a critical component of physics. You will do this for almost every
single lab, and there will be numerous questions asking you to analyze graphs.

You should be familiar with constructing graphs both by hand and on a calculator.
Keep in mind:
1) When told to graph Apples vs. Oranges, the first thing (apples) goes on the Y-axis.
2) Label both axes with units.
3) Choose an appropriate scale on your own, fit it to the graph (don’t cram your data into a corner)

Problems
1) Plot Distance vs. Time from the data below (remember, distance = y-axis). Draw a best fit straight
line through the points. Calculate the slope of this best fit line.

Time (s) Distance (m)

0 2.0
1 4.1
2 5.8
3 7.9
4 10.1

a) Determine the slope of the best fit line.

b) What type of relationship is this? Explain.

c) Describe the motion of this object. (Is it accelerating? Constant velocity? Something else?)
 1
2) Use the equation 𝐾 = 2 𝑚𝑣 2 to first calculate the kinetic energy of objects of different speeds, all
with a mass of 1 kg. Then graph Kinetic Energy (y-axis) vs. Velocity (x –axis) on graph on the left.

Next, calculate v2 by squaring each value for velocity. On the graph on the right, graph Kinetic Energy
vs. v2. Remember to title each graph and label the axes, including units!

v (m/s) v2 (m2/s2) Mass (kg) K (Joules)

1.0 1.0
2.0 1.0
3.0 1.0
4.0 1.0
5.0 1.0
6.0 1.0

a) Draw a best fit line OR curve depending on your graph. (is it linear or curved?)

b) What conclusion can you make about the relationship between kinetic energy and velocity
from these two graphs? (i.e. what is kinetic energy proportional to?)
3a) Draw a best fit straight line for the scatter plot below.

3b) Determine the equation of your best fit line in slope-intercept form.

4a) Draw a best fit straight line for the scatter plot below.

4b) Determine the equation of your best fit line in slope-intercept form.
5) Determine the total area under the curve (the area enclosed by the curve and the x-axis) for
each of the following graphs. Be sure to take into account negative area when a portion of a line
is in a negative quadrant. You may mark your final answer as “A = ______”.

a) b)

c) d)