Fostering academic excellence and biblical virtue to equip students for lives as local and global Christian servants.

AP Physics 1

Course Catalog ID:
4603
Subject Categories:
AP Course, Science
Description

This algebra-based Physics course is the equivalent of a first-semester introductory college course. Students deepen their understanding of Physics through inquiry-based investigations that explore the topics of kinematics, force and translational dynamics, work, energy, and power, linear momentum, torque and rotational dynamics, energy and momentum of rotating systems, oscillations, and fluids. Significant instructional time is invested in hands-on laboratory work designed to support inquiry-based learning of the AP content and core science practices, which include creating representations that depict physical phenomena; conducting analyses to derive, calculate, estimate, or predict; and describing experimental procedures, analyzing data, and supporting claims. Students progress from confirmation style labs to structured inquiry, guided inquiry, and then open inquiry, where students learn to develop the question and experimental design independently.

Prerequisites
Grade Levels*:
10, 11, 12
* Enrollment restricted based on Date of Birth and Grad Year (whichever is more limiting). Enrollment outside these levels requires written concurrence from TPS Support.
Readiness
• Successful completion (85% or higher) of TPS Algebra 2 (or higher)
━ OR ━
• Successful completion (90% or higher) of TPS Algebra and TPS Geometry and
• Concurrent enrollment in TPS Algebra 2
━ OR ━
• Successful completion of Readiness Test
Notes and Conditions

Flexible Scheduling: This course may be taken with live class attendance reduced or waived if the student has a schedule or time zone conflict. Please review the Flexible Scheduling information for details.

AP® Certified: Learn more about TPS AP courses and exam results. (AP® is a trademark owned by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse, this course.)

California A-G: This course has CA A-G approval.

“I thoroughly enjoyed taking AP Physics this year and I feel very prepared for the AP exam! I recommend this course for three principal reasons: the academic rigor of this course, the interactive classroom atmosphere, and the abundant study materials and resources. For those students and parents that want an academically rigorous course, this AP Physics will not disappoint. Although this was my first year taking courses with The Potter’s School, I have taken online courses for the past six academic years and I can confidently say that I have been in few classroom atmospheres that match this course’s caliber.”

Elliott J
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Student

“The teacher is amazing!! She taught us the concepts really well, while keeping it fun and engaging. I was never scared to ask questions and knew she would always be there to help. I feel really confident going into the exam because I know we learned everything we need — from content, to test skills, to mental game. I really appreciate having such an amazing experience with AP Physics! It was my first AP class and everyone told me it was going to be really scary and hard, but the teacher made it approachable and fun all the way through.”

Maggie N
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Student

“AP Physics 1 can be tough, but the teacher did a wonderful job guiding me through the course! She’s incredibly patient and enthusiastic in answering our numerous questions, and she does an amazing job breaking the topics down into understandable chunks.”

Victoria F
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Student

“Taking AP Physics 1 helped me grow academically and gain critical thinking skills as I learned how to solve physics problems. It was an especially difficult course at the beginning of the year, but during the second semester I figured out how to change my approach to the class and I understood much better. I am very grateful for how encouraging and helpful the teacher was. She helped me whenever I asked for it and encouraged me as I improved. For my first AP class, I’m glad that I took this challenging one because now I know what to expect in the future and understand the learning curve associated with college level classes.”

Madeleine F
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Student

“I can truthfully say that AP Physics has been my favorite class of the year, despite the fact I’m more inclined towards literature arts. I highly, highly suggest you take this course. There’s only a couple sections each year, so you want to get a seat before they run out of spots!”

Peter R
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Student
Reviews from Students and Parents