AP Physics C – Electricity and Magnetism
About the Course
Explore concepts such as electrostatics, conductors, capacitors and dielectrics, electric circuits, magnetic fields, and electromagnetism. You’ll do hands-on laboratory work and in-class activities to investigate phenomena and use calculus to solve problems.
Skills You’ll Learn
- Interpreting and describing visual representations of physical situations.
- Devising a hypothesis and designing an experiment to test it.
- Creating graphs and diagrams torepresentdata and physical situations.
- Analyzing data shown in a graph.
- Determiningthe relationship between physical qualities.
- Solving physics problems using mathematical relationships.
- Developing and supporting a scientific claim with evidence.
Equivalency and Prerequisites
College Course Equivalent
A semester-long, introductory calculus-based college course in physics.
Recommended Prerequisites
You should have taken calculus or be taking calculus at the same time as this course.
Course Content
The course content outlined below is organized into commonly taught units of study that provide one possible sequence for the course. Your teacher may choose to organize the course content differently based on local priorities and preferences.
Unit 1: Electrostatics
You’ll begin your study of the electric force with an exploration of electric charges.
Unit 2: Conductors, Capacitors, Dielectrics
You’ll explore how electric charge can move through an object and the factors that affect the way charge moves.
Unit 3: Electric Circuits
You’ll build on your knowledge of electrical components to investigate the nature of electric circuits and explore current, resistance, and power.
Unit 4: Magnetic Fields
You’ll begin your exploration of magnetism by learning how magnetic fields are generated, how they behave, and how they relate to electricity.
Unit 5: Electromagnetism
You’ll build on what you’ve learned about charges, currents, and electric and magnetic fields to explore electromagnetic forces and their properties.