NGSSAPhigh school
AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism
Master all 5 units of calculus-based electricity and magnetism -- electrostatics, capacitors, circuits, magnetic fields, and electromagnetic induction. You will use Gauss's law, Ampere's law, and Faraday's law to solve problems at the level tested on the AP Physics C: E&M exam.
5units
18topics
185questions
~5hours
Course Units
Learning objectives
- Apply Coulomb's law to calculate forces between point charges and continuous charge distributions
- Compute electric fields using superposition for discrete and continuous charge distributions
- Apply Gauss's law to find electric fields for spherical, cylindrical, and planar symmetry
- Calculate electric potential from fields and vice versa using integration and differentiation
- Analyze the motion of charged particles in uniform electric fields
Learning objectives
- Describe properties of conductors in electrostatic equilibrium and explain why the field inside is zero
- Derive capacitance for parallel-plate, cylindrical, and spherical capacitors
- Calculate equivalent capacitance for series and parallel combinations
- Analyze the effect of dielectrics on capacitance, field, and stored energy
- Calculate energy stored in capacitors and electric field energy density
Learning objectives
- Apply Ohm's law and Kirchhoff's junction and loop rules to multi-loop circuits
- Calculate equivalent resistance for series and parallel combinations
- Analyze RC circuit charging and discharging using exponential functions and time constants
- Calculate power dissipated in resistors and delivered by batteries
- Interpret current as the rate of charge flow and relate to drift velocity
Learning objectives
- Apply the Biot-Savart law to calculate magnetic fields from current elements
- Use Ampere's law for symmetric current distributions (solenoids, toroids, coaxial cables)
- Calculate the Lorentz force on moving charges and current-carrying conductors
- Determine magnetic flux through surfaces and analyze dipole torque in an external field
- Analyze cyclotron motion and the force between parallel current-carrying wires
Learning objectives
- Apply Faraday's law to calculate induced EMF from changing magnetic flux
- Use Lenz's law to determine the direction of induced currents
- Calculate motional EMF for conductors moving in magnetic fields
- Analyze RL circuit transients using time constants and exponential functions
- Explain displacement current and state Maxwell's equations in integral form
Topics in this unit