Course Syllabus for AP Mechanics 2025-2026
Text: Fundamentals of Physics; Halliday and Resnick, 11th ed.
Dr. Lawlis, instructor
Homework is assigned on the day listed and due the next class.
| Date | Course Material | Homework Assignment | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8/25 | |||
| 8/26 | |||
| 8/27 | Welcome Day | Scoring rubric and rules | Ch 1: 1–8 |
| 8/28 | Measurement | HW#1 | |
| 8/29 | Measurement | HW#2 | |
| 9/1 | Labor Day | No school | |
| 9/2 | No class | Ch 2: 13–17 | |
| 9/3 | Motion Along a Straight Line | Ch 2: 18–22 | |
| 9/4 | Motion Along a Straight Line | HW#3 | Ch 2: 23–26 |
| 9/5 | Motion Along a Straight Line | Ch 2: 27–30 | |
| 9/8 | Lab 1: Clepsydra Lab | HW#4 | |
| 9/9 | No class | ||
| 9/10 | Motion Along a Straight Line | HW#5 | |
| 9/11 | Motion Along a Straight Line | ||
| 9/12 | Motion Along a Straight Line | HW#6 | |
| 9/15 | Motion Along a Straight Line | ||
| 9/16 | No class | ||
| 9/17 | Motion Along a Straight Line | Review for test | |
| 9/18 | Chapter 1 & 2 Test | Ch 3: 40–45 | |
| 9/19 | TBA | Red, White and Gold Day | |
| 9/22 | Vectors | Ch 3: 46–49 | |
| 9/23 | No class | Ch 3: 50–51 | |
| 9/24 | Vectors | HW#7 | |
| 9/25 | Vectors | ||
| 9/26 | Lab 2: Fluid resistance | ||
| 9/29 | Vectors | HW#8 | Ch 4: 62–66 |
| 9/30 | No class | Ch 4: 67–69 | |
| 10/1 | Motion in Two and Three Dimensions | HW#9 | Ch 4: 70–75 |
| 10/2 | Yom Kippur | No school | |
| 10/3 | Motion in Two and Three Dimensions | Ch 4: 76–79 | |
| 10/6 | Motion in Two and Three Dimensions | HW#10 | Ch 4: 80–81 |
| 10/7 | No class | ||
| 10/8 | Motion in Two and Three Dimensions | HW#11 | |
| 10/9 | Motion in Two and Three Dimensions | ||
| 10/10 | Lab 3: Graphical Analysis of Vectors | HW#12 | |
| 10/13 | Fall break | No school | |
| 10/14 | Fall break | No school | |
| 10/15 | PSAT Day | No class | |
| 10/16 | Motion in Two and Three Dimensions | ||
| 10/17 | Motion in Two and Three Dimensions | Review for test | |
| 10/20 | Chapter 3 & 4 Test | Ch 5: 94–98 | |
| 10/21 | No class | ||
| 10/22 | Force and Motion I | Ch 5: 99–101 | |
| 10/23 | Force and Motion I | HW#13 | Ch 5: 102–105 |
| 10/24 | Conference Day | No school | |
| 10/27 | Lab 4: Projectile Motion | Ch 5: 106–109 | |
| 10/28 | No class | ||
| 10/29 | Force and Motion I | HW#14 | Ch 5: 110–113 |
| 10/30 | Force and Motion I | ||
| 10/31 | Force and Motion I | HW#15 | Ch 6: 124–129 |
| 11/3 | Force and Motion II | Ch 6: 130–132 | |
| 11/4 | No class | Ch 6: 133–138 | |
| 11/5 | Force and Motion II | HW#16 | |
| 11/6 | Force and Motion II | ||
| 11/7 | Force and Motion II | HW#17 | |
| 11/10 | Force and Motion II | HW#18 | |
| 11/11 | Force and Motion II | ||
| 11/12 | No class | Review for test | |
| 11/13 | Chapter 5 & 6 Test | Ch 7: 149–154 | |
| 11/14 | Kinetic Energy and Work | Ch 7: 155–158 | |
| 11/17 | Kinetic Energy and Work | HW#19 | Ch 7: 159–161 |
| 11/18 | No class | Ch 7: 162–165 | |
| 11/19 | Lab 5: Atwood's Machine | HW#20 | Ch 7: 166–168 |
| 11/20 | Kinetic Energy and Work | ||
| 11/21 | Kinetic Energy and Work | HW#21 | |
| 11/24 | Kinetic Energy and Work | ||
| 11/25 | No class | ||
| ------------ Thanksgiving Break ------------ | |||
| 12/1 | Potential Energy and Conservation of Energy | Ch 8: 177–183 | |
| 12/2 | No class | Ch 8: 184–186 | |
| 12/3 | Potential Energy and Conservation of Energy | HW#22 | Ch 8: 187–190 |
| 12/4 | Potential Energy and Conservation of Energy | Ch 8: 191–194 | |
| 12/5 | Potential Energy and Conservation of Energy | HW#23 | Ch 8: 195–199 |
| 12/8 | Potential Energy and Conservation of Energy | ||
| 12/9 | No class | ||
| 12/10 | Potential Energy and Conservation of Energy | HW#24 | |
| 12/11 | Potential Energy and Conservation of Energy | Review for test | |
| 12/12 | Chapter 7 & 8 Test | Ch 9: 214–219 | |
| 12/15 | Center of Mass and Linear Momentum | Ch 9: 220–223 | |
| 12/16 | No class | Ch 9: 224–229 | |
| 12/17 | Center of Mass and Linear Momentum | HW#25 | Ch 9: 214–219 |
| 12/18 | Center of Mass and Linear Momentum | Ch 9: 220–223 | |
| 12/19 | Center of Mass and Linear Momentum | ||
| ------------ Winter Holiday ------------ | |||
| 1/5 | Center of Mass and Linear Momentum | HW#26 | Ch 9: 230–232 |
| 1/6 | No class | Ch 9: 233–236 | |
| 1/7 | Lab 6: Inclined Ramps | Ch 9: 237–240 | |
| 1/8 | Center of Mass and Linear Momentum | ||
| 1/9 | Review Day | ||
| 1/12 | Review Day | ||
| 1/13 | US Exams | ||
| 1/14 | US Exams | ||
| 1/15 | US Exams | ||
| 1/16 | US Exams | Semester Ends | |
| Semester 2 | |||
| 1/19 | Martin Luther King Day | No school | |
| 1/20 | No class | ||
| 1/21 | Center of Mass and Linear Momentum | HW#27 | |
| 1/22 | Center of Mass and Linear Momentum | Review for test | |
| 1/23 | Chapter 9 Test | Ch 10: 257–263 | |
| 1/26 | Rotation | Ch 10: 264–267 | |
| 1/27 | No class | Ch 10: 268–271 | |
| 1/28 | Rotation | HW#28 | Ch 10: 272–277 |
| 1/29 | Rotation | ||
| 1/30 | Rotation | ||
| 2/2 | Rotation | HW#29 | |
| 2/3 | No class | ||
| 2/4 | Lab 7: Ant lab | ||
| 2/5 | Rotation | Ch 10: 278–281 | |
| 2/6 | Rotation | HW#30 | |
| 2/9 | Rotation | Ch 10: 282–284 | |
| 2/10 | No class | ||
| 2/11 | Rotation | Ch 11: 295–297 | |
| 2/12 | Chapter 10 Test | ||
| 2/13 | Conservation of Angular Momentum | Ch 11: 298–301 | |
| 2/16 | Mid-Winter Break | No school | |
| 2/17 | Mid-Winter Break | No school | |
| 2/18 | Lab 8: Spin Rate and Lift/Drag Coefficient of a Golf Ball | Ch 11: 302–304 | |
| 2/19 | Conservation of Angular Momentum | Ch 11: 305–309 | |
| 2/20 | Conservation of Angular Momentum | Ch 11: 310–312 | |
| 2/23 | Conservation of Angular Momentum | HW#31 | Ch 11: 313–316 |
| 2/24 | No class | ||
| 2/25 | Conservation of Angular Momentum | HW#32 | Ch 11: 317–318 |
| 2/26 | Conservation of Angular Momentum | ||
| 2/27 | Conservation of Angular Momentum | ||
| 3/2 | Conservation of Angular Momentum | HW#33 | |
| 3/3 | No class | ||
| 3/4 | Conservation of Angular Momentum | ||
| 3/5 | Conservation of Angular Momentum | Review for test | |
| 3/6 | Chapter 11 Test | ||
| ------------ Spring Break------------ | |||
| 3/16 | Gravitation | Ch 13: 354–358 | |
| 3/17 | No class | Ch 13: 359–363 | |
| 3/18 | Lab 9: Moment of Inertia of the Earth | Ch 13: 364–367 | |
| 3/19 | Gravitation | HW#34 | |
| 3/20 | Gravitation | Ch 13: 368–370 | |
| 3/23 | Gravitation | Ch 13: 371–373 | |
| 3/24 | No class | Ch 13: 374–376 | |
| 3/25 | Gravitation | HW#35 | |
| 3/26 | Gravitation | ||
| 3/27 | Gravitation | HW#36 | |
| 3/30 | Gravitation | ||
| 3/31 | No class | Review for test | |
| 4/1 | Gravitation | ||
| 4/2 | Chapter 13 Test | ||
| 4/3 | Easter break | No school | |
| 4/6 | Easter break | No school | |
| 4/7 | Faculty PD Day | No school | |
| 4/8 | Oscillations | Ch 15: 413–418 | |
| 4/9 | Oscillations | HW#37 | Ch 15: 419–421 |
| 4/10 | Oscillations | Ch 15: 422–424 | |
| 4/13 | Oscillations | Ch 15: 425–429 | |
| 4/14 | No class | Ch 15: 430–434 | |
| 4/15 | Lab 10: Oscillations lab | HW#38 | |
| 4/16 | Oscillations | ||
| 4/17 | Oscillations | ||
| 4/20 | Oscillations | HW#39 | |
| 4/21 | No class | ||
| 4/22 | AP Review | ||
| 4/23 | AP Review | ||
| 4/24 | AP Review | ||
| 4/27 | AP Review | ||
| 4/28 | No class | ||
| 4/29 | AP Review | ||
| 4/30 | AP Review | ||
| 5/1 | AP Review | ||
| 5/4 | AP Review | ||
| 5/5 | No class | ||
| 5/6 | AP Review | ||
| 5/7 | AP Review | ||
| 5/8 | AP Review | ||
| 5/11 | AP Review | ||
| 5/12 | No class | ||
| 5/13 | AP Physics exam | ||
| 5/14 | TBA | ||
| 5/15 | TBA | ||
| 5/18 | TBA | ||
| 5/19 | No class | ||
| 5/20 | TBA | ||
| 5/21 | TBA | ||
| 5/22 | TBA | ||
| 5/25 | Memorial day | No school | |
| 5/26 | No class | ||
| 5/27 | TBA | ||
| 5/28 | TBA | ||
| 5/29 | US Exams | ||
| 6/1 | US Exams | ||
| 6/2 | US Exams | ||
| 6/3 | US Exams | Semester Ends | |
| 6/4 | Faculty meetings | No school | |
| 6/5 | Faculty meetings | No school | |