Additional Course

AP Physics

A self-study enrichment course. No grades, no syllabus, no pacing — just the physics of moving, falling, spinning, waving, and charging things, told through interactive Visual Labs and the equations that govern them, from \(F = ma\) to \(v = f\lambda\) to \(E = \dfrac{kq}{r^2}\).

AP Physics here is an optional, self-paced enrichment track — not a class you're graded in. There is nothing to turn in and nothing to submit. Each of the five modules opens with a hands-on Visual Lab and a short tour of the ideas: how objects move and what makes them, how they orbit and spin, how energy and momentum are conserved, how waves carry energy without carrying matter, and how charge builds the fields and currents that run the modern world. Every idea is treated the way a physicist treats it — defined with an equation, drawn as a diagram, traced through a simulation, and described in plain words — from \(\Delta x = v_0 t + \tfrac12 a t^2\) to \(\displaystyle \sum F = 0\). Start wherever your curiosity is; there is no required order.

How this course works. AP Physics is an enrichment offering for scholars who want to go further on their own. It is not a graded class, so there is no syllabus, no pacing calendar, and no end-of-course exam to manage here. Explore the modules in any order, lean on the Foundations page when a module assumes something you haven't met yet, and reach out through Student Support if you get stuck.
5 Modules
Self-Paced Any Order
Ungraded Enrichment
Visual Labs One Per Module
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Concepts in Action

Physics is the science of things in motion — a cart accelerating, a planet orbiting, a wave rolling down a string, a charge bending the space around it. Each module opens with an interactive Visual Lab built to make the motion visible.

Visual Labs — one per module

Every module page hosts a hands-on explorer. In Module 1 you launch a projectile and watch its parabola while the velocity vector splits into \(v_x\) and \(v_y\) components in real time. Later modules orbit a satellite under gravity, slide carts into elastic and inelastic collisions, sweep a wave's frequency to find resonance, and drop test charges into an electric field to see the lines bend. Start with the lab that matches what you're curious about — or just play.

M1 · Projectile & Force Explorer M2 · Orbit & Torque Simulator M3 · Collision & SHM Lab M4 · Wave & Resonance Tracer M5 · Field & Circuit Plotter
Why it matters. Physics rewards the eye before the algebra. Before you trust a kinematics equation, you want to see the parabola; before you balance forces, you want to watch a free-body diagram come alive; before you solve a circuit, you want to see current flow. The Visual Labs build that intuition so the equations read as descriptions of something you've already watched happen.
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Module by Module

Five modules, sequenced from a single moving object out to fields and circuits — but designed to be explored in any order. Each one is self-contained, with its own Visual Lab and a Foundations refresher for the math it leans on.

Module 01

Kinematics & Dynamics

Self-Paced

Big idea: motion is geometry in time, and force is what changes it — describe how something moves, then explain why with Newton's laws.

Topics

Kinematics — position, velocity, and acceleration; the constant-acceleration equations; projectile motion as two independent 1-D problems.

Newton's Laws — inertia, \(\sum F = ma\), and action–reaction; free-body diagrams.

Forces in Context — weight, normal force, tension, and friction (static and kinetic).

You'll be able to…

  • Apply the kinematics equations to constant-acceleration motion in one and two dimensions.
  • Resolve projectile motion into independent horizontal and vertical components.
  • Draw a free-body diagram and apply \(\sum F = ma\) along each axis.
  • Account for friction, tension, and the normal force in a force analysis.

Worked example

Constant-acceleration kinematics A ball dropped from rest falls for \(t = 2\,\text{s}\) with \(a = 9.8\,\text{m/s}^2\): \[ \Delta x = v_0 t + \tfrac12 a t^2 = 0 + \tfrac12(9.8)(2)^2 = 19.6\,\text{m}. \]
Newton's second law A \(3\,\text{kg}\) cart pushed with a net force of \(12\,\text{N}\): \[ a = \frac{\sum F}{m} = \frac{12}{3} = 4\,\text{m/s}^2. \]
Kinematics Newton's Laws Free-Body Diagrams Friction Projectiles
Filled chip marks a foundational idea the later modules build on.
Visualize this module → 🧱 Shaky on the basics? → Foundations
Module 02

Circular Motion, Gravitation & Torque

Self-Paced

Big idea: anything turning is a force pointed sideways — the same law that bends a car around a curve holds a moon in orbit and twists a wrench.

Topics

Uniform Circular Motion — centripetal acceleration \(a_c = \dfrac{v^2}{r}\) and the force that supplies it.

Universal Gravitation — \(F = \dfrac{Gm_1 m_2}{r^2}\), orbital speed, and the geometry of orbits.

Torque & Rotational Equilibrium — \(\tau = rF\sin\theta\), the lever arm, and balancing a rigid body.

You'll be able to…

  • Compute centripetal acceleration and the net force that keeps an object in a circle.
  • Use Newton's law of gravitation to find force, orbital speed, and period.
  • Calculate torque from a force and its lever arm.
  • Apply rotational equilibrium (\(\sum \tau = 0\)) to a balanced system.

Worked example

Centripetal force A \(0.5\,\text{kg}\) ball on a string moves at \(v = 4\,\text{m/s}\) in a circle of radius \(r = 2\,\text{m}\): \[ F_c = \frac{mv^2}{r} = \frac{0.5(4)^2}{2} = 4\,\text{N}. \]
Torque from a wrench A \(50\,\text{N}\) force applied perpendicular at \(0.3\,\text{m}\): \[ \tau = rF\sin 90^\circ = (0.3)(50)(1) = 15\,\text{N·m}. \]
Circular Motion Gravitation Orbits Torque Rotational Equilibrium
Filled chip marks a foundational idea the later modules build on.
Visualize this module → 🧱 Shaky on the basics? → Foundations
Module 03

Energy, Momentum & Simple Harmonic Motion

Self-Paced

Big idea: some quantities never go away — energy and momentum are conserved, and a spring trades one for the other in a rhythm you can predict exactly.

Topics

Work & Energy — work \(W = Fd\cos\theta\), kinetic and potential energy, and conservation of mechanical energy.

Momentum & Impulse — \(p = mv\), impulse \(J = F\Delta t\), and elastic vs. inelastic collisions.

Simple Harmonic Motion — springs and pendulums, period \(T = 2\pi\sqrt{\tfrac{m}{k}}\), and the energy exchange in an oscillation.

You'll be able to…

  • Use the work–energy theorem and conservation of energy to solve motion problems.
  • Apply conservation of momentum to one- and two-object collisions.
  • Distinguish elastic from inelastic collisions and use impulse.
  • Describe simple harmonic motion and find its period for a spring or pendulum.

Worked example

Conservation of momentum A \(2\,\text{kg}\) cart at \(3\,\text{m/s}\) sticks to a \(1\,\text{kg}\) cart at rest: \[ v_f = \frac{m_1 v_1}{m_1 + m_2} = \frac{2(3)}{3} = 2\,\text{m/s}. \]
Energy stored in a spring A spring with \(k = 200\,\text{N/m}\) compressed \(x = 0.1\,\text{m}\): \[ U = \tfrac12 k x^2 = \tfrac12(200)(0.1)^2 = 1\,\text{J}. \]
Energy Conservation Momentum Impulse Collisions Simple Harmonic Motion
Filled chip marks a foundational idea the later modules build on.
Visualize this module → 🧱 Shaky on the basics? → Foundations
Module 04

Waves, Sound & Resonance

Self-Paced

Big idea: a wave moves energy without moving matter — and when a driving frequency matches a system's natural one, that energy piles up into resonance.

Topics

Wave Basics — wavelength, frequency, and period; the wave equation \(v = f\lambda\); transverse vs. longitudinal waves.

Superposition & Standing Waves — interference, nodes and antinodes, and the harmonics of a string or pipe.

Sound & Resonance — the Doppler effect, beats, and the natural frequencies that drive resonance.

You'll be able to…

  • Relate wave speed, frequency, and wavelength with \(v = f\lambda\).
  • Use superposition to predict constructive and destructive interference.
  • Find the harmonic frequencies of standing waves on a string or in a pipe.
  • Explain resonance and the Doppler shift qualitatively and quantitatively.

Worked example

The wave equation A wave of frequency \(f = 256\,\text{Hz}\) travels at \(v = 343\,\text{m/s}\): \[ \lambda = \frac{v}{f} = \frac{343}{256} \approx 1.34\,\text{m}. \]
Fundamental of a string A string of length \(L = 0.5\,\text{m}\) has fundamental wavelength \(\lambda_1 = 2L = 1\,\text{m}\); with \(v = 200\,\text{m/s}\), \[ f_1 = \frac{v}{\lambda_1} = \frac{200}{1} = 200\,\text{Hz}. \]
Wave Equation Superposition Standing Waves Resonance Doppler Effect
Filled chip marks a foundational idea the later modules build on.
Visualize this module → 🧱 Shaky on the basics? → Foundations
Module 05 · Capstone

Charge, Fields & Circuits

Self-Paced

Big idea: charge bends the space around it into a field, and when you let it flow through a wire you get a current — the physics behind everything electric.

Topics

Electric Charge & Force — Coulomb's law \(F = \dfrac{kq_1 q_2}{r^2}\), conductors and insulators.

Electric Fields & Potential — field lines, \(E = \dfrac{kq}{r^2}\), and potential difference (voltage).

Circuits — Ohm's law \(V = IR\), power \(P = IV\), and resistors in series and parallel.

You'll be able to…

  • Use Coulomb's law to find the force between point charges.
  • Sketch the electric field of a charge and read field lines.
  • Apply Ohm's law and the power relation to a simple circuit.
  • Combine resistors in series and parallel and find total current.

Worked example

Ohm's law A \(12\,\text{V}\) battery drives a \(4\,\Omega\) resistor: \[ I = \frac{V}{R} = \frac{12}{4} = 3\,\text{A}. \]
Coulomb's law Two \(1\,\mu\text{C}\) charges \(0.1\,\text{m}\) apart (\(k = 9\times10^9\)): \[ F = \frac{k q_1 q_2}{r^2} = \frac{9\times10^9 (10^{-6})^2}{(0.1)^2} = 0.9\,\text{N}. \]
Coulomb's Law Electric Fields Potential Ohm's Law Circuits
Filled chip marks a foundational idea the later modules build on.
Visualize this module → 🧱 Shaky on the basics? → Foundations
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What You'll Build

By working through the modules at your own pace, you'll come away able to:

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Reason about motion

Predict where something goes from its starting velocity and the forces on it — projectiles, friction, and free-body diagrams included.

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Think in conserved quantities

Track energy and momentum through collisions, orbits, and oscillations, using conservation as a shortcut past the messy middle.

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Read waves & resonance

Relate wavelength, frequency, and speed, find harmonics on a string or in a pipe, and explain why resonance amplifies.

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Trace fields & circuits

Compute electric forces and fields and solve series-and-parallel circuits with Ohm's law and the power relation.

The Toolkit

Helpful Materials

  • A scientific or graphing calculator (TI-84 or equivalent), or Desmos on any device
  • A notebook for working examples — physics is learned with a pencil in hand
  • Graph paper for motion graphs, free-body diagrams, and field sketches
  • Curiosity and patience — nothing here is graded, so explore without pressure
About This Course

Enrichment, Not a Class

AP Physics is offered here as a self-study enrichment course for scholars who want to push beyond the required math sequence. It is not a graded class: there is no syllabus, no pacing calendar, and no end-of-course exam tied to it on this site. The five modules can be explored in any order, and each is self-contained with its own Visual Lab and a Foundations refresher. The physics maps to the topics of a college-level AP Physics course, but here it lives purely as something to learn for its own sake.

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Learning Resources & Supports

Free, vetted places to learn and practice on your own — plus the on-site reference sheet you'll lean on across the modules. Use them when you're stuck, then bring questions to Student Support.

On-site

AP Physics Reference Sheet

The kinematics equations, Newton's laws, the energy and momentum relations, the wave equation, and the core electricity formulas — the equations you'll reach for across all five modules, on one printable page.

Open the Reference Sheet →
Video + practice

Khan Academy — AP Physics

Free video lessons and practice covering every topic in this course. Best when you want a concept re-taught a different way.

khanacademy.org/science/ap-physics-1 →
Simulations

PhET Interactive Simulations

Free, research-based physics sims from the University of Colorado — projectiles, forces, circuits, and waves you can drag, tune, and watch respond.

phet.colorado.edu →
Graphing tool

Desmos Graphing Calculator

The free graphing calculator. Plot a position-time graph, add a parameter for time, and watch a kinematics curve or a wave trace live.

desmos.com/calculator →
Coming to the Assessment Center

Optional Module Practice

Self-check practice sets for each module may be added through the STEM Studio Assessment Center over time. Because AP Physics is an ungraded enrichment course, anything that appears there is for your own practice only — nothing is scored or recorded against you. (No live physics analytics or scores exist yet; this is what's planned.)

Stuck on a problem? Replay the module's Visual Lab, pull up the Reference Sheet, regraph the motion on Desmos, and sanity-check your answer's units and sign before you commit to it. Still stuck? Head to Student Support — asking a precise question is itself a physics skill.

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Where to Go Next

Three doors into the course. Jump into Module 1, open the reference sheet, or head to Student Support if you need a hand.

Start Module 1

Open the first Visual Lab and launch a projectile, then watch a free-body diagram come alive. The modules are self-contained, so this is just a place to begin.

Begin with Kinematics

Reference Sheet

One printable page: the kinematics equations, Newton's laws, energy and momentum, the wave equation, and the core electricity formulas — everything you'll reach for across the modules.

Open the Reference Sheet

Student Support

Because this is a self-study course, support lives in one place. Find office-hours info, how to ask a good physics question, and how to reach out when you're stuck.

Visit Student Support

Instructor: Dr. Goodluck Ijezie-Desbois, PharmD · Beta Academy · Room: TBA
AP Physics is a self-study enrichment course — reach out anytime through Student Support or at gijezie-desbois@betaacademy.org.

AP Physics is offered as an optional, ungraded self-study enrichment course. It has no syllabus, no pacing guide, and no end-of-course exam; the modules map to the topics of a college-level AP Physics course and can be explored in any order.