AP Physics B

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Advanced Placement (AP) Physics B was a physics course administered by the College Board as part of its Advanced Placement program. It was equivalent to a year-long introductory university course covering Newtonian mechanics, electromagnetism, fluid mechanics, thermal physics, waves, optics, and modern physics. The course was algebra-based and heavily computational; [1] in 2015, it was replaced by the more concept-focused AP Physics 1 and AP Physics 2.

Contents

Exam

The exam consisted of a 70 MCQ section, followed by a 6-7 FRQ section. Each section was 90 minutes and was worth 50% of the final score. The MCQ section banned calculators, while the FRQ allowed calculators and a list of common formulas. Overall, the exam was configured to approximately cover a set percentage of each of the five target categories: [2]

TopicPercent
Newtonian Mechanics35%
Fluid Mechanics and Thermal Physics15%
Electricity and Magnetism25%
Waves and Optics15%
Atomic and Nuclear Physics10%

Purpose

According to the College Board web site, the Physics B course provided "a foundation in physics for students in the life sciences, a pre medical career path, and some applied sciences, as well as other fields not directly related to science." [3]

Discontinuation

Starting in the 2014–2015 school year, AP Physics B was no longer offered, and AP Physics 1 and AP Physics 2 took its place. Like AP Physics B, both are algebra-based, and both are designed to be taught as year-long courses. [4]

Grade distribution

The grade distributions for the Physics B scores from 2010 until its discontinuation in 2014 are as follows:

Score2010 [5] 2011 [6] 2012 [7] 2013 [8] 2014 [9]
514.8%16.4%16.3%16.6%15.8%
418.5%19.2%19.3%19.9%18.5%
326.1%25.9%26.4%26.1%26.5%
218.6%17.3%16.8%16.3%17%
121.9%21.3%21.3%21.1%22.3%
% of Scores 3 or Higher59.4%61.5%62.0%62.6%60.8%
Mean2.852.922.932.952.89
Standard Deviation1.351.371.361.371.37
Number of Students67,31275,64880,58489,26393,574

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References

  1. ↑ "AP Physics B". AP Central. College Board. 2011. Archived from the original on 2 July 2011. Retrieved July 24, 2011.
  2. ↑ "AP: Physics B: Topic Outline". Collegeboard.com. Archived from the original on August 19, 2004. Retrieved December 2, 2011.
  3. ↑ "2006, 2007 AP Physics Course Description" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on February 10, 2012. Retrieved December 2, 2011.
  4. ↑ "About AP - AP Central | College Board". 11 June 2018.
  5. ↑ 2010 AP Scores Distribution
  6. ↑ 2011 AP Scores Distribution
  7. ↑ 2012 AP Scores Distribution
  8. ↑ 2013 AP Exam Score Distributions
  9. ↑ 2014 Student Score Distributions
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