AP Welcome Back and Chapter One Guide
Where did the summer go? I hope your vacation was filled with new, positive experiences, and some time to refresh and recharge your batteries for the new year. Now, for some words of wisdom from your AP teacher . . .
Learning Goals for Chapter One: - use the illustrations and diagrams, as well as the text material, to review these ideas.
Suggested problems for chapter 1:
If you have mastered this chapter, you should be able to perform these tasks, learned in each section:
Section 1: To appreciate the importance of creative problem solving. There's more than one way to solve a problem.
Section 2: To identify the principal operations and limitations of the scientific method. Make sure you understand terms like "law", "theory", "observation", etc.
Section 3: To describe the SI system of units and prefixes. The prefixes from nano to Giga are most commonly used.
Section 4: To identify causes of uncertainty in measurement; to show how significant figures are used; and to compare precision and accuracy in measurement.
Section 5: To show how to determine the number of significant figures in a calculated result. Remember that the rules for multiplication and division are different from the rules for addition and subtraction.
Section 6: To show how to convert units between the English and the metric systems. Whether it's called "unit analysis", "dimensional analysis", or "factor label conversion", it's all the same basic method.
Section 7: To demonstrate conversion among the Fahrenheit, Celsius, and Kelvin temperature scales. We'll look at several different ways to convert Fahrenheit and Celsius temperatures, and then you can pick the method that's easiest for you. You should have no trouble with Celsius to Kelvin conversions.
Section 8: To illustrate calculations involving density. Make sure to include units for all measured quantities, always!
Section 9: To show how matter can be classified into subgroups. Remember, the four usual subgroups are element, compound, solution, and mixture, and that each group is somewhat similar to and yet different from its neighboring groups.