AP Physics 2 Exam Prep

Niels Bohr

Danish physicist who developed the Bohr model of the atom, introducing the idea of quantized energy levels for electrons.

Marie Curie

A pioneering physicist and chemist who conducted groundbreaking research on radioactivity, becoming the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and the only person to win in two different scientific fields.

Louis de Broglie

French physicist who proposed the wave-particle duality of matter, suggesting that particles such as electrons exhibit both particle and wave characteristics.

Christian Doppler

Austrian physicist known for the Doppler effect, which describes the change in frequency or wavelength of a wave in relation to an observer moving relative to the source of the wave.

Albert Einstein

Theoretical physicist known for developing the theory of relativity, which revolutionized the understanding of time, space, and energy, and for his famous equation E=mc².

Michael Faraday

English scientist who contributed to the study of electromagnetism and electrochemistry, known for Faraday's laws of electrolysis and the invention of the electric motor.

Galileo Galilei

Italian astronomer, physicist, and mathematician known as the "father of modern observational astronomy" and for championing the heliocentric model of the solar system.

Heinrich Hertz

German physicist known for demonstrating the existence of electromagnetic waves and for whom the unit of frequency, hertz (Hz), is named.

Gustov Kirchhoff

German physicist known for his contributions to electrical circuits, including Kirchhoff's laws of current and voltage.

Heinrich Lenz

A Russian physicist known for formulating Lenz's law, which states that the direction of an induced electromotive force opposes the change that created it, thereby illustrating the principle of conservation of energy.

Issac Newton

English mathematician and physicist, known for formulating the laws of motion and universal gravitation.

George Ohm

German physicist known for Ohm's Law, which relates voltage, current, and resistance in an electrical circuit.

Ernest Rutherford

A New Zealand-born physicist who is considered the father of nuclear physics. He is best known for his discovery of the nucleus and the formulation of the Rutherford model of the atom.

J.J. Thompson

A British physicist credited with the discovery of the electron and the development of the plum pudding model of the atom.

How do Electromagnetic Waves Travel through a vacuum?

By oscillating electric and magnetic fields that propagate at the speed of light. They do not require a medium for transmission, allowing them to move through empty space.

What conditions are needed for sound to travel?

Requires a medium, such as air, water, or solids, to travel through. It cannot propagate through a vacuum.

How do electrons (e^-) and protons (p⁺) behave when moving through a Magnetic (B) field?

Electrons are deflected in a direction opposite to that of protons due to their opposite charges, and both experience a force perpendicular to their velocity and the magnetic field.

Relationship between mass and energy according to Einstein.

Mass can be converted into energy, and vice versa, as expressed in the equation E=mc².

 When looking at an object that is placed in water, what is the actual position of the object?

The object appears to be in a different position due to the refraction of light as it passes from water to air.