AAPT NCPT (Level 1) case studies
AAPT NCPT (Level 1) · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The AAPT NCPT (Level 1) is presented as a national competency physics test at introductory level, associated with the American Association of Physics Teachers. AAPT describes itself as "a professional membership association of scientists dedicated to enhancing the understanding and appreciation of physics through teaching," and its public site emphasizes professional development, contests and competitions, and student enrichment programs. The AAPT NCPT (Level 1) case studies are 5 cases and about 2,406 words.
1Ballistic Pendulum with a Tangential Spring
A 0.045 kg steel ball is fired horizontally into a 0.180 kg pendulum bob at rest, embedding in it. The bob hangs from a light string of length 0.60 m, and the combined mass swings up.
576 words, about 3 min2Cooling Curve of a Sealed Gas Sample
A rigid 2.0 L steel vessel contains 0.020 mol of nitrogen (diatomic, ideal) at 300 K. A student heats it to 600 K using a hot plate, then removes it and lets it cool in air at 293 K.
534 words, about 3 min3Two-Slit Interference with a Real Source
A student sets up a double slit with separation 0.25 mm and observes fringes on a screen 1.80 m away using a red laser labeled 650 nm. The measured fringe spacing is 4.2 mm, but the fringes are washed out near the edges of the pattern and the central maximum is noticeably dimmer than expected.
450 words, about 2 min4Ammeter Placement in a Two-Resistor Circuit
A student builds a circuit with a 9.0 V battery (internal resistance 0.50 ohm), a 10 ohm resistor, and a 20 ohm resistor in series. They insert an ammeter (internal resistance 2.0 ohm) in series to measure current and read 0.27 A.
434 words, about 2 min5Half-Life Counting with Background
A student measures the activity of a short-lived source with a Geiger counter. Background is measured for 10 minutes: 240 counts.
412 words, about 2 min