Your AP Physics 1 Resource Center

Overview of AP Physics 1

AP Physics 1 is a college-level course offered by the College Board to high school students who are interested in studying the fundamentals of physics. It was opted by 162,000 students in 2023 as it is one of the preferred AP courses. According to surveyed data of class alumnae, the pass rate for the AP Physics 1 exam was 45% in 2023 and the difficulty rating for the AP Physics 1 exam was 7.7 out of 10. The course delves into topics like kinematics, dynamics, circular motion, waves, and basic electrical circuits.

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Course content

Unit 1: Kinematics

You’ll be introduced to the study of motion.

  • Position, velocity, and acceleration
  • Representations of motion

  • Systems
  • The gravitational field
  • Contact forces
  • Newton’s First Law
  • Newton’s Third Law and free-body diagrams
  • Newton’s Second Law
  • Applications of Newton’s Second Law

  • Vector fields
  • Fundamental forces
  • Gravitational and electric forces
  • Gravitational field/acceleration due to gravity on different planets
  • Inertial vs. gravitational mass
  • Centripetal acceleration vs. centripetal force
  • Free-body diagrams for objects in uniform circular motion

  • Open and closed systems: Energy
  • Work and mechanical energy
  • Conservation of energy, the work–energy principle, and power

  • Momentum and impulse
  • Representations of changes in momentum
  • Open and closed systems: momentum
  • Conservation of linear momentum

  • Period of simple harmonic oscillators
  • Energy of a simple harmonic oscillator

  • Rotational kinematics
  • Torque and angular acceleration
  • Angular momentum and torque
  • Conservation of angular momentum

Exam Date

AP Physics 1 Exam

Will be conducted on

Fri, May 17, 2024 | 8 AM Local
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AP Physics 1 Exam Guide

AP Physics 1 is a college-level course offered by the College Board to high school students who are interested in studying the fundamentals of physics. It was opted by 162,000 students in 2023 as it is one of the preferred AP courses. According to surveyed data of class alumnae, the pass rate for the AP Physics 1 exam was 45% in 2023 and the difficulty rating for the AP Physics 1 exam was 7.7 out of 10. The course delves into topics like kinematics, dynamics, circular motion, waves, and basic electrical circuits.

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AP Physics 1 Course Resources

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AP Physics 1 Course

The College Board website offers a variety of extra resources to help AP Physics 1 students succeed on the exam. These resources include the AP Physics 1 Course at a Glance, the AP Physics 1 Course and Exam Description, the AP Physics 1 Scoring Guidelines, AP Physics 1 Equations Tables, and more. To help students prepare for the AP Physics 1 exam, we have provided links to these extra resources below.

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AP Physics 1 Course at a Glance

Excerpted from the AP Physics 1 Course and Exam Description, the Course at a Glance  document outlines the topics and science practices covered in the AP Physics 1 course, along with suggestions for sequencing. The Course at a Glance was updated in the fall of 2021 to reflect the reduced scope of the course.

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AP Physics 1: Algebra-Based Course and Exam Description

This is the core document for this course. Unit guides clearly lay out the course content and skills and recommend sequencing and pacing for them throughout the year. The CED was updated in the fall of 2021 to reflect the reduced scope of the course and now covers Unit 1 (Kinematics) through Unit 7 (Torque and Rotational Motion).

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The Difference Between AP Physics 1 and AP Physics 2

Learn the similarities and differences between these two courses and exams.

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AP Physics 1 Equations Tables

This table supplies equations commonly used in physics as well as constants, conversion factors, unit symbols, and more. This document or one like it will be provided to you on exam day for the AP Physics 1 Exam.

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AP Physics 1 Free Response Questions

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AP Physics 1 Youtube Channels

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