Mechanics, waves, and simple circuits, using algebra and trigonometry rather than calculus.
Study guide last reviewed September 25, 2026 · see what changed
Format reflects the current published structure — always confirm against AP Central before test day, since formats occasionally change.
| Section | Details | Time | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Section I – Multiple Choice | 42 questions (discrete items and question sets) | 85 min | 50% |
| Section II – Free Response | 4 question types: math routines, translating representations, experimental design, qualitative/quantitative translation | 95 min | 50% |
Straight answers about the AP Physics 1: Algebra-Based exam — format, credit, dates, and this site.
Section I – Multiple Choice: 42 questions (discrete items and question sets) (85 min, 50% of the total score); Section II – Free Response: 4 question types: math routines, translating representations, experimental design, qualitative/quantitative translation (95 min, 50% of the total score). See the Exam Format tab above for the full breakdown, and always double-check the current year's format on AP Central before test day.
It's multiple-choice questions, written free-response or essay questions, and an independent project with a written or oral component.
It depends entirely on the college — most award credit for a 3 or higher, but many selective schools require a 4 or a 5, and some don't grant credit at all for certain scores. Always check your target college's own AP credit policy page rather than assuming a 3 will count everywhere.
AP exams are administered during the College Board's annual testing window in the first two full weeks of May, with the exact date and time for each subject set by the College Board and announced the preceding fall. Check AP Central or your school's AP coordinator for this year's exact date.
Yes. The unit-by-unit study guide, worked examples, practice quiz, and full-length timed practice exam on this page are all free, with no login, signup, or paywall.
Unit-by-unit breakdown of what the course actually covers, in teaching order.
Position, velocity, and acceleration as related quantities, read from position-time, velocity-time, and acceleration-time graphs (slope and area under the curve connect them). The four kinematic equations for constant acceleration (v = v0 + at, x = x0 + v0t + ½at², etc.) applied to free fall (a = -9.8 m/s²) and projectile motion, where horizontal and vertical motion are analyzed as independent components sharing only time.
Newton's first law (inertia), second law (Fnet = ma, the quantitative core of the unit), and third law (action-reaction pairs act on different objects, never cancel each other). Free-body diagrams identifying every force (gravity, normal, tension, friction, applied) and how to resolve forces into components on inclined planes, plus static versus kinetic friction (f = μN) and the distinction between the two coefficients.
Work as force times displacement in the direction of motion (W = Fd cos θ), the work-energy theorem connecting net work to change in kinetic energy, and conservation of mechanical energy (KE + PE constant when only conservative forces act) versus situations with non-conservative forces like friction dissipating energy as heat. Power as the rate of energy transfer (P = W/t = Fv).
Momentum (p = mv) and impulse (J = FΔt = Δp) as two ways of describing the same physical quantity, and conservation of momentum in isolated systems applied to elastic collisions (both momentum and kinetic energy conserved) versus inelastic collisions (only momentum conserved, kinetic energy lost to deformation/heat), including perfectly inelastic collisions where objects stick together.
Torque (τ = rF sin θ) as the rotational analog of force, and how it depends on both the magnitude of force and the perpendicular distance from the axis of rotation (lever arm). Newton's second law for rotation (τnet = Iα) parallels linear F = ma, with moment of inertia (I) depending on both mass and how that mass is distributed relative to the rotation axis (different formulas for rods, disks, spheres, hoops).
Rotational kinetic energy (KE = ½Iω²) added to translational kinetic energy for rolling objects, and angular momentum (L = Iω) conservation explaining phenomena like a spinning skater speeding up when pulling arms in (decreasing I increases ω to keep L constant). Rolling without slipping as the condition linking linear and angular velocity (v = rω).
Simple harmonic motion's defining feature (restoring force proportional to displacement, F = -kx for springs), and how period depends on system properties — for springs, T = 2π√(m/k); for pendulums, T = 2π√(L/g) — notably independent of amplitude for small angles. Energy exchange between kinetic and potential (spring PE = ½kx²) throughout the oscillation cycle, with total mechanical energy conserved.
Density (ρ = m/V) and pressure (P = F/A), with pressure increasing linearly with depth in a static fluid (P = P0 + ρgh) per Pascal's principle. Archimedes' principle (buoyant force equals the weight of displaced fluid) determining whether objects float or sink, and an introduction to fluid flow concepts like the continuity equation and Bernoulli's principle relating pressure and velocity in moving fluids.
Concrete, fully worked examples — this is what separates a page reviewers see as genuinely useful from one that just lists topics.
Projectile motion: a ball is launched horizontally at 12 m/s from a 20 m cliff. How far does it travel before landing?
Step 1: Vertical motion alone determines time: 20 = ½(9.8)t² → t = √(40/9.8) ≈ 2.02 s.
Step 2: Horizontal distance = vₓt = 12 × 2.02 ≈ 24.2 m. Horizontal and vertical motion share only time — never mix a horizontal velocity into a vertical kinematics equation.
Incline problem: a 5 kg block sits on a frictionless 30° incline. Find its acceleration down the slope.
The component of gravity along the incline is g sinθ = 9.8 × sin30° = 9.8 × 0.5 = 4.9 m/s². Mass cancels out entirely here — a common FRQ justification point is explicitly stating why mass doesn't affect the result.
Energy conservation: a 2 kg cart starts at rest at the top of a frictionless 3 m ramp. Find its speed at the bottom.
mgh = ½mv² → v = √(2gh) = √(2 × 9.8 × 3) ≈ 7.67 m/s. Mass cancels again — recognizing when a variable drops out is itself a tested conceptual skill, not just an algebra shortcut.
Perfectly inelastic collision: a 3 kg cart moving at 4 m/s collides and sticks to a stationary 1 kg cart.
Momentum conservation: (3)(4) + (1)(0) = (3+1)v → v = 12/4 = 3 m/s. Kinetic energy is not conserved here (some converts to heat/deformation) — only momentum is guaranteed to be conserved in any collision.
Torque balance: a 2 m seesaw balances with a 40 kg child 1.5 m from the pivot on one side. Where must a 30 kg child sit on the other side?
Balanced torques: (40)(9.8)(1.5) = (30)(9.8)(d) → d = 60/30 = 2 m. Mass and distance trade off inversely — this is the whole content of the torque balance condition.
Spring period: a 0.5 kg mass on a spring with k = 20 N/m. Find the period, and describe what happens to the period if the mass doubles.
T = 2π√(m/k) = 2π√(0.5/20) ≈ 0.99 s. Doubling the mass multiplies the period by √2 (not by 2) — period depends on the square root of mass, a distinction MC questions test directly.
The errors that cost the most points across the whole exam, not just one unit.
Unofficial practice questions written for this study guide — not official AP content and not from College Board. Use them to self-check, then use the real past free-response questions below for authentic exam practice.
Unofficial practice, timed to feel like the real thing. Section I pulls from this page's full multiple-choice bank; Section II gives you free-response prompts to write out and self-score against a rubric. Bank size is still growing toward full exam length — timing is paced per-question, not pulled from this subject's official duration.