AP Physics 1: Algebra-Based (College Board): complete guide to the units, the science practices and the exam

College Board AP Physics 1: Algebra-Based is designed to be the equivalent of a first-semester, algebra-based introductory college physics course. The course is built on a set of science practices and recurring physics themes, and the content is organized into units that begin with motion and force. There is no calculus, but laboratory and quantitative reasoning are examined directly in both sections of the exam. This page is the index: below is a map of the units, the exam structure, and how to study each one. This library covers all eight units in full.

The AP Physics 1 units

The College Board organizes the content into units, each carrying an exam weighting (the share of questions it tends to contribute). The course was revised for 2024-25, which renamed and renumbered several units.

Unit 1 Kinematics (10 to 15%)

Scalars and vectors in one dimension, displacement, velocity and acceleration as rates of change, representing motion with graphs and equations, reference frames and relative motion, and vectors and motion in two dimensions including projectile motion.

Unit 2 Force and Translational Dynamics (18 to 23%)

Systems and the center of mass, forces and free-body diagrams, Newton's three laws, the gravitational force and weight, kinetic and static friction, spring forces and Hooke's law, and uniform circular motion with centripetal acceleration.

Unit 3 Work, Energy, and Power (18 to 23%)

Translational kinetic energy, work and the work-energy theorem, gravitational and elastic potential energy, conservation of energy with and without friction, and power as the rate of energy transfer.

Unit 4 Linear Momentum (10 to 15%)

Linear momentum as a vector, impulse and the impulse-momentum theorem, conservation of momentum for isolated systems, and elastic, inelastic and perfectly inelastic collisions.

Unit 5 Torque and Rotational Dynamics (10 to 15%)

Rotational kinematics, connecting linear and rotational motion, torque and the lever arm, rotational inertia, rotational equilibrium, and Newton's second law in rotational form.

Unit 6 Energy and Momentum of Rotating Systems (5 to 8%)

Rotational kinetic energy, the work done by a torque, angular momentum and angular impulse, conservation of angular momentum, rolling without slipping, and the motion of orbiting satellites.

Unit 7 Oscillations (5 to 8%)

Simple harmonic motion and the linear restoring force, frequency and period of the mass-spring system and the simple pendulum, the sinusoidal representations of an oscillator, and the energy of oscillators.

Unit 8 Fluids (10 to 15%)

Density and the internal structure of fluids, pressure and its variation with depth, buoyancy and Newton's laws in fluids, and conservation of mass and energy in fluid flow (continuity and Bernoulli's equation).

Exam structure

The AP Physics 1 exam is 3 hours and has two equally weighted sections. A calculator is allowed throughout, and you are given a formula and constants sheet.

• Section I, multiple choice - 1 hour 30 minutes, 50%. Individual questions and question sets, many built on data, graphs, free-body diagrams or experimental setups.
• Section II, free response - 1 hour 30 minutes, 50%. Free-response questions written from the science practices, including a mathematical-routines question, a question on translating between representations, and a laboratory or experimental-design question.

The free-response questions ask you to create and interpret representations (free-body diagrams, motion graphs), carry out mathematical routines, design and analyze experiments, and construct evidence-based arguments using AP task verbs (Calculate, Describe, Explain, Justify, Derive, Determine).

How to study AP Physics 1

AP Physics 1 rewards clear representations, careful vector work, and confident reasoning from forces to motion.

1. Work from the Course and Exam Description. Each topic (for example 2.5 Newton's Second Law) maps to specific learning objectives and essential-knowledge statements that exam questions are written from.
2. Draw the diagram first. A correct free-body diagram or motion graph is the start of almost every problem; most lost marks come from a missing or mislabelled force.
3. Master the vector toolkit. Resolving into components, choosing a sign convention, and applying the kinematic equations and Newton's second law axis by axis recur everywhere.
4. Reason from force to motion. The recurring move is to find the net force on an object and use $F_{net} = ma$ to predict its acceleration, then its motion.
5. Rehearse the exam formats. Time yourself on mathematical, representational and laboratory free-response questions, and make every claim include evidence and physics reasoning.

The units, topic by topic

Each topic has a Course-and-Exam-Description-level answer page with worked exam questions and cross-links, plus an overview guide and quiz. This library covers all eight units in full:

• Unit 1: scalars and vectors, displacement, velocity and acceleration, representing motion, reference frames and relative motion, vectors and motion in two dimensions.
• Unit 2: systems and center of mass, forces and free-body diagrams, Newton's third law, Newton's first law, Newton's second law, gravitational force, kinetic and static friction, spring forces, circular motion.
• Unit 3: translational kinetic energy, work and the work-energy theorem, potential energy, conservation of energy, power.
• Unit 4: linear momentum, change in momentum and impulse, conservation of linear momentum, collisions.
• Unit 5: rotational kinematics, connecting linear and rotational motion, torque, rotational inertia, rotational equilibrium and Newton's first law, Newton's second law in rotational form.
• Unit 6: rotational kinetic energy, torque and work, angular momentum and angular impulse, conservation of angular momentum, rolling, motion of orbiting satellites.
• Unit 7: defining simple harmonic motion, frequency and period of SHM, representing and analyzing SHM, energy of simple harmonic oscillators.
• Unit 8: internal structure and density, pressure, fluids and Newton's laws, fluids and conservation laws.

You can also work through the solving kinematics and dynamics problems skills guide and its paired quiz.

For the official Course and Exam Description

The College Board publishes the full Course and Exam Description, released free-response questions, scoring guidelines and the equations sheet at apcentral.collegeboard.org. Always study from the current Course and Exam Description and the College Board's own released exams, because question style and the science practices are board-specific.