There are four Advanced Placement (AP) Physics courses administered by the College Board as part of its Advanced Placement program: the algebra-based Physics 1 and Physics 2 and the calculus-based Physics C: Mechanics and Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism. All are intended to be at the college level. Each AP Physics course has an exam for which high-performing students may receive credit toward their college coursework.[1]

AP Physics 1 and 2

AP Physics 1 and AP Physics 2 were introduced in 2015, replacing AP Physics B.[2] The courses were designed to emphasize critical thinking and reasoning as well as learning through inquiry.[3] They are algebra-based and do not require any calculus knowledge.[4]

AP Physics 1

AP Physics 1 covers Newtonian mechanics, including:[4]

  • Unit 1: Kinematics
  • Unit 2: Dynamics
  • Unit 3: Circular Motion and Gravitation
  • Unit 4: Energy
  • Unit 5: Momentum
  • Unit 6: Simple Harmonic Motion
  • Unit 7: Torque and Rotational Motion

Until 2020, the course also covered topics in electricity (including Coulomb's Law and resistive DC circuits), mechanical waves, and sound. These units were removed because they are included in AP Physics 2.[4]

AP Physics 2

AP Physics 2 covers the following topics:[5]

  • Unit 1: Fluids
  • Unit 2: Thermodynamics
  • Unit 3: Electric Force, Field, and Potential
  • Unit 4: Electric Circuits
  • Unit 5: Magnetism and Electromagnetic Induction
  • Unit 6: Geometric and Physical Optics
  • Unit 7: Quantum, Atomic, and Nuclear Physics

AP Physics C

From 1969 to 1972, AP Physics C was a single course with a single exam that covered all standard introductory university physics topics, including mechanics, fluids, electricity and magnetism, optics, and modern physics.[6] In 1973, the College Board split the course into AP Physics C: Mechanics and AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism. The exam was also split into two separate 90-minute tests, each equivalent to a semester-length calculus-based college course.[7][8] Until 2006, both exams could be taken for a single fee; since then, a separate fee is charged for each exam.

The two Physics C courses can be combined to create a year-long Physics C course that prepares students for both exams.

AP Physics C: Mechanics

AP Physics C: Mechanics covers Newtonian mechanics, including:[7]

  • Unit 1: Kinematics
  • Unit 2: Newton’s Laws of Motion
  • Unit 3: Work, Energy, and Power
  • Unit 4: Systems of Particles and Linear Momentum
  • Unit 5: Rotation
  • Unit 6: Oscillations
  • Unit 7: Gravitation

AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism

AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism covers electricity and magnetism, including:[8]

  • Unit 1: Electrostatics
  • Unit 2: Conductors, Capacitors, Dielectrics
  • Unit 3: Electric Circuits
  • Unit 4: Magnetic Fields
  • Unit 5: Electromagnetism

AP Physics B

Until 1969, only a single AP Physics course existed. In 1969, it was split into AP Physics B and AP Physics C, each having its own exam.[9] AP Physics B was equivalent to an introductory algebra-based college course in physics.[10] The course did not use calculus.[11]

AP Physics B was divided into five different sections:[11]

In 2014, AP Physics B was replaced by AP Physics 1 and 2.

AP Physics A

Designed concurrently with AP Physics B and AP Physics C, AP Physics A was supposed to be a conceptual version of AP Physics B, employing little to no mathematics. AP Physics A never proceeded past the development stage, as colleges would not offer credit for the course.[11][12][13]

References

  1. ↑ "Credit & Placement". AP Students. The College Board. 2017. Retrieved January 30, 2017.
  2. ↑ "AP Physics 1 and 2, 2014–15". AP: Advances in AP. The College Board. Archived from the original on October 18, 2014.
  3. ↑ "AP Physics 1 Course Home Page". AP Central. The College Board. Archived from the original on October 15, 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 "AP Physics 1: Algebra-Based – AP Students | College Board". apstudents.collegeboard.org. Retrieved 2023-06-11.
  5. ↑ "AP Physics 2: Algebra-Based – AP Students | College Board". apstudents.collegeboard.org. Retrieved 2023-06-11.
  6. ↑ Private collection of AP Physics exams 1956-1973. https://www.icloud.com/iclouddrive/0aaklyARPE3ips_Vw5DyoXwwQ#AP_Physics_1956-1973
  7. 1 2 AP® PHYSICS C: MECHANICS (PDF), College Board, December 2016, retrieved January 30, 2017
  8. 1 2 AP® PHYSICS C: ELECTRICITY & MAGNETISM (PDF), College Board, December 2016, retrieved January 30, 2017
  9. ↑ Private AP Physics Exams collection 1956-1973(https://www.icloud.com/iclouddrive/0aaklyARPE3ips_Vw5DyoXwwQ#AP_Physics_1956-1973)
  10. ↑ "AP Physics B". AP Central. College Board. 2011. Archived from the original on 2 July 2011. Retrieved July 24, 2011.
  11. 1 2 3 Physics Course Description (PDF), The College Board, May 2009, archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-06-01
  12. ↑ Perlmutter, Carolyn (October 9, 2014). "AP Physics curriculum changes provide more time for conceptual understanding". J.J. Pearce High School Pony Express. Archived from the original on 2016-05-31. Retrieved September 19, 2021.
  13. ↑ Pinizzotto, J (June 18, 2018). Twitter https://twitter.com/MisterNeutrino/status/1008735004086677504. Archived from the original on 2021-09-20. Retrieved September 19, 2021. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
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