AP-Physics C Mechanics
Section outline
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The following information can be seen at this link: https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-physics-c-mechanics/exam
Exam Overview
This is a hybrid digital exam. Students complete multiple-choice questions and view free-response questions in the Bluebook testing app. They handwrite their free-response answers in paper exam booklets that are returned for scoring. Download a sample free-response booklet for AP Physics C: Mechanics (.pdf). Use this sample booklet for reference only to become familiar with the format.
Exam questions assess the course concepts and skills outlined in the course framework. For more information, download the AP Physics C: Mechanics Course and Exam Description (.pdf) (CED).
Encourage your students to visit the AP Physics C: Mechanics student page for exam information.
Exam Format
Section I: Multiple Choice
40 Questions | 80 Minutes | 50% of Exam Score
Questions are either discrete questions or question sets, in which students may be provided with a stimulus or a set of data and a series of related questions.Section II: Free Response
4 Questions | 100 Minutes | 50% of Exam Score
This section contains 4 free-response questions, one of each of the following types:
- Mathematical routines
- Translation between representations
- Experimental design and analysis
- Qualitative/quantitative translation
For More Information
To learn more about the recent changes to the exam, visit AP Physics Revisions for 2024-25.
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Read this page to understand more about the laboratory requirements of the course.
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See this page to understand more about the skills you will develop in this course.
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Developing Understanding of Motion
The world consists of countless objects, each in a continual state of motion. For students to grasp how these objects relate to one another, a solid understanding of movement is essential. Unit 1 lays the groundwork for AP Physics C: Mechanics by introducing the core concepts of motion, particularly acceleration, and by demonstrating how various representations can be used to model and analyze the motion of objects.
Building Science Practices
• Multiple Representations: Unit 1 emphasizes the importance of depicting motion—whether constant velocity or constant acceleration—using words, graphs, and mathematical forms. Students will learn to approach motion from different frames of reference, practicing these representations regularly to clarify and analyze the movement of objects and systems.
• Dispelling Misconceptions: Through continual engagement with representations, students confront and overcome common misunderstandings, such as associating negative acceleration solely with an object slowing down.
• Mathematical Reasoning: Students are encouraged to think beyond simply evaluating equations. They will have repeated opportunities to use mathematical models to justify their reasoning and describe physical phenomena, strengthening their proficiency with these tools.Preparing for the AP Exam
Modeling and representation are central to success on the AP Physics C: Mechanics exam, especially in the Translation Between Representations (TBR) section of the free-response questions and in many multiple-choice questions. Physicists rely on representations and models—including sketches, graphs, equations, and verbal explanations—to demonstrate how objects and systems behave and to illustrate concepts. As students progress through the unit, they should be encouraged to select and apply the most suitable representations for any scenario based on the data provided.
Activities: 5 -
Developing Understanding
In Unit 2, students are introduced to the concept of force—an interaction between two objects or systems. Within the broader study of dynamics, the investigation of forces helps students analyze and comprehend various physical phenomena. This understanding builds on the foundational representations from Unit 1, especially with the introduction of the free-body diagram. Students will deepen their analysis of forces and systems, laying the groundwork for applying Newton’s second law in rotational form in Unit 5.
Building Science Practices
• 2.A: Translation between models and representations is essential in this unit. Students use models and representations to analyze systems, interactions, and resulting changes.
• 2.D: Alongside mastering specific force equations, Unit 2 encourages students to derive new expressions from fundamental principles. This helps them make predictions based on the functional dependence between variables.
• 3.B: Students develop the skill of making claims by predicting the acceleration of a system from the forces exerted on it, justifying these predictions using appropriate physics principles.Preparing for the AP Exam
The AP Physics C: Mechanics Exam requires students to re-express key elements of physical phenomena across multiple representations. This skill is tested in the Qualitative/Quantitative Translation (QQT) question on the free-response section. The QQT prompts students to:
• Make a claim, providing evidence and reasoning without equations, using content from any unit.
• Derive relevant equations to mathematically represent the scenario.
• Connect the initial claim to the derived equation(s), demonstrating a conceptual understanding.Students who focus primarily on numerical problem solving may find the QQT challenging, as it demands conceptual understanding and translation between equations, diagrams, graphs, and verbal descriptions. Regular practice in translating among these representations prepares students for the QQT and enhances their overall mastery of course content.
Activities: 10 -
Developing Understanding
In Unit 3, students are introduced to the central concept of conservation as a foundational principle in physics, alongside the idea that work serves as the main driver of energy change. As in previous units, students continue to use both familiar and new models and representations to analyze physical scenarios, now with an emphasis on force and energy. They will be encouraged to apply the content knowledge and skills acquired in Units 1 and 2 to select the most suitable methods for solving problems, and to consider the limitations of these approaches.
Building the Science Practices
• 1.A & 1.C: Describing, creating, and using representations will help students address common misconceptions about energy, such as questioning whether a force does work on an object that does not move, or whether an object can possess potential energy on its own.
• 3.C: A deep understanding of energy enables students to justify their claims about physical phenomena with evidence.
• 2.A: The mathematical models and representations introduced in Unit 3 will be revisited throughout the course and in later units.As students’ understanding of energy grows, they should begin connecting scientific practices to relate knowledge across different scales, concepts, and representations, as well as across disciplines like physics, chemistry, and biology.
Preparing for the AP Exam
The first free-response question on the AP Physics C: Mechanics Exam—the Mathematical Routines (MR) question—assesses students’ ability to create and use mathematical models. Students are required to calculate or derive expressions for physical quantities, develop and apply representations, and make and justify claims. The final part of the MR question asks students to communicate their understanding of a physical situation through a clear and logical expository analysis. This analysis should be coherent, well-organized, and sequential, drawing on evidence and citing relevant physical principles. While Unit 3 provides ideal content for practicing MR questions, the MR question on the exam can reference material from any of the seven course units.
Activities: 5 -
Developing Understanding
Unit 4 guides students through the connections between force, time, impulse, and linear momentum. This is accomplished with calculations, data analysis, experimental design, and predictions. Learners will employ new models and representations to illustrate the law of conservation of linear momentum for objects and systems, while continuing to use representations introduced in earlier units. Applying the law of conservation of linear momentum allows for deeper analysis of physical situations and addresses misconceptions about Newton’s third law. Students will also be able to relate momentum to kinetic energy, examining when each quantity is conserved.
Building Science Practices
• 1.B
• 2.B
• 2.D
• 3.AInquiry-based learning, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills develop best through scientific inquiry experiences with increasing student involvement. In Unit 4, students are encouraged to collect data and design experimental procedures to answer scientific questions. For instance, students may analyze a familiar experiment by writing a plan for observation and data collection. After designing procedures and gathering data, students can practice data analysis by plotting graphs and interpreting best-fit lines to support claims about physical phenomena.
Preparing for the AP Exam
The third free-response question on the AP Physics C: Mechanics Exam focuses on Experimental Design and Analysis. In this section, students must justify the type of data required and develop a strategy for data collection. Because experimental design can pose challenges, scaffolded opportunities to determine the necessary data support learning. The exam also requires students to linearize and analyze data. Practicing experiment design, data analysis, and discussions of error sources throughout the course will help students succeed on the Experimental Design and Analysis (LAB) question.
Activities: 4 -
Developing Understanding of Rotational Motion
Unit 5 builds upon the concepts of force and linear motion introduced in Unit 2, guiding students into the rotational counterparts: torque and rotational motion. Though these topics add complexity, students continue to utilize the analytic tools established in the earlier units of AP Physics C: Mechanics. The initial four units provide a strong foundation for succeeding in Units 5 and 6.
Connecting Linear and Rotational Concepts
As students encounter torque and rotational motion, they will discover new ways to model forces. Throughout Units 5 and 6, students are encouraged to compare and link their knowledge of linear and rotational motion, dynamics, energy, and momentum. This approach supports the development of comprehensive models for evaluating various physical phenomena.
Building Science Practices
• Practice 2.A, 2.C, 2.D, 3.B: In Unit 5, students face both new and familiar equations. They are expected to derive new expressions (2.A), use these to compare physical quantities across scenarios (2.C), make claims (3.B), and justify or predict variable values using functional dependence (2.D). For example, if the force on a system is doubled, students might be asked to predict the resulting torque.
• Predicting changes in quantities based on functional dependence can be challenging, so students benefit from repeated practice with these mathematical concepts. These skills are essential for both the multiple-choice and free-response sections of the AP Physics C: Mechanics Exam.Preparing for the AP Exam
Students' ability to analyze functional relationships is assessed through the fourth free-response question—the Qualitative/Quantitative Translation (QQT) question—as well as multiple-choice items. Students must be able to identify functional dependencies, work with them, and predict new values when variables change. Explaining phenomena using evidence from functional relationships is also required. For students who find the mathematics challenging, scaffolded instruction can help them move from basic calculations to understanding how one variable's change affects another within related equations.
Activities: 6 -
Developing Understanding
In Unit 6, students will apply their understanding of energy and momentum to the context of rotating systems. Much like the approach taken with translational energy and momentum in Units 3 and 4, this unit emphasizes a conceptual grasp of how angular momentum and rotational energy respond to external torques acting on a system. It is equally important for students to articulate the specific conditions under which a system’s rotational energy or angular momentum will remain unchanged, as this forms the basis for tackling more complex scenarios.
Students will draw upon the content and skills from both Units 5 and 6 to deepen their exploration into phenomena such as the motion of orbiting satellites and rolling without slipping.
Building the Science Practices
Unit 6 offers students opportunities to:
• Compare physical quantities either between different scenarios or at various times within a single scenario (Practice 2.C).
• Determine new values for quantities by analyzing how variables functionally depend on one another (Practice 2.D).Students are encouraged to make and justify claims rooted in these physical principles and functional relationships (Practices 3.B, 3.C). For instance, they might be tasked with conceptually explaining the effect of moving the pivot point on a system’s rotational inertia, and then justifying the resultant changes in angular acceleration.
By the conclusion of the unit, students should feel comfortable assessing the reasonableness of their claims and justifications, while grounding their arguments in the fundamental principles of physics (Practices 2.D, 3.C).
Preparing for the AP Exam
Both the multiple-choice and free-response sections of the AP Physics C: Mechanics Exam require students to describe relationships between physical quantities and to analyze the effects of changing one quantity in a given scenario. Practice in investigating system changes and applying fundamental physics principles will help students decide whether a particular quantity increases, decreases, or remains constant as other variables shift.
Additionally, when constructing justifications for claims, students should avoid referencing equations, laws, or principles in a superficial way. For example, merely stating that one disk rolls faster than another due to “conservation of energy” does not provide a complete answer on the exam’s free-response section. Students must clearly and concisely lay out the logical steps that connect the physical principle to the justification of their claim.
Activities: 6 -
Developing Understanding
In Unit 7, students deepen their understanding by applying previously learned models and analytical methods to the topic of simple harmonic motion. This unit emphasizes that, even when faced with unfamiliar scenarios, the fundamental laws of physics continue to apply. Now equipped with essential tools such as energy bar charts, free-body diagrams, and momentum diagrams, students are supported through scaffolded lessons that reinforce the principles and boundaries of physics as they pertain to oscillating systems. Learners will be expected to use their accumulated skills to justify claims and make connections between new concepts and those encountered in earlier topics.
Building Science Practices
• 1.A, 1.C, 2.A, 3.C: Throughout Unit 7, students repeatedly practice creating graphs (1.C), which may depict force, energy, or momentum as a function of position or time for a given scenario. These graphical representations help students connect physical concepts and interpret relationships across different forms. Building models to represent real-world situations (1.A), then translating those models into symbolic expressions (2.A), enables students to justify or support claims about oscillating systems (3.C).
Preparing for the AP Exam
The second free-response question on the AP Physics C: Mechanics Exam is the Translation Between Representations (TBR) question. This question requires students to construct both graphical and verbal models for a scenario and then relate these models to the corresponding mathematical representations. Similar in concept to the Qualitative/Quantitative Translation (QQT) question, the TBR entails generating multiple types of representations and describing the relationships among them. The representations in the TBR, however, differ in nature from those in the QQT.
For example, students may be asked to sketch free-body diagrams of a block oscillating on a spring, both at maximum displacement and at equilibrium. They may also be tasked with creating energy bar charts for the block–spring system at those two points and then explaining how the diagrams and charts correspond. While Unit 7 offers especially useful practice for the TBR question, content from any unit may appear in this section of the AP Exam.
Activities: 5