AP Physics Practice 2026: Glossary, Units & FRQ Guide

TL;DR

AP Physics practice in 2025 looks fundamentally different from previous years. The College Board redesigned all four exams with a new format (40 MCQs and 4 FRQs), added a Fluids unit to AP Physics 1, and removed the widely disliked multiselect questions. The result: pass rates jumped from 47.3% to 67.3% in a single year. This guide defines every key term across all four AP Physics courses, organized by unit and exam weight, so students and teachers can focus practice where it counts most.

Why AP Physics Practice Matters More Than Ever

The 2025 AP Physics exam redesign changed everything. Students who practiced with outdated materials walked into an exam that looked nothing like what they’d prepared for. Students who practiced with current, format-aligned materials saw the payoff in a dramatic way.

The numbers tell the story. In 2024, AP Physics 1 had a 47.3% pass rate with a mean score of 2.59. In 2025, that jumped to a 67.3% pass rate with a mean score of 3.12, all with 174,401 test takers. That 20-percentage-point leap is one of the largest single-year improvements in AP exam history.

The takeaway is simple: targeted AP Physics practice, aligned to the current exam structure, produces results. This glossary covers every essential term across all four AP Physics courses, organized by the units and weightings that actually appear on the exam. Each section includes practice context so you know not just what a term means, but why it shows up on test day.

Whether you’re a student building a study plan or a teacher assembling practice materials for your class, this is the reference to keep open.

The Four AP Physics Courses, Explained

Before diving into terms, it helps to understand what you’re preparing for. The College Board offers four distinct AP Physics courses, and they differ in both content and mathematical rigor.

AP Physics 1 is the most popular, with roughly 174,000 test takers in 2025. It covers mechanics and fluids using algebra and trigonometry. The College Board recommends concurrent enrollment in Algebra 2. Despite the improved 2025 scores, AP Physics 1 has historically carried the lowest average exam scores of any AP exam.

AP Physics 2 follows Physics 1 and covers electricity and magnetism, optics, thermodynamics, and modern physics, also at the algebra-based level. Starting in 2025, it gained waves, sound, and the full circuits curriculum that previously lived in Physics 1.

AP Physics C: Mechanics covers mechanics at the calculus level. Students should be concurrently enrolled in calculus. It’s recognized by more universities than AP Physics 1 and carries among the highest average scores of any AP exam.

AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism is the calculus-based treatment of E&M, typically taken after or alongside C: Mechanics.

All four exams now share an identical structure as of 2025.

The 2025 Exam Format: Terms Every Student Must Know

The redesign standardized all four AP Physics exams into the same format. If you’re doing AP Physics practice with pre-2025 materials, you need to understand what changed.

MCQ (Multiple-Choice Questions)

Each exam now includes 40 multiple-choice questions in an 80-minute section, worth 50% of the total score. The old multiselect “pick two” questions are gone. Every question is now standard single-answer multiple choice.

As test prep practitioners at Applerouth noted, the removal of multiselect questions, combined with fewer questions and more time per question, is “a win all around for students.”

FRQ (Free-Response Questions)

Each exam includes 4 free-response questions in a 100-minute section, also worth 50%. The old format had more FRQs with less time. Now there are four standardized types that appear across all four AP Physics exams:

1. Mathematical Routines — Solve quantitative problems using equations and mathematical reasoning.
2. Translation Between Representations — Convert between graphs, diagrams, equations, and verbal descriptions.
3. Experimental Design and Analysis — Design an experiment, analyze data, or evaluate a lab procedure.
4. Qualitative/Quantitative Translation — Connect conceptual understanding to mathematical predictions.

Hybrid Digital Exam

The multiple-choice section is taken entirely on a computer through the College Board’s Bluebook testing app. The free-response section is still handwritten, though questions appear on the computer screen. This hybrid format is new territory for AP Physics practice, and students should familiarize themselves with Bluebook before test day.

Equation Sheet / Reference Table

Students receive a reference table with essential equations during the exam. Practicing with the equation sheet is critical. Too many students memorize formulas in isolation, then freeze when they see the same information arranged differently on the reference sheet. Use it during every practice session.

AP Score Scale (1–5)

Scores range from 1 to 5, with 3+ generally considered passing for college credit. The 2025 mean score of 3.12 for AP Physics 1 means the average test taker passed for the first time in the exam’s history.

If you’re a teacher looking to quickly generate practice quizzes that match the new question types, TeachTools’ quiz generator lets you create assessments by topic and difficulty in minutes.

AP Physics 1 Units and Key Terms

AP Physics 1 is where most students start, and it’s the exam most AP physics practice materials target. Here are the eight units with their exam weightings and the essential terms for each.

Unit 1: Kinematics (10–14% of Exam)

Kinematics describes motion without worrying about what causes it. This unit builds the vocabulary you’ll use throughout the entire course.

Displacement (Δx) — The change in position of an object. Unlike distance, displacement is a vector, meaning direction matters. An object that travels 10 meters east and 10 meters west has zero displacement.

Velocity — The rate of change of displacement. Average velocity equals displacement divided by time. Instantaneous velocity is the velocity at a specific moment. Both are vectors.

Acceleration — The rate of change of velocity. On Earth’s surface, objects in free fall accelerate at g ≈ 9.8 m/s² downward.

Kinematic Equations — The set of equations relating displacement, velocity, acceleration, and time for constant acceleration. These are on the equation sheet, but you need to know when each one applies.

Projectile Motion — Motion in two dimensions under the influence of gravity alone. Horizontal and vertical components are independent of each other.

Scalar vs. Vector — Scalars have magnitude only (speed, mass, energy). Vectors have magnitude and direction (velocity, force, momentum).

Reference Frame — The perspective from which motion is measured. Velocity is always relative to a reference frame.

Practice tip: Motion graphs (position-time, velocity-time) are a favorite MCQ topic. If you can read a graph and extract displacement, velocity, and acceleration from it, you’re well positioned for 2 to 3 questions on exam day.

Unit 2: Force and Translational Dynamics (18–23% of Exam)

This is the highest-weight unit on the exam, tied with Unit 3. Your AP Physics practice time should reflect that.

Force — A push or pull on an object, measured in Newtons (N). Forces are vectors.

Net Force / Resultant — The vector sum of all forces acting on an object. An object accelerates only when the net force is nonzero.

Free-Body Diagram (FBD) — A diagram showing all forces acting on a single object, drawn as arrows from the object’s center. FBDs are arguably the single most important skill in AP Physics 1. They appear in nearly every FRQ type.

Newton’s First Law (Law of Inertia) — An object at rest stays at rest, and an object in motion stays in motion at constant velocity, unless acted on by a net force.

Newton’s Second Law — Net force equals mass times acceleration (ΣF = ma). This is the workhorse equation of the entire course.

Newton’s Third Law — For every force, there’s an equal and opposite force on the other object. The forces act on different objects, which is the part students most commonly get wrong.

Normal Force — The contact force perpendicular to a surface. It’s not always equal to weight.

Friction — A force opposing relative motion or attempted motion between surfaces. Static friction prevents motion; kinetic friction acts during motion. Static friction has a maximum value (μₛN) but can be anywhere from zero to that maximum.

Centripetal Force/Acceleration — The net force directed toward the center of a circular path. It’s not a separate type of force. It’s the name for whatever combination of forces (gravity, tension, normal force) points inward.

Center of Mass — The point where an object’s mass is effectively concentrated. For a system of particles, the center of mass moves as though all external forces act on it there.

Practice tip: Units 2 and 3 together account for 36–46% of all multiple-choice questions. If you’re short on study time, these two units give you the most points per hour of practice.

Unit 3: Work, Energy, and Power (18–23% of Exam)

Energy methods often provide faster solutions than force methods. This unit teaches you when and how to use them.

Work (W = Fd cos θ) — The energy transferred to an object by a force acting over a displacement. Only the component of force along the displacement does work.

Kinetic Energy (KE = ½mv²) — The energy of motion. Doubling speed quadruples kinetic energy, which is why car crashes at higher speeds are so much more destructive.

Potential Energy — Stored energy due to position or configuration. Gravitational PE (mgh) depends on height relative to a reference point. Elastic PE (½kx²) is stored in a compressed or stretched spring.

Conservation of Energy — In an isolated system with only conservative forces, total mechanical energy stays constant. When non-conservative forces like friction are present, mechanical energy decreases (converted to thermal energy).

Work-Energy Theorem — The net work done on an object equals the change in its kinetic energy. This is a direct consequence of Newton’s Second Law.

Power — The rate at which work is done or energy is transferred. P = W/t or P = Fv.

Practice tip: Energy bar charts (LOL diagrams) are a key representation skill tested on the “translation between representations” FRQ. Practice drawing them for different scenarios.

Teachers building practice sets around energy concepts can use a worksheet generator to create problems at varying difficulty levels, from basic energy calculations to multi-step conservation problems.

Unit 4: Linear Momentum (10–14% of Exam)

Momentum (p = mv) — The product of mass and velocity. A vector quantity. A heavy object moving slowly can have the same momentum as a light object moving fast.

Impulse (J = FΔt) — The product of force and the time interval over which it acts. Impulse equals the change in momentum.

Impulse-Momentum Theorem — The net impulse on an object equals its change in momentum. This connects Unit 2 (forces) to Unit 4 (momentum).

Conservation of Momentum — In a system with no external net force, total momentum is constant. This holds for all collisions.

Elastic vs. Inelastic Collisions — In elastic collisions, kinetic energy is conserved. In perfectly inelastic collisions, objects stick together and maximum kinetic energy is lost. Momentum is conserved in both types.

Practice tip: Collision problems are a staple lab-based FRQ topic. Practicing with experimental data (real or simulated) builds the skills tested on the experimental design FRQ.

Unit 5: Torque and Rotational Dynamics (10–14% of Exam)

Torque (τ = rF sin θ) — The rotational equivalent of force. It depends on the force magnitude, the distance from the pivot, and the angle between them.

Rotational Inertia (Moment of Inertia) — The resistance of an object to angular acceleration. It depends on both mass and how that mass is distributed relative to the axis of rotation.

Angular Velocity (ω) — The rate of angular rotation, measured in radians per second.

Angular Acceleration (α) — The rate of change of angular velocity.

Rotational Equilibrium — When the net torque on an object is zero. The object either doesn’t rotate or rotates at constant angular velocity.

Newton’s Second Law (Rotational) — Net torque equals rotational inertia times angular acceleration (Στ = Iα). The direct analog of ΣF = ma.

Parallel Axis Theorem — New to AP Physics 1 in 2025. It relates the moment of inertia about any axis to the moment of inertia about the center of mass: I = I_cm + Md².

Practice tip: Connecting linear and rotational quantities is a tested skill. Build a comparison table: force ↔ torque, mass ↔ rotational inertia, velocity ↔ angular velocity, momentum ↔ angular momentum. Practice translating problems between the two frameworks.

Unit 6: Energy and Momentum of Rotating Systems (5–8% of Exam)

Rotational Kinetic Energy (½Iω²) — The kinetic energy of a rotating object. Rolling objects have both translational and rotational KE.

Angular Momentum (L = Iω) — The rotational analog of linear momentum.

Conservation of Angular Momentum — When no external net torque acts on a system, total angular momentum is constant. This explains why ice skaters spin faster when they pull their arms in.

Rolling Without Slipping — A condition where the contact point has zero velocity relative to the surface. The relationship v = rω connects translational and rotational motion.

Unit 7: Oscillations (4–6% of Exam)

Simple Harmonic Motion (SHM) — Periodic motion where the restoring force is proportional to displacement. Springs and small-angle pendulums are the two classic examples.

Period (T) — The time for one complete cycle.

Frequency (f = 1/T) — The number of cycles per second, measured in Hertz.

Amplitude — The maximum displacement from equilibrium. In ideal SHM, amplitude doesn’t affect period.

Restoring Force — The force that pulls an oscillating object back toward equilibrium. For a spring, F = -kx.

Spring Constant (k) — A measure of a spring’s stiffness. Higher k means stiffer spring and shorter period.

Simple Pendulum — A mass on a string that oscillates in SHM for small angles. Period depends on length and g, not on mass.

Practice tip: This unit carries the smallest exam weight (4–6%), but the questions tend to be straightforward. It’s an efficient place to pick up points with focused practice.

Unit 8: Fluids (12–14% of Exam) — NEW for 2025

This is the unit that makes older AP physics practice materials incomplete. Fluids was extracted from the old AP Physics 2 and added to AP Physics 1 starting in 2025. It carries significant weight, and many students are caught off guard by it because their prep books don’t cover it.

Density (ρ = m/V) — Mass per unit volume. The density of water (1000 kg/m³) is a reference point you should memorize.

Pressure (P = F/A) — Force per unit area, measured in Pascals (Pa). Pressure in a fluid increases with depth: P = P₀ + ρgh.

Pascal’s Principle — A change in pressure applied to an enclosed fluid is transmitted undiminished throughout the fluid. This is how hydraulic systems work.

Buoyant Force / Archimedes’ Principle — The upward force on an object in a fluid equals the weight of the fluid displaced. An object floats when the buoyant force equals its weight.

Bernoulli’s Equation — For an ideal fluid flowing steadily, the sum of pressure, kinetic energy per unit volume, and potential energy per unit volume is constant along a streamline: P + ½ρv² + ρgh = constant.

Continuity Equation (A₁v₁ = A₂v₂) — For an incompressible fluid in a pipe, the product of cross-sectional area and flow velocity is constant. When a pipe narrows, the fluid speeds up.

Ideal Fluid — A theoretical fluid that is incompressible, has no viscosity, and flows without turbulence. Bernoulli’s equation applies to ideal fluids.

Practice tip: Because this unit is brand new, there are almost no past FRQs that test fluids in the AP Physics 1 context. You’ll need to seek out fresh practice problems. One practicing AP Physics teacher noted on their resource blog that AP Classroom’s question bank draws from actual past exam questions, making it the gold standard for aligned practice, but for fluids specifically, you may need supplementary materials.

AP Physics 2 Key Terms

AP Physics 2 picks up where Physics 1 leaves off (and now includes some topics that used to be in Physics 1). Here are the essential terms unique to Physics 2.

Electric Field (E) — The force per unit positive charge at a point in space. Field lines point away from positive charges and toward negative charges.

Electric Potential (V) — The electric potential energy per unit charge. Measured in Volts.

Circuits — Now fully in AP Physics 2. Key terms include Ohm’s Law (V = IR), Kirchhoff’s Junction Rule (current in = current out), Kirchhoff’s Loop Rule (voltage gains = voltage drops around a loop), series and parallel resistor combinations, and capacitors.

Magnetic Field (B) — The field created by moving charges or current-carrying wires. The right-hand rule determines field direction.

Optics — Snell’s Law (refraction), diffraction, thin lens equation, mirrors.

Thermodynamics — Specific heat capacity, ideal gas law (PV = nRT), laws of thermodynamics, heat engines.

Modern Physics — Photoelectric effect, de Broglie wavelength, atomic energy levels, nuclear physics basics.

AP Physics C Key Terms

AP Physics C uses calculus, which means a few additional concepts and a different mathematical toolkit.

Derivative as Rate of Change — Velocity is the derivative of position with respect to time. Acceleration is the derivative of velocity. Force is the negative derivative of potential energy with respect to position.

Integral as Accumulation — Work is the integral of force over displacement. Impulse is the integral of force over time. These replace the simplified constant-force equations used in Physics 1.

C: Mechanics Additions

Resistive Forces (Drag) — Forces proportional to velocity or velocity squared. Requires solving differential equations.

Physical Pendulum — A pendulum where the mass is distributed (not concentrated at a point). Period depends on moment of inertia and distance to center of mass.

Damped Harmonic Motion — Oscillations that lose energy over time due to friction or drag.

C: Electricity and Magnetism Additions

Gauss’s Law — Relates the electric flux through a closed surface to the enclosed charge. Used to find electric fields with high symmetry.

Ampère’s Law — Relates the magnetic field around a closed loop to the current passing through the loop.

Faraday’s Law — A changing magnetic flux through a loop induces an electromotive force (EMF). The foundation of generators and transformers.

LC Circuits — Circuits with inductors and capacitors that oscillate. The electromagnetic analog of a mass-spring system.

How to Practice Effectively for AP Physics

Knowing the terms is necessary but not sufficient. Here’s how to structure your AP physics practice for maximum impact.

Prioritize Units 2 and 3. Together they account for up to 46% of the multiple-choice section. If you can consistently solve force and energy problems, you’ve covered nearly half the exam.

Don’t skip Fluids. Unit 8 is worth 12–14% of the exam, yet most pre-2025 practice books don’t cover it at all. This is the biggest content gap in existing study materials.

Practice all four FRQ types separately. The experimental design FRQ is nothing like the mathematical routines FRQ. Treat them as different skills. As physics educators at Arbor Scientific emphasize, teachers should perform approximately one lab per week because the exam includes an experimental design and analysis portion.

Use the equation sheet during practice. The exam provides it, so you should practice with it. Fumbling through an unfamiliar reference sheet on test day wastes precious minutes.

Know that older FRQs don’t match the current format. Applerouth’s test prep team points out that past free-response exams no longer represent the structure of the current test. Use them for content practice, but don’t treat them as format practice.

Use AP Classroom’s question bank. A practicing AP Physics teacher ranked it as their top resource, calling it “a true goldmine” because the questions draw from actual past exams. They also recommended Albert for its range of difficulties and APlusPhysics for its broad selection of worksheets.

Use simulations. PhET, oPhysics, and SimBucket are the most commonly recommended simulation platforms among AP Physics teachers. The same teacher noted that “labs and simulations are invaluable” because the course relies heavily on hands-on experience.

For teachers who want to build custom practice materials aligned to specific units and difficulty levels, TeachTools’ worksheet generator creates printable, PDF-ready problem sets in minutes. You select the topic, grade level, and difficulty, and the tool handles the formatting. For broader strategies on reaching students at different levels, the guide on creating differentiated worksheets for mixed-ability classes is worth reading.

Suggested Practice Schedule by Unit Priority

Priority	Unit	Exam Weight	Why
1	Force and Translational Dynamics	18–23%	Highest weight, foundational
2	Work, Energy, and Power	18–23%	Highest weight, builds on Unit 2
3	Fluids	12–14%	New unit, least available practice materials
4	Kinematics	10–14%	Foundation for everything else
5	Linear Momentum	10–14%	Collision problems are FRQ favorites
6	Torque and Rotational Dynamics	10–14%	Conceptually challenging
7	Rotating Systems	5–8%	Extension of Unit 5
8	Oscillations	4–6%	Lowest weight but easy points

If you’re looking for broader strategies to help your students succeed across subjects, the guide on proven strategies to improve student achievement covers research-backed approaches that apply well to AP courses.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the best way to start AP Physics practice?

Start with Units 2 and 3 (Forces and Energy), which together make up 36–46% of the AP Physics 1 exam. Master free-body diagrams and energy conservation before moving to smaller units. Use the official equation sheet from day one so you’re comfortable with it by exam day.

How did the 2025 AP Physics exam change?

All four AP Physics exams now share the same structure: 40 multiple-choice questions (80 minutes) and 4 free-response questions (100 minutes). The multiselect MCQs are gone. FRQs follow four standardized types. AP Physics 1 gained a Fluids unit, and AP Physics 2 gained waves and circuits. The multiple-choice section is taken digitally through Bluebook, while FRQs are handwritten.

Are old AP Physics practice tests still useful?

Partly. The physics content in older problems is still valid for building understanding, but the format has changed significantly. Old FRQs don’t match the four standardized types, and older AP Physics 1 materials won’t include Fluids. Use old materials for content review, but supplement with format-aligned practice.

What’s the difference between AP Physics 1 and AP Physics C: Mechanics?

Both cover mechanics, but AP Physics C uses calculus while AP Physics 1 uses algebra and trigonometry. AP Physics C: Mechanics is recognized by more universities and has much higher pass rates. AP Physics 1 includes Fluids (as of 2025), which C: Mechanics does not. Students taking AP Physics C should be in concurrent calculus.

How much time should I spend on AP Physics practice each week?

Most successful students report 3 to 5 hours per week of practice outside class, with more intensive sessions in the weeks before the exam. Quality matters more than quantity. Solving 10 problems with full worked solutions teaches more than rushing through 30 without reflection.

Is the Fluids unit on AP Physics 1 hard?

Fluids is conceptually straightforward compared to rotational dynamics, but it’s unfamiliar to many students because it’s new to the course. The main challenge is that fewer practice materials exist for it. Focus on pressure-depth relationships, buoyancy, and Bernoulli’s equation, and you’ll be well prepared for the 12–14% of the exam it covers.

What resources do AP Physics teachers recommend most?

Practitioners consistently recommend AP Classroom (College Board’s official question bank), Albert (for varied difficulty levels), APlusPhysics (free worksheets), and PhET simulations for lab-based understanding. For creating custom practice materials, teachers can use AI-powered tools to generate worksheets and quizzes aligned to specific units without starting from scratch.

Should I take AP Physics 1 or AP Physics C?

If you’re in or beyond calculus and want the strongest college credit, take AP Physics C: Mechanics. If you’re in Algebra 2 or want a broader introduction before committing to the calculus track, start with AP Physics 1. Some students take both, using Physics 1 as a foundation year before tackling Physics C.