Your Guide to the AP Physics C Course and Exam
In this blog post, we’ll explore what AP Physics C entails, the skills you’ll develop, and how you can ace the upcoming exams.
AP Physics C: Mechanics
| Unit | Topics Covered | On The Exam |
|---|---|---|
| Unit 1: Kinematics | – Kinematics in one dimension and in two dimensions | 14% – 20% of exam score |
| Unit 2: Newton’s Laws of Motion | – Newton’s first, second, and third laws of motion – Circular motion | 17% – 23% of exam score |
| Unit 3: Work, Energy, and Power | – Work–energy theorem – Forces and potential energy – Conservation of energy – Power | 14% – 17% of exam score |
| Unit 4: Systems of Particles and Linear Momentum | – Center of mass – Impulse and momentum – Conservation of linear momentum, collisions | 14% – 17% of exam score |
| Unit 5: Rotation | – Torque and rotational statics – Rotational kinematics – Rotational dynamics and energy – Angular momentum and its conservation | 14% – 20% of exam score |
| Unit 6: Oscillations | – Simple harmonic motion, springs, and pendulums | 6% – 14% of exam score |
| Unit 7: Gravitation | – Gravitational forces – Orbits of planets and satellites | 6% – 14% of exam score |
AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism
| Unit | Topics Covered | On The Exam |
|---|---|---|
| Unit 1: Electrostatics | – Coulomb’s Law – Electric field and electric potential – Electric potential due to point charges and uniform fields – Gauss’s Law – Fields and potentials of other charge distributions | 26% – 34% of exam score |
| Unit 2: Conductors, Capacitors, Dielectrics | – Electrostatics with conductors – Capacitors – Dielectrics | 14% – 17% of exam score |
| Unit 3: Electric Circuits | – Current, resistance, and power – Steady-state direct-current circuits with batteries and resistors only – Gauss’s Law | 17% – 23% of exam score |
| Unit 4: Magnetic Fields | – Forces on moving charges in magnetic fields – Forces on current carrying wires in magnetic fields – Fields of long current carrying wires – The Biot-Savart Law and Ampère’s Law | 17% – 23% of exam score |
| Unit 5: Electromagnetism | – Electromagnetic induction (including Faraday’s Law) | 14% – 17% of exam score |
Exam Structure
Both AP Physics C Exams are scored on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest score possible. The scoring breakdown is as follows:
Once all raw scores are calculated, they are converted into scores on a scale of 1 to 5. Converting the scores takes the difficulty of each exam into account and allows for fair comparison of scores across different years.
The AP Physics C: Mechanics Exam takes place on Tuesday, May 14, 2024 at 12 p.m. local time. It lasts 90 minutes total and consists of two sections.
The AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism Exam takes place on Tuesday, May 14, 2024 at 2 p.m. local time. Like the Mechanics exam, it lasts 90 minutes total and consists of two sections.
Conclusion
AP Physics C is equivalent to a semester-long, introductory calculus-based physics course in college. Be sure to save your lab notebooks and reports Colleges may ask to see them before giving you credit.
What if you want to take AP Physics C, but your school doesn’t offer it? No problem. You can learn everything you need to ace your AP Physics C exam with Crimson’s online AP Physics C course.
The College Board tells you exactly what you’ll need to know for the AP Physics C exam. For detailed information on this course and exam, including a breakdown of each unit and sample exam questions, download the College Board’s free AP Physics C Course and Exam Description.
Two exams are offered for AP Physics C. You can take one or both of these exams.
