AP Physics 1 case studies
AP Physics 1 · Put your knowledge to work in context.
AP Physics 1: Algebra-Based is a College Board course and exam equivalent to a first-semester introductory college physics course taken without calculus. It is designed for students who have completed a geometry course and are concurrently enrolled in Algebra II or an equivalent course. The course builds understanding of mechanics through hands-on laboratory work and asks students to create representations of physical phenomena, derive and estimate quantities, analyze data, and support claims with evidence. Content spans kinematics, force and translational dynamics, work, energy and power, linear momentum, torque and rotational dynamics, energy and momentum of rotating systems, oscillations, and fluids. The AP Physics 1 case studies are 5 cases and about 2,098 words.
1The Delivery Drone's Two-Stage Descent
A package-delivery drone descends vertically from rest at height 45 m. For the first 3.0 s its rotors produce a constant downward acceleration of 2.0 m/s².
440 words, about 2 min2Two Blocks, One Rope, a Slipping Table
Block A (mass 4.0 kg) sits on a rough horizontal table (μ k = 0.25). A light string runs over a frictionless pulley at the table edge and attaches to hanging Block B (mass 2.0 kg).
419 words, about 2 min3The Roller Coaster Loop and the Missing Energy
A 500 kg cart is released from rest at the top of a 20 m hill on a frictionless track. It descends and enters a circular loop of radius 8.0 m.
437 words, about 2 min4The Skater's Spin: Pulling In and Slowing Down
A figure skater (modeled as a point mass plus arms) spins with arms extended at 1.5 rev/s. Her moment of inertia with arms out is 4.0 kg·m².
382 words, about 2 min5The Floating Block and the Leaking Tank
A wooden cube (side 0.10 m, density 600 kg/m³) floats in a large tank of water (density 1000 kg/m³). A small hole is opened 0.50 m below the water surface on the side of the tank, and water streams out horizontally.
420 words, about 2 min