College Board-Aligned
AP Physics 1: Algebra-Based
This page follows the current official College Board course outline. Each unit/topic links to original local notes built for studying, practice, and review.
Course Snapshot
8
official units
43
linked topics/skills
Alignment Sources
Units & Topics
Unit 1: Kinematics
On the AP exam: 10%-15% of multiple-choice exam score.
- Unit 1 Topic 1: Scalars and vectors in one dimension Original Notes
- Unit 1 Topic 2: Displacement, velocity, and acceleration Original Notes
- Unit 1 Topic 3: Representing motion Original Notes
- Unit 1 Topic 4: Reference frames and relative motion Original Notes
- Unit 1 Topic 5: Vectors and motion in two dimensions Original Notes
Unit 2: Force and Translational Dynamics
On the AP exam: 18%-23% of multiple-choice exam score.
- Unit 2 Topic 1: Systems and center of mass Original Notes
- Unit 2 Topic 2: Forces and free-body diagrams Original Notes
- Unit 2 Topic 3: Newton’s Third Law Original Notes
- Unit 2 Topic 4: Newton’s First Law Original Notes
- Unit 2 Topic 5: Newton’s Second Law Original Notes
- Unit 2 Topic 6: Gravitational force Original Notes
- Unit 2 Topic 7: Kinetic and static friction Original Notes
- Unit 2 Topic 8: Spring forces Original Notes
- Unit 2 Topic 9: Circular motion Original Notes
Unit 3: Work, Energy, and Power
On the AP exam: 18%-23% of multiple-choice exam score.
- Unit 3 Topic 1: Translational kinetic energy Original Notes
- Unit 3 Topic 2: Work Original Notes
- Unit 3 Topic 3: Potential energy Original Notes
- Unit 3 Topic 4: Conservation of energy Original Notes
- Unit 3 Topic 5: Power Original Notes
Unit 4: Linear Momentum
On the AP exam: 10%-15% of multiple-choice exam score.
- Unit 4 Topic 1: Linear momentum Original Notes
- Unit 4 Topic 2: Change in momentum and impulse Original Notes
- Unit 4 Topic 3: Conservation of linear momentum Original Notes
- Unit 4 Topic 4: Elastic and inelastic collisions Original Notes
Unit 5: Torque and Rotational Dynamics
On the AP exam: 10%-15% of multiple-choice exam score.
- Unit 5 Topic 1: Rotational kinematics Original Notes
- Unit 5 Topic 2: Connecting linear and rotational motion Original Notes
- Unit 5 Topic 3: Torque Original Notes
- Unit 5 Topic 4: Rotational inertia Original Notes
- Unit 5 Topic 5: Rotational equilibrium and Newton’s First Law in rotational form Original Notes
- Unit 5 Topic 6: Newton’s Second Law in rotational form Original Notes
Unit 6: Energy and Momentum of Rotating Systems
On the AP exam: 5%-8% of multiple-choice exam score.
- Unit 6 Topic 1: Rotational kinetic energy Original Notes
- Unit 6 Topic 2: Torque and work Original Notes
- Unit 6 Topic 3: Angular momentum and angular impulse Original Notes
- Unit 6 Topic 4: Conservation of angular momentum Original Notes
- Unit 6 Topic 5: Rolling Original Notes
- Unit 6 Topic 6: Motion of orbiting satellites Original Notes
Unit 7: Oscillations
On the AP exam: 5%-8% of multiple-choice exam score.
- Unit 7 Topic 1: Defining simple harmonic motion (SHM) Original Notes
- Unit 7 Topic 2: Frequency and period of SHM Original Notes
- Unit 7 Topic 3: Representing and analyzing SHM Original Notes
- Unit 7 Topic 4: Energy of simple harmonic oscillators Original Notes
Unit 8: Fluids
On the AP exam: 10%-15% of multiple-choice exam score.
- Unit 8 Topic 1: Internal structure and density Original Notes
- Unit 8 Topic 2: Pressure Original Notes
- Unit 8 Topic 3: Fluids and Newton’s laws Original Notes
- Unit 8 Topic 4: Fluids and conservation laws Original Notes
Notes
Original EduCompanion Notes
These local notes follow the current College Board AP Physics 1: Algebra-Based unit/topic list.
Unit 1: Kinematics
Unit 1 Topic 1: Scalars and vectors in one dimension
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 1 Topic 2: Displacement, velocity, and acceleration
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 1 Topic 3: Representing motion
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 1 Topic 4: Reference frames and relative motion
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 1 Topic 5: Vectors and motion in two dimensions
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 2: Force and Translational Dynamics
Unit 2 Topic 1: Systems and center of mass
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 2 Topic 2: Forces and free-body diagrams
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 2 Topic 3: Newton’s Third Law
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 2 Topic 4: Newton’s First Law
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 2 Topic 5: Newton’s Second Law
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 2 Topic 6: Gravitational force
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 2 Topic 7: Kinetic and static friction
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 2 Topic 8: Spring forces
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 2 Topic 9: Circular motion
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 3: Work, Energy, and Power
Unit 3 Topic 1: Translational kinetic energy
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 3 Topic 2: Work
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 3 Topic 3: Potential energy
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 3 Topic 4: Conservation of energy
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 3 Topic 5: Power
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 4: Linear Momentum
Unit 4 Topic 1: Linear momentum
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 4 Topic 2: Change in momentum and impulse
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 4 Topic 3: Conservation of linear momentum
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 4 Topic 4: Elastic and inelastic collisions
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 5: Torque and Rotational Dynamics
Unit 5 Topic 1: Rotational kinematics
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 5 Topic 2: Connecting linear and rotational motion
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 5 Topic 3: Torque
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 5 Topic 4: Rotational inertia
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 5 Topic 5: Rotational equilibrium and Newton’s First Law in rotational form
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 5 Topic 6: Newton’s Second Law in rotational form
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 6: Energy and Momentum of Rotating Systems
Unit 6 Topic 1: Rotational kinetic energy
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 6 Topic 2: Torque and work
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 6 Topic 3: Angular momentum and angular impulse
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 6 Topic 4: Conservation of angular momentum
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 6 Topic 5: Rolling
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 6 Topic 6: Motion of orbiting satellites
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 7: Oscillations
Unit 7 Topic 1: Defining simple harmonic motion (SHM)
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 7 Topic 2: Frequency and period of SHM
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 7 Topic 3: Representing and analyzing SHM
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 7 Topic 4: Energy of simple harmonic oscillators
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 8: Fluids
Unit 8 Topic 1: Internal structure and density
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 8 Topic 2: Pressure
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 8 Topic 3: Fluids and Newton’s laws
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 8 Topic 4: Fluids and conservation laws
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Shared Google Drive Notes
No shared Google Drive notes are currently mapped for this course. Local original notes are still available above.
Practice Questions
Each note page includes a quick practice prompt. Use these unit practice cards to review the same way AP questions ask you to apply ideas, evidence, and reasoning.
Unit 1 Practice
Use the linked notes for Kinematics to answer AP-style prompts, then check your explanation against the official topic list.
- Define the most important concept from this unit.
- Apply it to a scenario, graph, source, passage, or data table.
- Explain the reasoning that connects evidence to the answer.
Unit 2 Practice
Use the linked notes for Force and Translational Dynamics to answer AP-style prompts, then check your explanation against the official topic list.
- Define the most important concept from this unit.
- Apply it to a scenario, graph, source, passage, or data table.
- Explain the reasoning that connects evidence to the answer.
Unit 3 Practice
Use the linked notes for Work, Energy, and Power to answer AP-style prompts, then check your explanation against the official topic list.
- Define the most important concept from this unit.
- Apply it to a scenario, graph, source, passage, or data table.
- Explain the reasoning that connects evidence to the answer.
Unit 4 Practice
Use the linked notes for Linear Momentum to answer AP-style prompts, then check your explanation against the official topic list.
- Define the most important concept from this unit.
- Apply it to a scenario, graph, source, passage, or data table.
- Explain the reasoning that connects evidence to the answer.
Study Guides
Use this as a unit review index. Open each unit, work through the topic notes, then return here to move to the next unit.
Unit 1: Kinematics
5 topics to review, 10%-15% of multiple-choice exam score
Unit 2: Force and Translational Dynamics
9 topics to review, 18%-23% of multiple-choice exam score
Unit 3: Work, Energy, and Power
5 topics to review, 18%-23% of multiple-choice exam score
Unit 4: Linear Momentum
4 topics to review, 10%-15% of multiple-choice exam score
Unit 5: Torque and Rotational Dynamics
6 topics to review, 10%-15% of multiple-choice exam score
Unit 6: Energy and Momentum of Rotating Systems
6 topics to review, 5%-8% of multiple-choice exam score
Unit 7: Oscillations
4 topics to review, 5%-8% of multiple-choice exam score
Unit 8: Fluids
4 topics to review, 10%-15% of multiple-choice exam score