College Board-Aligned
AP Physics C: Mechanics
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
7
official units
24
linked topics/skills
Alignment Sources
Units & Topics
Unit 1: Kinematics
On the AP exam: 10%-15% of multiple-choice score.
- Unit 1 Topic 1: Kinematics in one dimension Original Notes
- Unit 1 Topic 2: Kinematics in two dimensions Original Notes
Unit 2: Force and Translational Dynamics
On the AP exam: 20%-25% of multiple-choice score.
- Unit 2 Topic 1: Center of mass Original Notes
- Unit 2 Topic 2: Systems Original Notes
- Unit 2 Topic 3: Newton's laws of motion: first and second law Original Notes
- Unit 2 Topic 4: Circular motion Original Notes
- Unit 2 Topic 5: Newton's laws of motion: third law Original Notes
- Unit 2 Topic 6: Gravitation Original Notes
Unit 3: Work, Energy, and Power
On the AP exam: 15%-25% of multiple-choice score.
- Unit 3 Topic 1: Work-energy theorem Original Notes
- Unit 3 Topic 2: Forces and potential energy Original Notes
- Unit 3 Topic 3: Conservation of energy Original Notes
- Unit 3 Topic 4: Power Original Notes
Unit 4: Linear Momentum
On the AP exam: 10%-20% of multiple-choice score.
- Unit 4 Topic 1: Impulse and momentum Original Notes
- Unit 4 Topic 2: Conservation of linear momentum, collisions Original Notes
Unit 5: Torque and Rotational Dynamics
On the AP exam: 10%-15% of multiple-choice score.
- Unit 5 Topic 1: Torque and rotational statics Original Notes
- Unit 5 Topic 2: Rotational kinematics Original Notes
- Unit 5 Topic 3: Rotational dynamics and energy and Newton's second law in rotational form Original Notes
Unit 6: Energy and Momentum of Rotating Systems
On the AP exam: 10%-15% of multiple-choice score.
- Unit 6 Topic 1: Rotational kinetic energy Original Notes
- Unit 6 Topic 2: Angular momentum Original Notes
- Unit 6 Topic 3: Rolling Original Notes
- Unit 6 Topic 4: Orbits Original Notes
Unit 7: Oscillations
On the AP exam: 10%-15% of multiple-choice score.
- Unit 7 Topic 1: Periodic motion Original Notes
- Unit 7 Topic 2: Pendulums Original Notes
- Unit 7 Topic 3: Physical pendulums Original Notes
Notes
Original EduCompanion Notes
These local notes follow the current College Board AP Physics C: Mechanics unit/topic list.
Unit 1: Kinematics
Unit 2: Force and Translational Dynamics
Unit 2 Topic 1: Center of mass
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 2 Topic 2: Systems
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 2 Topic 3: Newton's laws of motion: first and second law
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 2 Topic 4: Circular motion
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 2 Topic 5: Newton's laws of motion: third law
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 2 Topic 6: Gravitation
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 3: Work, Energy, and Power
Unit 3 Topic 1: Work-energy theorem
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 3 Topic 2: Forces and potential energy
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 3 Topic 3: Conservation of energy
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 3 Topic 4: Power
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 4: Linear Momentum
Unit 5: Torque and Rotational Dynamics
Unit 6: Energy and Momentum of Rotating Systems
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
2 topics to review, 10%-15% of multiple-choice score
Unit 2: Force and Translational Dynamics
6 topics to review, 20%-25% of multiple-choice score
Unit 3: Work, Energy, and Power
4 topics to review, 15%-25% of multiple-choice score
Unit 4: Linear Momentum
2 topics to review, 10%-20% of multiple-choice score
Unit 5: Torque and Rotational Dynamics
3 topics to review, 10%-15% of multiple-choice score
Unit 6: Energy and Momentum of Rotating Systems
4 topics to review, 10%-15% of multiple-choice score
Unit 7: Oscillations
3 topics to review, 10%-15% of multiple-choice score