AP Physics

There are four physics courses administered by the College Board as part of its Advanced Placement program, namely the algebra-based Physics 1 and Physics 2 and the calculus-based Physics C: Mechanics and Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism. These are intended to be equivalent to university courses and to use the best practices of physics teaching pedagogy.

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For the calculus-based mechanics course, see AP Physics C: Mechanics.
For the calculus-based electromagnetism course, see AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism.

Each AP Physics course has an exam for which high-performing students may receive some credit towards their college coursework, depending on which college or university they attend.[1]

AP Physics 1 and 2

AP Physics 1 and AP Physics 2 were introduced for the 2015 exam administration.[2] The courses were designed to emphasize critical thinking and reasoning as well as learning through inquiry.[3] They remain as algebra-based courses that do not require students to have taken calculus.[4]

AP Physics 1 covers the same Newtonian mechanics as AP Physics B plus rotational mechanics. The course used to cover introductory electricity (Coulomb's Law and simple DC circuits), as well as mechanical waves and sound. These units were removed during the 2020 - 2021 school year.[4]

AP Physics 2 covers the remaining subjects from AP Physics B: thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, optics, electricity and magnetism, and modern physics.[4]

AP Physics C

From 1969 to 1972, the AP Physics C course covered all of physics, including fluids, optics, and modern physics as well as mechanics and electricity and magnetism.[5] The College Board split AP Physics C into two different 90 minute tests in 1973, each equivalent to a semester-length calculus-based college course for majors in physical science or engineering:[6][7] Until 2006, both exams were available for a single fee; in 2006, this was changed to the exams having separate fees.

The two AP Physics C courses can be combined to make a unified Physics C course that prepares for both exams.

AP Physics B (discontinued)

In 1969, the single AP Physics Exam was replaced by two separate exams, AP Physics B and AP Physics C.[8] AP Physics B was supposed to be equivalent to an introductory algebra-based college course in physics, with a laboratory component.[9] The course was non-calculus-based, utilizing algebra and basic trigonometry to solve various physics problems.[10] AP Physics B was divided into five different sections: Newtonian mechanics, fluid mechanics and thermal physics, electricity and magnetism, waves and optics, and atomic and nuclear physics.[10]

AP Physics B was replaced in 2014 by AP Physics 1 and 2.

AP Physics A (abandoned)

Designed concurrently with AP Physics B and AP Physics C, AP Physics A was supposed to be a conceptual-only version of AP Physics B (see below). This course would have employed little to no mathematics. AP Physics A never proceeded past the development stage, as colleges would not offer credit for physics without mathematics.[10][11][12]

References
  1. "Credit & Placement". AP Students. The College Board. 2017. Retrieved January 30, 2017.
  2. "AP Physics 1 and 2, 2014–15". AP: Advances in AP. The College Board. Archived from the original on October 18, 2014.
  3. "AP Physics 1 Course Home Page". AP Central. The College Board. Archived from the original on October 15, 2014.
  4. AP® PHYSICS 1: ALGEBRA-BASED AND AP® PHYSICS 2: ALGEBRA-BASED – Course and Exam Description – Effective Fall 2014 (PDF), New York, NY: The College Board, 2014
  5. Private collection of AP Physics exams 1956-1973. https://www.icloud.com/iclouddrive/0aaklyARPE3ips_Vw5DyoXwwQ#AP_Physics_1956-1973
  6. AP® PHYSICS C: MECHANICS (PDF), College Board, December 2016, retrieved January 30, 2017
  7. AP® PHYSICS C: ELECTRICITY & MAGNETISM (PDF), College Board, December 2016, retrieved January 30, 2017
  8. Private AP Physics Exams collection 1956-1973(https://www.icloud.com/iclouddrive/0aaklyARPE3ips_Vw5DyoXwwQ#AP_Physics_1956-1973)
  9. "AP Physics B". AP Central. College Board. 2011. Archived from the original on 2 July 2011. Retrieved July 24, 2011.
  10. Physics Course Description (PDF), The College Board, May 2009, archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-06-01
  11. Perlmutter, Carolyn (October 9, 2014). "AP Physics curriculum changes provide more time for conceptual understanding". J.J. Pearce High School Pony Express. Archived from the original on 2016-05-31. Retrieved September 19, 2021.
  12. Pinizzotto, J (June 18, 2018). Twitter https://twitter.com/MisterNeutrino/status/1008735004086677504. Archived from the original on 2021-09-20. Retrieved September 19, 2021. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
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