The Complete Course for the AP Physics 1 Exam

Explore kinematics through a frictionless ski-slope problem, linking kinetic energy to potential energy as a skier of 100 kg must reach a 10 m height.

Apply energy conservation on a frictionless slope to find the minimum speed, where 1/2 m v^2 = m g h with h = 10 m.

Apply conservation of energy on a frictionless slope, equate bottom kinetic energy to top potential energy, cancel mass, and solve v^2 = 2 g h for h = 10 m.

Mass cancels in the minimum speed equation for reaching the hill's top, so reducing mass doesn't change the minimum speed, though it lowers the potential energy increase and kinetic energy.

Apply the work-energy balance to a kinematics problem that adds a five-meter friction patch with a coefficient of friction 0.2 to determine the minimum speed required to reach the top.

Rearrange the equation algebraically, cancel the proportional terms, and solve for the final velocity using g, height, distance, and the friction coefficient; conclude with about 14.7 m/s.

Apply kinematics, algebra, and formulas to problems, building a mental picture to judge plausibility and using friction insights to catch mistakes.

examine how a pendulum drives a clock through simple harmonic motion, showing how energy loss during each swing alters the oscillation period while emphasizing conceptual understanding for exam prep.

Explore simple harmonic motion in vertical springs and pendulums, derive the period formulas, and show that the period does not depend on energy, useful for clocks.

Explore how a pendulum in simple harmonic motion exchanges kinetic and gravitational potential energy, fastest at the center as potential energy is greatest at the ends.

Set a pendulum's period to one second by adjusting its length. Use the simple harmonic motion equation with g = 9.8 m/s² to find L, about 0.25 m.

Explore the essentials of simple harmonic motion, using two core equations and the energy exchange between kinetic and potential forms, plus when pendulums or springs show true simple harmonic motion.

Explore circular motion and gravitation with proper force diagrams, recognizing gravity as the real force and avoiding fictitious forces, as a planet stays in a circular orbit.

Derive the planet’s orbital radius in a circular orbit by balancing gravity and centrifugal force, using v = 2πR/T, and relate it to the Goldilocks zone for liquid water.

Explore how circular motion and gravitation govern exoplanet orbits, showing radius and velocity in a circular orbit are independent of planet mass.

Explore dc circuits with a parallel two-bulb setup powered by a constant-voltage battery; learn the basic rules, conservation of energy, and how current varies with total resistance.

Apply Kirchhoff's laws to circuits by enforcing current conservation at junctions and zero net loop voltage, linking charge conservation to energy transfer from sources like batteries.

Explain parallel circuits: same voltage across branches and current divides; series circuits: same current, different voltage drops; identical bulbs are equally bright in parallel.

swap the second bulb for a higher resistance in a parallel circuit; the current favors the lower-resistance path, so P2 decreases while P1 increases.

doubling the resistance of bulb two in a parallel dc circuit halves its power output relative to bulb one, making bulb two dimmer while both share the source.

Explore rotational motion with a constant-torque motor driving a spinning disk to study gyroscopic energy storage, derive how rotational kinetic energy evolves over time under a constant torque.

Explore torque from forces applied at a distance from a pivot, where only the perpendicular component matters, and see how lever arms magnify force and relate work to rotation.

Explore how torque and the moment of inertia govern rotational motion, with angular velocity and angular acceleration following linear-motion-like equations, and kinetic energy given by one half I omega squared.

Apply constant torque to produce angular acceleration alpha = tau / I, yielding omega = alpha t from stationary, and relate angular velocity to kinetic energy with K = omega^2/2.

Substitute ω = τ t / I into K = 1/2 I ω^2 to show energy scales with t^2, comparing rotational and linear motion via torque and moment of inertia.

Compute the edge speed of a spinning disk by linking angular velocity to linear velocity with v = ω r, using the given radius and moment of inertia.

Calculate angular acceleration from torque and moment of inertia, spin from rest for 3 seconds to 60 rad/s, then rim speed becomes 6 m/s at 0.1 m radius.

Compute the maximum rotational kinetic energy of a disc using ke = 1/2 I ω^2, illustrating gyroscopic energy storage and rapid energy release through a dynamo in a magnetic field.

Explore how to store more energy in a rotating disc by increasing mass, size, or angular velocity, using KE = 1/2 I ω^2, with low-friction bearings and fast dynamos.

Explore how mechanical waves arise from simple harmonic motion, and observe traveling and standing wave patterns on a string fixed at both ends, using a transverse displacement setup.

Explore how wave motion links simple harmonic motion to traveling and standing waves, identifying nodes and anti-nodes, their stresses, and how fixed ends enforce standing waves.

Record a vibrating string with a camera to capture frames, then combine them into a composite image to extract wavelength and amplitude from centimeter-scale axes.

Identify amplitude and wavelength in a standing wave on a string, using nodes and anti-nodes; single tone excitation clarifies patterns, with amplitude about 0.4 cm and wavelength about 2.7 cm.

Examine mechanical wave motion and simple harmonic motion through a standing wave on a string, highlighting energy exchange between kinetic and elastic potential energy and nodes and anti-nodes.

Explore how conservation of momentum and energy governs proton–nucleus scattering. Measure backscattered proton energy to reveal nuclear mass, illustrating physics ideas over formulas.

Review background knowledge on electrostatics: electrons, protons, and charges; learn Coulomb's law F = k Q1 Q2 / r^2; see how opposites attract and likes repel.

Investigate how momentum and energy conserve in collisions, showing how a proton transfers kinetic energy to a nucleus; heavier nuclei recoil slower, leaving more proton energy.

Explore how proton energy after bouncing off a nucleus determines the nucleus mass via energy and momentum conservation, enabling backward calculation and experimental design in collision dynamics.

Convert proton energy to velocity and apply conservation of energy and momentum to derive a nucleus mass as a function of proton mass and detected velocity, using algebra.

Learn how conservation of momentum and energy provide a solvable two-equation framework for proton-nucleus collisions, using substitution and kinetic energy to derive the nucleus velocity.

The lecture explains how heavier nuclei reduce measurable energy loss in collisions and proposes using heavier projectiles like helium ions to boost energy transfer, improving detectability.

Apply dynamics and collisions concepts to unfamiliar scenarios, showing that core principles and equations persist, while planning experiments, interpreting data, and understanding the lab component for the AP Physics 1 exam.