AP Physics 1 Notes (2025 Update)
Physics
My AP Physics 1 notes from the 2024-2025 school year. Based on the updated CED. Got a 5 on the exam but also did a ton of practice problems on AP Classroom which is more important imo. Contact me @blue5gd on Discord if you have questions.
Sample Data
| Front | #02 (3.2)What is work? In terms of energy? Negative work?Equations for work? Angular and non angular? Gravitational work?What graph is work the area under a curve of? |
| Back | Work is energy transferred into or out of a system by a force exerted on it over distance. Negative work would just be whatever is counteracting something or trying to slow it down while something is doing work on it.Sum of all parallel works = Δmechanical energyW = F||d = Fdcos(θ) Don't get confused with gravitational. It's just mgh, and account for direction.Important: only the parallel force to displacement is involved when calculating work.F|| as function of displacement. |
| Front | #01 (1.1 and 1.2)Define these basic termsScalar + 4 examplesVector + 4 examplesmagnitudeWhat is a resultant? How to add vectors?Define position. How to read particle models?pay attention to the word constant. very important |
| Back | Scalar: magnitude, no direction. (Speed mass time temperature)Vector: magnitude and direction. Notated with arrows, added differently. Length indicates magnitude (Displacement, Velocity, Acceleration, Force)Magnitude: (absolute value), size or quantityResultant is sum of vectors. Just subtract and larger one keeps direction. Usually negative velocity will mean left, and positive means right, but dependsPosition: where object is located, (x, y) coordinate
 Space indicates faster speed, increasing means acceleration and vice versa. Sometimes dotted lines used for opposing force |
| Front | #01 (4.1)linear momentum equation?How to find direction of momentum?What defines a collision?what defines an explosion? |
| Back | p = mvit's the same direction as velocity. Its how hard something is to stopCollision: forces between colliding objects are stronger than any outside forces acting on them (things come together with big force)(example: balls colliding is much greater than friction or air resistance)Explosion: opposite of collision. When internal forces causes something to move apart, like a balloon exploding.Δp = pfinal - pinitial you don't care about anything in between. Account for mass, velocity, etc. negative Δp means opposite direction. BTW Kg * meters = Newtons |