3 Best AP Physics C Review Books (2024 Top Choices)

The College Board AP Physics C exam has 2 sections - Multiple choice questions section and free-response section.

• Section 1: The multiple choice question section has 35 questions and lasts for 45 minutes.
• Section 2: In the free-response section, a total of 3 questions are given and it lasts for 45 minutes. In both sections, you can score 50% each in your AP exam.

Note: You need graphics calculator in this AP Physics exam.

1. Visual Representations

For this skill, test-makers will expect you to understand and analyze physical representations of mechanics without using graphs or charts. You should be able to describe the relationship between different representations of the same physical situation. Students need to be able to demonstrate the consistency between different representations of the same mechanical situation. You must understand how modifying conditions will affect the representation.

2. Question and Method

This section tests your knowledge of scientific questioning and methods. You should know how to make a claim based on the results of an experiment. You should understand how to properly set up a lab experiment, which might include a sketch of an experimental design. On the test, you should understand how to make observations and collect data from a lab set up. You must know how to identify potential experimental design errors and how they could change the results of an experiment.

3. Representing Data and Phenomena

This skill will test your ability to make and interpret visual representations of mechanical phenomena. You need to understand how to choose appropriate data and plot it accordingly. You must understand how to represent physical situations using graphs, charts, and diagrams.

4. Data Analysis

One important skill you should know is how to interpret and analyze data represented in graphs. You need to know how to identify patterns and consistencies based on visual representations. Students should know how to linearize data or determine the best fit curve to describe the data. It will test your ability to explain how data represents a physics principle.

5. Theoretical Relationships

A big part of the exam will be understanding theoretical physical relationships. Students need to be able to select the appropriate law, mathematical relationship, or equation to describe a physical phenomenon. You should have a thorough understanding of mechanical and physical equations and be able to determine the relationship between variables in those equations. You have to identify the change and how it will affect the relationship between two variables. You must know how to derive symbolic expressions following logical algebraic pathways.

6. Mathematical Routines

The AP Physics C exam relies heavily on mathematics and theoretical expressions. You should understand how to extract mathematical quantities from narratives or visual representations. You should constantly be thinking about which law or physical definition you can use to solve a problem in a given situation. It is important for the AP Physics C exam that you understand how to derive unknown quantities from known quantities by using the appropriate computational pathway.

7. Argumentation

Once you understand the core concepts of the AP Physics C exam, you should know how to make an argument based on your findings. You should be able to support that claim with evidence using physical and narrative representations. You should know how to explain the connection between your claim and findings and larger physical laws. You should know how to make arguments like a physicist and comprehend other student’s scientific works as well.

More textbook reviews for your AP exams:

• Top Review Textbook for AP Physics 1
• Top Review Textbook for AP Physics 2

Kinematics

This core concept will make up about 14 to 20% of the AP Physics C exam. You will primarily be expected to understand motion in one dimension and two dimensions. This is the study of classical mechanics with regards to objects in motion without referring to the cause of their motion. It does not include ideas such as force or gravity. It sums up how objects are in motion all around us.

Newton’s Laws of Motion

This concept will make up about 17 to 23% of the AP Physics C exam. It deals with the underlying laws which dictate everything you will study throughout your AP Physics course. It will cover Newton’s first, second, and third laws of motion in detail. It will also cover circular motion. Newton’s first law pertains to an object in motion or rest stays that way until acted on by an external force. Newton’s second law deals with the relationship between acceleration and net force. Newton’s third law refers to the symmetry of motion found in nature.

Work, Energy, and Power

This section of the AP Physics C exam represents about 14 to 17%. You will be expected to understand the work-energy theorem and how it relates to Newton’s laws of motion. You will also be expected to understand force, potential energy, conservation of energy, and power.

Systems of Particles and Linear Momentum

This section represents about 14 to 17% of the AP Physics C exam. You will be tested on the center of mass and how it relates to the distributed mass throughout space. You should have a thorough understanding of impulse and momentum. The formulas associated with these concepts will also show up on the exam. You should also stand the conservation of linear momentum and collisions. You will be tested on how collisions and the formula associated with them can be applied to modern-day phenomena.

Rotation

This physical concept will represent about 14 to 20% of the AP Physics C exam. You should understand torque and rotational statics. Torque is the measure of the amount of force it takes to rotate an object about its axis. Rotational kinematics and dynamics will also be tested extensively. Angular momentum and its conservation will also be tested on this part of the exam.

Oscillations

This section will cover slightly less of the AP Physics C exam with about 6 to 14%. You should have a general understanding of simple harmonic motion, springs, and pendulums. Oscillations study the periodic motion of objects in relation to their equilibrium.

Gravitations

This section will account for about 6 to 14% of the AP Physics C exam. It will touch on gravitational forces and the orbits of planets and satellites. You should have a relative understanding of Newton’s laws of gravity and planetary physics. While it might not be tested thoroughly on the AP Physics C exam, you should understand the basic principles to study Newton’s laws of motion. This will represent a slight intro into other types of physics such as gravitational physics and planetary physics.