AP Physics 1 | Exam Prep Guides | Physics Mastermind | Speed Review

Every AP Physics 1 FRQ Sorted by Topic

Jason
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Jason Kuma

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UPDATED FOR 2025. Below is every single AP Physics 1 FRQ from 2015-2024 sorted by topic. AP Physics C students can also use these FRQs

Overview

IMPORTANT 2025 UPDATE – There will now be ~~five~~ FOUR FRQs total to be completed in 90 100 minutes. You can see all the AP Physics 1 exam changes here. You can also view the new predicted FRQ questions at the end of the post.

FRQs are free response questions. Most FRQs have multiple topics so certain FRQ will be listed repeated under different sections below. This post will help you rapidly sort through FRQs to get the practice you need! For more tailored practice try UBQ for free.

Here are all the links to college board AP Physics 1 FRQs and solutions.

(A) Unit 1 Kinematics

2023 Q2 – Experimental design, cart on ramp, linearization.
2021 Q1 – Biker jump, motion graph.
2015 Q4 – Linear kinematics, motion graphs.

(B) Unit 2 Dynamics, forces

2023 Q2 – Experimental design, cart on ramp, linearization.
2023 Q3 – Spring, circular motion, FBD.
2021 Q2 – Experimental design, dynamics, rod width vs stretch.
2019 Q2 – Atwood machine, FBD, Kinematics.
2017 Q2 – Experimental design, friction coefficient.
2016 Q3 – Bumpy incline, motion graphs.
2015 Q1 – 3 block pulley system. Atwood machine

(C) Unit 3 Circular Motion and Gravitation

2024 Q1 – (Part C) Velocity of block traveling around two loops.
2023 Q3 – Spinning block, FBDs, tangential speed.
2022 Q2 – Two orbiting moons, gravitation, circular motion.
2018 Q1 – Orbiting spacecraft, circular motion.

(D) Unit 4 Energy

2024 Q1 – Energy bar chart for block around two loops
2024 Q2 – Vertical spring + cylinders experimental and horizontal spring + cart experimental
2023 Q1 – Horizontal spring, block on cart collision, harmonic motion, energy graphs.
2023 Q5 – Spinning rod, energy, torque.
2022 Q1 – Pulley, spring, energy bar chart.
2022 Q3 – Experimental design, hanging block pulley, energy graphs.
2022 Q5 – Vertical spring, motion graphs, energy.
2021 Q1 – Biker jump, projectile, motion graph.
2021 Q4 – Rolling cylinder, sliding block, energy.
2019 Q1 – Spring, block, friction.
2019 Q3 – Experimental design, spring launcher, projectile.
2017 Q4 – Ramp energy, projectile motion.
2016 Q2 – Energy, elastic collision.
2015 Q3 – Springs, friction, energy graph.

(E) Unit 5 Momentum

2024 Q4 – Elastic collision and graphing the center of mass.
2023 Q4 – Wheel vs disk pulley, angular momentum.
2022 Q4 – Clay vs ball collision, velocity of center of mass, projectile.
2021 Q3 – Impulse, momentum, disk collision.
2019 Q1 – Collisions, velocity of center of mass, motion graph.
2017 Q3 – Ball and rod collision, angular momentum.
2016 Q2 – Experimental design, bouncy ball.

(F) Unit 6 Rotation

2024 Q3 – Horizontal beam on wall suspended by tension at varying angles.
2023 Q4 – Mass on pulley, Newton’s law of rotation.
2023 Q5 – Spinning rod, energy, torque.
2023 Q4 – Wheel vs disk pulley, angular momentum.
2022 Q3 – Experimental design, hanging block pulley, energy graphs.
2021 Q5 – Pulley with mass, motion graph.
2021 Q4 – Rolling cylinder, sliding block, energy.
2019 Q1 – Linear vs rotational motion, friction.
2018 Q3 – Rotating disk, frictional torque, motion graphs.
2017 Q3 – Disk-bar collision, momentum.
2016 Q1 – Rolling wheel, sliding block, rotational energy.

(G) Unit 7 Simple Harmonic Motion

2024 Q4 – Pendulums on different planets.
2023 Q1 – Horizontal spring, block on cart collision, harmonic motion, energy graphs.
2022 Q5 – Vertical spring, motion graphs, energy.
2018 Q5 – Two block collision on a spring.

2025 FRQ Topic Prediction (AI Analysis)

Phy AI Says:

Based on past frequency, here’s what we can expect for the 2025 FRQ section:

Energy (Unit 4) appears 14 times—the most frequent, so expect one FRQ focused on energy concepts (bar charts, collisions, experimental design).
Rotation (Unit 6) comes next with 11 instances. This suggests a strong possibility of a rotation/torque FRQ.
Dynamics (Unit 2) and Momentum (Unit 5) each show up 7 times, making them likely candidates to fill the remaining FRQs—possibly integrated with other concepts.

Thus, for four FRQs, you might see one on energy, one on rotation, and the remaining two drawing on dynamics/momentum (or integrated problems involving these topics).

Try Phy Here — a personalized AI Physics and math problem solver.

Jason Kuma

Writer | Coach | Builder | Fremont, CA

AP Physics 1 Units

Unit 1 – Linear Kinematics

Unit 2 – Linear Forces

Unit 2.5 – Circular Motion

Unit 3 – Energy

Unit 4 – Momentum

Unit 5 – Torque

Unit 6 – Angular \(L\) & \(KE_R\)

Unit 7 – Oscillations (SHM)

Unit 8 – Fluid Dynamics

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Kinematics	Forces
\(\Delta x = v_i t + \frac{1}{2} at^2\)	\(F = ma\)
\(v = v_i + at\)	\(F_g = \frac{G m_1 m_2}{r^2}\)
\(v^2 = v_i^2 + 2a \Delta x\)	\(f = \mu N\)
\(\Delta x = \frac{v_i + v}{2} t\)	\(F_s =-kx\)
\(v^2 = v_f^2 \,-\, 2a \Delta x\)

Circular Motion	Energy
\(F_c = \frac{mv^2}{r}\)	\(KE = \frac{1}{2} mv^2\)
\(a_c = \frac{v^2}{r}\)	\(PE = mgh\)
\(T = 2\pi \sqrt{\frac{r}{g}}\)	\(KE_i + PE_i = KE_f + PE_f\)
	\(W = Fd \cos\theta\)

Momentum	Torque and Rotations
\(p = mv\)	\(\tau = r \cdot F \cdot \sin(\theta)\)
\(J = \Delta p\)	\(I = \sum mr^2\)
\(p_i = p_f\)	\(L = I \cdot \omega\)

Simple Harmonic Motion	Fluids
\(F = -kx\)	\(P = \frac{F}{A}\)
\(T = 2\pi \sqrt{\frac{l}{g}}\)	\(P_{\text{total}} = P_{\text{atm}} + \rho gh\)
\(T = 2\pi \sqrt{\frac{m}{k}}\)	\(Q = Av\)
\(x(t) = A \cos(\omega t + \phi)\)	\(F_b = \rho V g\)
\(a = -\omega^2 x\)	\(A_1v_1 = A_2v_2\)

Constant	Description
[katex]g[/katex]	Acceleration due to gravity, typically [katex]9.8 , \text{m/s}^2[/katex] on Earth’s surface
[katex]G[/katex]	Universal Gravitational Constant, [katex]6.674 \times 10^{-11} , \text{N} \cdot \text{m}^2/\text{kg}^2[/katex]
[katex]\mu_k[/katex] and [katex]\mu_s[/katex]	Coefficients of kinetic ([katex]\mu_k[/katex]) and static ([katex]\mu_s[/katex]) friction, dimensionless. Static friction ([katex]\mu_s[/katex]) is usually greater than kinetic friction ([katex]\mu_k[/katex]) as it resists the start of motion.
[katex]k[/katex]	Spring constant, in [katex]\text{N/m}[/katex]
[katex] M_E = 5.972 \times 10^{24} , \text{kg} [/katex]	Mass of the Earth
[katex] M_M = 7.348 \times 10^{22} , \text{kg} [/katex]	Mass of the Moon
[katex] M_M = 1.989 \times 10^{30} , \text{kg} [/katex]	Mass of the Sun

Variable	SI Unit
[katex]s[/katex] (Displacement)	[katex]\text{meters (m)}[/katex]
[katex]v[/katex] (Velocity)	[katex]\text{meters per second (m/s)}[/katex]
[katex]a[/katex] (Acceleration)	[katex]\text{meters per second squared (m/s}^2\text{)}[/katex]
[katex]t[/katex] (Time)	[katex]\text{seconds (s)}[/katex]
[katex]m[/katex] (Mass)	[katex]\text{kilograms (kg)}[/katex]

Variable	Derived SI Unit
[katex]F[/katex] (Force)	[katex]\text{newtons (N)}[/katex]
[katex]E[/katex], [katex]PE[/katex], [katex]KE[/katex] (Energy, Potential Energy, Kinetic Energy)	[katex]\text{joules (J)}[/katex]
[katex]P[/katex] (Power)	[katex]\text{watts (W)}[/katex]
[katex]p[/katex] (Momentum)	[katex]\text{kilogram meters per second (kgm/s)}[/katex]
[katex]\omega[/katex] (Angular Velocity)	[katex]\text{radians per second (rad/s)}[/katex]
[katex]\tau[/katex] (Torque)	[katex]\text{newton meters (Nm)}[/katex]
[katex]I[/katex] (Moment of Inertia)	[katex]\text{kilogram meter squared (kgm}^2\text{)}[/katex]
[katex]f[/katex] (Frequency)	[katex]\text{hertz (Hz)}[/katex]

Prefix	Symbol	Power of Ten
Pico-	p	[katex]10^{-12}[/katex]
Nano-	n	[katex]10^{-9}[/katex]
Micro-	µ	[katex]10^{-6}[/katex]
Milli-	m	[katex]10^{-3}[/katex]
Centi-	c	[katex]10^{-2}[/katex]
Deci-	d	[katex]10^{-1}[/katex]
(Base unit)	–	[katex]10^{0}[/katex]
Deca- or Deka-	da	[katex]10^{1}[/katex]
Hecto-	h	[katex]10^{2}[/katex]
Kilo-	k	[katex]10^{3}[/katex]
Mega-	M	[katex]10^{6}[/katex]
Giga-	G	[katex]10^{9}[/katex]
Tera-	T	[katex]10^{12}[/katex]

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Article Content

Every AP Physics 1 FRQ Sorted by Topic

Jason Kuma

Article Content

Overview

(A) Unit 1 Kinematics

(B) Unit 2 Dynamics, forces

(C) Unit 3 Circular Motion and Gravitation

(D) Unit 4 Energy

(E) Unit 5 Momentum

(F) Unit 6 Rotation

(G) Unit 7 Simple Harmonic Motion

2025 FRQ Topic Prediction (AI Analysis)

Jason Kuma

AP Physics 1 Units

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