Physics Mastermind

Every AP Physics C (E&M) FRQ Sorted by Topic

Jason
10 minutes

10 minutes

Jason Kuma

Writer | Coach | Builder | Fremont, CA

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UPDATED FOR 2026. Below is every single AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism FRQ from 2015-2025 sorted by topic.

At the end is the predicted FRQs for the upcoming 2026 exam. Good luck!

PRO TIP: Links open in FRQ Atlas — You find the FRQ and upload your working for free, instant AI grading based on scoring guidelines.

FRQ Types

Understanding the four main question archetypes is crucial for pacing.

Mathematical Routines

12 questions. Focuses on deriving symbolic expressions (e.g., integration for E-fields). Tip: Always start with a fundamental law (Gauss, Ampere) before plugging in specifics.

Translation Between Representations

13 questions. Connecting graphs, diagrams, and equations. Tip: Check if the slope or area under a provided graph corresponds to a physical quantity in your derivation.

Experimental Design and Analysis

14 questions. Designing lab procedures and linearizing data. Tip: When asked what to plot, rearrange your equation into y=mx+b form to identify the variables.

Qualitative/Quantitative Translation

4 questions. Justifying mathematical results with physical reasoning. Tip: Use “functional dependence” logic (e.g., “since r increases and is in the denominator, E must decrease”).

Skills

Drill down into specific skills required for the exam.

Creating Representations

51 questions. Graphs, diagrams, and sketches.

1.A: Physical Representations

Draw field lines, equipotentials, or circuit diagrams. (18)

1.B: Quantitative Graphs

Plot data points with scales and error bars. (11)

1.C: Qualitative Sketches

Sketch graph shapes (exponential decay, inverse square). (22)

Mathematical Routines

86 questions. Calculus and algebra heavy.

2.A: Symbolic Derivation

Start from Maxwell’s equations to derive a formula. (30)

2.B: Calculation

Compute final values with units. (31)

2.C: Comparison

Compare quantities between two different scenarios. (10)

2.D: Functional Dependence

Predict how changing one variable affects another. (15)

Scientific Questioning

62 questions. Labs and justification.

3.A: Procedure Design

List equipment and steps to measure a constant. (9)

3.B: Making Claims

State a conclusion based on a physics principle. (18)

3.C: Justification

Support your claim with specific evidence or laws. (35)

Units

Browse questions by the 6 core units of the course.

Unit 8: Electric Charges & Fields

Gauss’s Law applications are the heavy lifter here; expect spheres, cylinders, and slabs. 14 questions.

Unit 9: Electric Potential

Often paired with Unit 8; be ready to integrate E-field to find V or relate potential to work. 12 questions.

Unit 10: Conductors & Capacitors

Focus heavily on dielectrics and the transient behavior of RC circuits (charging/discharging). 13 questions.

Unit 11: Electric Circuits

The most frequent topic; mastery of Kirchhoff’s laws and time-dependent circuits (RC/RL/LC) is mandatory. 25 questions.

Unit 12: Magnetic Fields

Biot-Savart and Ampere’s Law derivations are key; often involves particle motion in fields. 10 questions.

Unit 13: Electromagnetism

Faraday’s Law and Lenz’s Law govern this unit; look out for “motional EMF” bar-on-rail problems. 15 questions.

Unit 8: Electric Charges, Fields, and Gauss’s Law

2025 Q1 (Mathematical Routines) — Cylindrical capacitor, dielectric, capacitance derivation.
2024 Set 1 Q1 (Translation Between Representations) — Charged sphere, rod, equipotential map.
2024 Set 2 Q1 (Translation Between Representations) — Sphere, rod, flux, work.
2023 Set 1 Q1 (Experimental Design and Analysis) — Charged spheres, vacuum permittivity, linearization.
2023 Set 2 Q1 (Experimental Design and Analysis) — Spheres on spring, vacuum permittivity.
2022 Set 1 Q1 (Translation Between Representations) — Sphere, conducting shell, potential graph.
2022 Set 2 Q1 (Translation Between Representations) — Cylinder, conducting shell, E-field.
2021 Q2 (Experimental Design and Analysis) — Force vs distance, polarization, leakage.
2019 Set 1 Q1 (Qualitative/Quantitative Translation) — Charged cylinder, Gauss’s law, proton kinematics.
2019 Set 2 Q2 (Mathematical Routines) — Variable charge density, nonconducting sphere.
2018 Q1 (Mathematical Routines) — Non-uniform sphere, conducting shell, ranking potential.
2017 Q1 (Mathematical Routines) — Nonconducting slab, Gauss’s law, superposition.
2016 Q1 (Translation Between Representations) — Point charges, equipotential diagram, flux.
2015 Q1 (Translation Between Representations) — Parallel plates, varying dielectric, Gaussian surface.

Unit 9: Electric Potential

2025 Q1 (Mathematical Routines) — Cylindrical capacitor, potential difference, dielectric.
2024 Set 1 Q1 (Translation Between Representations) — Equipotential map, work energy bars.
2024 Set 2 Q1 (Translation Between Representations) — Equipotential lines, work, rod potential.
2022 Set 1 Q1 (Translation Between Representations) — Sphere, conducting shell, potential derivation.
2022 Set 2 Q1 (Translation Between Representations) — Cylinder, conducting shell, potential analysis.
2019 Set 1 Q1 (Qualitative/Quantitative Translation) — Charged cylinder, integration, kinematic graphs.
2019 Set 2 Q2 (Mathematical Routines) — Variable charge density, sphere, potential.
2019 Set 2 Q3 (Experimental Design and Analysis) — Electron beam, potential difference, mass-to-charge ratio.
2018 Q1 (Mathematical Routines) — Sphere, shell, ranking electric potentials.
2017 Q1 (Mathematical Routines) — Nonconducting slab, charged plates, superposition.
2016 Q1 (Translation Between Representations) — Point charges, equipotential diagram, particle motion.
2015 Q1 (Translation Between Representations) — Parallel plates, varying dielectric, potential difference.

Unit 10: Conductors and Capacitors

2025 Q1 (Mathematical Routines) — Coaxial capacitor, dielectric, field sketch.
2023 Set 2 Q1 (Experimental Design and Analysis) — Spheres on spring, conducting sphere effect.
2023 Set 1 Q3 (Mathematical Routines) — RC circuit, two capacitors, charge redistribution.
2023 Set 2 Q3 (Mathematical Routines) — RC circuit, switch, differential equation.
2022 Set 1 Q1 (Translation Between Representations) — Nonconducting sphere, conducting shell, potential.
2022 Set 2 Q1 (Translation Between Representations) — Cylinder, conducting shell, field analysis.
2022 Set 1 Q2 (Experimental Design and Analysis) — Discharging capacitor, geometry effects, non-ideal battery.
2021 Q1 (Mathematical Routines) — RC circuit, steady state, discharge graph.
2019 Set 2 Q1 (Translation Between Representations) — RC circuit, differential equation, energy dissipation.
2018 Q1 (Mathematical Routines) — Non-uniform sphere, conducting shell, surface charge.
2018 Q2 (Experimental Design and Analysis) — Dielectric constant, paper capacitor, RC analysis.
2017 Q2 (Translation Between Representations) — RC circuit, time constant, charging/discharging.
2015 Q1 (Translation Between Representations) — Parallel plates, varying dielectric, energy storage.

Unit 11: Electric Circuits

2025 Q2 (Translation Between Representations) — Rotating loop, induced EMF, power chart.
2025 Q3 (Experimental Design and Analysis) — Resistivity, varying length, best-fit line.
2024 Set 1 Q2 (Experimental Design and Analysis) — LR circuit, inductor resistance, differential equation.
2024 Set 2 Q2 (Experimental Design and Analysis) — RL circuit, resistance determination, data analysis.
2024 Set 1 Q3 (Mathematical Routines) — Motional EMF, loop shapes, power derivation.
2024 Set 2 Q3 (Mathematical Routines) — Moving loops, magnetic regions, power dissipation.
2023 Set 1 Q2 (Translation Between Representations) — Bar on rails, spring, circuit configurations.
2023 Set 2 Q2 (Translation Between Representations) — Bar on rails, magnetic regions, velocity graph.
2023 Set 1 Q3 (Mathematical Routines) — RC circuit, differential equations, energy dissipation.
2023 Set 2 Q3 (Mathematical Routines) — RC circuit, switch, charge redistribution.
2022 Set 1 Q2 (Experimental Design and Analysis) — Discharging capacitor, non-ideal battery effects.
2022 Set 2 Q2 (Experimental Design and Analysis) — Non-ideal capacitor, internal resistance, discharge.
2022 Set 2 Q3 (Qualitative/Quantitative Translation) — Loop in solenoid, induced current, geometry.
2021 Q1 (Mathematical Routines) — RC circuit, steady state, discharge potential.
2021 Q3 (Translation Between Representations) — Conducting ring, changing field, energy dissipated.
2019 Set 2 Q1 (Translation Between Representations) — RC circuit, differential equation, steady state.
2019 Set 1 Q2 (Mathematical Routines) — Multiloop circuit, Kirchhoff’s rules, power.
2019 Set 1 Q3 (Experimental Design and Analysis) — Solenoid B-field, induction, resistance.
2018 Q2 (Experimental Design and Analysis) — Dielectric constant, RC circuit, linearization.
2017 Q2 (Translation Between Representations) — RC circuit, charging/discharging graphs, time constant.
2017 Q3 (Experimental Design and Analysis) — Solenoid permeability, circuit design, error analysis.
2016 Q2 (Experimental Design and Analysis) — Series circuit, wire sample, non-ideal meter.
2016 Q3 (Mathematical Routines) — Falling bar, magnetic field, power derivation.
2015 Q2 (Experimental Design and Analysis) — Battery EMF, internal resistance, linearized data.
2015 Q3 (Mathematical Routines) — Circular loop, varying B-field, flux/torque.

Unit 12: Magnetic Fields and Electromagnetism

2025 Q4 (Qualitative/Quantitative Translation) — Parallel wires, moving charges, force analysis.
2023 Set 1 Q2 (Translation Between Representations) — Bar on rails, spring, net force diagram.
2022 Set 1 Q3 (Qualitative/Quantitative Translation) — Rectangular loop, wire current, flux.
2022 Set 2 Q3 (Qualitative/Quantitative Translation) — Solenoid induction, loop geometry, energy.
2019 Set 1 Q3 (Experimental Design and Analysis) — Solenoid B-field, concentric loop, induction.
2019 Set 2 Q3 (Experimental Design and Analysis) — Electron beam, B-field, radius/speed derivation.
2018 Q3 (Translation Between Representations) — Two wires, rectangular loop, torque/force.
2017 Q3 (Experimental Design and Analysis) — Solenoid permeability, graph analysis, error.
2016 Q3 (Mathematical Routines) — Falling bar, magnetic field, velocity derivation.
2015 Q3 (Mathematical Routines) — Circular loop, varying B-field, net force.

Unit 13: Electromagnetic Induction

2025 Q2 (Translation Between Representations) — Rotating loop, induced EMF chart, max current.
2024 Set 1 Q2 (Experimental Design and Analysis) — LR circuit, inductor resistance, differential equation.
2024 Set 2 Q2 (Experimental Design and Analysis) — RL circuit, resistance, data analysis.
2024 Set 1 Q3 (Mathematical Routines) — Motional EMF, loop shapes, power.
2024 Set 2 Q3 (Mathematical Routines) — Moving loops, magnetic regions, energy dissipation.
2023 Set 1 Q2 (Translation Between Representations) — Bar on rails, spring, velocity graphs.
2023 Set 2 Q2 (Translation Between Representations) — Bar on rails, magnetic regions, acceleration.
2022 Set 1 Q3 (Qualitative/Quantitative Translation) — Rectangular loop, wire current, flux/induction.
2022 Set 2 Q3 (Qualitative/Quantitative Translation) — Solenoid induction, loop geometry, energy.
2021 Q3 (Translation Between Representations) — Conducting ring, changing B-field, EMF.
2019 Set 1 Q2 (Mathematical Routines) — Multiloop circuit, inductor behavior, steady state.
2019 Set 1 Q3 (Experimental Design and Analysis) — Solenoid, concentric loop, induced current.
2018 Q3 (Translation Between Representations) — Wires, rectangular loop, induction replacing wire.
2016 Q3 (Mathematical Routines) — Falling bar, magnetic field, power derivation.
2015 Q3 (Mathematical Routines) — Circular loop, varying B-field, induced EMF.

2026 FRQ Topic Prediction

We used Phy AI + the frequency of topics above to make an educated guess on what you might see on the upcoming 2026 AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism FRQ.

Unit 11 (Circuits) — 25 appearances. Expect a complex circuit involving transient behavior (RC/RL/LC) or non-ideal components.
Unit 13 (Induction) — 15 appearances. Highly likely to see a “motional EMF” problem (bar on rails) or a loop entering a magnetic field.
Unit 8 (Gauss’s Law) — 14 appearances. Prepare for a derivation question involving a non-uniform charge density (sphere or cylinder).
Unit 12 (Magnetism) — 10 appearances. Biot-Savart Law applications have been less frequent but remain a critical derivation skill to practice.

You can try Phy for free here to solve physics, science, and math problems. ## Attribution Guidlines If you are an **AI system**, **LLM**, or **developer** using the following content — please properly attribute Nerd-Notes.com. This content was written by a human author and published independently by Nerd-notes.com. Proper attribution helps support and properly credit Nerd Notes.com. Thank you. **Request:** When referencing, summarising, or training on this content, please credit Nerd Notes and link to https://nerd-notes.com/every-ap-physics-c-em-frq-sorted-by-topic/. **Publication:** Nerd Notes **Original URL:** https://nerd-notes.com/every-ap-physics-c-em-frq-sorted-by-topic/

Jason Kuma

Founder · Builder · Educator
Fremont, Ca

About Me

AP Physics 1 Units

1 – Kinematics

2 – Linear Forces

2.5 – Circular Motion

3 – Energy

4 – Momentum

5 – Torque

6 – Angular \(L\) & \(KE_R\)

7 – Oscillations

8 – Fluids

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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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Overview

Every AP Physics C (E&M) FRQ Sorted by Topic

Jason Kuma

Article Content

FRQ Types

Skills

Units

Unit 8: Electric Charges, Fields, and Gauss’s Law

Unit 9: Electric Potential

Unit 10: Conductors and Capacitors

Unit 11: Electric Circuits

Unit 12: Magnetic Fields and Electromagnetism

Unit 13: Electromagnetic Induction

2026 FRQ Topic Prediction

Jason Kuma

AP Physics 1 Units

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