So it’s down to the wire, and you’re not sure where to start your review for the AP® Physics exam. With the test just around the corner, you may be worried about how you are going to study it all! Don’t fret, we’re here to make sure you perform better and more confidently on the exam. The best way you can score on the exam is by preparing well and making sure you stay healthy and get enough sleep. Can’t stress that one enough!
This daily study guide will outline what you can accomplish to get you that much closer to that elusive 5! If you’ve waited until the last moment, this study guide will be intensive, but it is invaluable to you at this point! Be prepared to devote a few hours a day, six days a week (hooray, you have one day off!), with the natural assumption that you will have more time on the weekends. But, if you stick to the plan, you’ll be that much closer to the score you want to get. If you have more than 1 month to go until test day, then this rigorous schedule can be relaxed a bit. Good luck!
Oh, and one more thing, keep in mind all of the topics that will be covered on the exam. If you are taking only Physics 1, stick to the Physics 1 material! For reference, here is the breakdown of topics from the CollegeBoard:
AP® Physics 1
– Kinematics
– Dynamics: Newton’s laws
– Circular motion and universal law of gravitation
– Simple harmonic motion: simple pendulum and mass-spring systems
– Impulse, linear momentum, and conservation of linear momentum: collisions
– Work, energy, and conservation of energy
– Rotational motion: torque, rotational kinematics and energy, rotational dynamics, and conservation of angular momentum
– Electrostatics: electric charge and electric force
– DC circuits: resistors only
– Mechanical waves and sound
AP® Physics 2
– Thermodynamics: laws of thermodynamics, ideal gases, and kinetic theory
– Fluid statics and dynamics
– Electrostatics: electric force, electric field and electric potential
– DC circuits and RC circuits (steady-state only)
– Magnetism and electromagnetic induction
– Geometric and physical optics
– Quantum physics, atomic, and nuclear physics
What you will need:
– Albert.io AP® Physics 1 & 2 practice questions (700+ multiple-choice questions)
– Flashcard site like Quizlet (otherwise we will create our own)
– Plenty of paper (notebooks) and writing utensils (it’s time to break out those highlighters and get coloring)
– AP® Central Free Response Questions (Physics 1 & Physics 2) (pdf reader required)
– CollegeBoard’s Official AP® Physics 1 & 2 Course and Exam Information Book
– Your AP® Physics 1 & 2 textbook
– A useful Youtube channel called Flipping Physics and/or Dan Fullerton (for Physics 1)
– Another useful Youtube channel from a woman named Yau-Jong Twu (for both Physics 1 & 2)
– Your teacher, family, friends (aka your support group)
Other Materials
– Supplemental reading material
– Supplemental online videos Bozeman Science
– Bonus practice questions from a test review book (such as 5 Steps to a 5 AP® Physics 1 & Physics 2 2016 Ed. containing two practice exams)
Some Notes
– The Physics 1 exam is at 12:00 pm on May 3, 2016
– The Physics 2 exam is at 12:00 pm on May 4, 2016
Before we really get started, keep the following in mind. Ideally, all questions should be done in under exam-like conditions. Seriously! Set a timer, don’t get distracted by your phone, and don’t use your computer to look up things you forget. But, when reviewing, you are welcome to go through this one-month study guide in a group, or by yourself if that’s how you study better. Please cater this study guide to your needs. If you are going to take the Physics 1 exam, follow the study guide below for Physics 1. If you are going to take both exams, follow the study guide below for Physics 1 & 2.
The next important thing to keep in mind is your health. It is very difficult to perform your best if you are lacking in sleep or if you don’t eat right. Try to balance your nutrition, sleep well, and exercise! Stress will not make the exam any easier but will take a toll on your health so make sure to eat well, sleep well, and exercise well!
Also, this study guide is going to assume the final review day is on the weekend. The final day, therefore, will be a bit long, so feel free to break it up into two days if you want. We don’t want you to cram! Did I mention not to stay up late cramming the night before? Make sure to get plenty of rest the night before the exam. You have done all you can to prepare so get some rest and be confident.
Alright, let’s begin!
The purpose of this week is to get you used to:
1. Doing test questions from all the topics that will be covered on the exam
2. Reviewing concepts from test questions
3. Compiling flashcards
4. Becoming proficient in the two most challenging topics for you
Day 1
Physics 1
– In order to start your studying, we need to figure out what subjects you need to focus on. Let’s start by trying some of Albert.io‘s multiple-choice questions. You will see that there are 12 sections. The first 5 are for Physics 1 only, the next 2 are for both Physics 1 and Physics 2, while the last 5 are for Physics 2. Today, we will do some sample problems from the first three sections: “Motion in 1 and 2 Dimensions”, “Forces, Circular Motion, and Gravitation”, and “Energy and Momentum”. Do three questions from each subsection (for a total of 36 questions), choosing one easy question, one moderate question, and one difficult question (if possible). For example, in the first subsection of “Motion in 1 and 2 Dimensions” choose three questions from the subsection “Displacement, Velocity, and Acceleration” (remember, 1 easy, 1 moderate, and 1 difficult). Even though the system will keep track of what you got right and wrong, write down which ones gave you trouble and why. Read the explanations and write down in your notebook anything you did not think of yourself, even for the questions you got right. Do not move on to any other questions for the time being.
Note: Without full access to Albert.io, you will not be able to view the difficult questions. For this review, it is recommended that you get full access to different levels of questions.
– Be honest with yourself and your scoring, keeping track of what level of questions you got wrong in which subjects. With the information you have, review the sections corresponding to the questions that you got wrong and write copious notes! There might be a lot you have to review for the entire test, but just take it one step at a time and review the material for today. If you run out of time, mark the place where you left off and you can return to it later. Perhaps your score will leave you slightly disheartened, but don’t worry, this is the first day of your studying! Keep organized, and keep reviewing! An incorrect answer, while frustrating, makes your review easier, because it will tell you exactly what you don’t fully understand.
– Begin compiling your own flashcards for unfamiliar terms and concepts. Try and find a concept from each question that you can quiz yourself on later using your flashcards, particularly for each question you got wrong. For example, on one side of the flashcard, write “Work is” and on the other side write “Force times distance” and draw a graph of force (y-axis) versus distance (x-axis), then shade the area between the graph and the x-axis. This way, every time you review this term, you’ll remember both the simple mnemonic formula, as well as a visual cue. Flashcards are a good way of condensing a complicated, long topic into a few points (and a graph or picture is often useful)
Physics 2
– Let’s begin. The first thing we need to do is find out which Physics 2 subjects you need to review. Start by doing some of Albert.io‘s multiple-choice questions. There are 12 sections. The first 5 sections are only for Physics 1, the subsequent two are for both Physics 1 & 2 (the questions are clearly divided between Physics 1 & 2), and the remaining 5 are for Physics 2. We are going to go through some problems from the following sections: “Electrostatics”, “Electric Circuits”, and “Fluid Mechanics” and “Thermal Physics”. Pick three questions from each subsection for Physics 2 (for a total of 33 questions), choosing one easy question, one moderate question, and one difficult question. For example, in the second subsection of “Electrostatics” choose three questions from the subsection “Electric Force and Coulombs Law” for Physics 2 (remember, 1 easy, 1 moderate, and 1 difficult). The system will keep track of which questions were answered right and wrong, but you should take notes on which problems were difficult for you and why. Check out the explanations and jot down in your notebook anything you hadn’t thought of, even for the questions you answered correctly. You may be tempted to, but please refrain from moving on to any other questions for now.
Note: Without full access to Albert.io, you will not be able to view the difficult questions. For this review, it is recommended that you get full access so that you will be able to access the difficult questions.
– Keep track of what you got wrong in which subjects and which level. Review the pertinent sections based on the questions that you got wrong and write lots of notes! Don’t worry! I know you are daunted by the amount of material you think you have to review for the test, but just take it one step at a time. If you run out of time, jot down where you left off and return to it later. It’s possible that your score results will make you feel like you’re inadequately prepared, but fear not (yet), this is only the first day! Be honest with yourself about your level of knowledge and keep your study materials organized and reviewing your notes! An incorrect answer, while perhaps causing you consternation, will make your review easier, because it will pinpoint precisely where you need to review. Typically, Physics 2 questions are more challenging than Physics 1 questions. You’re going to have to push yourself a bit more to get that 5!
– Time for flashcards! We’re going to use them for unfamiliar terms and concepts. Try and figure a concept from every question that you can use to quiz yourself on later, especially for each question you got wrong. For example, on one side of the flashcard, write “Conservation of Mass Flow Rate” on one side and on the other side write “In an ideal liquid, the same amount of mass moves through a given area per time”. Then draw two pictures, the top picture showing a medium-diameter pipe leading to a large-diameter pipe, and the bottom picture showing the same medium-diameter pipe leading to a small-diameter pipe. Next to the top picture write “slower” by the large-diameter pipe, and next to the bottom picture write “faster” by the small-diameter pipe. This way, every time you review this term, you’ll remember both the definition, as well as a neat visual cue to help when answering questions. (Oh! And writing down a simple sample calculation would be a great idea too!)
You’re doing great so far! The first day is under your belt. Do a little each day and pretty soon it’ll be done before you know it.
Day 2
Physics 1
– Run through your flashcards from yesterday and note which ones you got incorrect. If you got one wrong, hit the books and take notes. If you didn’t finish reviewing your concepts from yesterday, this is a good time to finish where you left off.
– Go to Albert.io. We are going to continue going through topics today! You are going to choose 3 questions (again, 1 easy, 1 moderate, and 1 difficult) from each subsection of “Rotational Motion”, “Oscillation, Waves, and Sound”, “Electrostatics” and “Electric Circuits” (Physics 1 only) for a total of 36 questions. Write down what you got wrong and why.
– Hit the books and review the sections that pertain to the questions you went through. If you run out of time, mark where you left off, because we’ll continue tomorrow.
– Compile flashcards for the terms and concepts from this section. Again, try to get at least one concept out of each question asked!
Physics 2
– Review the flashcards you made yesterday. If you get one wrong, hit the books and take notes. If you didn’t finish reviewing your concepts from yesterday, this is a good time to finish where you left off.
– Go to Albert.io. You are going to choose 3 questions (again, 1 easy, 1 moderate, and 1 difficult) from each subsection of “Magnetic Forces and Electromagnetic Induction”, “Light and Optics” and “Atomic and Nuclear Physics” for a total of 33 questions. Write down what you get wrong and why in your notebook.
– Open your textbook and peruse the sections that are related to the questions you just went through. Just like yesterday, if you run out of time, don’t worry, because we’ll continue tomorrow.
– Compile flashcards just as you did before for the terms and concepts from this section. Again, try to find at least one concept in each question asked (you can mouse over the tags below the Albert.io questions to help you figure out what is being tested by that question)!
Day 3
Physics 1 & 2
– Run through your flashcards from yesterday and be honest about which ones you didn’t know. If you got one wrong, hit the books and take notes. Make sure to finish review where you left off yesterday if you didn’t finish.
– Pick the 10 subsections that gave you the most trouble in the last couple of days. Choose three questions from each subsection, for a total of 30 questions, preferably of different difficulties. Then, write down what you got wrong and why.
– Review the sections in your textbook that pertain to the questions you went through. If you run out of time, mark where you left off and start there tomorrow
– Compile flashcards for the terms and concepts from this section. Again, try to get at least one concept out of each question asked.
Day 4
Physics 1 & 2
– Once again it’s time for flashcards. You can add hints for yourself if you find that you keep missing particular cards. You will be able to knock them all out soon enough.
– Pick the 10 subsections that gave you the most trouble in the last couple of days and do at least 3 questions from each subsection. Try to vary the difficulty and don’t only pick easy questions. Then, write down what you got wrong and why.
– Review the sections in your textbook that pertain to the questions you went through. You can make note of where you left off, if you don’t finish.
– Time to compile flashcards for the terms and concepts from this section. Again, try to get at least one concept out of each question asked!
Day 5
Physics 1 & 2
– Today we will start with flashcards again. Test yourself and take notes if you got one wrong. Don’t forget to finish up from yesterday if you weren’t able to finish all of your textbook review.
– Go to Albert.io and do 10 questions randomly. We are going to start trying to keep your problem solving to a reasonable amount of time. Right now, give yourself no more than 2 minutes per problem. After you finish each problem, just like we did before, make flashcards for the main concepts from the problems, especially those which you got wrong!
– Alright, now is the time to become an expert in a section that you find most difficult. For example, if you’re a Physics 1 student, maybe you most often get questions wrong in the “Rotational Motion” section, or if you’re a Physics 2 student, maybe “Magnetic Forces and Electromagnetism” is the bane of your existence. This is the time to become an expert! Open your class textbook to this section and spend about an hour going through the section, taking diligent notes. Try and work through about 15 questions pertaining to this topic at the end of the chapter, or seek questions out in a review book.
– Make a note of why you got some questions wrong and make flashcards for each concept relating to the questions you got wrong.
Take a deep breath and do some stretches! You’ve already got 5 days done!
Day 6
Physics 1 & 2
BIG REVIEW DAY ALERT! You can split this into 2 days if you have time or use tomorrow as a break instead.
– Don’t give up now; it’s time for flashcards again. Are you still taking notes for ones you are getting wrong? Good.
– Go to Albert.io and do 10 questions randomly. Give yourself no more than 2 minutes to finish each question.
– Now is the time to identify one more section that you find challenging. For example, if yesterday you chose “Rotational Motion”, then maybe you also find “Electric Circuits” to be a pain. If you’re a Physics 2 student, maybe the next challenging topic is “Atomic and Nuclear Physics”. This is the time to master another topic that has been causing you issues! Open your textbook to this section and spend about an hour going through the section, taking diligent notes. Try and work through about 15 questions pertaining to this topic at the end of the chapter, or seek questions out in a review book.
– Make a note of why you got some questions wrong and make flashcards for each concept relating to the questions you got wrong.
– Now, for the cherry on top! Have a friend or family member get all the flashcards together for the two sections that used to give you goosebumps and make them randomly select cards for you to answer. They need to be strict! Let them grill you! Hopefully this review will be a confidence builder. Previously difficult topics should be a bit more manageable now.
– Run through 20 of your flashcards from your multiple-choice questions.
Give yourself a pat on the back for getting through the first week. You should be a bit more aware of the topical content of the exam now. Get some sleep, stay healthy, and report back for study duty next week! Dismissed!
Start your AP® Physics Prep today
The purpose of this week is to get you to:
1. Go more in-depth and synthesize the “Big Ideas” of AP® Physics 1 & 2
2. Do some practice problems
Day 1
We have a great week planned out for you and you’re doing a fantastic job so far! Keep it up!
Physics 1
– Go to Albert.io and do 10 questions randomly. Give yourself no more than 1 minute, 55 seconds to finish each question.
– We are going to look at CollegeBoard’s Official AP® Physics 1 & 2 Course and Exam Information Book. You have to know that every question in the AP® Physics 1 & 2 exam is based on three things: the 7 “Big Ideas”, “Enduring Understanding” and “Essential Knowledge”. For the first three days of this week, we are going to focus on building your essential knowledge, so when you approach a problem, your solution will come directly from the design of the course. Go to “Big Idea 1: Objects and systems have properties such as mass and charge. Systems may have internal structure” (Page 125). Write down the pieces of “Essential Knowledge” (9 for Big Idea 1) on one side of 9 flashcards. On the other side, you are to extend this idea using information from your textbook, teacher, or online. For example,
“The smallest observed unit of charge that can be isolated is the electron charge, also known as the elementary charge” |
1.) Keywords: electron charge = elementary charge2.) e = 1.602E-19C 3.) First measured by Robert Millikan’s oil drop experiment |
– Repeat this process for “Big Idea 2: Fields existing in space can be used to explain interactions”
Physics 2
– Go to Albert.io and choose 10 questions to do randomly. No more than 1 minute, 55 seconds per question.
– We are going to have a look at CollegeBoard’s Official AP® Physics 1 & 2 Course and Exam Information Book. Every question in both AP® Physics 1 & 2 comes from three test design criteria: the 7 “Big Ideas”, “Enduring Understanding” and “Essential Knowledge”. For the next three days, we want to build up your essential knowledge. In other words, we will be “reverse engineering” each question. Go to “Big Idea 1: Objects and systems have properties such as mass and charge. Systems may have internal structure” (Page 132). Write down the “Essential Knowledge” (17 for Big Idea 1) on one side of 17 flashcards. On the other side, you are to extend this idea using information from your textbook, teacher, online, or any other reliable resource. For example,
“Objects classically thought of as particles can exhibit properties of waves.” |
1.) A key concept of quantum mechanics and the effects are notable for elementary particles.2.) DeBroglie equations: wavelength = h/p, where h is the Planck constant and p is the particle’s momentum frequency = E/h, where E is the particle’s energy3.) Shown in experiments like matter wave diffraction of electrons |
– Do this again for all the sections of “Big Idea 2: Fields existing in space can be used to explain interactions”
Day 2
Physics 1 & 2
– Go through the flashcards you made yesterday and quiz yourself.
– We are going to look at CollegeBoard’s Official AP® Physics 1 & 2 Course and Exam Information Book again. Write down the pieces of “Essential Knowledge” for Big Ideas 3 & 4 on one side of your flashcards. On the other side, you are to extend this idea using information from your textbook, teacher, or online as you did yesterday.
Day 3
Physics 1 & 2
– Go through the flashcards you made the last two days and quiz yourself again.
– We are going to look at CollegeBoard’s Official AP® Physics 1 & 2 Course and Exam Information Book again. Write down the pieces of “Essential Knowledge” for Big Ideas 5, 6, & 7 (I know it’s a lot) on one side of your flashcards. On the other side, you are to extend this idea using information from your textbook, teacher, or online as you did previously.
If you’ve done all the tasks this week, wonderful! If not, don’t worry, you can continue tomorrow and finish them off. This section was pretty important because it taught you exactly the concepts that you will be expected to know on the test. See you tomorrow! Day 4
Physics 1 & 2
– You know the drill; go through the flashcards you made the last three days and quiz yourself.
– Go to Albert.io and do another 10 questions randomly. Give yourself no more than 1 minute, 55 seconds to finish each question.
– Now is the time to try and put this “Essential Knowledge” to the test. You are going to do some of the problems in the CollegeBoard’s Official AP® Physics 1 & 2 Course and Exam Information Book and see how the “Essential Knowledge” relates to each problem. Go ahead and do 9 of the problems from the multiple-choice section (Pgs. 155-163 for Physics 1; Pgs. 189-196 for Physics 2) by only looking at the problems, do not look at the boxes below the problems yet.
Note: Recall that the multiple-choice section is 90 minutes long for 50 problems. That means you have 1 minute and 48 seconds for each question, meaning slightly over 16 minutes for 9 questions. Let’s try and do it faster, so you’ll practice having extra time to check answers when you take the test. Set a timer for 16 minutes and do not exceed this time!
– Score yourself honestly. Look at the problems you got incorrect and find the flashcard that has the “Essential Knowledge” that indicates where you went wrong. If you need to add something to the card, do it at this time.
Day 5
Success! You’re just about halfway through the review!
Physics 1 & 2
– Go through all the “Essential Knowledge” flashcards and quiz yourself.
– Go to Albert.io and do 10 questions randomly. Give yourself no more than 1 minute, 55 seconds to finish each question. Make sure you stick to that and don’t give yourself extra time.
– We are visiting CollegeBoard’s Official AP® Physics 1 & 2 Course and Exam Information Book again. Do problems 10-21 in the multiple-choice section. Give yourself 19 minutes this time! Score yourself and find the “Essential Knowledge” that corresponds to the question. See where you went wrong and add to the flashcard if necessary.
Day 6
Physics 1 & 2
BIG REVIEW DAY ALERT!
– Don’t give up now. Go through all the “Essential Knowledge” flashcards and quiz yourself once more.
– We are going to go to Albert.io and do 15 questions randomly. Give yourself no more than 1 minute, 55 seconds to finish each question.
– We are visiting CollegeBoard’s Official AP® Physics 1 & 2 Course and Exam Information Book again. Do problems 22-25 in the multiple-choice section. Give yourself 7 minutes this time! Remember, these ones are quite special. They require you to select two answers that are correct. Score yourself and find the “Essential Knowledge” that corresponds to the question. See where you went wrong and add to the flashcard if necessary.
– Run through 20 of your flashcards from your multiple-choice questions.
Congratulations! We have made it through week 2! Keep up the good work.
Start your AP® Physics Prep today
You’re already in the second half! I know lots of ideas and concepts are swimming about in your head, but let’s keep going. The good thing is, setting a more long-term study plan like this one will allow you to organize the concepts better in your head. Cramming doesn’t work well for trying to remember this much information. The purpose of this week is to get you to:
1. Get you ready for the free-response and experiment section of the exam
2. Get you acquainted with more study resources
Day 1
Physics 1 & 2
– Let’s start by going to Albert.io and you will do 10 questions randomly. Give yourself no more than 1 minute, 50 seconds to finish each question.
– Now it’s time to do some free-response questions. This section, only consisting of 4 questions, is deceptively simple. Fifty minutes for 4 questions? What a piece of cake! Maybe this section seems simple, but as you’ll see, it’s actually one of the main sections that will make or break your score of 4 or 5. You really need to get a feel for how these questions are evaluated, so that’s one of our main goals for this week. CollegeBoard’s Official AP® Physics 1 & 2 Course and Exam Information Book only has 3 practice free-response questions for each Physics 1 & 2. According to the booklet: “Question 1 is a short free-response question that requires about 12 minutes to answer (Physics 1) or 15-20 minutes (Physics 2) to answer and is worth 10 points. Questions 2 and 3 are long free-response questions that require about 25 minutes each to answer and are worth 12 points each.” Today you’re going to set aside 37 minutes for Physics 1 and 42 minutes for Physics 2 for the completion of Questions 1 and 2 (Pages. 177-179 for Physics 1; Pages. 211-213 for Physics 2). Set a timer. Do not look at the boxes below the problems, just focus on writing the problem.
– When the 42 minutes is up, stop and go evaluate the problems which you have completed, honestly and ruthlessly. I know it’s a little difficult to evaluate given the instructions, but go point by point and add them up.
– Find the “Essential Knowledge” that you may have missed on the problems where points were subtracted. Add information or tidbits if necessary.
– Rewrite your response, given the rubric, so that you would have scored 100% on the problem. Note where you deviated from the “perfect” score and how you can organize your explanation or experiment design better.
Day 2
Physics 1 & 2
– Start with Albert.io and do 10 questions randomly. Once again, time yourself and give yourself no more than 1 minute, 50 seconds to finish each question.
– We’re doing CollegeBoard’s Official AP® Physics 1 & 2 Course and Exam Information Book again. Today you’re going to set aside 25 minutes for the completion of Question 3 (Pgs. 180-181 for Physics 1; Pgs. 215-216 for Physics 2). Set a timer. Do not look at the boxes below the problems, just focus on writing the problem for now.
– When the 25 minutes is up, stop and go evaluate the problems and be honest in your grading.
– Find the “Essential Knowledge” that you may have missed on the problems where points were subtracted. Add information or tidbits if necessary.
– Rewrite your response, given the rubric, so that you would have scored 100% on the problem. Note where you deviated from the “perfect” score and how you can organize your explanation or experiment design better.
– Run through 20 of your flashcards from your multiple-choice questions.
Day 3
Physics 1 & 2
We are almost halfway through another week! Don’t give up now!
– Go to Albert.io and do 10 questions randomly. Give yourself no more than 1 minute, 50 seconds to finish each question.
– This week is all about free-response questions. Visit the AP® Central Free Response Questions and go to Physics 1 or Physics 2 under the STEM heading. Near the bottom of the page, you will see the 2015 Free-Response Questions. Click on it and you will do one full, 50-minute free-response section.
– Evaluate your free-response section honestly. For each question, write a “perfect score” example and compare it to your own answer. Don’t worry if your scores are not perfect now, you’ll get closer and closer to perfection the more you practice!
Day 4
Physics 1 & 2
– You know the drill; go to Albert.io and do 10 questions randomly. Don’t forget to time yourself for each question.
– Go back to AP® Central Free Response Questions and go to Physics 1 or Physics 2 under the STEM heading. Near the bottom of the page, you will see a link for past AP® Physics A/B Exams. Click on it and you will do one full, 50-minute free-response section from a recent year.
– Evaluate your free-response section honestly. For each question, write a “perfect score” example and compare it to your own answer. Make sure you note the discrepancies between the first and second answer so you can see how to improve your answer for the next time.
Day 5
Physics 1 & 2
– Let’s do another 10 questions on Albert.io today.
– Return again to AP® Central Free Response Questions and go to Physics 1 or Physics 2 under the STEM heading. You will do another full 50-minute free response question today. After you evaluate your score you can have another person (a friend or family member) read it as well. Don’t forget to write a perfect answer and compare the two answers.
The weekend is finally here and you’re still going strong! Way to go! Day 6
Physics 1 & 2
BIG REVIEW DAY ALERT!
– Go to Albert.io and do 10 questions from the section you identified in the first week as the hardest for you, and 10 questions from the section that was the second hardest for you. Make sure you time yourself; 1 minute and 50 seconds to finish each question.
– If you did well, then congratulations are in order. If you didn’t do as well as you wanted, then it’s time to hit the books again. Pull out your textbook. Compile flashcards from the summary notes at the end of each chapter. Remember, a useful flashcard is not just a formula. Like above, good flashcards tie together concepts, definitions, formulas, handy information, and visual cues.
– Stand up out of your seat and do some stretches to get the blood flowing!
– Return once again to AP® Central Free Response Questions and go to Physics 1 or Physics 2 under the STEM heading. Near the bottom of the page, you will see a link for past AP® Physics A/B Exams. Click on it and you will do one full, 50-minute free-response section from another recent year. This database of free-response questions is yours to use how you want. If you find the free-response section to be weaker for you than the multiple-choice section, you might want to replace some study time in week 4 that is designated for multiple-choice time for free-response time instead.
– Evaluate your free-response section honestly. You can ask someone else to help you grade it once more. Having a fresh set of eyes can help you catch mistakes you might not have seen. For each question, write a “perfect score” example and compare it to your own answer.
– Get a glass of water or something good to drink and pat yourself on the back for being so dedicated to studying. You’ve earned it.
– Grab a friend/family member and have them sit down with you to review 50 flashcards. Having people to help you such as friends or a family member will make the experience much less taxing mentally and they can offer you support.
Optional, but highly recommended for Sunday (Sorry, but there goes your precious weekend!): Since you have more time on the weekend, it’s about time to go through an entire test (yes, all 3 hours of it, no distractions). A good resource for full-length practice tests is the 5 Steps to a 5 AP® Physics 1 & Physics 2 2016 Ed. as referred to in the optional materials section. Set aside about four hours for taking the test, evaluating, and compiling the necessary flashcards. If you don’t have or can’t get this book, ask your teacher or seek online resources. Online resources, however, aren’t necessarily updated. Remember, AP® Physics A/B materials aren’t useless, but the test was updated, so use them wisely. The newer the resource, the better, as a rule of thumb.
Start your AP® Physics Prep today
The purpose of this week is to get you to:
1. Get many questions under your belt
2. Understand how to connect concepts with test questions
Are you staying healthy? Are you sleeping well? Are resistors and capacitors in parallel and series drifting in and out of your dreams? The four best ways to stay healthy when you’re working hard are:
1. Get some proper shut-eye (7-9 hours per the Surgeon General’s recommendation)
2. Eat well (don’t binge on snack food)
3. Drink plenty of water (hopefully the bathroom is nearby)
4. Exercise regularly (this might be a good way of getting breaks between studying anyway)
You’re almost there, the finish line is within sight. Stick with it! It’s tough, but you’re already ahead of the game because you’re on here studying!
Day 1
Physics 1
– Once again, go to Albert.io and do 20 questions randomly. Give yourself no more than 1 minute, 45 seconds to finish each question. You’ve had a good amount of practice with the questions by now, so we’re decreasing the time allowed for each question.
– You have seen many problems by this point and you have made many flashcards too. Without getting too lost in the confusion of quantity, let’s focus again on the “Essential Knowledge” that you spent time on during Week 2. This is a notebook task. Ideally, you have an empty notebook or a clean section of a notebook (or a document on your computer) on which you can do the following task. Pick 10 problems you found particularly difficult and find the “Essential Knowledge” for it. You are going to write the “Essential Knowledge” down on the top of the page, with the information on the back of the flashcard next to it. Then you are going to write the problem down under the heading “Example Problems”. Find one more problem that addresses the same “Essential Knowledge”. For example:
Essential Knowledge: “Electric charge is conserved. The net charge of a system is equal to the sum of the charges of all the objects in the system.” |
The electron is also known as the elementary charge (nothing has charge smaller, i.e. we count charge in units of e) Charge of an electron: e = 1.602E-19 C Just like conservation of mass/energy |
Example Problems:1) In an experiment, three microscopic latex sphere are sprayed into a chamber and become charged with +3e, +5e, and -3e, respectively. Later, all three spheres collide simultaneously and then separate. Which of the following are possible values for the final charges on the spheres?Answer: Three charges must add up to +5e as a system and there cannot be a fraction of a charge, because e is the elementary charge.2) Sphere A and Sphere B are metal spheres of identical size and shape. They are set on insulating stands, and each has a different net charge. Spheres A and B come into contact. A spark between the spheres indicates that a charge is transferred. After contact, each sphere has a charge of negative 5 micro-coulombs. If the charge on Sphere A was positive 22 micro-coulombs before contact, what was the charge on Sphere B before contact?Answer: The sum of the charges before contact and after contact for the whole system consisting of two spheres must be equal. |
|
Find a related problem from your textbook and do it. Then take some deep breaths and do some stretches, maybe even walk around the block once or twice.
Physics 2
– Go to Albert.io and find 20 questions to do randomly. No more than 1 minute, 45 seconds per question.
– By this point, you will have already gone through quite a few problems, and have compiled quite a stack of flashcards, in fact, quite a bit more than Physics 1. Let’s return again to the “Essential Knowledge” that you took notes on during Week 2 as these concepts are central to the test design. Go to CollegeBoard’s Official AP® Physics 1 & 2 Course and Exam Information Book and bring out your notebook. Hopefully, you have a blank notebook or, at least, a blank section (or you are welcome to create a document on your computer) on which you can do the following task. Think back on the problems you have gone over. Hopefully, the thorny problems that gave you trouble are still in the back of your mind. Choose 10 of them and find the “Essential Knowledge” for each. You are going to write the “Essential Knowledge” corresponding to each 10 questions at the top of a blank page with the information on the back of the flashcard next to it. Then you are going to write the problem that caused you so much pain down under the heading “Example Problems” below. Search your memory for another problem that addresses the same “Essential Knowledge” and write it down too. For example:
Essential Knowledge: “Electric force results from the interaction of one object that has an electric charge with another object that has an electric charge.” |
Like charges repel, and opposite charges attract The electric force is proportional to 1/r^2, where r is the distance between the charges. The electric force is proportional to the charges. |
Example Problems:1) Three charges of equal magnitude are placed at [three distinct] corners of a square of side length L. In what direction is the net electric force acting on the middle charge?Answer: Both the charges in the other corners repel the middle charge. So, the middle charge will be pushed diagonally outside the box.2) There are two charges, q1 = -3.0 micro-coulombs and q2 = -8.0 micro-coulombs. In which general region could a third charge q3 = +5.0 micro-coulombs be placed so the net force on q3 would be zero?Answer: The force from q2 is stronger than q1 at the same r. They are both attractive forces. Therefore, the charge q3 should be placed closer to q3 on the line between q1 and q2. |
|
Now, turn to your textbook and do a problem that relates to the same “Essential Knowledge”. Then, try and relax for a few minutes before moving on from this to something else. Your body and mind need breaks.
Day 2
Physics 1
– Go to Albert.io and do 20 questions randomly. Give yourself no more than 1 minute, 45 seconds to finish each question.
– Review (briefly) from your textbook, making flashcards for key concepts. As you go through the topics below, you are going to visit Youtube and find a relevant video(s). Go to either Flipping Physics and/or Dan Fullerton for Physics 1 or Yau-Jong Twu for Physics 1 & 2 or perhaps another channel if you prefer that.
– Kinematics
– Dynamics: Newton’s laws
– Circular motion and universal law of gravitation
DANGER!!! WARNING!!! Stay focused on the Youtube channel, and do not go astray! If you find yourself watching music videos, then maybe using Youtube to study is not helpful.
Physics 2
– Go to Albert.io and choose 20 questions to do randomly. No more than 1 minute, 45 seconds for each question.
– Review (briefly) from your textbook the topics below, while making flashcards for each concept you think is important. As you peruse your textbook, you are going to go to Youtube and find a video(s) that addresses the same topic. Go to Yau-Jong Twu for Physics 2 or perhaps another channel if you prefer that.
– Thermodynamics: laws of thermodynamics, ideal gases, and kinetic theory
– Fluid statics and dynamics
DANGER!!! WARNING!!! Stay focused on the Youtube channel, and do not go astray! If you find yourself watching funny videos, then maybe using Youtube to study is not helpful.
Day 3
Physics 1
– Go to Albert.io and do 20 questions randomly. Give yourself no more than 1 minute, 45 seconds to finish each question.
– One again, review (briefly) the topics listed below. As you go through each topic, you are going to visit Youtube and find a relevant video(s). Go to either Flipping Physics and/or Dan Fullerton for Physics 1 or Yau-Jong Twu for Physics 1 & 2 or perhaps another channel if you prefer that.
– Simple harmonic motion: simple pendulum and mass-spring systems
– Impulse, linear momentum, and conservation of linear momentum: collisions
– Work, energy, and conservation of energy
– Rotational motion: torque, rotational kinematics and energy, rotational dynamics, and conservation of angular momentum
Physics 2
– Go to Albert.io and do 20 questions randomly. Give yourself no more than 1 minute, 45 seconds to finish each question.
– Review (briefly) the topics listed below. As you go through each topic, you are going to visit Youtube and find a relevant video(s). Go to Yau-Jong Twu for Physics 2 or perhaps another channel if you find a good one.
– Electrostatics: electric force, electric field and electric potential
– DC circuits and RC circuits (steady-state only)
– Magnetism and electromagnetic induction
Day 4
Physics 1
You’re so close to the finish line, don’t stop now!
– Go to Albert.io and do another 20 questions. Give yourself no more than 1 minute, 45 seconds to finish each question.
– Today you will review the topics below and you can supplement with your favorite youtube channel.
– Electrostatics: electric charge and electric force
– DC circuits: resistors only
– Mechanical waves and sound
Physics 2
– Go to Albert.io and do 20 questions. At this point, you should have tackled a lot of them already. Give yourself no more than 1 minute, 45 seconds to finish each question.
– Review (briefly) the concepts below and supplement with a youtube video if you need it.
– Geometric and physical optics
– Quantum physics, atomic, and nuclear physics
Day 5
You’re almost there! We applaud you for your devotion!
Physics 1 & 2
– Go to Albert.io and do 20 questions randomly. Give yourself no more than 1 minute, 45 seconds to finish each question.
– Grab a friend/family member and have them sit down with you to review 60 flashcards.
– Visit http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/exam/examinformation/index.html again and go to Physics 1 or Physics 2 under the STEM heading. Near the bottom of the page, you will see a link for past AP® Physics A/B Exams. Click on it and you will do one full, 50 minute free-response section from another recent year.
Day 6
Physics 1 & 2
Here it is, the last day. If you’ve stuck with us until this point, then you certainly have the right attitude to get a 5 on the test. BIG REVIEW DAY ALERT!
– Go to Albert.io and do the remainder of the questions randomly. Give yourself no more than 1 minute, 45 seconds to finish each question.
– Sit down and review your “Essential Knowledge” flashcards. As you review them, this time try and visualize problems that you have encountered (or not) that relate to these concepts.
– It would be amiss on this study review to not recommend that you must complete one full-length exam prior to taking the real one. So, without further ado (just like last week if you did it):
A good resource for full-length practice tests is the 5 Steps to a 5 AP® Physics 1 & Physics 2 2016 Ed. as referred to in the optional materials section. Set aside about four hours for taking the test, evaluating, and compiling the necessary flashcards. If you don’t have or can’t get this book, ask your teacher or seek online resources. Online resources, however, aren’t necessarily updated because the test has changed. Remember, AP® Physics A/B materials aren’t useless, but they may be misleading, so use them wisely. Make sure to take the exam under test conditions. Once you are done, grade yourself and review your flashcards is something is still not clicking. You can review your flashcards for the next few days but don’t try to cram too much before the exam. We can’t stress that enough.
Hopefully, this one-month study guide has gotten you ready for the AP® Physics 1 and/or 2 exam. You’re hard work will pay off! Committing to and completing this study guide already shows your dedication and seriousness for this AP® test. Best of luck to you!
Let us know what has worked for you. What did you like best about this one month study guide? Do you have recommendations of your own on how to study for the AP® Physics exam?
Start your AP® Physics Prep today
Looking for AP® Physics 1 & 2 practice?
Kickstart your AP® Physics 1 & 2 prep with Albert. Start your AP® exam prep today.
