AP Physics 1 Units 2027
AP Physics 1 has 8 official units. The weighting ranges below apply to the multiple-choice section. Units 2 and 3 carry the largest ranges at 18–23% each, but the exam can connect ideas across several units in one problem.
What are the 8 AP Physics 1 units?
The eight current units are Kinematics; Force and Translational Dynamics; Work, Energy, and Power; Linear Momentum; Torque and Rotational Dynamics; Energy and Momentum of Rotating Systems; Oscillations; and Fluids.
- All 8 units are represented by dedicated hubs.
- All 43 topics link to focused lessons.
- Unit weighting ranges are shown without pretending an exact question count is guaranteed.
What is an AP Physics 1 unit?
A unit is a broad content domain that groups related College Board topics into one instructional sequence. The current framework has eight units containing 43 topics in total.
Kinematics
Scalars/vectors, displacement/velocity/acceleration, motion representations, reference frames and two-dimensional motion.
Force and Translational Dynamics
Systems and center of mass, free-body diagrams, Newton’s laws, gravity, friction, springs and circular motion.
Work, Energy, and Power
Translational kinetic energy, work, potential energy, conservation of energy and power.
Linear Momentum
Linear momentum, impulse, conservation of momentum, and elastic/inelastic collisions.
Torque and Rotational Dynamics
Rotational kinematics, linear/rotational connections, torque, rotational inertia, equilibrium and rotational Newton’s laws.
Energy and Momentum of Rotating Systems
Rotational kinetic energy, torque and work, angular momentum/impulse, conservation, rolling and orbiting satellites.
Oscillations
Defining SHM, frequency/period, representation/analysis and energy of simple harmonic oscillators.
Fluids
Internal structure and density, pressure, fluids with Newton’s laws and fluids with conservation laws.
Official topic count by unit
| Unit | Official title | Topics | MCQ weighting | Real study example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kinematics | 5 | 10–15% | Interpret a braking car with velocity/acceleration signs and motion graphs. |
| 2 | Force and Translational Dynamics | 9 | 18–23% | Draw a free-body diagram for a block, then apply Newton’s laws. |
| 3 | Work, Energy, and Power | 5 | 18–23% | Compare gravitational potential-energy loss with kinetic-energy gain on a track. |
| 4 | Linear Momentum | 4 | 10–15% | Analyze carts colliding and determine momentum before and after. |
| 5 | Torque and Rotational Dynamics | 6 | 10–15% | Predict how changing a force’s lever arm changes rotational acceleration. |
| 6 | Energy and Momentum of Rotating Systems | 6 | 5–8% | Compare rolling objects using translational plus rotational energy. |
| 7 | Oscillations | 4 | 5–8% | Relate a spring oscillator’s displacement to restoring force, speed and energy. |
| 8 | Fluids | 4 | 10–15% | Use pressure, buoyancy or continuity to explain fluid behavior. |
| Total | 43 | All current College Board topics accounted for | ||
For the exact official names of all 43 topics, use the complete syllabus directory.
How the units connect
The units are not eight independent chapters. Kinematics supplies graphs and vectors. Dynamics explains what changes motion. Energy and momentum give system-level shortcuts. Rotation reuses the same structures with angular quantities. Oscillations and fluids then apply the same habits—systems, forces, energy and representations—in new settings.
Use unit weighting to prioritize review only after identifying weak skills. A heavily weighted unit you already understand may deserve less time than a lower-weight unit where graph interpretation, experimental design or written justification repeatedly breaks down.