AP Physics 1 — Kinematics, Forces and Energy flashcards

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Units 1–3 of the AP Physics 1 course: one- and two-dimensional kinematics, motion graphs, relative motion, Newton's laws, friction, springs, circular motion, gravitation, work, energy conservation and power.

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Learn deck · part of AP Physics 1 · written against: College Board AP Physics 1 Course and Exam Description (2024 revision, eight units including fluids). Updated 2026-10-10.

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What is the difference between distance and displacement, and which of the two can be zero after a trip?

Displacement is the vector change in position (final minus initial); distance is the scalar length of the whole path. A round trip that ends where it started has zero displacement but a nonzero distance.
Kinematics › Vectors and Motion in One Dimension
A runner completes one full lap of a 400 m track in 80 s. What are her average speed and her average velocity?

Average speed is 400 m ÷ 80 s = 5 m/s, but average velocity is zero, because she ends where she began and her displacement is zero.
Kinematics › Vectors and Motion in One Dimension
Which constant-acceleration equation do you use when time is neither given nor asked for?

$v^2 = v_0^2 + 2a\Delta x$ — the only one of the kinematic equations with no time variable.

Watch out: all of these equations hold only while the acceleration is constant.
Kinematics › Vectors and Motion in One Dimension
A car moving at 20 m/s brakes with a constant deceleration of 5.0 m/s². How far does it travel before it stops?

40 m. With $v^2 = v_0^2 + 2a\Delta x$ ⁠: 0 = 20² − 2(5.0)d, so d = 400 ÷ 10 = 40 m.
Kinematics › Vectors and Motion in One Dimension
A 2.0 kg mass sits at x = 0 and a 6.0 kg mass sits at x = 4.0 m. Where is the center of mass of the pair?

At x = 3.0 m: $x_{cm} = \frac{\sum m_i x_i}{\sum m_i}$ = (0 + 6.0 × 4.0) ÷ 8.0 = 3.0 m — closer to the heavier mass.
Force and Translational Dynamics › Systems and Newton's Laws
A hockey puck slides at constant velocity across frictionless ice. Is a force needed to keep it moving?

No. By Newton's first law, an object with zero net force keeps a constant velocity; a force is needed only to change the velocity.
Force and Translational Dynamics › Systems and Newton's Laws
How does Newton's second law apply to a system of several objects?

$\vec a_{sys} = \frac{\sum \vec F_{ext}}{m_{sys}}$ ⁠: the system's center of mass accelerates in the direction of the net external force. Internal forces come in third-law pairs and cancel.
Force and Translational Dynamics › Systems and Newton's Laws
How do you calculate the work done by a constant force, and when is that work zero?

$W = Fd\cos\theta$ ⁠, where θ is the angle between force and displacement. The work is zero when the force is perpendicular to the motion, such as a centripetal force or the normal force on level ground.
Work Energy and Power › Work and Kinetic Energy
What does the work–energy theorem state?

The net work done on an object equals its change in kinetic energy: $W_{net} = \Delta K$ ⁠.
Work Energy and Power › Work and Kinetic Energy
What happens to a car's kinetic energy when its speed triples?

It becomes nine times as large, because $K = \frac{1}{2}mv^2$ depends on the square of the speed.
Work Energy and Power › Work and Kinetic Energy

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Topic outline follows the College Board AP Physics 1: Algebra-Based Course and Exam Description (2024 revision), Units 1–3 (outline only; no course or exam text reproduced).
OpenStax College Physics 2e, consulted as a reference; no text copied.

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