AP Physics 1 — Practice Questions flashcards

6 of 60 questions free to study here · 8 topics · the whole deck is built into Willys

Multiple-choice practice questions, one best answer each, on kinematics, forces, circular motion, energy, momentum, torque, rotation, oscillations and fluids.

Get the app All AP Physics 1 decks

Practice 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.

Study the free sample

6 questions from the deck as they are. Flip, rate yourself, filter by topic; your progress stays in this browser.

The 6 sample questions as a list

A cart starts from rest and speeds up with a constant acceleration of 2.0 m/s² for 5.0 s. How far does it travel during this time?

A) 50 m
B) 100 m
C) 10 m
D) 25 m

D) 25 m

With $\Delta x = v_0t + \frac{1}{2}at^2$ and $v_0 = 0$ ⁠: ½ × 2.0 × 5.0² = 25 m. Forgetting the ½ gives 50 m, and 10 m is the final speed in m/s, not a distance.
Kinematics
A passenger stands on a scale in an elevator that is moving upward but gradually slowing down as it nears the top floor. How does the scale reading compare with her true weight mg?

A) Less than mg
B) Greater than mg
C) Equal to mg
D) Zero

A) Less than mg

Slowing down while moving up means the acceleration points downward, so the net force is downward and the normal force (the scale reading) must be less than mg. The direction of the velocity does not matter, only the direction of the acceleration.
Force and Translational Dynamics
A 0.50 kg ball moving at 6.0 m/s hits a wall head-on and rebounds at 4.0 m/s along the same line. The contact lasts 0.020 s. What is the magnitude of the average force the wall exerts on the ball?

A) 250 N
B) 50 N
C) 150 N
D) 100 N

A) 250 N

Taking the rebound direction as positive, Δp = 0.50 × (4.0 − (−6.0)) = 5.0 kg·m/s, so F = 5.0 ÷ 0.020 = 250 N. Subtracting the speeds instead of accounting for the reversal gives 50 N.
Linear Momentum
A disk starts from rest and spins up with a constant angular acceleration of 2.0 rad/s² for 3.0 s. What is the linear speed at that moment of a point 0.50 m from the axis?

A) 1.5 m/s
B) 12 m/s
C) 3.0 m/s
D) 6.0 m/s

C) 3.0 m/s

The angular speed is ω = αt = 2.0 × 3.0 = 6.0 rad/s, and v = rω = 0.50 × 6.0 = 3.0 m/s. The value 6.0 is the angular speed in rad/s, not a linear speed.
Torque and Rotational Dynamics
A block on a spring oscillates with period T. The spring is replaced with one 4 times as stiff, and the block is replaced with one of twice the mass. What is the new period?

A) $\frac{T}{\sqrt{2}}$
B) $2T$
C) $\sqrt{2}T$
D) $\frac{T}{2}$

A) $\frac{T}{\sqrt{2}}$

Since $T = 2\pi\sqrt{\frac{m}{k}}$ ⁠, the ratio m/k changes by a factor of 2 ÷ 4 = ½, so the period changes by √½, giving $\frac{T}{\sqrt{2}}$ ⁠.
Oscillations
What is the gauge pressure 3.0 m below the surface of a freshwater pool (density 1000 kg/m³)? Use g = 9.8 m/s².

A) 1.3 × 10⁵ Pa
B) 3.0 × 10³ Pa
C) 2.9 × 10⁴ Pa
D) 2.9 × 10³ Pa

C) 2.9 × 10⁴ Pa

Gauge pressure is the pressure above atmospheric: ρgh = 1000 × 9.8 × 3.0 = 2.94 × 10⁴ Pa. Adding atmospheric pressure gives the absolute pressure, about 1.3 × 10⁵ Pa.
Fluids

Unlock the whole deck

You are studying a free 6-question sample. All 60 questions of AP Physics 1 — Practice Questions, the other 2 AP Physics 1 decks, and spaced-repetition scheduling are built into Willys. 14-day free trial, then $14.99 a year.

Get the app

In Willys, tap Exam Library at the top of your Decks (or Browse Exam Library… under the + button), find the exam on its shelf or by search, tick it and tap Add.

More AP Physics 1 decks

Kinematics, Forces and Energy Momentum, Rotation and Fluids

← All AP Physics 1 decks, with the study guide and topic outline.

About these cards

Review status: Second-reader reviewed, with corrections applied.

Checked against:

Topic outline follows the College Board AP Physics 1: Algebra-Based Course and Exam Description (2024 revision), Units 1–8 (outline only; no course or exam text reproduced).
OpenStax College Physics 2e, consulted as a reference; no text copied.
Every numerical answer was checked by script, using g = 9.8 m/s² as the study decks do.

These are independent study notes written for Willys. They are not official exam material, may contain mistakes, and are no substitute for your course, your teacher or the exam owner's own publications. Found an error? Tell us — corrections ship as a new version of the deck.

AP® is a trademark registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse, this product.

Use of these pages is covered by our Terms of Use.