AP Physics C – Exam Content

 

Shown below is an approximate breakdown of the material found on the Physics C examinations.  This information also serves as an outline for the course content.

 

 

I. Newtonian Mechanics

50%
  1. Kinematics (including vectors, vector algebra, components of vectors,
    coordinate systems, displacement, velocity, and acceleration)

    1. Motion in one dimension
    2. Motion in two dimensions including projectile motion

9%
  1. Newton's laws of motion (including friction and centripetal force)

    1. Static equilibrium (first law)
    2. Dynamics of a single particle (second law)
    3. Systems of two or more bodies (third law)

10%
  1. Work, energy, power

    1. Work and work-energy theorem
    2. Conservative forces and potential energy
    3. Conservation of energy
    4. Power

7%
  1. Systems of particles, linear momentum

    1. Center of mass 
    2. Impulse and momentum
    3. Conservation of linear momentum, collisions

6%
  1. Circular motion and rotation

    1. Uniform circular motion
    2. Angular momentum and its conservation
      1. Point particles
      2. Extended bodies including rotational inertia 
    3. Torque and rotational statics
    4. Rotational kinematics and dynamics 

9%
  1. Oscillations and gravitation

    1. Simple harmonic motion (dynamics and energy relationships)
    2. Mass on a spring
    3. Pendulum and other oscillations
    4. Newton's law of gravity
    5. Orbits of planets and satellites
      1. Circular
      2. General 

9%

 

 

II. Electricity and Magnetism

50%
  1. Electrostatics

    1. Charge, field, and potential
    2. Coulomb's law and field and potential of point charges
    3. Fields and potentials of other charge distributions
      1. Planar
      2. Spherical symmetry 
      3. Cylindrical symmetry 
    4. Gauss's law 

15%
  1. Conductors, capacitors, dielectrics

    1. Electrostatics with conductors
    2. Capacitors
      1. Parallel plate
      2. Spherical and cylindrical 
    3. Dielectrics 

7%
  1. Electric circuits

    1. Current, resistance, power
    2. Steady-state direct current circuits with batteries and resistors only
    3. Capacitors in circuits
      1. Steady state
      2. Transients in RC circuits 

10%
  1. Magnetostatics

    1. Forces on moving charges in magnetic fields
    2. Forces on current-carrying wires in magnetic fields
    3. Fields of long current-carrying wires
    4. Biot-Savart and Ampere's law 

10%
  1. Electromagnetism

    1. Electromagnetic induction (including Faraday's law and Lenz's law)
    2. Inductance (including LR and LC circuits) 
    3. Maxwell's equations 

8%