Curriculum Map

AP Physics 1

Algebra-based college-level physics covering mechanics, waves, and circuits. Aligned to the College Board AP Physics 1 Course and Exam Description. Emphasizes conceptual understanding and experimental design.

14 Units

Early Units (Foundation)

Building Skills

Advanced Concepts

Capstone/Synthesis

Kinematics: Describing Motion

Develop a rigorous language for describing motion using position, displacement, velocity, and acceleration — the foundation of all mechanics.

3-4 days

Vectors and Projectile Motion

Extend one-dimensional kinematics into two dimensions using vector decomposition to analyze projectile motion and other 2D scenarios.

3-4 days

Newton's Laws of Motion

Master the three laws that explain why objects move as they do — the causal engine behind all of classical mechanics.

4-5 days

Friction, Inclines, and Pulleys

Apply Newton's laws to realistic scenarios involving friction, inclined planes, connected objects, and Atwood machines — building systematic problem-solving strategies.

3-4 days

Circular Motion and Gravitation

Analyze objects moving in circular paths by applying Newton's Second Law to centripetal acceleration, and extend these ideas to planetary orbits and gravitational fields.

3-4 days

Work, Energy, and Conservation

Introduce the concept of energy as a conserved quantity, and develop work, kinetic energy, and gravitational potential energy as tools for analyzing motion without tracking forces at every instant.

4-5 days

Power and Energy in Systems

Extend energy analysis to systems of objects, introduce power as the rate of energy transfer, and apply the work-energy theorem rigorously to real-world energy transformations.

2-3 days

Linear Momentum and Collisions

Develop momentum as a conserved vector quantity, apply the impulse-momentum theorem, and analyze elastic and inelastic collisions using conservation laws.

4-5 days

Torque, Rotational Inertia, and Rotational Kinematics

Develop the rotational analogues of force, mass, and kinematics — building the framework for analyzing spinning, rolling, and pivoting objects.

4-5 days

Angular Momentum and Rotational Energy

Complete the rotational mechanics framework with angular momentum conservation, rotational kinetic energy, and rolling motion — unifying translational and rotational descriptions.

3-4 days

Simple Harmonic Motion

Analyze the periodic motion of spring-mass systems and pendulums, connecting force, energy, and kinematics in a unified framework for oscillation.

3-4 days

Mechanical Waves and Sound

Explore the properties of mechanical waves — from basic wave anatomy to standing waves, sound, and the striking phenomena of interference and superposition.

4-5 days

Electric Charge, Force, and Fields

Introduce electric charge as a fundamental property of matter, apply Coulomb's law to calculate electric forces, and develop the electric field as a description of how charge alters space.

3-4 days

DC Circuits

Develop the foundational principles of direct current circuits — current, voltage, resistance, and power — and apply them to series, parallel, and combined circuit configurations.

4-5 days

Learning Progression

This course is designed to be taken sequentially. Earlier units establish foundational concepts that later units build upon. While you can explore units in any order, following the numbered sequence provides the most coherent learning experience.