AP Physics 1 and AP Physics 2
•The College Board redesigned the previous course AP
Physics B into two separate courses: AP Physics 1
and AP Physics 2
•The College Board made this decision based on the
input of college professors and high school
teachers.
•The redesigned courses will give students more time
to learn and understand the topics and not
simply memorize the information.
What are the Changes?
• AP Physics B has been dropped as a course
option. In its place are two separate classes:
AP Physics 1 and AP Physics 2.
• Students may take both of the new courses or
just one.
• Each course has a separate AP Exam, and each
course counts as a separate weighted science
credit for PWCS Schools.
What makes the new course “new”?
• The redesigned courses focus more on physics concepts and less on
solving physics problems.
• An in-depth study by the National Research Council (NRC) concluded
that AP Physics B is a very broad course that “encourages cursory
treatment of very important topics in physics” rather than cultivating a
deeper understanding of key foundational principles.
• The new courses emphasize the need for inquiry instruction and indepth exploration of topics.
• The new curriculum is organized under seven “big ideas” that articulate
the foundational principles of introductory physics.
• Teachers and students will have more time to engage in hands-on
explorations of physics and labs.
• The ability to develop and use physics knowledge by applying it to the
practice of scientific inquiry and reasoning is at the heart of the new
physics courses and exams.
• The exam will still include multiple choice and free response questions.
The FRQ portion will require more writing and explanation of the physics
principles at work.
What are the Requirements?
• The requirements have remained unchanged.
• The math requirements for AP Physics 1 are
the completion of Algebra 1 and geometry.
Students must be enrolled in Algebra II/Trig.
or higher.
• The science requirements are completion of
chemistry.
What are the Science Options?
• After students complete AP Physics 1, they are
eligible to take AP Physics 2.
• AP Physics 1 is a prerequisite for AP Physics 2
because many foundation ideas are established in
the first course. The College Board does not
recommend that students take the courses
concurrently.
• Students may take AP Physics C after taking AP
Physics 1.
• Students make take any other AP science course
that fits their interests.