AP Physics 1: Algebra-Based, AP exams, 10–15%

Unit 1: Kinematics

Unit 1 describes motion without yet explaining it. Scalars and vectors, displacement, velocity, and acceleration are defined, then extended to two dimensions and to motion viewed from different reference frames. The representational fluency built here, moving between narrative, graph, equation, and motion diagram, is assessed all year.

Position: 1 of 8 units
Published weighting: 10–15% in the official framework
Topics covered: 5 topics in this guide

What is covered

Topics inside this unit.

These topics describe the scope students most often review for this part of AP Physics 1: Algebra-Based. Treat them as a study checklist rather than an exhaustive list of what a single exam form can sample.

Scalars and vectors in one dimension: Distinguishing magnitude-only quantities from directed ones, and using sign as direction in one dimension.
Displacement, velocity, and acceleration: Average versus instantaneous quantities, and the relationships that connect the three.
Representing motion: Reading position, velocity, and acceleration graphs, including slopes and areas, and translating between them.
Reference frames and relative motion: Describing the same motion from different frames and combining velocities appropriately.
Motion in two dimensions: Vector components, projectile motion, and treating horizontal and vertical motion independently.

Study tips

How to practice Kinematics.

Section-specific guidance that follows from how this material is usually tested.

Practice converting a velocity-time graph into position and acceleration graphs until it is a single mental step.
State the sign convention explicitly before starting any problem; most kinematics errors are direction errors.
Solve projectile problems by writing the two independent axes first, before choosing any equation.

Where this fits

Unit 1: Kinematics is 1 of 8 units in the AP Physics 1: Algebra-Based guide, and it carries a published weighting of 10–15% in the official framework. Use the full guide to balance it against everything else you have to review.

Back to the AP Physics 1: Algebra-Based guide Official exam information

Sample Kinematics questions

Practice questions, not yet expert-reviewed

Original practice questions written to the published framework for this section. No expert has reviewed them, and they are not taken from any official exam. Try each one before you open the answer.

Question 1Foundational
A car starts from rest and accelerates uniformly at 3.0 m/s^2 along a straight road for 8.0 s. How far does the car travel during those 8.0 seconds?
1. A12 m
2. B24 m
3. C96 m
4. D192 m
Show answer
Answer: C. 96 m
Starting from rest, x = (1/2)at^2 = (1/2)(3.0 m/s^2)(8.0 s)^2 = 96 m. The 24 m option is the final speed of 24 m/s mistaken for a distance, and 192 m drops the factor of one half.
Key insight: From rest, displacement grows with the square of the time, so doubling the time quadruples the distance.
Question 2Foundational
A ball is thrown straight upward with an initial speed of 20 m/s and air resistance is negligible. Using g = 10 m/s^2, how high above the launch point does the ball rise?
1. A10 m
2. B20 m
3. C40 m
4. D80 m
Show answer
Answer: B. 20 m
At the top the vertical velocity is zero, so h = v^2/(2g) = (20 m/s)^2/(2 x 10 m/s^2) = 20 m. Choosing 40 m omits the factor of 2, and 80 m uses the full 4.0 s round trip in (1/2)gt^2 instead of the 2.0 s rise.
Key insight: At the highest point the velocity is zero but the acceleration is still g downward.
Question 3Intermediate
A rock is launched horizontally at 12 m/s from the edge of a cliff 45 m high, and air resistance is negligible. Using g = 10 m/s^2, how far from the base of the cliff does the rock land?
1. A18 m
2. B36 m
3. C54 m
4. D108 m
Show answer
Answer: B. 36 m
The vertical drop sets the time: 45 m = (1/2)(10 m/s^2)t^2 gives t = 3.0 s. The horizontal motion is unaccelerated, so x = (12 m/s)(3.0 s) = 36 m. The 108 m option comes from using 2h/g = 9 s without taking the square root.
Key insight: In projectile motion the vertical equation supplies the time and the horizontal equation supplies the range.
Question 4Intermediate
A car traveling at 25 m/s brakes with constant acceleration and comes to a complete stop after traveling 50 m. What is the magnitude of the car's acceleration?
1. A0.50 m/s^2
2. B3.1 m/s^2
3. C6.25 m/s^2
4. D12.5 m/s^2
Show answer
Answer: C. 6.25 m/s^2
Using v^2 = v0^2 + 2ax with v = 0 gives a = v0^2/(2x) = (25 m/s)^2/(2 x 50 m) = 6.25 m/s^2. The 12.5 m/s^2 choice forgets the factor of 2, and 0.50 m/s^2 divides speed by distance instead of using the squared relationship.
Key insight: When time is not given and not asked for, v^2 = v0^2 + 2ax is the fastest route.
Question 5Advanced
A stone is dropped from rest and falls freely with g = 10 m/s^2. How far does it fall during the third second of its motion, that is, between t = 2.0 s and t = 3.0 s?
1. A5.0 m
2. B20 m
3. C25 m
4. D45 m
Show answer
Answer: C. 25 m
The distance fallen in 3.0 s is (1/2)(10)(3.0)^2 = 45 m and in 2.0 s is (1/2)(10)(2.0)^2 = 20 m, so the third second alone accounts for 45 m - 20 m = 25 m. Choosing 45 m reports the total fall rather than the interval.
Key insight: Successive one-second intervals of free fall from rest cover distances in the ratio 1 : 3 : 5.

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Unit 1: Kinematics