AP Physics 2
Advanced Placement (AP) Physics 2 is a year-long introductory physics course administered by the College Board as part of its Advanced Placement program. It is intended to proxy a second-semester algebra-based university course in thermodynamics, electromagnetism, optics, and modern physics.[1][self-published source?] Along with AP Physics 1, the first AP Physics 2 exam was administered in 2015.
History
[edit]The AP Physics 2 classes began in the fall of 2014, with the first AP exams administered in May 2015. The courses were formed through collaboration between current Advanced Placement teachers and The College Board, with the guidance from the National Research Council and the National Science Foundation.[2] In 2013 the College Board released a "Curriculum Framework" which includes the 7 principles on which AP Physics 2 would be based on as well as smaller "Enduring Understanding" concepts.[3]
In February 2024, College Board announced that there would be changes in curricula for their AP Physics classes for the 2025 exams. For AP Physics 2, this removed fluids (the first topic of the curriculum) from the exam. From the 2024-25 school year onward, this topic is covered as the last unit of AP Physics 1. [4] With fluids no longer being on the curriculum, the optics unit was separated into two units which cover the subject with more depth. This added mechanical waves, standing waves, sound waves, and the Doppler effect which are covered in Waves, Sound, and Physical Optics. The unit covering electric circuits was changed to be more comprehensive, and Blackbody radiation and Compton scattering were added to Modern Physics as well. As of the fall of 2024, all AP Physics 2 units are numbered sequentially to those in AP Physics 1, starting with Thermodynamics as unit 9 and ending with Modern Physics as unit 15.
Curriculum
[edit]AP Physics 2 is an algebra-based, introductory college-level physics course in which students explore thermodynamics with kinetic theory; PV diagrams and probability; electrostatics; electrical circuits with capacitors; magnetic fields; electromagnetism; physical and geometric optics; and quantum, atomic, and nuclear physics. Through inquiry-based learning, students develop scientific critical thinking and reasoning skills.
| Units[5] | Exam Weighting |
|---|---|
| Thermodynamics | 15-18% |
| Electric Force, Field, and Potential | 15-18% |
| Electric Circuits | 15-18% |
| Magnetism and Electromagnetism | 12-15% |
| Geometric Optics | 12-15% |
| Waves, Sound and Physical Optics | 12-15% |
| Modern Physics | 12-15% |
The content of AP Physics 2 overlaps with that of AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism, but Physics 2 is algebra-based, while Physics C is calculus-based. AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism also is focused entirely on Electricity and Magnetism while AP Physics 2 covers additional topics such as Thermodynamics, Waves, and Modern Physics.
Exam
[edit]| Section | Questions | Time | Exam Weighting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Section I: Multiple Choice | 42 MCQ | 1 hour 25 minutes | 50% |
| Section II: Free Response | 4 FRQ | 1 hour 35 minutes | 50% |
Science Practices Assessed
[edit]| Science Practice | Exam Weighting |
|---|---|
| 2. Translation Between Representations | 55-75% |
| 3. Experimental Design and Analysis | 25-35% |
| Science Practice | Exam Weighting |
|---|---|
| 1. Mathematical Routines | 20-35% |
| 2. Translation Between Representations | 30-40% |
| 3. Experimental Design and Analysis | 35-45% |
Score Distributions
[edit]The score distributions since 2015 were:
| Score | 2015[6] | 2016[7] | 2017[8] | 2018[9] | 2019[10] | 2020 (online) [11] | 2021[12] | 2022[13] | 2023[14] | 2024[15] | 2025 [16] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 8.5% | 9.5% | 12.9% | 13.1% | 14.2% | 14.0% | 15.4% | 16.3% | 16.5% | 15% | 21.8% |
| 4 | 13.7% | 17.0% | 16.7% | 15.6% | 21.0% | 24.3% | 17.9% | 18.1% | 18.5% | 18% | 28.8% |
| 3 | 33.5% | 34.9% | 34.0% | 34.4% | 30.2% | 35.0% | 32.0% | 35.3% | 34.9% | 35% | 22.0% |
| 2 | 34.8% | 30.6% | 27.6% | 29.2% | 26.2% | 21.3% | 27.0% | 24.1% | 23.8% | 25% | 20.2% |
| 1 | 9.6% | 8.1% | 8.9% | 7.7% | 8.4% | 5.4% | 7.6% | 6.3% | 6.4% | 7% | 7.2% |
| % of scores 3 or higher | 55.6% | 61.3% | 63.5% | 63.1% | 65.4% | 73.3% | 65.3% | 69.7% | 69.8% | 68% | 72.6% |
| Mean | 2.77 | 2.89 | 2.97 | 2.97 | 3.06 | 3.20 | 3.06 | 3.14 | 3.15 | 3.09 | |
| Standard Deviation | 1.07 | 1.08 | 1.15 | 1.13 | 1.17 | 1.09 | 1.17 | 1.14 | 1.15 | 1.14 | |
| Number of Students | 20,533 | 26,385 | 24,985 | 25,741 | 23,802 | 21,835 | 18,736 | 17,842 | 20,453 | - |
See also
[edit]
Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ Jacobs, Greg (25 July 2011). "Jacobs Physics: AP Physics 1 and 2 Redesign (as it stands now) and Honors Physics I". Retrieved 4 September 2023.
- ↑ "AP Physics 1 and AP Physics 2 | Advances in AP". Archived from the original on 2014-10-18. Retrieved 2014-08-02.
- ↑ "AP Physics 2" (PDF). collegeboard.com. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
- ↑ "AP Physics Revisions for 2024-25". Retrieved 2 May 2024.
- ↑ "AP Physics 2: Algebra-Based Course and Exam Description" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2024-05-30. Retrieved 2024-05-30.
- ↑ "Student Score Distributions" (PDF). Retrieved June 1, 2024.
- ↑ "Student Score Distributions" (PDF). Retrieved June 1, 2024.
- ↑ "Student Score Distributions" (PDF). Retrieved June 1, 2024.
- ↑ "Student Score Distributions" (PDF). Retrieved June 1, 2024.
- ↑ "Student Score Distributions" (PDF). Retrieved June 1, 2024.
- ↑ "Student Score Distributions" (PDF). Retrieved June 1, 2024.
- ↑ "Student Score Distributions" (PDF). Retrieved June 1, 2024.
- ↑ "Student Score Distributions" (PDF). Retrieved June 1, 2024.
- ↑ "Student Score Distributions" (PDF). Retrieved June 1, 2024.
- ↑ "2024 AP Score Distributions". Retrieved July 8, 2024.
- ↑ "2026 AP Score Distributions". Retrieved June 26, 2026.