AP Physics 1:

Algebra-Based

Free-Response Questions

2015-2018

FRQ83
 ®
AP PHYSICS 1 TABLE OF INFORMATION
CONSTANTS AND CONVERSION FACTORS
Proton mass, mp 1.67 – 1027 kg Electron charge magnitude, e 1.60 – 10 19 C
Neutron mass, mn 1.67 – 10 27 kg Coulomb’s law constant, k 1 4 pe0 9.0 – 10 9 N  m 2 C2
Universal gravitational
Electron mass, me 9.11 – 10 31 kg 6.67 – 10 11 m 3 kgs2
constant, G
Acceleration due to gravity
Speed of light, c 3.00 – 108 m s at Earth’s surface, g 9.8 m s2

meter, m kelvin, K watt, W degree Celsius, ’C

UNIT kilogram, kg hertz, Hz coulomb, C
SYMBOLS second, s newton, N volt, V
ampere, A joule, J ohm, W

PREFIXES VALUES OF TRIGONOMETRIC FUNCTIONS FOR COMMON ANGLES

Factor Prefix Symbol       
q 0 30 37 45 53 60 90
12 tera T
10
sinq 0 12 35 2 2 45 3 2 1
10 9 giga G
10 6 mega M cosq 1 3 2 45 2 2 35 12 0
10 3 kilo k tanq 0 3 3 34 1 43 3 ‡
2 centi c
10
3 milli m
10 The following conventions are used in this exam.
10 6 micro m I. The frame of reference of any problem is assumed to be inertial unless
otherwise stated.
9 nano n
10 II. Assume air resistance is negligible unless otherwise stated.
10 12 pico p III. In all situations, positive work is defined as work done on a system.
IV. The direction of current is conventional current: the direction in which
positive charge would drift.
V. Assume all batteries and meters are ideal unless otherwise stated.
 ®
AP PHYSICS 1 EQUATIONS
MECHANICS ELECTRICITY
Ãx Ãx 0  a x t a = acceleration  q1q2 A = area
= amplitude FE k = force
A r2 F
1 d = distance I = current
x x0  Ãx 0 t  ax t 2 Dq
2 E = energy I  = length
Dt
f = frequency P = power
Ãx2 Ãx20  2 a x  x  x0  = force
r
F R q = charge
  I = rotational inertia A R = resistance
 ÇF Fnet K = kinetic energy DV r = separation
a I
m m k = spring constant R t = time
  L = angular momentum P I DV V = electric potential
Ff … m Fn
 = length Rs Ç Ri r = resistivity
m = mass i
Ã2 1 1
ac P = power
r
p = momentum Rp Ç Ri
  i
p mv r = radius or separation
  T = period
Dp F Dt t = time WAVES
U = potential energy f = frequency
1 2 V = volume l
v
v = speed
K mv
2 v = speed
f
l = wavelength
DE W Fd Fd cos q W = work done on a system
GEOMETRY AND TRIGONOMETRY
x = position
DE y = height Rectangle A = area
P a = angular acceleration A bh C = circumference
Dt
m = coefficient of friction V = volume
1 2 Triangle S = surface area
q q0  w0t  at q = angle
2 1 b = base
r = density A bh
2 h = height
w w0  at t = torque  = length
w = angular speed Circle w = width
x A cos 2 p ft 
A pr 2 r = radius
  DUg mg Dy
 Ç t t net C 2 pr
a
I I
2p 1 Rectangular solid Right triangle
T
t rA F rF sin q w f V wh c2 a 2  b2
m a
L Iw
Ts 2p Cylinder sin q
k c
DL t Dt V pr 2
b
 S 2 pr   2 pr 2 cos q
Tp 2p c
1 2 g
K Iw a
2 Sphere tan q
  m1m2 b
 Fg G 4 3
Fs kx
r2 V pr c
3 a
 90°
Us
1 2
kx  Fg S 4pr 2 q
2 g b
m
m Gm1m2
r UG 
V r
AP Physics 1: Algebra-Based
®

2015 Free-Response Questions

© 2015 The College Board. College Board, Advanced Placement Program, AP, AP Central, and the acorn logo
are registered trademarks of the College Board.
Visit the College Board on the Web: www.collegeboard.org.
AP Central is the official online home for the AP Program: apcentral.collegeboard.org.
 2015 AP® PHYSICS 1 FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

PHYSICS 1
Section II
5 Questions
Time—90 minutes

Directions: Questions 1, 4 and 5 are short free-response questions that require about 13 minutes each to answer and
are worth 7 points each. Questions 2 and 3 are long free-response questions that require about 25 minutes each to
answer and are worth 12 points each. Show your work for each part in the space provided after that part.

1. (7 points, suggested time 13 minutes)

Two blocks are connected by a string of negligible mass that passes over massless pulleys that turn with
negligible friction, as shown in the figure above. The mass m2 of block 2 is greater than the mass m1 of block 1.
The blocks are released from rest.

(a) The dots below represent the two blocks. Draw free-body diagrams showing and labeling the forces
(not components) exerted on each block. Draw the relative lengths of all vectors to reflect the relative
magnitudes of all the forces.

(b) Derive the magnitude of the acceleration of block 2. Express your answer in terms of m1 , m2 , and g.

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 2015 AP® PHYSICS 1 FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

Block 3 of mass m3 is added to the system, as shown below. There is no friction between block 3 and the table.

(c) Indicate whether the magnitude of the acceleration of block 2 is now larger, smaller, or the same as in the
original two-block system. Explain how you arrived at your answer.

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 2015 AP® PHYSICS 1 FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

2. (12 points, suggested time 25 minutes)

Some students want to know what gets used up in an incandescent lightbulb when it is in series with a resistor:
current, energy, or both. They come up with the following two questions.

(1) In one second, do fewer electrons leave the bulb than enter the bulb?
(2) Does the electric potential energy of electrons change while inside the bulb?

The students have an adjustable power source, insulated wire, lightbulbs, resistors, switches, voltmeters,
ammeters, and other standard lab equipment. Assume that the power supply and voltmeters are marked in 0.1 V
increments and the ammeters are marked in 0.01 A increments.

(a) Describe an experimental procedure that could be used to answer questions (1) and (2) above. In your
description, state the measurements you would make and how you would use the equipment to make them.
Include a neat, labeled diagram of your setup.

(b)
i. Explain how data from the experiment you described can be used to answer question (1) above.
ii. Explain how data from the experiment you described can be used to answer question (2) above.

A lightbulb is nonohmic if its resistance changes as a function of current. Your setup from part (a) is to be used
or modified to determine whether the lightbulb is nonohmic.

(c)
i. How, if at all, does the setup need to be modified?
ii. What additional data, if any, would need to be collected?

(d) How would you analyze the data to determine whether the bulb is nonohmic? Include a discussion of how
the uncertainties in the voltmeters and ammeters would affect your argument for concluding whether the
resistor is nonohmic.

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 2015 AP® PHYSICS 1 FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

3. (12 points, suggested time 25 minutes)

A block is initially at position x 0 and in contact with an uncompressed spring of negligible mass. The block
is pushed back along a frictionless surface from position x 0 to x D , as shown above, compressing the
spring by an amount Dx D . The block is then released. At x 0 the block enters a rough part of the track
and eventually comes to rest at position x 3D . The coefficient of kinetic friction between the block and the
rough track is m .

(a) On the axes below, sketch and label graphs of the following two quantities as a function of the position
of the block between x D and x 3D . You do not need to calculate values for the vertical axis, but the
same vertical scale should be used for both quantities.

i. The kinetic energy K of the block

ii. The potential energy U of the block-spring system

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 2015 AP® PHYSICS 1 FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

The spring is now compressed twice as much, to Dx 2 D . A student is asked to predict whether the
final position of the block will be twice as far at x 6 D . The student reasons that since the spring will be
compressed twice as much as before, the block will have more energy when it leaves the spring, so it will slide
farther along the track before stopping at position x 6 D .

(b)
i. Which aspects of the student’s reasoning, if any, are correct? Explain how you arrived at your answer.
ii. Which aspects of the student’s reasoning, if any, are incorrect? Explain how you arrived at your
answer.

(c) Use quantitative reasoning, including equations as needed, to develop an expression for the new final
position of the block. Express your answer in terms of D.

(d) Explain how any correct aspects of the student’s reasoning identified in part (b) are expressed by your
mathematical relationships in part (c). Explain how your relationships in part (c) correct any incorrect
aspects of the student’s reasoning identified in part (b). Refer to the relationships you wrote in part (c),
not just the final answer you obtained by manipulating those relationships.

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 2015 AP® PHYSICS 1 FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

4. (7 points, suggested time 13 minutes)

Two identical spheres are released from a device at time t = 0 from the same height H, as shown above.
Sphere A has no initial velocity and falls straight down. Sphere B is given an initial horizontal velocity of
magnitude v0 and travels a horizontal distance D before it reaches the ground. The spheres reach the ground at
the same time t f , even though sphere B has more distance to cover before landing. Air resistance is negligible.

(a) The dots below represent spheres A and B. Draw a free-body diagram showing and labeling the forces
tf
(not components) exerted on each sphere at time .
2

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 2015 AP® PHYSICS 1 FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

(b) On the axes below, sketch and label a graph of the horizontal component of the velocity of sphere A and of
sphere B as a function of time.

(c) In a clear, coherent, paragraph-length response, explain why the spheres reach the ground at the same time
even though they travel different distances. Include references to your answers to parts (a) and (b).

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 2015 AP® PHYSICS 1 FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

5. (7 points, suggested time 13 minutes)

The figure above shows a string with one end attached to an oscillator and the other end attached to a block. The
string passes over a massless pulley that turns with negligible friction. Four such strings, A, B, C, and D, are set
up side by side, as shown in the diagram below. Each oscillator is adjusted to vibrate the string at its fundamental
frequency f. The distance between each oscillator and pulley L is the same, and the mass M of each block is the
same. However, the fundamental frequency of each string is different.

FT
The equation for the velocity v of a wave on a string is v , where FT is the tension of the string
m L
and m L is the mass per unit length (linear mass density) of the string.

(a) What is different about the four strings shown above that would result in their having different fundamental
frequencies? Explain how you arrived at your answer.

(b) A student graphs frequency as a function of the inverse of the linear mass density. Will the graph be linear?
Explain how you arrived at your answer.

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 2015 AP® PHYSICS 1 FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

(c) The frequency of the oscillator connected to string D is changed so that the string vibrates in its second
harmonic. On the side view of string D below, mark and label the points on the string that have the greatest
average vertical speed.

STOP

END OF EXAM
AP Physics 1: Algebra-Based
®

2016 Free-Response Questions

© 2016 The College Board. College Board, Advanced Placement Program, AP, AP Central, and the acorn logo
are registered trademarks of the College Board.
Visit the College Board on the Web: www.collegeboard.org.
AP Central is the official online home for the AP Program: apcentral.collegeboard.org.
 
"1¥
1):4*$4

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PHYSICS 1
Section II
5 Questions
Time—90 minutes

Directions: Questions 1, 4 and 5 are short free-response questions that require about 13 minutes each to answer and
are worth 7 points each. Questions 2 and 3 are long free-response questions that require about 25 minutes each to
answer and are worth 12 points each. Show your work for each part in the space provided after that part.

1. (7 points, suggested time 13 minutes)

A wooden wheel of mass M, consisting of a rim with spokes, rolls down a ramp that makes an angle q with the
horizontal, as shown above. The ramp exerts a force of static friction on the wheel so that the wheel rolls without
slipping.
(a)
i. On the diagram below, draw and label the forces (not components) that act on the wheel as it rolls
down the ramp, which is indicated by the dashed line. To clearly indicate at which point on the wheel
each force is exerted, draw each force as a distinct arrow starting on, and pointing away from, the point
at which the force is exerted. The lengths of the arrows need not indicate the relative magnitudes of the
forces.

ii. As the wheel rolls down the ramp, which force causes a change in the angular velocity of the wheel
with respect to its center of mass?

Briefly explain your reasoning.

(b) For this ramp angle, the force of friction exerted on the wheel is less than the maximum possible static
friction force. Instead, the magnitude of the force of static friction exerted on the wheel is 40 percent of the
magnitude of the force or force component directed opposite to the force of friction. Derive an expression
for the linear acceleration of the wheel’s center of mass in terms of M, q , and physical constants, as
appropriate.

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(c) In a second experiment on the same ramp, a block of ice, also with mass M, is released from rest at the same
instant the wheel is released from rest, and from the same height. The block slides down the ramp with
negligible friction.
i. Which object, if either, reaches the bottom of the ramp with the greatest speed?
____ Wheel ____ Block ____ Neither; both reach the bottom with the same speed.
Briefly explain your answer, reasoning in terms of forces.

ii. Briefly explain your answer again, now reasoning in terms of energy.

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2. (12 points, suggested time 25 minutes)
A new kind of toy ball is advertised to “bounce perfectly elastically” off hard surfaces. A student suspects,
however, that no collision can be perfectly elastic. The student hypothesizes that the collisions are very close to
being perfectly elastic for low-speed collisions but that they deviate more and more from being perfectly elastic
as the collision speed increases.
(a) Design an experiment to test the student’s hypothesis about collisions of the ball with a hard surface.
The student has equipment that would usually be found in a school physics laboratory.
i. What quantities would be measured?
ii. What equipment would be used for the measurements, and how would that equipment be used?
iii. Describe the procedure to be used to test the student’s hypothesis. Give enough detail so that another
student could replicate the experiment.

(b) Describe how you would represent the data in a graph or table. Explain how that representation would be
used to determine whether the data are consistent with the student’s hypothesis.
(c) A student carries out the experiment and analysis described in parts (a) and (b). The student immediately
concludes that something went wrong in the experiment because the graph or table shows behavior that is
elastic for low-speed collisions but appears to violate a basic physics principle for high-speed collisions.
i. Give an example of a graph or table that indicates nearly elastic behavior for low-speed collisions but
appears to violate a basic physics principle for high-speed collisions.
ii. State one physics principle that appears to be violated in the graph or table given in part (c)i.
Several physics principles might appear to be violated, but you only need to identify one.

Briefly explain what aspect of the graph or table indicates that the physics principle is violated,
and why.

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3. (12 points, suggested time 25 minutes)

A long track, inclined at an angle q to the horizontal, has small speed bumps on it. The bumps are evenly
spaced a distance d apart, as shown in the figure above. The track is actually much longer than shown, with over
100 bumps. A cart of mass M is released from rest at the top of the track. A student notices that after reaching
the 40th bump the cart’s average speed between successive bumps no longer increases, reaching a maximum
value vavg . This means the time interval taken to move from one bump to the next bump becomes constant.

(a) Consider the cart’s motion between bump 41 and bump 44.
i. In the figure below, sketch a graph of the cart’s velocity v as a function of time from the moment it
reaches bump 41 until the moment it reaches bump 44.
ii. Over the same time interval, draw a dashed horizontal line at v vavg . Label this line “ vavg ”.

(b) Suppose the distance between the bumps is increased but everything else stays the same.
Is the maximum speed of the cart now greater than, less than, or the same as it was with the bumps closer
together?
____ Greater than ____ Less than ____ The same as
Briefly explain your reasoning.
(c) With the bumps returned to the original spacing, the track is tilted to a greater ramp angle q. Is the
maximum speed of the cart greater than, less than, or the same as it was when the ramp angle was smaller?
____ Greater than ____ Less than ____ The same as
Briefly explain your reasoning.

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(d) Before deriving an equation for a quantity such as vavg , it can be useful to come up with an equation that is
intuitively expected to be true. That way, the derivation can be checked later to see if it makes sense
physically. A student comes up with the following equation for the cart's maximum average speed:
Mg sin q
vavg C , where C is a positive constant.
d
i. To test the equation, the student rolls a cart down the long track with speed bumps many times in front
of a motion detector. The student varies the mass M of the cart with each trial but keeps everything else
the same. The graph shown below is the student’s plot of the data for vavg as a function of M.

Are these data consistent with the student’s equation?

____ Yes ____ No
Briefly explain your reasoning.

ii. Another student suggests that whether or not the data above are consistent with the equation, the
equation could be incorrect for other reasons. Does the equation make physical sense?
____ Yes ____ No
Briefly explain your reasoning.

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4. (7 points, suggested time 13 minutes)

A circuit contains a battery and four identical resistors arranged as shown in the diagram above.
(a) Rank the magnitude of the potential difference across each resistor from greatest to least. If any resistors
have potential differences with the same magnitude, state that explicitly. Briefly explain your reasoning.
Ranking:

Brief explanation:

Resistor B is now removed from the circuit, and there is no connection between the wires that were attached to it.
The new circuit diagram is shown below.

(b) When resistor B is removed, does the current through resistor A increase, decrease, or remain the same?
____ Increase ____ Decrease ____ Remain the same
Briefly explain your reasoning.

(c) When resistor B is removed, does the current through resistor C increase, decrease, or remain the same?
____ Increase ____ Decrease ____ Remain the same
Briefly explain your reasoning.

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5. (7 points, suggested time 13 minutes)

The figure above on the left shows a uniformly thick rope hanging vertically from an oscillator that is turned off.
When the oscillator is on and set at a certain frequency, the rope forms the standing wave shown above on the
right. P and Q are two points on the rope.
(a) The tension at point P is greater than the tension at point Q. Briefly explain why.

(b) A student hypothesizes that increasing the tension in a rope increases the speed at which waves travel along
the rope. In a clear, coherent paragraph-length response that may also contain figures and/or equations,
explain why the standing wave shown above supports the student’s hypothesis.

STOP

END OF EXAM
 2017

AP Physics 1:

Algebra-Based

Free-Response Questions

© 2017 The College Board. College Board, Advanced Placement Program, AP, AP Central, and the acorn logo
are registered trademarks of the College Board. Visit the College Board on the Web: www.collegeboard.org.
AP Central is the official online home for the AP Program: apcentral.collegeboard.org.
 2017 AP® PHYSICS 1 FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

PHYSICS 1
Section II
5 Questions
Time—90 minutes

Directions: Questions 1, 4, and 5 are short free-response questions that require about 13 minutes each to answer and
are worth 7 points each. Questions 2 and 3 are long free-response questions that require about 25 minutes each to
answer and are worth 12 points each. Show your work for each part in the space provided after that part.

1. (7 points, suggested time 13 minutes)

In the three circuits shown above, the batteries are all identical, and the lightbulbs are all identical. In circuit 1 a
single lightbulb is connected to the battery. In circuits 2 and 3, two lightbulbs are connected to the battery in
different ways, as shown. The lightbulbs are labeled A–E.
(a) Rank the magnitudes of the potential differences across lightbulbs A, B, C, D, and E from largest to smallest.
If any lightbulbs have the same potential difference across them, state that explicitly.
Ranking:

Briefly explain how you determined your ranking.

(b) The batteries all start with an identical amount of usable energy and are all connected to the lightbulbs in the
circuits at the same time.

In which circuit will the battery run out of usable energy first?

____ Circuit 1 ____ Circuit 2 ____ Circuit 3

In which circuit will the battery run out of usable energy last?

____ Circuit 1 ____ Circuit 2 ____ Circuit 3

In a clear, coherent paragraph-length response that may also contain equations and drawings, explain your
reasoning.

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 2017 AP® PHYSICS 1 FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

2. (12 points, suggested time 25 minutes)

A student wants to determine the coefficient of static friction between a long, flat wood board and a small wood
block.
(a) Describe an experiment for determining the coefficient of static friction between the wood board and the
wood block. Assume equipment usually found in a school physics laboratory is available.
i. Draw a diagram of the experimental setup of the board and block. In your diagram, indicate each
quantity that would be measured and draw or state what equipment would be used to measure each
quantity.
ii. Describe the overall procedure to be used, including any steps necessary to reduce experimental
uncertainty. Give enough detail so that another student could replicate the experiment.
(b) Derive an equation for the coefficient of static friction in terms of quantities measured in the procedure from
part (a).
A physics class consisting of six lab groups wants to test the hypothesis that the coefficient of static friction
between the board and the block equals the coefficient of kinetic friction between the board and the block. Each
group determines the coefficients of kinetic and static friction between the board and the block. The groups’
results are shown below, with the class averages indicated in the bottom row.
Lab Coefficient Coefficient
Group of Kinetic of Static
Number Friction Friction
1 0.45 0.54
2 0.46 0.52
3 0.42 0.56
4 0.43 0.55
5 0.74 0.23
6 0.44 0.54
Average 0.49 0.49
(c) Based on these data, what conclusion should the students make about the hypothesis that the coefficients of
static and kinetic friction are equal?

____ The static and kinetic coefficients are equal.

____ The static and kinetic coefficients are not equal.

Briefly justify your reasoning.

(d) A metal disk is glued to the top of the wood block. The mass of the block-disk system is twice the mass of
the original block. Does the coefficient of static friction between the bottom of the block and the board
increase, decrease, or remain the same when the disk is added to the block?
____ Increase ____ Decrease ____ Remain the same
Briefly state your reasoning.

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 2017 AP® PHYSICS 1 FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

3. (12 points, suggested time 25 minutes)

The left end of a rod of length d and rotational inertia I is attached to a frictionless horizontal surface by a
frictionless pivot, as shown above. Point C marks the center (midpoint) of the rod. The rod is initially motionless
but is free to rotate around the pivot. A student will slide a disk of mass mdisk toward the rod with velocity v0
perpendicular to the rod, and the disk will stick to the rod a distance x from the pivot. The student wants the rod-
disk system to end up with as much angular speed as possible.
(a) Suppose the rod is much more massive than the disk. To give the rod as much angular speed as possible,
should the student make the disk hit the rod to the left of point C, at point C, or to the right of point C ?

____ To the left of C ____ At C ____ To the right of C

Briefly explain your reasoning without manipulating equations.

(b) On the Internet, a student finds the following equation for the postcollision angular speed w of the rod in this
m xv
situation: w = disk 0 . Regardless of whether this equation for angular speed is correct, does it agree with
I
your qualitative reasoning in part (a) ? In other words, does this equation for w have the expected
dependence as reasoned in part (a) ?

____ Yes ____ No

Briefly explain your reasoning without deriving an equation for w.

(c) Another student deriving an equation for the postcollision angular speed w of the rod makes a mistake and
I xv0
comes up with w = . Without deriving the correct equation, how can you tell that this equation is
mdisk d 4
not plausible—in other words, that it does not make physical sense? Briefly explain your reasoning.

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 2017 AP® PHYSICS 1 FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

For parts (d) and (e), do NOT assume that the rod is much more massive than the disk.

(d) Immediately before colliding with the rod, the disk’s rotational inertia about the pivot is mdisk x 2 and its
angular momentum with respect to the pivot is mdisk v0 x. Derive an equation for the postcollision angular
speed w of the rod. Express your answer in terms of d, mdisk , I, x, v0 , and physical constants, as appropriate.

(e) Consider the collision for which your equation in part (d) was derived, except now suppose the disk bounces
backward off the rod instead of sticking to the rod. Is the postcollision angular speed of the rod when the
disk bounces off it greater than, less than, or equal to the postcollision angular speed of the rod when the
disk sticks to it?
____ Greater than ____ Less than ____ Equal to
Briefly explain your reasoning.

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 2017 AP® PHYSICS 1 FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

4. (7 points, suggested time 13 minutes)

A physics class is asked to design a low-friction slide that will launch a block horizontally from the top of a
lab table. Teams 1 and 2 assemble the slides shown above and use identical blocks 1 and 2, respectively. Both
slides start at the same height d above the tabletop. However, team 2’s table is lower than team 1’s table. To
compensate for the lower table, team 2 constructs the right end of the slide to rise above the tabletop so that the
block leaves the slide horizontally at the same height h above the floor as does team 1’s block (see figure above).
(a) Both blocks are released from rest at the top of their respective slides. Do block 1 and block 2 land the same
distance from their respective tables?
____ Yes ____ No
Justify your answer.

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 2017 AP® PHYSICS 1 FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

In another experiment, teams 1 and 2 use tables and low-friction slides with the same height. However, the two
slides have different shapes, as shown below.

(b) Both blocks are released from rest at the top of their respective slides at the same time.
i. Which block, if either, lands farther from its respective table?
____ Block 1 ____ Block 2 ____ The two blocks land the same distance
from their respective tables.
Briefly explain your reasoning without manipulating equations.

ii. Which block, if either, hits the floor first?

____ Block 1 ____ Block 2 ____ The two blocks hit the floor at the same time.
Briefly explain your reasoning without manipulating equations.

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 2017 AP® PHYSICS 1 FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

5. (7 points, suggested time 13 minutes)

Two wave pulses are traveling in opposite directions on a string. The shape of the string at t = 0 is shown above.
Each pulse is moving with a speed of one unit per second in the direction indicated.
(a) Between time t = 0 and t = 5 seconds, the entire left-hand pulse approaches and moves beyond point P on
the string. On the coordinate axes below, plot the velocity of the piece of string located at point P as a
function of time between t = 0 and t = 5 seconds.

Velocity Versus Time

(b) At t = 5 s, the pulses completely overlap. On the grid provided below, sketch the shape of the entire string
at t = 5 s.
Note: Do any scratch (practice) work on the grids on the following page. You will only be graded for the
sketch made on the grid on this page.

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 2017 AP® PHYSICS 1 FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

The grids below are provided for scratch work only. Sketches made below will NOT be graded.

STOP

END OF EXAM
 2018

AP Physics 1:
Algebra-Based
Free-Response Questions

© 2018 The College Board. College Board, Advanced Placement Program, AP, AP Central, and the acorn logo
are registered trademarks of the College Board. Visit the College Board on the Web: www.collegeboard.org.
AP Central is the official online home for the AP Program: apcentral.collegeboard.org.
 2018 AP® PHYSICS 1 FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

PHYSICS 1
Section II
Time—1 hour and 30 minutes
5 Questions

Directions: Questions 1, 4, and 5 are short free-response questions that require about 13 minutes each to answer and
are worth 7 points each. Questions 2 and 3 are long free-response questions that require about 25 minutes each to
answer and are worth 12 points each. Show your work for each part in the space provided after that part.

1. (7 points, suggested time 13 minutes)

A spacecraft of mass m is in a clockwise circular orbit of radius R around Earth, as shown in the figure above.
The mass of Earth is M E .
(a) In the figure below, draw and label the forces (not components) that act on the spacecraft. Each force must
be represented by a distinct arrow starting on, and pointing away from, the spacecraft.

(b)
i. Derive an equation for the orbital period T of the spacecraft in terms of m, M E , R, and physical
constants, as appropriate. If you need to draw anything other than what you have shown in part (a) to
assist in your solution, use the space below. Do NOT add anything to the figure in part (a).

ii. A second spacecraft of mass 2m is placed in a circular orbit with the same radius R. Is the orbital
period of the second spacecraft greater than, less than, or equal to the orbital period of the first
spacecraft?
____ Greater than ____ Less than ____ Equal to
Briefly explain your reasoning.

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 2018 AP® PHYSICS 1 FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

(c) The first spacecraft is moved into a new circular orbit that has a radius greater than R, as shown in the figure
below.

Is the speed of the spacecraft in the new orbit greater than, less than, or equal to the original speed?
____ Greater than ____ Less than ____ Equal to
Briefly explain your reasoning.

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 2018 AP® PHYSICS 1 FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

2. (12 points, suggested time 25 minutes)

A group of students prepare a large batch of conductive dough (a soft substance that can conduct electricity) and
then mold the dough into several cylinders with various cross-sectional areas A and lengths . Each student
applies a potential difference DV across the ends of a dough cylinder and determines the resistance R of the
cylinder. The results of their experiments are shown in the table below.

Dough
A (m 2 )  (m) DV (V) R (W )
Cylinder
1 0.00049 0.030 1.02 23.6
2 0.00049 0.050 2.34 31.5
3 0.00053 0.080 3.58 61.2
4 0.00057 0.150 6.21 105

(a) The students want to determine the resistivity of the dough cylinders.
i. Indicate below which quantities could be graphed to determine a value for the resistivity of the dough
cylinders. You may use the remaining columns in the table above, as needed, to record any quantities
(including units) that are not already in the table.

Vertical Axis: ________________________ Horizontal Axis: ________________________

ii. On the grid below, plot the appropriate quantities to determine the resistivity of the dough cylinders.
Clearly scale and label all axes, including units as appropriate.

iii. Use the above graph to estimate a value for the resistivity of the dough cylinders.

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 2018 AP® PHYSICS 1 FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

(b) Another group of students perform the experiment described in part (a) but shape the dough into long
rectangular shapes instead of cylinders. Will this change affect the value of the resistivity determined by the
second group of students?
____ Yes ____ No
Briefly justify your reasoning.
(c) Describe an experimental procedure to determine whether or not the resistivity of the dough cylinders
depends on the temperature of the dough. Give enough detail so that another student could replicate the
experiment. As needed, include a diagram of the experimental setup. Assume equipment usually found
in a school physics laboratory is available.

© 2018 The College Board.

Visit the College Board on the Web: www.collegeboard.org.

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 2018 AP® PHYSICS 1 FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

3. (12 points, suggested time 25 minutes)

The disk shown above spins about the axle at its center. A student’s experiments reveal that, while the disk is
spinning, friction between the axle and the disk exerts a constant torque on the disk.
(a) At time t = 0 the disk has an initial counterclockwise (positive) angular velocity ω0 . The disk later comes
to rest at time t = t1.
i. On the grid at left below, sketch a graph that could represent the disk’s angular velocity as a function
of time t from t = 0 until the disk comes to rest at time t = t1.
ii. On the grid at right below, sketch the disk’s angular acceleration as a function of time t from t = 0
until the disk comes to rest at time t = t1 .

(b) The magnitude of the frictional torque exerted on the disk is τ 0 . Derive an equation for the rotational
inertia I of the disk in terms of τ 0 , ω0 , t1 , and physical constants, as appropriate.

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 2018 AP® PHYSICS 1 FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

(c) In another experiment, the disk again has an initial positive angular velocity ω0 at time t = 0. At
1
time t = t , the student starts dripping oil on the contact surface between the axle and the disk to reduce
2 1
the friction. As time passes, more and more oil reaches that contact surface, reducing the friction even
further.
i. On the grid at left below, sketch a graph that could represent the disk’s angular velocity as a
function of time from t = 0 to t = t1 , which is the time at which the disk came to rest in part (a).
ii. On the grid at right below, sketch the disk’s angular acceleration as a function of time
from t = 0 to t = t1 .

(d) The student is trying to mathematically model the magnitude τ of the torque exerted by the axle on the disk
1
when the oil is present at times t > t . The student writes down the following two equations, each of
21
which includes a positive constant (C 1 or C 2 ) with appropriate units.

(1) τ = C1 t − ( 1
) 1
t (for t > t1 )
2 1 2
C2 1
τ = (for t >
( )
(2) t)
1 2 1
t + t1
2
Which equation better mathematically models this experiment?
____ Equation (1) ____ Equation (2)
Briefly explain why the equation you selected is plausible and why the other equation is not plausible.

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 2018 AP® PHYSICS 1 FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

4. (7 points, suggested time 13 minutes)

A transverse wave travels to the right along a string.
(a) Two dots have been painted on the string. In the diagrams below, those dots are labeled P and Q.
i. The figure below shows the string at an instant in time. At the instant shown, dot P has maximum
displacement and dot Q has zero displacement from equilibrium. At each of the dots P and Q, draw an
arrow indicating the direction of the instantaneous velocity of that dot. If either dot has zero velocity,
write “v = 0” next to the dot.

ii. The figure below shows the string at the same instant as shown in part (a)i. At each of the dots P and
Q, draw an arrow indicating the direction of the instantaneous acceleration of that dot. If either dot has
zero acceleration, write “a = 0” next to the dot.

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 2018 AP® PHYSICS 1 FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

The figure below represents the string at time t = 0, the same instant as shown in part (a) when dot P is at its
maximum displacement from equilibrium. For simplicity, dot Q is not shown.

(b)
i. On the grid below, draw the string at a later time t = T 4, where T is the period of the wave.
Note: Do any scratch (practice) work on the grid at the bottom of the page. Only the sketch made on
the grid immediately below will be graded.

ii. On your drawing above, draw a dot to indicate the position of dot P on the string at time t = T 4 and
clearly label the dot with the letter P.
(c) Now consider the wave at time t = T. Determine the distance traveled (not the displacement) by dot P
between times t = 0 and t = T.

____________________________________________________________________________________

The grid below is provided for scratch work only. Sketches made below will not be graded.

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 2018 AP® PHYSICS 1 FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

5. (7 points, suggested time 13 minutes)

Block Pof mass m is on a horizontal, frictionless surface and is attached to a spring with spring constant k. The
block is oscillating with period TP and amplitude AP about the spring’s equilibrium position x0 . A second
block Qof mass 2m is then dropped from rest and lands on block P at the instant it passes through the
equilibrium position, as shown above. Block Q immediately sticks to the top of block P, and the two-block
system oscillates with period TPQ and amplitude APQ .

(a) Determine the numerical value of the ratio TPQ TP .

(b) The figure is reproduced above. How does the amplitude of oscillation APQ of the two-block system
compare with the original amplitude AP of block P alone?
____ APQ < AP ____ APQ = AP ____ APQ > AP

In a clear, coherent paragraph-length response that may also contain diagrams and/or equations, explain your
reasoning.

STOP

END OF EXAM