AP Physics 1 Semester 1

Gracia Taptue
July 8th, 2024

AP Physics Unit 1 Study Guide

Terms, Concepts And Definitions

- Kinematics → The study of motion
- International Systems
● MKS → Meters, Kilograms, Seconds (Lengths, Mass, Time)
- Force → Newtons
● N = 1 kg(m)/s2

- Distance = rate * time

- Change in distance = velocity * time
● Final distance = velocity * time + initial distance
- Y = mx + b
● Y = dependent variable
● X = independent variable
● Sin θ → θ = sin -1 (o/h)
● Cos θ → θ = cos -1 (a/h)
● Tan θ → θ = tan -1 (o/a)

- Law of Sines
● A / Sin A = B / Sin B = C / Sin y
- Law of Cosines
● C2 = A2 + B2 - 2AB (cos y)

- Scalar Quantities → Only have magnitude

● Distance
● Speed
● Volume
● Energy
● Mass
● time

- Vector Quantities → Both have magnitude and direction

● Displacement
● Velocity
● Acceleration

- Magnitude → a quantity with a unit

- Position → Distance + Displacement
- Motion → rate at which an object moves from one position to another
- Change in Motion → Average Acceleration
 ● Change in velocity / change in time
- Acceleration → The rate of change of velocity
- Free Fall → Any motion of a body where gravity is the only force acting on it
- Projectile Motion → An object thrown into space, where the only force acting on the
object is gravity.
● Max Height → the maximum vertical position the objects reaches when it is
thrown
● Hang Time → the total time an object stays in the air when it is thrown
● Range → The horizontal displacement of the projectile

Formulas

- v → Velocity
- x → Distance/ Displacement ( x-axis)
- t → Time
- a → acceleration
- y → height ( y-axis)
- f → final
- i → initial
Example Problem 1
A car accelerates uniformly from rest to a speed of 20 m/s in 5 seconds.

1. What is the car's acceleration?

2. How far does the car travel during this time?

Example Problem 2
A ball is thrown horizontally from the top of a 20-meter high cliff with an initial speed of 10 m/s.

1. How long does it take for the ball to hit the ground?
2. How far from the base of the cliff does the ball land?

Example Solution 1

Example Solution 2