Advanced Placement Physics C: Mechanics

AP Physics C: Mechanics (often referred to as C Mechanics, Mechanics, or simply Physics C) is an Advanced Placement science course that studies Newtonian mechanics. It is one of the AP Physics courses offered in some U.S. secondary schools.

Intended to be equivalent to an introductory college course in mechanics for physics or engineering majors, the course modules are:

Methods of calculus are used wherever appropriate in formulating physical principles and in applying them to physical problems. Therefore, students should have completed or be concurrently enrolled in a calculus class.

This course may be combined with AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism to make a unified Physics C course that prepares for both exams. In this scenario, Mechanics is taught first because Electricity and Magnetism requires much of the knowledge gained in the Mechanics course.

The course culminates in an optional exam for which high-performing students may receive some credit towards their college coursework, depending on which college or university they attend.

The AP examination for AP Physics C: Mechanics is separate from the AP examination for AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism. Before 2006, test-takers paid only once and were given the choice of taking either one or two parts of the Physics C test.

The exam is configured in two categories: a 35-question multiple choice section and a 3-question free response section. Test takers are allowed to use an approved calculator during the entire exam. The test is weighted such that each section is worth fifty percent (50%) of the final score. Additionally, tables of equations, information, and constants are provided for all portions of the exam as of 2015. This is one of the shortest AP exams, with total testing time of 90 minutes.

The topics covered by the exam are as follows:

The grade distributions since 2010 were:

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