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.
 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.

-2-
 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

-3-
 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.

© 2017 The College Board.

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

GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE.

-4-
 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.

© 2017 The College Board.

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

GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE.

-5-
 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.

© 2017 The College Board.

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

GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE.

-6-
 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.

© 2017 The College Board.

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

GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE.

-7-
 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.

© 2017 The College Board.

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

GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE.

-8-
 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.

© 2017 The College Board.

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

GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE.

-9-
 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.

© 2017 The College Board.

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

GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE.

-10-
 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

© 2017 The College Board.

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

-11-