AP Physics C: Mechanics
AP Physics C: Mechanics is an Advanced Placement science course in which students study Newtonian mechanics. It is one of the AP Physics courses offered in some U.S. secondary schools.
Course content
Intended to be equivalent to an introductory college course in mechanics for physics or engineering majors, the course modules are:- Kinematics
- Newton’s laws of motion
- Work, energy and power
- Systems of particles and linear momentum
- Circular motion and rotation
- Oscillations and gravitation.
This course may be combined with to make a unified Physics C course that prepares for both exams.
AP test
The course culminates in an optional exam for which high-performing students may receive some credit towards their college coursework, depending on the institution.Registration
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.Format
The exam is typically administered on a Monday afternoon in May. 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 of the final score. Additionally, tables of equations, information, and constants are provided for all portions of the exam as of 2015. This and are the shortest AP exams, with total testing time of 90 minutes.The topics covered by the exam are as follows:
| Topic | Percent |
| Kinematics | 18% |
| Newton's laws of motion | 20% |
| Work, energy, power | 14% |
| Systems of particles, linear momentum | 12% |
| Circular motion and rotation | 18% |
| Oscillations and gravitation | 18% |
As a result of the 2019-20 coronavirus pandemic, the AP examination in 2020 was taken online. The topics of oscillations and gravitation were removed from the test.
Grade distribution
The grade distributions since 2010 were:| Score | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
| 5 | 26.9% | 26.5% | 31.3% | 28.5% | 30.8% | 27.5% | 30.2% | 34.7% | 28.6% | 35.9% | 40.9% |
| 4 | 25.2% | 24.3% | 26.5% | 26.0% | 26.1% | 28.6% | 27.4% | 27.8% | 27.6% | 27.2% | 26.0% |
| 3 | 20.7% | 22.2% | 18.9% | 20.2% | 19.0% | 20.7% | 18.5% | 16.1% | 20.5% | 18.0% | 16.0% |
| 2 | 14.7% | 14.2% | 12.9% | 14.2% | 13.3% | 12.3% | 13.9% | 13% | 13.1% | 10.4% | 9.5% |
| 1 | 12.5% | 12.8% | 10.4% | 11.2% | 10.8% | 10.9% | 10% | 8.4% | 10.2% | 8.4% | 7.6% |
| Mean | 3.39 | 3.37 | 3.55 | 3.47 | 3.53 | 3.49 | 3.54 | 3.67 | 3.51 |