AP Physics 1 · Unit 5

Torque & Rotational Dynamics

Why doors have handles at the edge — forces that turn, the inertia of shape, and the art of balance.

CED Topics 5.1 – 5.5 · Exam weight 10–15%
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§ 1Big Picture

§ 2Vocabulary

Tap a card to flip. Use Mark Known to track your progress — it's saved in your browser. Search to filter.

§ 3Laws & Principles

Each card opens to show Statement / Applies when / Equation / Why it matters. Click a card to expand — and try to recall all four before you do.

§ 4Must-Know Equations

Gold dots = on the official AP Physics 1 equation sheet. The sheet gives you symbols, not understanding — know what each variable means and when the equation is legal to use.

§ 5Learning Objectives

Click a question to reveal a model answer. These map to the College Board’s learning objectives for this unit — if you can answer each cold, you own the unit.

§ 6Multiple-Choice Practice

Multiple choice is 50% of the exam (40 questions, 80 minutes). Unit 5 questions turn on two skills: finding the lever arm, and refusing to confuse the rotational quantities with their linear twins. Explanations appear after you choose.

§ 7Free-Response Workbook

The exam has exactly four FRQs — Mathematical Routines (10 pts), Translation Between Representations (12 pts), Experimental Design & Analysis (10 pts), and Qualitative/Quantitative Translation (8 pts). One of each is below. Write your response first, then reveal the model.

§ 8Design an Experiment

Experimental Design & Analysis is a guaranteed FRQ. Work through each phase of this investigation before revealing the analysis — the readers score your design choices, your data handling, and your reasoning about uncertainty.

§ 9Argumentation & Reasoning

AP Physics rewards claim → evidence → reasoning in words, not just algebra. Practice building the verbal argument — these are the “explain without equations” questions that separate 4s from 5s.

§ 10Landmark Experiments

The experiments that built this unit. Exam questions love to recycle these setups — know what each one showed and how.

§ 11Common Pitfalls

The specific mistakes students make over and over on Unit 5 questions.

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