The 42nd Period  ·  AP Physics C: Mechanics

AP Physics C
Calculus-Based Mechanics

Seven units. One semester. The same universe as Physics 1 — now derived, integrated, and taken apart with calculus.

📅 Full Year Course📝 AP Exam — May 2026📚 7 Units Calculus-Based🎓 College Board Aligned

All 7 Units — Choose Your Season

📐Unit 1
10–15% exam

Kinematics

Position, velocity, and acceleration — now with calculus.

🕐 ~14–19 periodsEnter →
Unit 2
20–25% exam

Force and Translational Dynamics

Newton's laws, friction, springs, and resistive forces — derived, not just applied.

🕐 ~15–25 periodsEnter →
🔋Unit 3
15–25% exam

Work, Energy, and Power

Energy can't be created or destroyed. Only transformed — and integrated.

🕐 ~12–17 periodsEnter →
🎱Unit 4
10–20% exam

Linear Momentum

Collisions, impulse, and center of mass for systems of particles.

🕐 ~11–15 periodsEnter →
🌀Unit 5
10–15% exam

Torque and Rotational Dynamics

Everything from Unit 2 — but now things spin.

🕐 ~14–20 periodsEnter →
🔄Unit 6
10–15% exam

Energy and Momentum of Rotating Systems

Angular momentum is conserved. Figure skaters — and satellites — know this.

🕐 ~13–19 periodsEnter →
〰️Unit 7
10–15% exam

Oscillations

Springs, pendulums, and everything that goes back and forth.

🕐 ~12–17 periodsEnter →
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From Your Instructor

Welcome to AP Physics C: Mechanics

Welcome to AP Physics C: Mechanics — the calculus-based sequel to Physics 1, and the most demanding course this department offers. Everything you learned about motion, forces, and energy gets rebuilt from the ground up with derivatives and integrals. The math isn't optional here; it's the whole point.

This course moves fast and assumes you're ready for it: comfortable with (or concurrently taking) calculus, willing to work through dense problem sets, and able to keep pace without much hand-holding. Guided lessons, interactive tools, videos, and practice problems are all here, aligned to the official College Board CED — but they only help if you use them consistently, not the week before the exam.

If you're headed toward engineering, physics, or another STEM field, this is the course where it starts to feel real. Ask questions early, keep up with the pace, and take the practice seriously — that's what gets you to the May exam ready.

🎬Course Overview

What this course is, how it's structured, and what to expect.

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🗺️Site Walkthrough

How to navigate the42ndperiod.com and find everything you need.

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🎓AP Classroom Guide

How to use AP Central, find daily videos, and check your scores.

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Course Documents

📋
Course Syllabus

Grading, expectations, and how the year is structured.

📘
AP Physics C: Mechanics CED

The full official College Board course and exam description.

🧮
2026 Formula Sheet

Every equation you'll have on exam day. Print it. Annotate it.

⭐ Print this out

A Note About AI

AI was used to build this site
  • Generate course images
  • Create the AI podcast for each lesson
  • Build the interactive tools and apps
  • Format and layout lesson content consistently
My advice about using AI

I'd be naive to think you won't use AI on your work. I use it — so why wouldn't you? But using AI well means more than copy-pasting an answer. Train it. Ask it to explain things in a way that makes sense to you. Use it to learn, not to skip learning.

Bottom line: I can tell when you used AI without understanding it. If you submit something you can't explain, that's plagiarism — and it'll be treated that way. Use it smart.
The 42nd Period ·  AP Physics C: Mechanics  ·  Full Year
🎬 Now streaming · Rated AP for Calculus and Physics