AP Physics 1 Full Mock 3: Energy and Momentum Emphasis
AP Physics 1 Full Mock 3 focuses on energy conservation, momentum, and collision FRQs. Energy bar charts, impulse, and integrated conservation law practice.
Conservation Laws at the Center of Mock 3
Full Mock 3 places its greatest emphasis on energy and momentum — Units 3 and 4 of AP Physics 1. These two units are heavily represented on the actual AP exam because they require students to select the right conservation law, apply it correctly, and justify their reasoning in writing. Mock 3 develops all three of these skills simultaneously.
Emphasis Areas in Full Mock 3
Energy Conservation and Bar Charts
- MCQ questions requiring interpretation of energy bar charts (LOL diagrams) for systems with and without friction.
- Identifying where energy is stored and transferred in spring-mass and incline scenarios.
- Multi-select questions comparing the work done by different forces in the same scenario.
Collision FRQs
- A multi-part collision FRQ where students apply momentum conservation, calculate kinetic energy change, and classify the collision type — all in one problem.
- An explosion FRQ requiring momentum conservation with zero initial momentum, plus a qualitative explanation of why kinetic energy increases in an explosion.
Integrated Energy-Momentum Problems
The highest-difficulty FRQ in Mock 3 presents a multi-step scenario: an object slides down a ramp (energy conservation), then collides with a stationary object (momentum conservation), then the combined object compresses a spring (energy conservation again). These chained conservation problems are among the most challenging on the AP Physics 1 exam and require practiced fluency with both laws.