College Board · Second college course in algebra-based physics
AP Physics 2 Simulations and Calculators by Unit
Free AP Physics 2 simulations and calculators for units 9 to 15, from thermodynamics and circuits to optics, waves and modern physics, sorted by unit.
38 tools across 7 units
Unit 9: Thermodynamics
Kinetic theory of temperature and pressure, the ideal gas law, thermal energy, the first law and PV diagrams, specific heat, thermal conductivity, entropy and the second law.
Unit 10: Electric Force, Field, and Potential
Charge and its conservation, charging by friction, conduction and induction, Coulomb’s law, electric fields and potential, capacitors, and conservation of electric energy.
Unit 11: Electric Circuits
Electric current, simple circuits, resistance, resistivity and Ohm’s law, electric power, compound circuits, Kirchhoff’s loop and junction rules, and resistor-capacitor circuits.
Unit 12: Magnetism and Electromagnetism
Magnetic fields, the force on a moving charge, the fields and forces of current-carrying wires, and electromagnetic induction by Faraday’s law and Lenz’s law.
Unit 13: Geometric Optics
Reflection and the images mirrors form, refraction by Snell’s law and total internal reflection, and the images thin lenses form.
Unit 14: Waves, Sound, and Physical Optics
Wave pulses and periodic waves, boundaries and polarisation, electromagnetic waves, the Doppler effect, interference and standing waves, diffraction, double slits and thin films.
Unit 15: Modern Physics
Wave-particle duality, the Bohr model, emission and absorption spectra, blackbody radiation, the photoelectric effect, Compton scattering, fission, fusion and radioactive decay.
What are the units in AP Physics 2?
The College Board course framework divides AP Physics 2 into seven units, numbered 9 to 15: Thermodynamics; Electric Force, Field, and Potential; Electric Circuits; Magnetism and Electromagnetism; Geometric Optics; Waves, Sound, and Physical Optics; and Modern Physics. On this page, each unit has a short summary and the tools on this site that teach it.
The course description asks for AP Physics 1 or a comparable introductory course first, and precalculus taken before or alongside. Units 9, 10 and 11 each make up 15 to 18 percent of the multiple-choice section and the other four 12 to 15 percent each.
Course outline: College Board, AP Physics 2: Algebra-Based Course and Exam Description, effective fall 2024.