AP Physics 2
Seven College Board units (2024–25 framework) covering thermodynamics, electricity, magnetism, optics, waves, and modern physics.
Standards names and details may remain in English in non-English interfaces.
Unit 9: Thermodynamics (15–18%)
Kinetic theory, the ideal gas law, thermal equilibrium, and the first and second laws of thermodynamics.
Core
- Ideal gas sandbox →
- Kinetic theory sandbox →
- Isothermal compression →
- Isobaric heating →
- Isochoric heating →
- Adiabatic expansion →
- Hot & cold mixing →
- Conduction bar →
- Carnot cycle →
- Otto cycle →
- Refrigerator (reversed Carnot) →
- Stirling cycle →
- Isothermal expansion — entropy change →
- Reversible Carnot cycle — entropy →
Unit 10: Electric Force, Field, and Potential (15–18%)
Coulomb's law, electric fields, electric potential energy, and capacitors.
Core
Unit 11: Electric Circuits (15–18%)
Current, resistance, Ohm's law, compound DC circuits, and RC circuits.
Core
Unit 12: Magnetism and Electromagnetism (12–15%)
Magnetic fields, forces on moving charges and current-carrying wires, and electromagnetic induction.
Core
Unit 13: Geometric Optics (12–15%)
Reflection and refraction, and the images formed by mirrors and lenses.
Core
- Converging lens — real image →
- Focal point — parallel rays →
- Magnifier (object inside f) →
- Diverging lens — virtual image →
- Concave mirror — real image →
- Convex mirror — virtual image →
- Plane mirror →
- Apparent depth (flat interface) →
- Total internal reflection →
- Two-lens relay →
- Compound microscope (angular) →
- Two-lens enlarger →
- White-light prism →
- Minimum deviation →
- Flint-glass prism (more dispersion) →
- Thin (small-apex) prism →
- Water prism (rainbow) →
- Lensmaker lens (from radii) →
- Normal eye →
- Myopia (near-sighted) →
- Myopia corrected →
- Hyperopia (far-sighted) →
- Hyperopia corrected →
- Simple magnifier (angular) →
- Astronomical telescope →
- Compound microscope (angular) →
Unit 14: Waves, Sound, and Physical Optics (12–15%)
Wave properties, sound, the Doppler effect, interference, diffraction, and thin-film interference.
Core
- Travelling wave on a string →
- Two-source beats →
- Standing wave on a string →
- Doppler — approaching source →
- Sound intensity vs distance →
- Decibel scale at the ear →
- Rich timbre (harmonics) →
- Pipe resonance →
- Young's double slit →
- Single-slit diffraction →
- Diffraction grating →
- Thin-film interference →
- Crossed polarizers →
- Three-polarizer paradox →
- Brewster's angle →
Unit 15: Modern Physics (12–15%)
Quantum theory, atomic spectra, the photoelectric effect, Compton scattering, and nuclear decay.
Core
- Photoelectric threshold →
- Retarding potential →
- Sodium photocell →
- Compton scattering at 90° →
- Compton backscatter (180°) →
- Compton scattering at 45° →
- Balmer α (Hα) line →
- Lyman α line →
- Paschen β line →
- Carbon-14 decay →
- Tc-99m medical tracer →
- Iron-56 binding energy →