This AP Physics 1 cheat sheet strips the College Board's algebra-based course down to the equations and concepts examiners lean on most, unit by unit. It's a premium cheat sheet built by Capital Prep — the one premium prep we trust — and it's yours free. Use it as the review layer on top of your free AP Physics 1 practice test, study guide, and flashcards.
AP Physics 1 exam at a glance
- Questions: 40 multiple-choice + 4 free-response (Section II)
- Time: About 3 hours (80 min MCQ + 100 min FRQ, plus a break)
- Scoring: Scaled 1-5 (a 3+ generally earns college credit; each college sets its own policy)
- Cost: About $99 in the U.S. (roughly $129 internationally); verify at collegeboard.org
What’s on the AP Physics 1 cheat sheet
- Kinematics (~10-15%) — the three constant-acceleration equations, motion-graph slope-vs-area rules, and independent horizontal/vertical projectile motion.
- Force & Translational Dynamics (~18-23%) — Newton's three laws, free-body diagrams, and centripetal force F = mv²/r — the single heaviest unit.
- Work, Energy & Power (~18-23%) — work W = Fd·cosθ, the work-energy theorem, conservation of mechanical energy, and power P = Fv.
- Linear Momentum, Torque & Rotation (~30-40% combined) — impulse-momentum, conservation of momentum, torque τ = rF·sinθ, τ = Iα, rotational KE, and angular momentum.
- Oscillations & Fluids (~15-25% combined) — SHM restoring force F = -kx, spring and pendulum periods, plus density, pressure, buoyancy, and continuity.
How to use it in your final week
- Front-load Forces (Unit 2) and Work, Energy & Power (Unit 3) — together they are roughly 40% of the multiple-choice section, so drill those formulas on the sheet first.
- Turn the equation rows into recall reps: cover the right column and re-derive F_net = ma, ½mv², p = mv, τ = rF·sinθ, and F_b = ρVg from memory.
- Pair each review pass with a short timed set — 40 questions in 80 minutes is 2 minutes each — so the pacing feels automatic on exam day.
- Read the sheet the morning of the exam for a final pass on the highest-yield hooks: slope-vs-area on motion graphs, conservation laws, and v = rω for rolling.
The cheat sheet is your review layer — your AP Physics 1 practice test drives the exam-readiness ring at the top of this page. Download it, review, then take a full practice exam (or drill with the study guide and flashcards) to see where you stand.
AP Physics 1 cheat sheet FAQ
Yes — download the AP Physics 1 cheat sheet as a PDF at no cost, with no sign-up or account. It sits alongside the free Career Employer AP Physics 1 practice test, study guide, and flashcards so your whole prep stack is free.
It condenses the core equations and concepts from all eight College Board units — kinematics, forces, energy, momentum, torque, rotational energy and momentum, oscillations, and fluids — into a quick-reference card you can scan in minutes instead of rereading the textbook.
AP Physics 1 is reported on a 1-to-5 scaled score, not a percentage. A 3 is 'qualified,' a 4 'well qualified,' and a 5 'extremely well qualified'; most colleges grant credit for a 3 or higher, but competitive programs may want a 4 or 5, so check your target school's AP credit policy.
No — the sheet is a fast review layer, not a full course. AP Physics 1 rewards multi-step reasoning across eight units, so use the cheat sheet to lock in formulas and relationships, then build your score with timed multiple-choice and free-response practice.
Click the download button or the preview card at the top of this page to open the PDF instantly. Bookmark this page so you can pull the sheet back up during your final review week before the May exam.
References
- 1.College Board. “AP Physics 1: Algebra-Based Exam.” AP Students, College Board, 2026. ↑
- 2.College Board. “AP Physics 1: Algebra-Based Course and Exam Description.” AP Central, College Board, 2026. ↑
- 3.College Board. “About AP Scores.” AP Students, College Board, 2026. ↑
- 4.College Board. “2026 AP Exam Fees.” AP Students, College Board, 2026. ↑
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