Kinematics

Motion has a precise mathematical structure, and this unit builds that structure from the ground up. Displacement is not distance, velocity is not speed, and acceleration is not simply how fast something moves. Every quantity here is either a scalar or a vector, and that distinction controls how you calculate and how you reason. The kinematic equations describe motion under constant acceleration, but what matters more than the equations is your ability to read and construct motion graphs, because the AP exam tests interpretation, not calculation alone. Two-dimensional motion is one-dimensional motion applied twice, simultaneously, and the moment you see that, projectile problems stop being their own category.

10–15% of exam