Introduction
The 2010 AP Physics C: Mechanics Free Response Questions (FRQs) tested students’ understanding of a wide range of topics in mechanics, including kinematics, dynamics, energy, and momentum. The questions were challenging, but they also provided an excellent opportunity for students to demonstrate their problem-solving skills and their ability to apply their knowledge of physics to real-world situations.
Question 1: Kinematics
The first question on the 2010 AP Physics C: Mechanics FRQ was a kinematics question that asked students to analyze the motion of a car. The question provided students with a graph of the car’s velocity as a function of time, and then asked them to calculate the car’s displacement, acceleration, and average velocity.
To solve this question, students needed to use their knowledge of kinematics equations. They needed to be able to identify the slope of the velocity-time graph to find the car’s acceleration, and they needed to use the area under the velocity-time graph to find the car’s displacement.
Question 2: Dynamics
The second question on the 2010 AP Physics C: Mechanics FRQ was a dynamics question that asked students to analyze the forces acting on a block on an inclined plane. The question provided students with a diagram of the block and the forces acting on it, and then asked them to calculate the magnitude and direction of the net force acting on the block.
To solve this question, students needed to use their knowledge of Newton’s laws of motion. They needed to be able to identify the forces acting on the block, and then use Newton’s second law to calculate the net force acting on the block.
Question 3: Energy
The third question on the 2010 AP Physics C: Mechanics FRQ was an energy question that asked students to analyze the energy transformations that occur when a ball is dropped from a certain height. The question provided students with a diagram of the ball and its path, and then asked them to calculate the ball’s kinetic energy, potential energy, and total energy at various points in its motion.
To solve this question, students needed to use their knowledge of energy conservation. They needed to be able to identify the different forms of energy involved in the ball’s motion, and then use the law of conservation of energy to calculate the ball’s energy at different points in its motion.
Question 4: Momentum
The fourth question on the 2010 AP Physics C: Mechanics FRQ was a momentum question that asked students to analyze the collision between two billiard balls. The question provided students with a diagram of the billiard balls and their paths before and after the collision, and then asked them to calculate the momentum of each ball before and after the collision.
To solve this question, students needed to use their knowledge of momentum conservation. They needed to be able to identify the momentum of each ball before and after the collision, and then use the law of conservation of momentum to calculate the momentum of each ball after the collision.
Conclusion
The 2010 AP Physics C: Mechanics FRQs were challenging, but they also provided an excellent opportunity for students to demonstrate their problem-solving skills and their ability to apply their knowledge of physics to real-world situations. Students who were able to successfully answer these questions demonstrated a strong understanding of the fundamental principles of mechanics.
