An easier way to learn physics
The Physics 1 course has everything you need to learn algebra-based mechanics in one place
Includes the 2024-2025 updates for AP® Physics 1
Lesson videos
Start by learning the fundamental concepts and developing an intuition of how things work, then learn what the equations mean and how to use them. With a solid understanding of the concepts, solving problems will be a lot easier.
Study guides
Review the important points from each lesson and quickly reference the equations, with graphics to help you remember what the equations mean.
Download and print them for offline studying.
Over 900 practice problems
Once you understand the concepts and how to use the equations, work through the practice problems for each topic and then check the solutions.
Download and print them for offline studying.
4 practice tests for AP® Physics 1
Practice for the 2025 AP® Physics 1 exam with 4 MCQ practice tests with explanations for each answer. The questions for each topic are also included in the lesson pages so you can focus on the specific concepts that you're struggling with.
Hands-on and virtual labs
Explore the different physics concepts with virtual simulations, easy labs to do at home and labs for the classroom. Each lab includes a list of required materials and a link to a free lab manual or video.
Discord server for extra help
If you have a question or need help you can head over to the Physics Lab Discord server to get help from the course instructor and other students, share feedback about the course, and be notified when any updates are made to the lesson content.
Includes the new updates to AP® Physics 1 for 2024-2025
This course includes the new Fluids unit and updates to the circular and rotational motion units. The practice tests have been updated to 80 minutes for 40 multiple-choice questions.
Physics 1 Course
Physics 1 Course
This is an algebra-based mechanics course that you can use for:
  • AP® Physics 1*
  • High school physics
  • Homeschool physics
  • College intro physics
  • Learning physics on your own
  • Teaching high school physics
Preview the Physics 1 Course
*Learning or teaching AP® Physics 1? Check out the AP Physics 1 Course
More videos are being added to the Physics 1 Course!
Sign up now to get the Early Access price:
Comments from other students 💬
“Chris is very good at breaking down difficult concepts into terms that are more easily understood, compared to what might be said in lecture”
"It makes me think about the problems in a way that I wouldn’t if I were working them out on my own”
"He slows everything down and just gives you the basics of what you really need to know. I feel like during lectures you get bombarded with info”
"He's helped me even more than daily lectures! Thank you so much”
Interested in updates about the course?
Join the Physics Lab Discord server
  • See announcements about updates and new content
  • Share feedback and suggestions for the course
  • Chat with the course instructor and other students
  • Ask questions and get help with physics
    • Other physics courses
    Most physics classes, YouTube videos and websites are one way and static. Once a video is created it's rarely updated.
    Physics Lab videos and other content are constantly being improved and updated based on feedback from students.
    Most classes expect you to solve problems without building the foundation - a solid understanding of the concepts and equations.
    The goal of Physics Lab is to help you fully understand the concepts and equations so later topics make sense and solving problems is easy.
    Other physics courses
    Most physics classes, YouTube videos and websites are one way and static. Once a video is created it's rarely updated.
    Physics Lab videos and other content are constantly being improved and updated based on feedback from students.
    Other physics courses
    Most classes expect you to solve problems without building the foundation - a solid understanding of the concepts and equations.
    The goal of Physics Lab is to help you fully understand the concepts and equations so later topics make sense and solving problems is easy.
    FAQ
    What class and grade level is this course for?
    This course covers the same material as a typical high school physics class, AP® Physics 1 and college introductory physics. It includes mechanics topics (motion, forces, energy, fluids, etc.) and uses algebra (no calculus, although the kinematics section touches on slope and area under a curve).
    What are the prerequisites for this course?
    Students should be comfortable with algebra (solving for unknown variables) and right triangle trigonometry (sin, cos, tan). The Basics section in this course includes videos and study guides to help students review those topics before starting physics.
    How long does the course take to complete?
    The course is flexible - it can be completed over the course of a full school year (like a 9-month high school physics class) but it can also be completed in less time (like a 4-month college physics class). The material is designed to make physics easier and quicker to learn compared to a typical physics class. Click here to learn more about how to pace out the course.
    What other materials do I need for this course?
    You'll need a scientific calculator (a calculator with sin, cos and tan functions) or you can use an online calculator like WolframAlpha. The practice problems can be printed out and worked on directly but you may want a notebook, some paper or a tablet to have more room to work through the practice problems.
    How does grading work?
    The course is designed to allow students to work through everything on their own and get help from the course instructor when they need it. The course does not include automatically graded assignments (coming in the future) so students can grade the practice problems after they complete them (solutions and explanations are included).
    What makes Physics Lab different from other courses and websites like Khan Academy?
    This course comes with a Discord server where students can chat with the course instructor and other students when they have questions and need help.
    More time and effort goes into producing the Physics Lab videos so that the concepts are easy to understand quickly. The videos and study guides include a lot of visuals so things easier to learn.
    It keeps getting better! Once you upload a YouTube video you can't change it, and most courses aren't really updated after they're created. But what are the chances you made the best possible video for each topic on your first try? All Physics Lab content is continuously updated and improved based on questions and feedback from students.
    Physics was my favorite class as a student. I loved being a tutor and working as a physics session leader at Penn State, which focused on helping 1st/2nd year physics students.
    While working with other students, especially in non-STEM majors, I saw how boring and difficult physics can be for a lot of people. I also realized that many classes don’t teach physics very well, which causes a lot of students to think they're bad at physics.
    I created Physics Lab to try to change that. There are a lot of resources for learning physics, but I think there are a few ways to make this even better: create videos and other content that is visually engaging and explains things in a clear way, and (more importantly) continuously iterate and improve the content based on questions and feedback from students and teachers.
    I left my job as a mechanical engineer to work on Physics Lab full time. If things work out I plan on creating more courses in the future.
    Email me at [email protected] if you have any questions or feedback, thanks!
    - Chris
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