AP® Physics 2 FRQs

These are the free-response questions (FRQs) from past AP® Physics 2 exams. Scoring guidelines and example student responses are included for each question, and the points for each response are mentioned at the end of the examples (note that not all responses received perfect scores).

All of the links below have been updated as of June 2026.

FRQs Listed by Unit
FRQs Listed by Year

Listed by Unit

9. Thermodynamics

2026 Q1 - Sphere in containers of gas and liquid - temperature, pressure, ideal gas law, thermal energy transfer, internal energy, specific heat
2025 Q2 - - Gas, piston and water bath - temperature, pressure, ideal gas law, internal energy, PV diagrams
2024 Q2 - - (Experimental design) Chamber with gas and container of liquid - temperature, pressure, ideal gas law, internal energy, PV diagrams, thermal conductivity
2021 Q1 - - Ideal gas PV diagram, two gas samples in contact - kinetic molecular theory, temperature, pressure, thermal energy transfer, internal energy, work, PV diagrams
2021 Q2 - - (Parts b and c are now AP Physics 1 material) (Experimental design) Graph density vs pressure for cylinder of gas - temperature, pressure, ideal gas law, density
2019 Q3 - - (Experimental design) Ice melting on slab of plastic and boiling water - kinetic molecular theory, temperature, thermal energy transfer, thermal conductivity
2019 Q4 - - (Parts b and c are now AP Physics 1 material) Rays of light through air bubble in water - kinetic molecular theory, temperature, pressure, ideal gas law, refraction, ray diagrams
2016 Q1 - - Gas in cylinder with piston - kinetic molecular theory, temperature, pressure, ideal gas law, internal energy, work, PV diagrams
2015 Q3 - - (Experimental design) Investigate temperature and pressure with cylinders and pistons - temperature, pressure, ideal gas law, density

10. Electric Force, Field and Potential

2026 Q3 - (Experimental design) Determine magnetic field and mass of particle - charge, electric force, electric field, magnetic field, magnetic force, magnetism and moving charges
2026 Q4 - Charged sphere moves through electric field - charge, electric force, electric field, electric potential, kinetic energy
2024 Q4 - - Charged particles in magnetic and electric fields - charge, electric field, conservation of electric energy, kinetic energy
2023 Q4 - - 3 charges in triangle formation - charge, electric field, electic potential energy, electric potential, conservation of electric energy, work
2022 Q3 - - Bohr model of hydrogen atom - electric force, electric potential energy, wave-particle duality, mass-energy equivalence, emission and absorption
2022 Q4 - - Charge, wire, coils and magnetic induction - charge, electric force, electric field, Ohm's law, magnetic field, magnetic force, magnetism and wires, induction
2019 Q1 - - Charged particles in electric and magnetic fields - charge, electric force, electric field, magnetic field, magnetic force, magnetism and moving charges
2018 Q1 - - Loop and proton moving through magnetic and electric fields - electric force, electric field, magnetic field, magnetism and moving charges and wires, induction
2018 Q3 - - Light shines on metal that emits electrons - charge, electric force, wave-particle duality, photoelectric effect
2017 Q4 - - Four charges in a square - charge, electric force, electric field, electric potential energy, work
2016 Q3 - - Potential around two charged spheres - charge, electric force, electric field, electric potential energy, electric potential, work, kinetic energy
2015 Q4 - - Electrons move through plates and fields - electric force, electric field, electric potential energy, electric potential, capacitors, conservation of electric energy, kinetic energy, magnetic field, magnetic force, magnetism and moving charges

11. Electric Circuits

2025 Q3 - - (Experimental design) Predict the time constant of an RC circuit - circuits, capacitors, Ohm's law
2024 Q3 - - Circuit with battery and resistors - circuits, Ohm's law, power, resistors, internal resistance
2023 Q2 - - (Experimental design) Determine unknown circuit component and battery emf - circuits, Ohm's law, internal resistance, Kirchhoff's rules, capacitors
2022 Q2 - - (Experimental design) Determine unknown capacitance - circuits, resistors, capacitors
2021 Q3 - - Charged particle and wire loop with bulb in magnetic field - Ohm's law, power, magnetic field, magnetic force, magnetism and moving charges and wires, induction
2019 Q2 - - Circuits with variable power supply, ammeters and voltmeters - conservation of electric energy, circuits, current, Ohm's law, resistors, Kirchhoff's rules
2018 Q2 - - (Experimental design) Determine resistance, current and potential - circuits, resistors, Ohm's law, capacitors
2017 Q2 - - (Experimental design) Determine resistivity of unknown material - circuits, resistors, resistivity, Ohm's law, internal resistance
2016 Q4 - - Circuit with resistor, capacitors, battery and switch - circuits, current, resistors, capacitors, Ohm's law
2015 Q2 - - Circuit with battery, light bulbs, switch and capacitor - circuits, resistors, capacitors, Ohm's law, power

12. Magnetism and Electromagnetism

2026 Q3 - (Experimental design) Determine magnetic field and mass of particle - charge, electric force, electric field, magnetic field, magnetic force, magnetism and moving charges
2025 Q1 - - Current-carrying wires and a moving loop - magnetic field, magnetic force, magnetism and wires, induction
2024 Q4 - - Charged particles in magnetic and electric fields - charge, electric field, conservation of electric energy, kinetic energy
2022 Q4 - - Charge, wire, coils and magnetic induction - charge, electric force, electric field, Ohm's law, magnetic field, magnetic force, magnetism and wires, induction
2021 Q3 - - Charged particle and wire loop with bulb in magnetic field - Ohm's law, power, magnetic field, magnetic force, magnetism and moving charges and wires, induction
2019 Q1 - - Charged particles in electric and magnetic fields - charge, electric force, electric field, magnetic field, magnetic force, magnetism and moving charges
2018 Q1 - - Loop and proton moving through magnetic and electric fields - electric force, electric field, magnetic field, magnetism and moving charges and wires, induction
2015 Q4 - - Electrons move through plates and fields - electric force, electric field, electric potential energy, electric potential, capacitors, conservation of electric energy, kinetic energy, magnetic field, magnetic force, magnetism and moving charges

13. Geometric Optics

2023 Q1 - - Light refracting in tank of water and sugar - reflection, mirrors, refraction, ray diagrams
2022 Q1 - - (Part a is now AP Physics 1 material) Laser beam through water, double slits and prism - refraction, ray diagrams, periodic waves, diffraction, double slit, interference
2019 Q4 - - (Parts b and c are now AP Physics 1 material) Rays of light through air bubble in water - kinetic molecular theory, temperature, pressure, ideal gas law, refraction, ray diagrams
2018 Q4 - - (Parts a and c are now AP Physics 1 material) Thin film of oil on water from boat - reflection, refraction, thin-film interference
2017 Q3 - - Determine focal length of convex lens - refraction, lenses, ray diagrams
2016 Q2 - - (Experimental design) Determine index of refraction of glass block - refraction, emission and absorption
2015 Q1 - - Light shines through glass and water - reflection, refraction, total internal reflection, ray diagrams

14. Waves, Sound and Physical Optics

2025 Q4 - - Double slit and laser with different colors - periodic waves, EM waves, diffraction, double slit, interference
2022 Q1 - - (Part a is now AP Physics 1 material) Laser beam through water, double slits and prism - refraction, ray diagrams, periodic waves, diffraction, double slit, interference
2018 Q4 - - (Parts a and c are now AP Physics 1 material) Thin film of oil on water from boat - reflection, refraction, thin-film interference

15. Modern Physics

2026 Q2 - Energy levels and photon emission - wave-particle duality, emission and absorption
2024 Q1 - - Photoelectric experiment - wave-particle duality, de Broglie wavelength, photoelectric effect, momentum
2022 Q3 - - Bohr model of hydrogen atom - electric force, electric potential energy, wave-particle duality, mass-energy equivalence, emission and absorption
2021 Q4 - - Electron collides with positron and photon - wave-particle duality, mass-energy equivalence, momentum
2018 Q3 - - Light shines on metal that emits electrons - charge, electric force, wave-particle duality, photoelectric effect
2016 Q2 - - (Experimental design) Determine index of refraction of glass block - refraction, emission and absorption

Experimental design questions

2026 Q3 - Determine magnetic field and mass of particle - charge, electric force, electric field, magnetic field, magnetic force, magnetism and moving charges
2025 Q3 - - Predict the time constant of an RC circuit - circuits, capacitors, Ohm's law
2024 Q2 - - Chamber with gas and container of liquid - temperature, pressure, ideal gas law, internal energy, PV diagrams, thermal conductivity
2023 Q2 - - Determine unknown circuit component and battery emf - circuits, Ohm's law, internal resistance, Kirchhoff's rules, capacitors
2022 Q2 - - Determine unknown capacitance - circuits, resistors, capacitors
2021 Q2 - - (Parts b and c are now AP Physics 1 material) Graph density vs pressure for cylinder of gas - temperature, pressure, ideal gas law, density
2019 Q3 - - Ice melting on slab of plastic and boiling water - kinetic molecular theory, temperature, thermal energy transfer, thermal conductivity
2018 Q2 - - Determine resistance, current and potential - circuits, resistors, Ohm's law, capacitors
2017 Q2 - - Determine resistivity of unknown material - circuits, resistors, resistivity, Ohm's law, internal resistance
2016 Q2 - - Determine index of refraction of glass block - refraction, emission and absorption
2015 Q3 - - Investigate temperature and pressure with cylinders and pistons - temperature, pressure, ideal gas law, density

Listed by Year

2026 Questions

Q1 - Sphere in containers of gas and liquid - temperature, pressure, ideal gas law, thermal energy transfer, internal energy, specific heat
Q2 - Energy levels and photon emission - wave-particle duality, emission and absorption
Q3 - (Experimental design) Determine magnetic field and mass of particle - charge, electric force, electric field, magnetic field, magnetic force, magnetism and moving charges
Q4 - Charged sphere moves through electric field - charge, electric force, electric field, electric potential, kinetic energy

2025 Questions Scoring Guidelines Report

Q1 - - Current-carrying wires and a moving loop - magnetic field, magnetic force, magnetism and wires, induction
Q2 - - Gas, piston and water bath - temperature, pressure, ideal gas law, internal energy, PV diagrams
Q3 - - (Experimental design) Predict the time constant of an RC circuit - circuits, capacitors, Ohm's law
Q4 - - Double slit and laser with different colors - periodic waves, EM waves, diffraction, double slit, interference

2024 Questions Scoring Guidelines Report

Q1 - - Photoelectric experiment - wave-particle duality, de Broglie wavelength, photoelectric effect, momentum
Q2 - - (Experimental design) Chamber with gas and container of liquid - temperature, pressure, ideal gas law, internal energy, PV diagrams, thermal conductivity
Q3 - - Circuit with battery and resistors - circuits, Ohm's law, power, resistors, internal resistance
Q4 - - Charged particles in magnetic and electric fields - charge, electric field, conservation of electric energy, kinetic energy

2023 Questions Scoring Guidelines Report

Q1 - - Light refracting in tank of water and sugar - reflection, mirrors, refraction, ray diagrams
Q2 - - (Experimental design) Determine unknown circuit component and battery emf - circuits, Ohm's law, internal resistance, Kirchhoff's rules, capacitors
Q3 - Topics moved to AP Physics 1
Q4 - - 3 charges in triangle formation - charge, electric field, electic potential energy, electric potential, conservation of electric energy, work

2022 Questions Scoring Guidelines Report

Q1 - - (Part a is now AP Physics 1 material) Laser beam through water, double slits and prism - refraction, ray diagrams, periodic waves, diffraction, double slit, interference
Q2 - - (Experimental design) Determine unknown capacitance - circuits, resistors, capacitors
Q3 - - Bohr model of hydrogen atom - electric force, electric potential energy, wave-particle duality, mass-energy equivalence, emission and absorption
Q4 - - Charge, wire, coils and magnetic induction - charge, electric force, electric field, Ohm's law, magnetic field, magnetic force, magnetism and wires, induction

2021 Questions Scoring Guidelines Report

Q1 - - Ideal gas PV diagram, two gas samples in contact - kinetic molecular theory, temperature, pressure, thermal energy transfer, internal energy, work, PV diagrams
Q2 - - (Parts b and c are now AP Physics 1 material) (Experimental design) Graph density vs pressure for cylinder of gas - temperature, pressure, ideal gas law, density
Q3 - - Charged particle and wire loop with bulb in magnetic field - Ohm's law, power, magnetic field, magnetic force, magnetism and moving charges and wires, induction
Q4 - - Electron collides with positron and photon - wave-particle duality, mass-energy equivalence, momentum

2019 Questions Scoring Guidelines Report

Q1 - - Charged particles in electric and magnetic fields - charge, electric force, electric field, magnetic field, magnetic force, magnetism and moving charges
Q2 - - Circuits with variable power supply, ammeters and voltmeters - conservation of electric energy, circuits, current, Ohm's law, resistors, Kirchhoff's rules
Q3 - - (Experimental design) Ice melting on slab of plastic and boiling water - kinetic molecular theory, temperature, thermal energy transfer, thermal conductivity
Q4 - - (Parts b and c are now AP Physics 1 material) Rays of light through air bubble in water - kinetic molecular theory, temperature, pressure, ideal gas law, refraction, ray diagrams

2018 Questions Scoring Guidelines Report

Q1 - - Loop and proton moving through magnetic and electric fields - electric force, electric field, magnetic field, magnetism and moving charges and wires, induction
Q2 - - (Experimental design) Determine resistance, current and potential - circuits, resistors, Ohm's law, capacitors
Q3 - - Light shines on metal that emits electrons - charge, electric force, wave-particle duality, photoelectric effect
Q4 - - (Parts a and c are now AP Physics 1 material) Thin film of oil on water from boat - reflection, refraction, thin-film interference

2017 Questions Scoring Guidelines Report

Q1 - Topics moved to AP Physics 1
Q2 - - (Experimental design) Determine resistivity of unknown material - circuits, resistors, resistivity, Ohm's law, internal resistance
Q3 - - Determine focal length of convex lens - refraction, lenses, ray diagrams
Q4 - - Four charges in a square - charge, electric force, electric field, electric potential energy, work

2016 Questions Scoring Guidelines Report

Q1 - - Gas in cylinder with piston - kinetic molecular theory, temperature, pressure, ideal gas law, internal energy, work, PV diagrams
Q2 - - (Experimental design) Determine index of refraction of glass block - refraction, emission and absorption
Q3 - - Potential around two charged spheres - charge, electric force, electric field, electric potential energy, electric potential, work, kinetic energy
Q4 - - Circuit with resistor, capacitors, battery and switch - circuits, current, resistors, capacitors, Ohm's law

2015 Questions Scoring Guidelines Report

Q1 - - Light shines through glass and water - reflection, refraction, total internal reflection, ray diagrams
Q2 - - Circuit with battery, light bulbs, switch and capacitor - circuits, resistors, capacitors, Ohm's law, power
Q3 - - (Experimental design) Investigate temperature and pressure with cylinders and pistons - temperature, pressure, ideal gas law, density
Q4 - - Electrons move through plates and fields - electric force, electric field, electric potential energy, electric potential, capacitors, conservation of electric energy, kinetic energy, magnetic field, magnetic force, magnetism and moving charges

Question Types

These are the four types of FRQs in the order that they will appear on the AP Physics 2 exam. This is from the AP Physics 2 Course and Exam Description.

Mathematical Routines (MR)

10 points; suggested time: 20-25 minutes

The Mathematical Routines (MR) question assesses students’ ability to use mathematics to analyze a scenario and make predictions about that scenario. Students will be expected to symbolically derive relationships between variables, as well as calculate numerical values. Students will be expected to create and use representations that describe the scenario, either to help guide the mathematical analysis (such as drawing a free-body diagram) or that are applicable to the scenario (such as sketching velocity as a function of time).

For AP Physics 1 and AP Physics 2, the MR question will ask students to make a claim or prediction about the scenario and use appropriate physics concepts and principles to support and justify that claim. The justification is expected to be a logical and sequential application of physics concepts that demonstrates a student’s ability to connect multiple concepts to each other.

Translation Between Representations (TBR)

12 points; suggested time: 25-30 minutes

The Translation Between Representations (TBR) question assesses students’ ability to connect different representations of a scenario. Students will be expected to create a visual representation that describes a given scenario. Students will derive equations that are mathematically relevant to the scenario. Students will draw graphs that relate quantities within the scenario. Finally, students will be asked to do any one of the following:

Justify why their answers to any two of the previous parts do/do not agree with each other.
Use their representations, mathematical analysis, or graph to make a prediction about another situation and justify their prediction using that reasoning or analysis.
Use their representations, mathematical analysis, or graph to make a prediction about how those representations would change if properties of the scenario were altered and justify that claim using consistent reasoning or analysis.

Experimental Design and Analysis (LAB)

10 points; suggested time: 25-30 minutes

The Experimental Design and Analysis (LAB) question assesses students’ ability to create scientific procedures that can be used with appropriate data analysis techniques to determine the answer to given questions. The LAB question can roughly be divided into two sections: Design and Analysis. In the Design portion of the LAB question, students will be asked to develop a method by which a question about a given physical scenario could be answered. The experimental procedure is expected to be scientifically sound: vary a single parameter, and measure how that change affects a single characteristic. Methods must be able to be performed in a typical high school laboratory. Measurements must be made with realistically obtainable equipment or sensors. Students will be expected to describe a method by which the collected data could be analyzed in order to answer the posed question, by either graphical or comparative analyses.

Students will then be given experimental data collected in order to answer a similar, but not identical, question to what was asked in the Design portion of the question. Students will be asked to use the data provided to create and plot a graph that can be analyzed to determine the answer to the given question. For instance, the slope or intercepts of the line may be used to determine a physical quantity or perhaps the nature of the slope would answer the posed question.

Qualitative/Quantitative Translation (QQT)

8 points; suggested time: 15-20 minutes

The Qualitative/Quantitative Translation (QQT) question assesses students’ ability to connect the nature of the scenario, the physical laws that govern the scenario, and mathematical representations of that scenario to each other. Students will be asked to make and justify a claim about a given scenario, as well as derive an equation related to that scenario. Finally, students will be asked to do any one of the following:

Justify why their answers to any of the previous parts do/do not agree with each other.
Use their representations or mathematical analysis to make a prediction about another situation and justify their prediction using that reasoning or analysis.
Use their representations and mathematical analysis to make a prediction about how those representations would change if properties of the scenario were altered and justify that claim using consistent reasoning or analysis.

While students may not be directly assessed on their ability to create diagrams or other representations of the system to answer the QQT, those skills may still help students to answer the QQT. For instance, some students may find that drawing a free-body diagram is useful when determining the acceleration of a system. However, the student will earn points for the explanation and conclusions that diagram indicates (or perhaps the derivation that results from the diagram), rather than for creating the diagram itself.