AP® Physics 2 FRQs

These are the free-response questions (FRQs) from past AP® Physics 2 exams from this College Board page. 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).

FRQs Listed by Unit
FRQs Listed by Year

Listed by Unit

9. Thermodynamics

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

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

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

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

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

2025 Free-Response Questions Answers & scoring guidelines

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 Free-Response Questions Answers & scoring guidelines

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 Free-Response Questions Answers & scoring guidelines

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 - (Now AP Physics 1 material)
Q4 - - 3 charges in triangle formation - charge, electric field, electic potential energy, electric potential, conservation of electric energy, work

2022 Free-Response Questions Answers & scoring guidelines

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 Free-Response Questions Answers & scoring guidelines

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 Free-Response Questions Answers & scoring guidelines

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 Free-Response Questions Answers & scoring guidelines

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 Free-Response Questions Answers & scoring guidelines

Q1 - (Now AP Physics 1 material)
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 Free-Response Questions Answers & scoring guidelines

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 Free-Response Questions Answers & scoring guidelines

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

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