This site should be enough on its own. But sometimes a different teacher, a different drawing or a different voice makes an idea click. These are the best free notes, videos and simulations made by teachers and professors, matched to the 8 units of the AP Physics 1 Course and Exam Description (fall 2024).
Last checked: 2026-10-05. Every link below was opened on that date. Websites change; if one breaks, the others in the same unit cover the same ideas.
Handwritten and hand-drawn styles come first, then videos, then text and simulations.
For each unit, start at the top. Hand-drawn notes come first. The topic numbers are from the fall 2024 Course and Exam Description.
Scalars and vectors, displacement, velocity and acceleration, motion graphs, reference frames and relative motion, projectiles.
| # | Resource | Why this one |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Notes + video Flipping Physics Unit 1 Review (notes PDF) | The whole unit on a few hand-drawn pages. |
| 2 | Tutorial Physics Classroom: 1-D Kinematics and Vectors and Projectiles | Best plain-word explanation of motion graphs and projectiles. |
| 3 | Practice Concept Builders: 1-D Kinematics | Graph-reading drills with instant feedback. |
| 4 | Simulation PhET Projectile Motion and Vector Addition | Change the angle and speed; see range and components. |
| 5 | Videos Khan Academy Unit 1 | AP-aligned practice exercises. |
Systems and center of mass, free-body diagrams, Newton's three laws, gravity, friction, springs, circular motion.
| # | Resource | Why this one |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Notes + video Flipping Physics Unit 2a Review (notes) and Unit 2b Review (notes) | 2a: forces and Newton's laws. 2b: gravity, springs, circular motion. |
| 2 | Tutorial Physics Classroom: Newton's Laws, Forces in 2D, Circular Motion | The clearest free-body diagram lessons online. |
| 3 | Practice Concept Builders: Newton's Laws and Minds On Physics: Newton's Laws | Free-body diagram and net force drills. |
| 4 | Simulation PhET Forces and Motion: Basics, Friction, Hooke's Law, Gravity Force Lab: Basics | One sim per topic: net force, friction, springs, gravity. |
| 5 | Videos Khan Academy Unit 2 | AP-style exercises with hints. |
Kinetic energy, work, potential energy, conservation of energy, energy bar charts, power.
| # | Resource | Why this one |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Notes + video Flipping Physics Unit 3 Review (notes PDF) | Work, energy and power on hand-drawn pages. |
| 2 | Tutorial Physics Classroom: Work and Energy | Clear lessons on work and energy conservation. |
| 3 | Simulation PhET Energy Skate Park | Watch KE and PE bars trade as the skater rolls; add friction. |
| 4 | Practice Concept Builders: Work and Energy | Instant-feedback drills. |
| 5 | Videos Khan Academy Unit 3 | Includes energy bar chart practice. |
Momentum, impulse and force-time graphs, conservation of momentum, elastic and inelastic collisions.
| # | Resource | Why this one |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Notes + video Flipping Physics Unit 4 Review (notes PDF) | Impulse, collisions and center-of-mass velocity. |
| 2 | Tutorial Physics Classroom: Momentum and Collisions | Clear momentum tables for before and after. |
| 3 | Simulation PhET Collision Lab | Set the elasticity from 0 to 100 % and check momentum and KE. |
| 4 | Practice Concept Builders: Momentum | Collision and explosion drills. |
| 5 | Videos Khan Academy Unit 4 | AP-style impulse and collision practice. |
Rotational kinematics, linking linear and rotational motion, torque, rotational inertia, rotational equilibrium and Newton's laws for rotation.
| # | Resource | Why this one |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Notes + video Flipping Physics Unit 5a Review (notes) and Unit 5b Review (notes) | 5a: rotational kinematics. 5b: torque and rotational inertia. |
| 2 | Tutorial Physics Classroom: Rotation and Balance | Plain-word torque and balance lessons. |
| 3 | Simulation PhET Balancing Act and Torque (older Java sim, desktop) | Seesaw balance by moving masses; torque and angular acceleration. |
| 4 | Notes BU PY105 notes: "Torque and Rotational Inertia", "Static Equilibrium" | Algebra-only worked examples at the AP level. |
| 5 | Videos Khan Academy Unit 5 | AP-aligned rotation practice. |
Rotational kinetic energy, torque and work, angular momentum and angular impulse, conservation of angular momentum, rolling, satellite motion.
| # | Resource | Why this one |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Notes + video Flipping Physics Unit 6 Review (notes PDF) | Rolling, angular momentum and orbits in one review. |
| 2 | Videos Khan Academy Unit 6 | Follows this new unit topic by topic, with practice. |
| 3 | Concept map HyperPhysics rotational KE and angular momentum | Short summaries with formulas side by side. |
| 4 | Simulation PhET Gravity and Orbits | Satellite and planet orbits (topic 6.6). |
| 5 | Video Walter Lewin 8.01 playlist: the angular momentum lectures | The spinning stool demo makes conservation of L unforgettable. |
Defining simple harmonic motion, frequency and period, representing SHM with graphs and equations, energy of SHM.
| # | Resource | Why this one |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Notes + video Flipping Physics Unit 7 Review (notes PDF) | Springs, pendulums and SHM graphs on a few pages. |
| 2 | Simulation PhET Masses and Springs and Pendulum Lab | Time the period while you change mass, k, length and g. |
| 3 | Practice Physics Classroom: Vibrations and Concept Builders: Vibrational Motion | Lessons on period and energy, then drills. |
| 4 | Concept map HyperPhysics SHM and pendulum | Quick formula check with a calculator. |
| 5 | Videos Khan Academy Unit 7 | AP-style SHM graph and energy practice. |
Density and pressure, fluids and Newton's laws (buoyancy), fluids and conservation laws (continuity, Bernoulli).
| # | Resource | Why this one |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Notes + video Flipping Physics Unit 8 Review (notes PDF), more in the fluids notes compilation | Made for the new AP 1 fluids unit: pressure, buoyancy, Bernoulli. |
| 2 | Tutorial Physics Classroom: Fluids and Concept Builders: Fluids | Gentle lessons, then drills. |
| 3 | Simulation PhET Buoyancy, Under Pressure, Density | Sink or float, and pressure vs depth. |
| 4 | Videos Khan Academy Unit 8 | Density, buoyancy and flow, matched to the 2024 course. |
| 5 | Concept map HyperPhysics buoyancy and Bernoulli | Short summaries and calculators. |
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Last checked: 2026-10-05.