Work, Energy, and Power
Find these readings by topic
This earlier reading list remains available with its complete tasks. The current book places these resources in the following topic chapters:
- Energy, work, and power →
Track energy stored and transferred through work, dissipation, and power within a stated system.
- Oscillations →
Explain restoring-force motion, connect its graphs and energy, and use measurements to test an oscillator model.
Track transfers and transformations of energy with clear system boundaries.
Use the sections below to build the models in this unit. The AP course lessons provide topic-specific instruction and practice; companion readings offer additional explanations and original interactive quizzes.
- 3.1 Translational Kinetic Energy ↗
Compare motion energy with speed, mass, graph shape, and the observer’s frame.
- 3.2 Work ↗
Use force direction, point-of-application displacement, and signed graph area to follow energy transfers.
- 3.3 Potential Energy ↗
Describe energy stored in a system’s configuration, choose a zero, and use spring and gravitational models.
- 3.4 Conservation of Energy ↗
Choose a system, draw an energy account, and include spring, gravity, external work, and dissipation consistently.
- 3.5 Power ↗
Compare energy-transfer rates, read work–time slopes, and distinguish constant force from constant power.
Put the unit together
The unit practice ends with 5 additional problems. Build the diagrams and explain the model before checking the separate reasoning and scoring criteria.
Try the added unit problems → · Worked solutions and rubrics →