AP®︎ Physics 1 Unit 5: Notes & Study Guide

Prepare for your quiz, test, or the AP exam with a comprehensive review on Unit 5 of AP Physics 1 – Torque and Rotational Dynamics.

Exam weight: 10%–15%
6 Topics

Unit 5: Torque and Rotational Dynamics

The rotational versions of force, mass, and acceleration, and how torque causes objects to spin.

Begin with Topic 5.1: Rotational Kinematics

To review Unit 5, go through each of the 6 topics below.

Everything you actually need to know for your Unit 5 test, pulled directly from the AP® Physics 1 curriculum.

Topic 5.1
~7 min
Review
Rotational Kinematics
Rotational Kinematics
  • Rotation About an Axis and Rigid Systems
  • Angular Displacement, Velocity, and Acceleration
  • Constant Angular Acceleration Equations
Review
Topic 5.2
~7 min
Review
Connecting Linear and Rotational Motion
Connecting Linear and Rotational Motion
  • Linear and Angular Quantities Describe the Same Motion
  • The Three Core Equations That Connect Linear and Angular Motion
  • What Makes a System Rigid
Review
Topic 5.3
~6 min
Review
Torque
Torque
  • What Torque Is
  • The Torque Equation and What Each Part Means
  • Identifying Torques on a Rigid System
Review
Topic 5.4
~7 min
Review
Rotational Inertia
Rotational Inertia
  • What Rotational Inertia Is
  • Calculating Rotational Inertia for Point Mass Systems
  • Rotational Inertia and the Center of Mass
Review
Topic 5.5
~7 min
Review
Rotational Equilibrium and Newton’s First Law in Rotational Form
Rotational Equilibrium and Newton’s First Law in Rotational Form
  • Rotational Equilibrium and Constant Angular Velocity
  • Translational vs Rotational Equilibrium
  • Torque and How to Calculate Net Torque
Review
Topic 5.6
~6 min
Review
Newton’s Second Law in Rotational Form
Newton’s Second Law in Rotational Form
  • Newton’s Second Law for Rotation
  • The Three Quantities in \(\Sigma \tau = I\alpha\)
  • When Angular Velocity Changes
Review

Notes

1 credit used · 5/5 remaining