Advanced Placement (AP) Physics B was a physics course administered by the College Board as part of its Advanced Placement program. It was equivalent to a year-long introductory university course covering Newtonian mechanics, electromagnetism, fluid mechanics, thermal physics, waves, optics, and modern physics. The course was algebra-based and heavily computational;[1] in 2015, it was replaced by the more concept-focused AP Physics 1 and AP Physics 2.
The exam consisted of a 70 MCQ section, followed by a 6-7 FRQ section. Each section was 90 minutes and was worth 50% of the final score. The MCQ section banned calculators, while the FRQ allowed calculators and a list of common formulas. Overall, the exam was configured to approximately cover a set percentage of each of the five target categories:[2]
| Topic | Percent |
|---|---|
| Newtonian Mechanics | 35% |
| Fluid Mechanics and Thermal Physics | 15% |
| Electricity and Magnetism | 25% |
| Waves and Optics | 15% |
| Atomic and Nuclear Physics | 10% |
According to the College Board web site, the Physics B course provided "a foundation in physics for students in the life sciences, a pre medical career path, and some applied sciences, as well as other fields not directly related to science."[3]
Starting in the 2014–2015 school year, AP Physics B was no longer offered, and AP Physics 1 and AP Physics 2 took its place. Like AP Physics B, both are algebra-based, and both are designed to be taught as year-long courses.[4]
The grade distributions for the Physics B scores from 2010 until its discontinuation in 2014 are as follows:
| Score | 2010[5] | 2011[6] | 2012[7] | 2013[8] | 2014[9] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 14.8% | 16.4% | 16.3% | 16.6% | 15.8% |
| 4 | 18.5% | 19.2% | 19.3% | 19.9% | 18.5% |
| 3 | 26.1% | 25.9% | 26.4% | 26.1% | 26.5% |
| 2 | 18.6% | 17.3% | 16.8% | 16.3% | 17% |
| 1 | 21.9% | 21.3% | 21.3% | 21.1% | 22.3% |
| % of Scores 3 or Higher | 59.4% | 61.5% | 62.0% | 62.6% | 60.8% |
| Mean | 2.85 | 2.92 | 2.93 | 2.95 | 2.89 |
| Standard Deviation | 1.35 | 1.37 | 1.36 | 1.37 | 1.37 |
| Number of Students | 67,312 | 75,648 | 80,584 | 89,263 | 93,574 |