AP Physics 2 7-Day Study Plan

title: "AP Physics 2 7-Day Study Plan" description: "One-week intensive AP Physics 2 cram: daily breakdowns of fluids, thermo, E&M, magnetism, optics, and modern physics with practice milestones and mock schedule." date: "2026-01-15" examDate: "May AP Exam" topics:

• Fluids
• Thermodynamics
• Electric Force & Fields
• Circuits
• Magnetism
• Optics
• Modern Physics

One week to exam day. This 7-day plan spreads the content across a realistic study schedule, allowing time for both learning and self-testing. Commit to ~3 hours per day. If you miss a day, double up the next.

Weekly study grid

| Day | Topics | Focus | Time | |---|---|---|---| | Mon | Fluids | Pressure, buoyancy, continuity | 3 hrs | | Tue | Thermodynamics | Ideal gas, 1st law, PV diagrams | 3 hrs | | Wed | Electric fields & potential | Coulomb, field lines, equipotentials | 3 hrs | | Thu | Circuits | Ohm's law, series/parallel, Kirchhoff | 3 hrs | | Fri | Magnetism & induction | Lorentz force, Faraday, Lenz | 3 hrs | | Sat | Optics & wave behavior | Snell, lenses, interference | 3 hrs | | Sun | Modern + mock exam | Photoelectric, half-life, full FRQ set | 4 hrs |

Monday: Fluids (3 hrs)

Review (60 min)

• Hydrostatic pressure: $P = P_0 + \rho g h$ (gauge pressure = $\rho g h$ below surface).
• Buoyant force: $F_b = \rho_{\text{fluid}} V_{\text{displaced}} g$, always upward. An object floats when $F_b = m_{\text{object}} g$.
• Continuity: $A_1 v_1 = A_2 v_2$. Narrower cross-section → faster flow.
• Bernoulli intuition: faster flow → lower pressure (result, not formula required).

Practice (2 hrs)

• 12 MCQs on pressure, buoyancy, flow rate.
• 1 worked FRQ: object of unknown density floats in liquid. Draw FBD, find the density.
• 1 continuity scenario: tube narrows; given flow rate and one velocity, find the other.

💡 Floating vs sinking: $\rho_{\text{object}} < \rho_{\text{fluid}}$ → floats. $\rho_{\text{object}} > \rho_{\text{fluid}}$ → sinks. When floating, $\rho_{\text{object}} V_{\text{total}} = \rho_{\text{fluid}} V_{\text{submerged}}$.

Tuesday: Thermodynamics (3 hrs)

Review (60 min)

• Ideal gas law: $PV = nRT$ where $R = 8.31 \, \text{J/(mol·K)}$.
• Internal energy: $\Delta U = nC_V \Delta T$ (depends only on $T$ for ideal gas).
• First Law: $\Delta U = Q + W$ ($W$ = work done on gas: positive for compression, negative for expansion).
• Process types: isobaric ($P$ constant, $W = P\Delta V$), isochoric ($V$ constant, $W = 0$), isothermal ($T$ constant, $\Delta U = 0$).
• Heat engines: efficiency $\eta = \frac{W_{\text{net}}}{Q_h} = 1 - \frac{Q_c}{Q_h}$.

Practice (2 hrs)

• 10 MCQs on ideal gas, processes, first law.
• 1 FRQ: read a PV diagram (points A, B, C labeled). Identify each process. Calculate $W$, $Q$, $\Delta U$ for each segment.
• 1 scenario: isobaric expansion. Given $P$, $\Delta V$, initial $T$, find $Q$ and $\Delta U$.

⚠️ Work sign convention: $W$ = work on gas. If gas expands ($\Delta V > 0$), then $W < 0$ (work by gas is positive). Check your reference sheet.

Wednesday: Electric Fields & Potential (3 hrs)

Review (60 min)

• Coulomb's Law: $F = k\frac{q_1 q_2}{r^2}$ where $k = 9 \times 10^9 \, \text{N·m}^2\text{/C}^2$.
• Electric field: $E = k\frac{Q}{r^2}$, pointing away from $+Q$, toward $-Q$.
• Potential: $V = k\frac{Q}{r}$. Scalar quantity (no direction).
• Equipotentials: perpendicular to field lines. Charges move from high to low potential (naturally).
• Potential difference & work: $W = q\Delta V = q(V_B - V_A)$.

Practice (2 hrs)

• 12 MCQs on Coulomb, field, potential, work.
• 1 FRQ: two point charges at a distance. Draw field lines, calculate potential at a given location.
• 1 scenario: electron accelerated through potential difference $\Delta V$. Find final kinetic energy.

💡 Field vs potential: $E$ is force per unit charge (N/C, vector). $V$ is energy per unit charge (V, scalar). A strong field region has a large potential difference between nearby points, not necessarily a high potential value.

Thursday: Circuits (3 hrs)

Review (60 min)

• Ohm's Law: $V = IR$.
• Series: $R_{\text{tot}} = R_1 + R_2 + \ldots$, same current everywhere, voltage divides.
• Parallel: $\frac{1}{R_{\text{tot}}} = \frac{1}{R_1} + \frac{1}{R_2}$, same voltage everywhere, current divides.
• Kirchhoff's Current Law (KCL): $\Sigma I_{\text{in}} = \Sigma I_{\text{out}}$ at any node.
• Kirchhoff's Voltage Law (KVL): $\Sigma V = 0$ around any closed loop.
• Power & energy: $P = IV$, $E = Pt$.

Practice (2 hrs)

• 15 MCQs: series/parallel, voltage dividers, power dissipation.
• 1 multi-loop FRQ: use Kirchhoff's laws to find branch currents and power in a resistor.
• 1 voltage divider: find voltage across one resistor in a series chain.

🎯 Circuit strategy: Always simplify first (combine series, then parallel). Redraw if needed. Check: does each simplified resistor represent actual components? Then apply Ohm or Kirchhoff. This prevents errors and saves time.

Friday: Magnetism & Induction (3 hrs)

Review (60 min)

• Lorentz force: $\vec{F} = q\vec{v} \times \vec{B}$, magnitude $F = qvB\sin\theta$. Always perpendicular to $v$ (no work done).
• Force on wire: $\vec{F} = I\vec{L} \times \vec{B}$, magnitude $F = BIL\sin\theta$.
• Magnetic flux: $\Phi_B = BA\cos\theta$ (area vector perpendicular to surface).
• Faraday's Law: $\mathcal{E} = -\frac{d\Phi_B}{dt}$ (induced EMF proportional to rate of flux change).
• Lenz's Law: direction of induced current opposes the change in flux (restoring effect).

Practice (2 hrs)

• 12 MCQs on Lorentz force, flux, Faraday, Lenz.
• 1 FRQ: rectangular loop moving into magnetic field. Calculate induced EMF and direction using Lenz's law.
• 1 scenario: flux through loop changes (rotation, changing area, changing field). Apply Faraday to find EMF.

⚠️ Lenz interpretation: If flux is increasing upward, induced current creates a downward field (opposes increase). If flux is decreasing upward, induced current creates an upward field (opposes decrease).

Saturday: Optics & Wave Behavior (3 hrs)

Review (60 min)

• Snell's Law: $n_1 \sin\theta_1 = n_2 \sin\theta_2$.
• Lens/mirror equation: $\frac{1}{f} = \frac{1}{d_o} + \frac{1}{d_i}$, magnification $m = -\frac{d_i}{d_o}$.
• Ray diagrams: 3-ray method (parallel → focal, center → straight, focal → parallel).
• Interference: bright when path difference $= m\lambda$ (integer $m$).
• Thin-film: $2nt = m\lambda$ for constructive interference (normal incidence).
• Polarization: intensity through polarizer $I = I_0 \cos^2\theta$ (Malus's law).

Practice (2 hrs)

• 14 MCQs: Snell, lens equation, interference, diffraction.
• 1 FRQ: object placed at distance $d_o$ from lens (given $f$). Find $d_i$, magnification, draw ray diagram.
• 1 interference: two slits distance $d$ apart, light wavelength $\lambda$. Find fringe separation.

💡 Lens sign rules: Real object/image: positive $d$. Virtual: negative $d$. Converging lens: positive $f$. Diverging: negative $f$. Always double-check the sign of your answer.

Sunday: Modern Physics & Mock Exam (4 hrs)

Review (45 min)

• Photoelectric effect: $hf = KE_{\text{max}} + \phi$. Photon energy must exceed work function or no electrons.
• Bohr model: $E_n = -\frac{13.6 \, \text{eV}}{n^2}$. Transition: $\Delta E = hf$.
• Mass-energy: $E = mc^2$.
• Radioactive decay: $N(t) = N_0 \left(\frac{1}{2}\right)^{t/t_{1/2}}$.

Practice (3.25 hrs)

• 12 MCQs: photoelectric, atomic, nuclear.
• Full practice exam (100 min): all 50 MCQs, strict timing. Score immediately.
• 1 FRQ set (25 min): pick 3–4 past-exam FRQs, timed, no breaks.

🎯 Mock exam mindset: This is a test, not a study session. Simulate exam conditions (quiet, one section at a time, no interruptions). Review your score tonight.

By Sunday evening

If ≥ 65% on mock: you're on track for a 5. Review weak units once this week. If 55–64%: focus on high-yield topics (circuits, optics, thermodynamics PV). If <55%: seek tutoring or attend a review session. Gaps are too large for solo catch-up.

Browse the AP Physics 2 topic library → to find worked examples for any topic above.