Here is my messy solution to AP Physics 1 2017 FRQ #1. Here is the full AP Physics 1 2017 FRQ from College Board.
This FRQ was very simple, but students may have overthought what the question was asking. For example, students may have not recognized the need to analyze the energy usage in terms of power dissipated in each. However, almost every teacher does a lab that involves the principles behind this FRQ, so hopefully, it was familiar to students. I predict this being the highest scoring FRQ.
I think the biggest struggle with this FRQ is students following the paragraph-length response guidelines. College Board does publish guidelines for this type of question, but students tend to write too little or not enough substance in the paragraph. I suggest that students follow a basic CER structure:
- Claim – What is your answer to the question?
- Evidence – What basic Physics principle or concept are you using to defend your response?
- Reasoning – Why and how does that principle apply to this scenario and your answer?
I tend to find that students do not mention specific Physics principles in their responses. Additionally, students don’t write a full paragraph. Practicing the paragraph-length response and scoring is key to tackling this type of question.
If you want more general tips for the AP Physics 1 and 2 FRQs, here is my post with my top five tips!