One of the first questions new teachers ask is, “Which AP Physics 1 textbook should I use?” Sometimes, as a teacher, you have a choice to purchase a certain book, and sometimes you are locked into using a book adopted by your school district. I was fortunate enough to be a part of my school district’s textbook adoption process. This means I have spent a lot of time analyzing some of the book available.

Please note that the opinions I am sharing are from my personal use and my students’ use of the textbooks. These opinions do not represent my school district, school, or College Board. I am sharing what I have learned as an AP Physics 1 teacher.

The three AP Physics 1 textbooks I have in my personal collection are:

  • College Physics: Explore and Apply – Ekina, 2nd edition
  • College Physics: A Strategic Approach – Knight, 3rd edition
  • College Physics – Serway & Vuille, 10th edition
My personal copies of the top 3 AP Physics 1 textbooks
My copies of the three AP Physics 1 textbooks we are analyzing. These are a small selection of my Physics library!

The first thing you may notice is a big gap in the age of these titles. For example, Ekina and Knight are relatively new books, written specifically for and since the AP Physics 1 course was designed. Serway and Vuille have been around for much longer, with this textbook being the most popular for the old AP Physics B course.

However, when I started teaching AP Physics 1, my school only had Serway and Vuille. While this book may have been an excellent choice for AP Physics B, here are a few reasons I am not the biggest fan of it for AP Physics 1 and 2.

Why I moved away from Serway and Vuille as my AP Physics 1 textbook

AP Physics 1 and 2 are courses that demand in-depth analysis, writing, and concept development. While there are definitely some classic Physics problem-solving skills needed, the focus of these courses is deep evaluation and synthesis. Here are the AP science practices to demonstrate the types of skills students need.

Serway and Vuille does not always foster those skills. The content of the book is great for a more classical Physics course. However, the AP Physics 1 textbook should focus on the skills needed for the AP Physics 1 exam. S&V frequently has long blocks of texts, a focus on equations, and pure calculation problems. While there are conceptual problems at the end of the chapters, they are not of the rigor and higher level thinking required by the AP Physics 1 exam.

Taking a look at Knight

I was fortunate that my school let me purchase new books that first year. I immediately purchased a class set of Knight (College Physics: A Strategic Approach). My class did not have enough books for students to take them home. This was a disadvantage, but I don’t require my students to use the textbook at home a ton anyway. Here is why I immediately gravitated towards Knight:

  • Every example includes pictorial and graphical analysis
  • The same thorough problem-solving strategy is used the entire book
  • The number of pictures, graphics, vector diagrams, energy bar charts, etc. on each and every page to deepen understanding
  • Clear and concise end-of-chapter summaries with strategies, concepts, and applications
  • The alignment of the problems with the AP Physics 1 exam

I highly recommend this AP Physics 1 textbook. All of these features, plus the general user friendliness, make this an excellent choice for students.

After three years of my courses using this textbook, however, my school district changed to Ekina (College Physics: Explore and Apply). I have only used this book for one year, but let’s take a look at how this book compares to Knight.

Thoughts after one year of Ekina

Ekina is generally a comparable book to Knight. Their intentional approach and redesign to align with the AP Physics 1 course definitely makes these books stand out against their competitors. Flipping through the pages of Ekina shows the focus on multiple representations, rather than blocks of text.

Additionally, I like the problem sets at the end of the chapters. There is a good mix of multiple-choice, conceptual questions, and problems.

I prefer Ekina’s order of instruction to Knights. For instance, this textbook influenced my decision to move 1D forces before projectile motion and momentum before energy. These changes seemed to aid students’ understanding of 2D motion and energy. (I outlined some of my pacing changes here!)

However, Ekina falls short on the end of chapter summaries, as well as the solved examples sometimes. Maybe this is just my preference for Knight showing, but I really like Knight’s problem-solving strategies better.

All in all, Ekina is another great choice for your AP Physics 1 textbook. I will revisit my thoughts on this book after another year of using it in my courses. I am excited to have enough books this school year for students to have a home copy. This means I will be using and analyzing it more in the coming months.

Final thoughts on my AP Physics 1 textbook

Ultimately, the best book depends on how you use it. You can make whatever resources you have available work for your class – a textbook does not make or break it. However, a good textbook can be a valuable resource for students and teachers.

I need a textbook with excellent problem solving strategies to aid students, great visuals to help with multiple representations, and problem sets that model the AP Physics 1 exam. All of those requirements are met by Knight, and are mostly met by Ekina. Your program will have a valuable tool if you are able to get one of those books.

I hope this reflection helps you decide on the best AP Physics 1 textbook for your needs!