Advanced Placement Physics 1 covers the fundamentals of mechanics, waves, and electricity in preparation for college-level physics.
Energy makes things happen, and work is how energy gets transferred. In physics, energy is never lost—just converted.
Work is done when a force moves an object: \[ W = Fd\cos(\theta) \] where \( \theta \) is the angle between force and movement.
The total energy in a closed system stays the same! Energy can change forms—potential to kinetic, chemical to electrical—but it never disappears.
Understanding energy helps us design efficient machines, play sports better, and even stay safe.
\[W = Fd\cos(\theta)\]
Lifting a backpack increases its gravitational potential energy.
A roller coaster at the top of a hill has potential energy that turns into kinetic energy as it speeds down.
Energy is the ability to do work, and work is how we transfer or transform energy.