.png){kind=small}
AP Exam Prep · Online Course
AP Physics 2
Online Course & Exam Prep
Personalized 1-on-1 tutoring for AP Physics 2 (Algebra-Based). Master fluids, thermodynamics, electromagnetism, and optics · score 4 or 5 with IvyStrides' expert tutors.
90% Score 4 or 5
1-on-1 Online Tutoring
New Exam Specialists
Course at a glance
Difficulty
High
College Credit
Intro Physics II
Exam Length
3 hours
Sections
50 MCQ · 4 FRQ
Format
1-on-1 · Live Online
Pricing
Share at Consultation
OUR STUDENTS HAVE BEEN ADMITTED TO
Course Overview
Visualize the invisible forces shaping the world
AP Physics 2 extends Physics 1 into the invisible · fluids, heat, electric and magnetic fields, light, and quantum behavior. The key skill: building accurate mental models of phenomena you can't directly see.
What it covers
Fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, electric forces and fields, DC circuits, magnetism, optics, and modern physics (quantum, atomic, nuclear).
Who it's for
Students who completed AP Physics 1 with strong scores. Pre-med tracks (which often need both algebra-based physics courses), and STEM-bound students extending their physics foundation.
Why it matters
A 4 or 5 earns second-semester introductory physics credit at most universities · demonstrates ability to handle abstract field-based reasoning.
Exam Format
What's on the AP Physics 2 exam
Two equally-weighted sections. MCQ tests breadth across all 7 units; FRQs test multi-step problem solving with diagrams and justifications.
Section I
Multiple Choice
50%
Total questions
50 MCQ
Total time
1h 30m
Part A · no calculator
Scientific or graphing
Average per Q
~108 seconds
Section II
Free Response
50%
Total questions
4 FRQ
Total time
1h 30m
Experimental Design
1 question
Qualitative/Quantitative
Mix of types
Total exam time
3 hours · scored 1 to 5
Course Content
The 7 units of AP Physics 2
Our 1-on-1 tutoring tracks the College Board's official Course and Exam Description · with extra emphasis on electromagnetism, which carries the largest exam weight.
1
Fluid Mechanics
Pressure, buoyancy, fluid flow (Bernoulli's equation), continuity, viscosity basics.
2
Thermodynamics
Temperature, ideal gas behavior, PV diagrams, first and second laws, heat engines, entropy.
3
Electric Force & Field
Coulomb's law, electric fields and potential, conductors and insulators, capacitance.
4
Electric Circuits
Series and parallel resistors, Kirchhoff's laws, RC circuits, power dissipation.
5
Magnetism & Electromagnetic Induction
Magnetic forces and fields, current-carrying wires, Faraday's law, Lenz's law applications.
6
Geometric & Physical Optics
Reflection, refraction, mirrors, lenses, ray diagrams, interference, diffraction.
7
Quantum, Atomic & Nuclear
Photoelectric effect, wave-particle duality, energy levels, nuclear decay basics.
The IvyStrides Method
How we teach AP Physics 2
Score 4 or 5 isn't about memorizing more formulas. It's about visualizing invisible fields, choosing the right approach, and explaining your reasoning. Our 1-on-1 tutoring is built around that.
01
Field visualization training
Electric and magnetic field problems require strong mental models. Tutors use shared whiteboards to walk through field diagrams until visualization becomes automatic.
02
Circuit analysis frameworks
We teach systematic Kirchhoff's law application · loop and junction rules · so multi-loop circuits become mechanical rather than intimidating.
03
Ray diagram fluency
Optics FRQs reward accurate ray diagrams. Tutors drill the 3-ray construction method for mirrors and lenses until it's second nature.
04
Full Mock Exams
Timed practice tests under exam conditions, scored against the official AP rubric, with point-by-point review of every miss.
Where Most Students Struggle
The 4 things that cost AP Physics 2 students points
After hundreds of tutoring hours, the same four issues come up again and again. Here's what they are · and how IvyStrides addresses each.
The struggle
Visualizing electric & magnetic fields
Without a strong mental model of invisible fields, students can't predict force directions or evaluate field strengths from diagrams.
IvyStrides' fix
Right-hand-rule drilling + field practice
Tutors drill the right-hand rules until they're reflexive, then practice field-direction questions across dozens of configurations. Visualization gets fast.
The struggle
Multi-loop circuit analysis
Two-loop and three-loop circuits with multiple batteries make students freeze. Without a systematic approach, sign errors compound through the analysis.
IvyStrides' fix
Kirchhoff's rules step-by-step
We teach a strict 5-step Kirchhoff workflow · label all currents and signs, write loop equations, write junction equations, solve, verify. Sign errors disappear.
The struggle
Thermodynamic cycle analysis
IvyStrides' fix
Cycle accounting tables
PV diagrams and heat engine cycles confuse students · especially tracking work, heat, and internal energy through each step.
Tutors use a standard table to track W, Q, and ΔU across every step of every cycle · making cycle problems mechanical and verification easy.
The struggle
Modern physics conceptual questions
Quantum and nuclear topics feel abstract. Students memorize equations without understanding the underlying physics, then miss conceptual MCQ.
IvyStrides' fix
Photon-particle dual-lens approach
We teach modern physics through the wave-particle duality framework · every phenomenon viewed from both lenses until the conceptual link is solid.