AP Physics 2 Experimental Design FRQ Practice
66 Experimental Design and Analysis questions written in the AP format. Pick one, read the setup and data, and write your response. Fiveable scores each Experimental Design FRQ response part by part on the AP rubric.
Your first scored response is included. A plan unlocks unlimited scoring.
66 questions
sorted by unit
Ideal gas behavior, container volume determination
Unit 9: Thermodynamics
In Experiment 1, a student is given a rigid, thermally insulated container of unknown internal volume V containing a sample of dry air that can be treated as an ideal gas. The container is fitted with a digital pressure sensor and a temperature probe that measure the pressure P and temperature T of the gas inside. The student is asked to design an experiment to determine the container volume V and to relate the measured pressure and temperature to the microscopic model of gases.
Describe a procedure for collecting data that would allow the student to determine the internal volume V of the container. In your description, include the measurements to be made. Include any steps necessary to reduce experimental uncertainty.
Describe how the collected data could be analyzed to determine V. Include references to appropriate equations and to relationships between measured and known quantities. Your description should connect the measured macroscopic variables to a microscopic model of temperature and pressure in an ideal gas.
Figure 1. Rigid, thermally insulated container with dry-air inlet, valve, digital pressure sensor, and temperature probe; container shown in three possible thermal environments (273 K ice bath, 293 K water bath, 353 K hot-water bath).
Figure 2. Blank grid for plotting a straight-line graph to determine container volume V (example axes set for P versus T).
T (K) | P (kPa) |
|---|---|
273 | 93.2 |
293 | 100.0 |
313 | 106.8 |
333 | 113.8 |
353 | 120.8 |
In Experiment 2, the student seals a fixed amount of dry air in the container and places the container in water baths of different temperatures. After thermal equilibrium is reached in each bath, the student records the gas temperature T and pressure P. The data are shown in Table 1.
Indicate two quantities, either measured quantities from Table 1 or additional calculated quantities, that could be graphed to produce a straight line that could be used to determine the container volume V.
Vertical axis: Horizontal axis:
On Figure 2, create a graph of the quantities indicated in part C(i) that can be used to determine V.
Use Table 2 to record the data points or calculated quantities that you will plot.
Clearly label the axes, including units as appropriate.
Plot the points you recorded in Table 2.
Draw a best-fit line for the data graphed in part C(ii).
Using the best-fit line that you drew in part C(iii), calculate an experimental value for the container volume V. In Experiment 2, before collecting the data in Table 1 the student measured the mass of dry air sealed in the container to be . Use the best-fit line from part C(iii) to determine the container volume. Treat air as an ideal gas with molar mass and . (Note: .)
What the Experimental Design FRQ asks
The Experimental Design and Analysis question is FRQ 3 on the AP Physics 2 exam. You design a procedure to answer a question about a physical system, then graph data from a similar experiment and use your best-fit line to find a physical quantity.
- 25–30 min
- suggested on the exam
- 10 points
- across parts A to D
- 95 min
- for all four FRQs
Part A: Procedure
How to collect the data: what you vary, what you measure, and with what
2 pts
Part B: Analysis plan
How you would graph the data and what the graph tells you
2 pts
Part C: Graph
Choose quantities that give a straight line, plot the data, and draw a best-fit line
4 pts
Part D: Calculation
A value calculated from your best-fit line
2 pts
Experimental Design FRQ skill sheet
Every rubric point on one page: what earns it, what to do and what to avoid. Tap the sheet to see it full size.
How Experimental Design FRQ practice works
Each question follows the exam’s format, from the full prompt to a score on every part.
Read the setup and data
The lab scenario, the data table, and all four parts, A through D, laid out the way the exam shows them.
Write on a 27-minute timer
Inside the 25 to 30 minutes the exam suggests for this question. Pause it or turn it off, and your response saves as you go.
Submit for a score out of 10
Your response is scored against the scoring guidelines written for that question. Your first score is included.
Feedback on every part
A summary at the top tells you what to work on next. Below it, each part shows whether you earned the point and what the scoring guidelines were looking for.
Detailed Feedback
Part A: 0/1 point
Did not earn the point. You mentioned measuring pressure and temperature, but you did not include a measurement for the height of the piston or the volume of the gas. Without measuring the volume (or height to calculate volume), you cannot determine the number of moles.
Part A: 1/1 point
Earned the point. You correctly identified taking multiple measurements and waiting for the system to reach thermal equilibrium as valid methods to reduce experimental uncertainty.
Part B: 1/1 point
Earned the point. You correctly indicated that the ideal gas law, PV = nRT, can be used to analyze the data.
Questions about the Experimental Design FRQ
How many responses can I get scored?
You can read every question without a plan. Your first scored response is included. A plan unlocks unlimited scoring.
How do I make the graph in part C?
Open the drawing tool in the editor and plot it there. You can also graph it on paper, switch to handwrite, and add a photo of your page.
What equipment can my procedure use?
Equipment a typical high school lab would have, like a ruler, a voltmeter, or an ammeter. Say what you vary, what you measure, and how you measure it.
Is the data in part C from my own procedure?
No. Part C gives you data from a similar experiment. Your analysis plan from part B still helps you choose what to graph.
Are these real College Board questions?
No. We wrote them in the AP format, with the same four parts, and wrote scoring guidelines for each one.
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Write your first Experimental Design FRQ
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Teaching AP Physics 2? Assign these Experimental Design FRQs to your class