AP Physics 2 Qualitative/Quantitative FRQ Practice
113 Qualitative/Quantitative Translation questions written in the AP format. Pick one, read the full question, and write your response.
Your first scored response is included. A plan unlocks unlimited scoring.
New to the Qualitative/Quantitative FRQ? Read the exam guide
113 questions
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Gas pressure and temperature in rigid containers
Unit 9: Thermodynamics
A rigid, sealed cylindrical container holds 0.030 mol of an ideal monatomic gas. The gas is initially in thermal equilibrium at temperature Ti = 300 K and pressure Pi = 1.20×10^5 Pa. The container is surrounded by insulation except for a flat wall made of aluminum that has thickness L = 2.0×10^-3 m and area A = 1.5×10^-2 m^2. The thermal conductivity of the aluminum is k = 205 W/(m·K). The outer surface of the aluminum wall is suddenly brought into good thermal contact with a large thermal reservoir at temperature TR = 450 K, as shown in Figure 1. The container is rigid, so the gas volume remains constant throughout the process, and the reservoir temperature remains constant.
Figure 1. Sealed cylinder with heated monatomic gas
A student claims: “As energy is transferred from the reservoir to the gas, the gas pressure increases because the gas atoms move faster and collide with the container walls more often and with greater impulse.”
Indicate whether the student’s claim is correct or incorrect. Without manipulating equations, justify your answer by describing (i) how the temperature of the gas is related to the motion of its atoms and (ii) how the pressure exerted by the gas is related to collisions of atoms with the container walls. Refer to the rigid container shown in Figure 1 in your reasoning.
Derive an expression for the time t needed for the gas temperature to increase from Ti = 300 K to Tf = 360 K due to conduction through the aluminum wall in Figure 1. Assume the inner surface of the aluminum wall is always at the instantaneous gas temperature T (so the temperature difference across the wall is TR − T), and assume the gas is spatially uniform in temperature at all times. Express your answer in terms of n, k, A, L, TR, Ti, Tf, and physical constants as appropriate. Begin your derivation by writing a fundamental physics principle or an equation from the reference information.
Indicate whether your expression from part B is or is not consistent with the following claim: “If the aluminum wall thickness L is doubled while all other given quantities remain the same, the required time t for the gas to warm from Ti to Tf doubles.” Briefly justify your answer by referencing the functional dependence of your expression on L.
What the Qualitative/Quantitative FRQ asks
The Qualitative/Quantitative Translation (QQT) question is FRQ 4 on the AP Physics 2 exam. You decide whether a claim about a scenario is correct and justify it without equations, derive an expression, then check whether the expression agrees.
- 15–20 min
- suggested on the exam
- 8 points
- across parts A to C
- 95 min
- for all four FRQs
Part A: Claim and reasoning
Whether a claim is correct, justified without equations
3 pts
Part B: Derivation
An expression derived from a physics principle
4 pts
Part C: Consistency
Whether your expression is consistent with a claim
1 pt
How Qualitative/Quantitative FRQ practice works
Each question follows the exam’s format, from the full prompt to a score on every part.
Read the full question
The scenario, its figures, and all three parts, A through C, laid out the way the exam shows them.
Write on an 18-minute timer
Inside the 15 to 20 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 8
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: 1/1 point
Earned the point. You correctly indicated that the student's claim is incorrect.
Part A: 1/1 point
Earned the point. You correctly stated the law of reflection, noting that the angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection.
Part A: 0/1 point
Did not earn the point. While you stated the general law of reflection, you needed to apply it specifically to the scenario by stating that since the incident angle is 40°, the reflected angle must also be exactly 40° (and therefore not greater than 40°).
Questions about the Qualitative/Quantitative 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.
Can I use equations in part A?
No. Part A asks you to justify the claim without manipulating equations, by describing what happens physically. Part B is where you derive.
How is the QQT different from the Mathematical Routines question?
The QQT starts with reasoning in words, then checks it against a derivation, and is worth 8 points. The Mathematical Routines question adds a diagram and is worth 10.
How do I type equations and symbols?
Use the subscript, superscript, and special-character buttons in the editor toolbar. Or write your derivation on paper, switch to handwrite, and add a photo.
Are these real College Board questions?
No. We wrote them in the AP format, with the same three parts, and wrote scoring guidelines for each one.
More AP Physics 2 practice
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Mathematical Routines questions with the full scenario, figures, and both parts.
Representations FRQ practice
Translation Between Representations questions with the full scenario and all four parts.
Experimental Design FRQ practice
Experimental Design and Analysis questions with the full lab setup and data table.
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