AP Exams (Advanced Placement) AP Sciences (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Environmental) Syllabus

AP Sciences (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Environmental) syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for AP Sciences (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Environmental) in AP Exams (Advanced Placement), not a summary of it.

1. 1

   AP Biology Core Concepts

   6 topics

   • Chemistry of Life
     • Water properties and macromolecules
     • Enzyme structure and function
   • Cell Structure and Function
     • Membrane transport
     • Cellular compartmentalization
   • Cellular Energetics
     • Photosynthesis
     • Cellular respiration
   • Heredity and Gene Expression
     • Meiosis and Mendelian genetics
     • Transcription, translation, and regulation
   • Evolution and Natural Selection
   • Ecology and Energy Flow
2. 2

   AP Chemistry Foundations

   6 topics

   • Atomic Structure and Periodicity
     • Electron configuration
     • Periodic trends
   • Bonding and Molecular Geometry
     • Lewis structures and VSEPR
     • Intermolecular forces
   • Stoichiometry and Reactions
     • Mole concept and limiting reactants
     • Reaction types
   • Thermodynamics
     • Enthalpy and Hess's law
     • Entropy and Gibbs free energy
   • Equilibrium, Acids, and Bases
     • Le Chatelier's principle
     • pH, Ka/Kb, and buffers
   • Kinetics and Electrochemistry
3. 3

   AP Physics 1 & 2 (Algebra-Based)

   6 topics

   • Kinematics and Dynamics
     • Motion in one and two dimensions
     • Newton's laws and forces
   • Energy, Momentum, and Rotation
     • Work-energy theorem
     • Conservation of momentum
     • Torque and rotational motion
   • Oscillations and Waves
     • Simple harmonic motion
     • Sound and wave behavior
   • Fluids and Thermodynamics
   • Electrostatics and Circuits
     • Electric fields and potential
     • DC circuits
   • Magnetism and Optics
4. 4

   AP Physics C (Calculus-Based)

   5 topics

   • Mechanics with Calculus
     • Differential kinematics
     • Integration in work and energy
   • Systems of Particles and Rotation
   • Oscillations and Gravitation
   • Electricity and Magnetism
     • Gauss's law
     • Capacitance and dielectrics
     • Faraday's law and inductance
   • Maxwell's Equations Overview
5. 5

   AP Environmental Science

   6 topics

   • Ecosystems and Biodiversity
   • Populations and the Living World
   • Earth Systems and Resources
     • Soil, geology, and the atmosphere
     • Water resources
   • Energy Resources and Consumption
   • Pollution and Human Health
   • Global Change and Climate
     • Ozone depletion and global warming
     • Sustainability and mitigation

AP Sciences (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Environmental) flashcards for AP Exams (Advanced Placement)

22 of 51 cards from the AP Sciences (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Environmental) deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. In the chemistry of life, what four elements make up roughly 96% of living matter, and what property of carbon makes it central to organic molecules?

   Carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen (CHON). Carbon has four valence electrons, letting it form four stable covalent bonds and build large, diverse, branched and ring-shaped molecules.

2. What are the four major classes of biological macromolecules and their monomer building blocks?

   Carbohydrates (monosaccharides), lipids (glycerol + fatty acids, not true polymers), proteins (amino acids), and nucleic acids (nucleotides).

3. What property of water arises from its polarity, and why is hydrogen bonding important for life?

   Polarity gives water cohesion, adhesion, high specific heat, and the ability to dissolve polar/ionic solutes. Hydrogen bonds between molecules underlie surface tension, temperature buffering, and ice floating.

4. Contrast prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells in terms of nucleus and organelles.

   Prokaryotes lack a membrane-bound nucleus and membrane-bound organelles; DNA is in a nucleoid. Eukaryotes have a true nucleus and membrane-bound organelles (mitochondria, ER, Golgi, etc.).

5. State the function of the mitochondrion, chloroplast, rough ER, and Golgi apparatus.

   Mitochondrion: ATP via cellular respiration. Chloroplast: photosynthesis. Rough ER: protein synthesis/folding (ribosome-studded). Golgi: modifies, sorts, and packages proteins/lipids for shipping.

6. Describe the fluid mosaic model of the cell membrane.

   A phospholipid bilayer (hydrophilic heads out, hydrophobic tails in) with embedded and peripheral proteins, cholesterol, and carbohydrates that move laterally, controlling selective permeability.

7. In cellular energetics, write the overall equation for aerobic cellular respiration.

   C6H12O6 + 6 O2 -> 6 CO2 + 6 H2O + energy (about 30-32 ATP per glucose).

8. Name the three main stages of aerobic respiration and where each occurs in a eukaryotic cell.

   Glycolysis (cytoplasm), the Krebs/citric acid cycle (mitochondrial matrix), and oxidative phosphorylation/electron transport chain (inner mitochondrial membrane).

9. Write the overall equation for photosynthesis and name its two stages.

   6 CO2 + 6 H2O + light -> C6H12O6 + 6 O2. Stages: light-dependent reactions (thylakoid membrane) and the Calvin cycle (stroma).

10. In Mendelian heredity, state the Law of Segregation and the Law of Independent Assortment.

    Segregation: the two alleles for a trait separate during gamete formation so each gamete gets one. Independent Assortment: alleles of different genes assort independently (for genes on separate chromosomes).

11. What is the central dogma of molecular biology, and what enzyme drives each step?

    DNA -> RNA -> protein. Transcription (RNA polymerase) makes mRNA from DNA; translation (ribosome) builds protein from mRNA codons.

12. A heterozygous purple-flowered plant (Pp) is self-crossed. What genotype and phenotype ratios result?

    Genotype ratio 1 PP : 2 Pp : 1 pp; phenotype ratio 3 purple : 1 white.

13. State the conditions required for Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium.

    No mutation, random mating, no natural selection, very large (infinite) population size, and no gene flow (migration).

14. Write the two Hardy-Weinberg equations and define the terms.

    p + q = 1 (allele frequencies) and p^2 + 2pq + q^2 = 1, where p^2 = homozygous dominant, 2pq = heterozygous, q^2 = homozygous recessive frequencies.

15. What is natural selection, and name the four conditions Darwin identified as necessary for it?

    Differential survival/reproduction based on heritable traits. Conditions: variation, heritability, overproduction of offspring (competition), and differential fitness.

16. Distinguish convergent from divergent evolution, and homologous from analogous structures.

    Convergent: unrelated species evolve similar traits (analogous structures, e.g., bird vs insect wings). Divergent: related species diverge, leaving homologous structures (same origin, e.g., vertebrate forelimbs).

17. In ecology, distinguish a food chain from a food web and define a trophic level.

    A food chain is a single linear feeding sequence; a food web is interconnected chains. A trophic level is an organism's position (producer, primary/secondary/tertiary consumer) in energy flow.

18. What is the 10% rule of energy transfer between trophic levels?

    Only about 10% of the energy at one trophic level is passed to the next; ~90% is lost as heat through metabolism, limiting food-chain length.

19. In atomic structure, what do the atomic number and mass number tell you about an atom?

    Atomic number (Z) = number of protons (defines the element); mass number (A) = protons + neutrons. Neutrons = A - Z.

20. State three periodic trends and their direction across a period (left to right).

    Across a period: atomic radius decreases, ionization energy increases, electronegativity increases (effective nuclear charge rises).

21. In bonding, contrast ionic, covalent, and metallic bonds.

    Ionic: electron transfer between metal and nonmetal (electrostatic attraction). Covalent: electron sharing between nonmetals. Metallic: positive ions in a delocalized 'sea' of shared electrons.

22. Using VSEPR, give the molecular geometry and bond angle for 2, 3, and 4 electron domains (no lone pairs).

    2 domains: linear, 180 degrees. 3 domains: trigonal planar, 120 degrees. 4 domains: tetrahedral, 109.5 degrees.

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