USAPhO Guide

Free notes and problems for F=ma and USAPhO

82 lessons, 267 simulations you can play with, and 2,493 problems that check your answer on the spot. It's all free, and the source is on GitHub, so if something is wrong you can fix it.

Start with F=maProblem bank
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Contents

Part 1. F=ma

Mechanics for the F=ma exam, from vectors to oscillations.

  1. 1Toolkit7

    Units, vectors and the calculus you'll use in every unit after this.

  2. 2Kinematics5

    Position, velocity and acceleration in one and two dimensions.

  3. 3Newton's Laws & Forces8

    Free body diagrams, friction, pulleys, circular motion and gravity.

  4. 4Work, Energy & Momentum7

    Energy and momentum conservation, collisions, center of mass.

  5. 5Rotational Motion6

    Torque, moment of inertia, angular momentum and rolling.

  6. 6Oscillations4

    Springs, pendulums and simple harmonic motion.

  7. 7Fluids & Extra Mechanics2

    Fluids, and accelerating reference frames.

Part 2. USAPhO

Everything past mechanics for the USAPhO free response: E&M, thermo, waves, optics, modern.

  1. 1Electrostatics6

    Coulomb, Gauss, potential and capacitors.

  2. 2Circuits4

    Ohm, Kirchhoff, RC circuits and the networks that look impossible.

  3. 3Magnetism & Induction6

    Magnetic force, Biot-Savart, Ampere, Faraday and inductors.

  4. 4Thermodynamics6

    The laws of thermodynamics, gases, engines and entropy.

  5. 5Waves & Sound4

    Standing waves, beats, interference and Doppler.

  6. 6Optics4

    Mirrors, lenses, diffraction and thin films.

  7. 7Modern Physics5

    Relativity, photons, Bohr and de Broglie.

  8. 8Nuclear & Particle Physics3

    Decay, binding energy and particles.

  9. 9Data Analysis & Advanced Techniques5

    Data analysis, plus Lagrangians, normal modes and other medal-level tools.