2017, Question 1 · Short free-response · 7 points · about 13 minutes

Identical bulbs in three circuits

Rank the voltages across bulbs in series and parallel circuits, then argue in a paragraph which battery runs out of energy first and which lasts longest.

This exam had five free-response questions in 90 minutes: Questions 1, 4 and 5 were short questions worth 7 points each with about 13 minutes suggested, and Questions 2 and 3 were long questions worth 12 points each with about 25 minutes suggested. The current exam has 4 free-response questions in 95 minutes. The skills these questions practice still count.

Not in the current course. Both parts ask about electric circuits, which the current course no longer includes electric circuits.

1 Read the question

The question is College Board's, from the 2017 exam. It starts on page 4 of the PDF. College Board no longer posts this exam, so it opens from the copy of College Board's PDF that the Internet Archive saved on April 14, 2026.

Open Question 1 (PDF, page 4)

2 Write your answer

Answer each part the way you would on the exam, in full sentences, with your work shown. Your writing saves as you type.

3 Score it

Score your answer against College Board's scoring guidelines, one point at a time. Give yourself a point only when your answer says what the guideline asks for.

Scoring guidelines (PDF, page 3) What the exam readers saw (Chief Reader report)

Question, scoring guidelines and Chief Reader report: College Board, from the Internet Archive. The title and summary are ours.