2024 AP Calculus AB Free-Response Questions — Full Solutions
Complete worked solutions with scoring breakdowns for all 6 FRQs
Questions 1–2 (Part A, 30 min) permit a graphing calculator. Questions 3–6 (Part B, 60 min) do not.
Question 1
Calculator OKCoffee Temperature — Table Data
Rate & Data from Tables
Open this question on its own pageValues of C(t)
| t (minutes) | 0 | 3 | 7 | 12 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C(t) (degrees Celsius) | 100 | 85 | 69 | 55 |
Answer
Full Solution & Work
Set up the difference quotient
State the units
AP Scoring — 2 Points
**P2**: Units of "degrees Celsius per minute" attached to a numerical value. Units alone with no numerical approximation do not earn this point.
Answer
Full Solution & Work
Set up the left Riemann sum
Substitute values and compute
Interpret the average value expression
AP Scoring — 3 Points
**P2**: Correct estimate, 985 — requires P1 (a fully correct right Riemann sum, e.g. , earns P1 but not P2).
**P3**: Interpretation must include both "average temperature" and the time interval; units are not required, but incorrect units forfeit this point.
Answer
Full Solution & Work
Set up C(20) using C(12) plus accumulated change
Substitute the known value and evaluate
State the answer
AP Scoring — 3 Points
**P2**: Adding (or 55) to a definite integral with lower limit 12.
**P3**: Correct answer (with supporting work) — an answer of just 40.329 with no supporting work earns no points at all.
Common mistake: A "linkage error" like writing $C(20)=\int_{12}^{20}C'(t)\,dt = 55-14.670812$ (treating the whole right side as equal to the integral alone) still earns the first two points but not the third — keep the equation chain unambiguous.
Answer
Full Solution & Work
Determine the sign of C''(t)
Interpret the sign
AP Scoring — 1 Point
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Question 2
Calculator OKParticle Velocity — Logarithmic Model
Particle Motion
Open this question on its own pageAnswer
Full Solution & Work
Solve v(t) = 0 on (0,2)
So (or 1.425).
Determine direction on (0, t_R)
AP Scoring — 2 Points
**P2**: Correct direction (right) with the explanation that on .
Answer
Full Solution & Work
Relate acceleration to v'(t)
Compare signs of v and a
AP Scoring — 2 Points
**P2**: Earned only for a response consistent with a negative velocity at and the presented value of .
Answer
Full Solution & Work
Set up x(4) using x(1) plus accumulated change
Evaluate
The position of the particle at time is **** (or ).
AP Scoring — 3 Points
**P2**: Adding (or ) to a definite integral with lower limit 1.
**P3**: Correct answer with supporting work — an answer of just with no supporting work earns no points.
Answer
Full Solution & Work
Set up the distance integral
Evaluate with a calculator
The total distance traveled by the particle over is **0.958**.
AP Scoring — 2 Points
**P2**: Due to variations in numerical integration across calculator models, answers of 0.958, 0.959, or 0.96 all earn this point.
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Question 3
No CalculatorSeawater Depth — Differential Equation
Differential Equations
Open this question on its own pageAnswer
Full Solution & Work
Follow the slope field from (0, 4)
AP Scoring — 1 Point
Answer
Full Solution & Work
Set dH/dt = 0
Sign-analyze dH/dt around t = π
AP Scoring — 3 Points
**P2**: Identifies , with or without supporting work.
**P3**: Cannot be earned without P1. Earned only for a correct justification and the correct answer "relative maximum." The justification can be a sign analysis of on either side of , or a Second Derivative Test showing .
Answer
Full Solution & Work
Separate variables
Integrate both sides
Apply the initial condition
Because , , so .
Solve for H
AP Scoring — 5 Points
**P2**: One correct antiderivative (either side).
**P3**: Both correct antiderivatives — presenting without absolute value symbols still earns this point.
**P4**: Correctly includes the constant of integration and uses the initial condition . Requires P1 and at least one of P2/P3.
**P5**: Earned only for the final answer (or an equivalent form) — requires all 4 previous points.
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Question 4
No CalculatorRegion R and Its Accumulation Function
Graph Analysis & Curve Sketching
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Answer
Full Solution & Work
Find g(-6) using region R's given area
(since is exactly the area of , given as 12)
Find g(4) as a triangle area
Find g(6) as a signed sum of triangle areas
AP Scoring — 3 Points
**P2**: .
**P3**: .
Supporting work is not required for any of these, but any shown work must be correct to earn the point. Unlabeled values are read left-to-right / top-to-bottom as — a response presenting only 1 or 2 values must label them to earn credit.
Answer
Full Solution & Work
Apply the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus
Solve g'(x) = 0
Therefore, the graph of has a critical point at .
AP Scoring — 2 Points
**P2**: Correct answer with reason — a response reporting any additional critical points in does not earn this point.
Answer
Full Solution & Work
Find h(6) using the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus
Find h'(6)
(the slope of the linear piece of on , found from the two labeled points -consistent slope )
Find h''(6)
(since is linear on , its second derivative is identically 0 there)
AP Scoring — 4 Points
**P2**: with supporting work — a bare answer of does not earn either of the first two points; earns only the first.
**P3**: States either or , and provides the answer .
**P4**: , with or without supporting work.
Common mistake: Any response that has one or more linkage errors does not earn the point it would have otherwise earned for that step, but stays eligible for subsequent points if those are handled correctly.
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Question 5
No CalculatorImplicit Curve — Tangent Lines & Related Rates
Implicit Differentiation
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Full Solution & Work
Find the slope at (2,4)
Apply the tangent line approximation
AP Scoring — 2 Points
**P2**: Correct approximation, evaluated at using a linear approximation through with slope .
Answer
Full Solution & Work
Find where dy/dx = 0
So if is tangent to the curve, the point of tangency must be .
Check whether (0,1) lies on the curve
The point is not on the curve. Therefore, the horizontal line is **not** tangent to the curve.
AP Scoring — 2 Points
**P2**: A reason that is not tangent to the curve; merely stating " is not on the curve" without checking it against the equation is insufficient.
Answer
Full Solution & Work
Evaluate the denominator at (√48, 0)
The denominator, , does not equal 0.
Conclude
AP Scoring — 1 Point
Answer
Full Solution & Work
Differentiate implicitly with respect to t
Substitute known values
Solve for dx/dt
AP Scoring — 4 Points
**P2**: A correct equation equivalent to .
**P3**: Correctly uses (a response does not need to explicitly declare this — substituting it directly into the implicit equation is sufficient). Using both and anywhere in the same response does not earn this point.
**P4**: Cannot be earned without the first 3 points. Earned only for the value 10, with no mistakes in the supporting work.
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Question 6
No CalculatorArea and Volume Between f and g
Area & Volume
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Answer
Full Solution & Work
Set up the integrand
Write the area integral
AP Scoring — 2 Points
**P2**: Earned only for one or more integrals equivalent to .
Answer
Full Solution & Work
Set up the volume integral
Expand and integrate
Evaluate the antiderivative at the bounds
AP Scoring — 4 Points
**P2**: Limits of and in a definite integral with integrand for any nonzero factor .
**P3**: A correct antiderivative of for some integer .
**P4**: Earned only for the numeric answer (equivalent to ).
Common mistake: A response that instead uses $f(x)$ in place of $g(x)$ throughout the setup (Volume $=\int_2^5 \frac12(f(x))^2 dx$) can still earn P1 and P2, but is not eligible for P3 or P4 — the cross sections are explicitly built on region $S$, which is bounded by $g$, not $f$.
Answer
Full Solution & Work
Identify outer and inner radii
Apply the washer method
AP Scoring — 3 Points
**P2**: Earned only for an integrand mathematically equivalent to — a response using in place of can still earn P1 but not P2.
**P3**: Earned only for a definite integral including the constant and limits to (limits reversed to to also work, provided the sign is adjusted accordingly).
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Gary Chang
Calculus Educator5+ Years of Calculus Teaching Experience | AP Calculus Specialist. Dedicated to helping students master calculus through step-by-step logic and clear visualizations.
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