10–15% of the AP exam. 15 key topics. 4 common errors analyzed.
Unit 6 (Energy Resources and Consumption) addresses environmental systems and human impacts. FRQs in this unit typically ask you to identify problems, propose specific solutions, and explain environmental consequences.
These are the most frequently penalized mistakes on AP exam FRQs and MCQs. Review each before your next practice session.
Misclassifying nuclear power as a renewable energy source — it is nonrenewable because it depends on finite uranium ore, though it produces minimal direct CO₂ emissions; students must distinguish low-carbon from renewable
Confusing EROI (energy return on investment — ratio of energy output to energy input) with energy efficiency (proportion of input energy converted to useful output), leading to flawed quantitative FRQ answers
Overgeneralizing natural gas as 'clean energy' without acknowledging methane leakage during extraction and transport, which has a global warming potential roughly 80× that of CO₂ over 20 years
Failing to identify specific environmental tradeoffs for each energy source on compare-and-contrast FRQs — stating only that renewables are 'better for the environment' without naming specific impacts (land use for solar farms, bird mortality from wind turbines, habitat flooding from dams) earns no credit
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