AP Environmental Science formula sheet the equations you actually need.
Here is the AP Environmental Science formula sheet: the population, energy, pollution, and percent-change math the exam expects. One thing to settle first, because most guides get it wrong. College Board does not publish an equation sheet for APES, so every formula below is one you memorize. A calculator is permitted and Bluebook has one built in, but it computes; it does not give you the formulas.
Does the AP Environmental Science exam provide an equation sheet?
No, and this is the most common myth about this exam. The words equation sheet, formula sheet and reference table appear zero times in the 252-page Course and Exam Description, which has no equations appendix at all. College Board’s own reference-information page lists the subjects that do get a printed equation sheet or reference tables: Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science A, Computer Science Principles, all four Physics exams and Statistics. AP Environmental Science is not among them.
What Bluebook does provide is reference information explaining how to enter symbolic notation from your keyboard. That is typing help, not equations. So every formula below is one you need to know before you walk in, and the free response still asks you to set up the math and show your work. The list is grouped by topic so each formula sits next to where you use it.
The AP Environmental Science formula sheet, by topic
The math that actually shows up, with a plain-language note on when to use it.
Populations & growth
Percent change & per-capita
Energy & power
Pollution & decay
The skill that matters most
How to use this formula sheet
Because nothing here is handed to you on exam day, memorize these first, then practice picking the right one from a word problem. A calculator is permitted on both sections, and Bluebook has a Desmos scientific calculator built in, so you do not have to bring one. If you would rather use your own, College Board permits a four-function calculator with a square root key or a scientific nongraphing model, and from the 2027 exam handheld calculators with storage, including graphing calculators, are not allowed. Always write out your units, because unit errors rather than arithmetic cost the most points.
For a faster, concept-first version that pairs each unit with its key idea and the mistake to avoid, use our APES cheat sheet, work full problems against the rubric with the FRQ guide, and the APES exam score calculator turns a practice raw score into a 1–5.
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers — written by humans, not a chatbot.
Does AP Environmental Science provide an equation sheet?
No. College Board has never published one for APES. The phrase does not appear anywhere in the current Course and Exam Description, and APES is not on College Board’s list of subjects that get a printed equation sheet. Bluebook provides reference information on entering symbolic notation from your keyboard, which is typing help, not formulas. You memorize these.
Is a calculator allowed on AP Environmental Science?
Yes, on both sections, and Bluebook has a Desmos scientific calculator built in, so you do not have to bring one. If you bring your own, College Board permits a four-function calculator with a square root key or a scientific nongraphing model, and from the 2027 exam handheld calculators with storage, including graphing calculators, are not allowed.
What math is on the AP Environmental Science exam?
Population growth and the rule of 70, percent change, energy and efficiency, half-life, and unit conversions — usually straightforward arithmetic, but you must show the setup.
Do I need to memorize formulas for AP Environmental Science?
Yes. There is no equation sheet, so every formula on this page is one you need to know before you walk in. What the exam rewards on top of that is choosing the right formula and showing your setup.
What is the rule of 70 in APES?
A shortcut for doubling time: divide 70 by the percent growth rate. A population growing 2% a year doubles in about 35 years.