AP Physics

[keebler_giant]

I\'m going into the 11th grade next year and am signed up for AP Physics B. My school doesn\'t offer a calculus based physics class, so I was wondering if it is even worth it to take the AP Physics B test at the end of the year. I am thinking about just learning the extra material myself and taking one of the Physics C tests, does anyone know if this is a good idea? Which one of the two Physics C subjects should I choose to study to take the exam on, if I do? Thanks for any help

[homology]

I believe in breaking rules. To hell with the test. Work hard on your physics. If your assertive enough and talk with professors you can usually wriggle out of pre-reqs so you could not take your AP test and still skip your first year of physics.

You\'ll be out what,... 8 credits.

Kevin

[Xerxes314]

The tests are not all that hard. My school didn\'t offer AP Phys C either, so I just took Phys B and Calc, took those exams junior year and then took the Phys C exam (after a bit of independent study) the next year. No problem. Of course, that means taking twice the number of exams and paying twice as much money, so you might opt not to take the Phys B. It won\'t count for anything if you score well on Phys C anyway.

Xerxes

[keebler_giant]

Well that\'s encouraging to hear...I took Calc BC in 10th grade, so I was thinking about just going on with the independent study, but I didn\'t know if it was going to be worth it. What did you get on the Physics C exam?

[Edited on 7-26-2004 by keebler_giant]

[Xerxes314]

All 5\'s. The only ones I botched up were US Hist (4), Euro Hist (3), and Latin (3). :( Luckily, I became a physicist instead of a historian, or else I\'d really be screwed.

On that same line, you might check whether your college of choice offers credit for these sorts of things. Maryland was very generous about giving credits, so I took all the AP tests I could. But if your college doesn\'t (and some don\'t) it\'s obviously a less-good investment of time and money. You can always just learn the material without taking the test.

Xerxes

[keebler_giant]

Well that\'s good to hear. I got a 3 on the Euro history test too. Did you go to UMBC, College park, or Eastern shore? I have 2 friends who are going to College park next year to major in Aeronautics.

[jchristophm]

As an AP Physics teacher I highly encourage you to just take the AP Physics C exam. Surprisingly, I have always found the C exam to be easier. The B exam covers way to much material. The C exam covers just Mechanics and Electricity and Magnetism, and the actual calculus is minimal.

Here is what you need to know --

Mechanics: Force problems, rotation, conservation of energy/momentum.

E&M: Gauss\' Law, circuits (with inductors and capacitors), and Ampere\'s Law.

After going over all of the AP exams since the seventies, I can pretty much determine each year what the problems will be. If you have a good foundation in physics, then you can get a good AP Physics C prep book and do just fine.