<p>Ok, next year Im thinking of taking AP Calculus AB and AP Calculus BC (same year). What do you think? Would BC be way to hard if I havent taken AB first? How much harder? </p>
<p>Also, I was thinking of taking AP Physics B and C that same year. Do I really need to know calculus in order to do well in these? And it's not that bad to take both at the same time, right?</p>
<p>Thats all. Thanks for your time and I would really appreciate your suggestions/comments.</p>
<p>Calc AB and BC basically cover the same info. BC goes a little more in-depth, but the courses are essentially substitutions for each other; AB isn't a prereq for BC. If you're good at math, just take BC.</p>
<p>I would strongly advise against taking physics C before knowing everything that happens in B. C builds off B and if you don't know the basics, you'll be lost.</p>
<p>Good luck next year :)</p>
<p>I'm taking Physics C without having taken B, and it's not that bad at all (actually one of my favourites). You must absolutely be concurrently enrolled in or have taken Calculus before delving into C, though, because it's a calculus-based Physics course - you'll be doing integration weeks before the Calculus kids do. B, on the other hand, is not calculus based and is much easier.</p>
<p>My school doesn't offer BC, sadly, so I'm in AB. My friend in Cali is taking BC but for the most part we know what the other is learning so there really isn't too much of a difference. The letters should indicate that overlap in material. But taking Phys and Calc both at once is an amazingly awesome thing - you'll find that stuff you learn from Physics helps with Calculus and vice versa. Very beneficial.</p>
<p>BC is built on AB, if you dont know AB very well you cant do anything in BC, what i mean is not just understand it but even DO the problems.</p>
<p>At my school many people (ok not that many) take BC junior year and then Multivariable / Differential Equations senior year. So taking BC without AB is the norm at my school. However, I don't think anyone at my school has ever tried Phys C without Phys B. I am in B this year and it is easily my hardest class, i could not imagine adding calculus when taking my first physics class. I will probably take C though next year.</p>
<p>I am taking BC and no, its not easy even through I have taken AB. Without AB cant do ANYTHING in BC</p>
<p>That really isn't true.</p>
<p>BC calc just covers more material in the same amount of time. If you take both AB and BC at the same time, you'll just end up learning half the material of BC twice.</p>
<p>BC is not hard if you aren't mathematically challenged, and as far as I know, the students at my school take BC directly after pre-calculus if they think they can handle it. (These 10/11th graders seem to have no trouble with the course)</p>
<p>I don't think it's necessary to take AP Physics B before taking Physics C. The least you need is to take any physics class beforehand, such as a typical honors course or so.</p>
<p>Just take BC and Physics C only. Otherwise you'll just be wasting time relearning things. For everything that Physics C does not teach that's in Physics B, you can learn on your own. You'll learn everything in so much more depth anyway.</p>
<p>I think you need to check with your school and see how they structure the classes. My school didn't offer Physics C, so I don't know about that. But for us, you DEFINITELY needed Calc AB before BC. AB taught the basics and then BC taught the odds and ends you need for the BC test that aren't in the AB curriculum. It didn't stand alone at all. But just because my school did it that way doesn't mean yours would too. Maybe at your school BC is an accelerated class that covers everything and you don't need AB. You should go ask your guidance counselor.</p>
<p>At D's hs, they offered both AB and BC. For the students who are at the top of the AB class, and who are willing to do a bit more studying, the teacher recommended taking the BC version of the test. Worked out great for D.</p>
<p>Just take Physics C and Calc BC together. I'm doing that this year and it's working out great. I'm in the AB class, but my teacher is working with me on the BC stuff. I'm also self-studying Physics C. I go to the AP Physics class with the other students, but they are taking the B course, so I just do my own thing. If there is ever something I don't understand I use the internet to find out, or ask one of my teachers. It's worked out well so far..</p>
<p>You don't need to take AB before BC. Also you don't need Physics B before C.</p>
<p>calc bc = calc ab + 2 chapters
physics c = physics b using calculus. In terms of materials, physics b actually covers more (includes light & heat too)
Never take those classes together, its a complete waste of time. If you never had physics or calculus before, I recommend you to take calc bc + physics b as you do actually need some calculus for physics c.</p>
<p>BC and Physics C together is a waste of time? How do you figure? When you learn something in one, you can use it in the other. Physics C has by far helped me in my BC class. And the reason Physics C doesn't cover heat and all that is because in college you have a Thermodynamics class for that stuff.</p>
<p>I mean BC /AB or phys B/C as a combo -.-</p>
<p>Oh, haha. Now, we agree!</p>
<p>Calculus AB is not really essential for Calculus BC. I mean you can survive without it. But if you feel like having essentially a blowoff math course since BC and AB are so similar then go for ab then bc. </p>
<p>as for needing calculus before physics im taking physics c atm and 3/4 of class is taking ab concurrently with physics c and really not been a problem too much. I mean the calculus stuff isnt really that hard(so far :) ) Basically its all just simple integrations. Hardest imo so far is deriving moment of inertia for different things. But really its not essential to know before. I mean it wont hurt but its not absolutely essential to have already taken it.</p>
<p>As for taking physics b and c at same time all i can say is have fun :P. If you grasp the concepts really easily then go for it since physics b is just all concepts. And good thing is physics c goes slower than physics b and there is overlap(i know for mechanics part of c not sure if b does electricity+magnetism...can anyone clarify?) so yeah makes things easier when ur going through concepts second time in c after having gone through already in b(one of friends is taking b and c and is sleeping through c and still has higher grade than me grr) </p>
<p>But imo i wouldnt take both physics b and c(but thats only cause i dont like them compared to other science course...bio and chem ftw :D)</p>
<p>taking b before c does help. probably not necessary. the calculus in c is relatively simple, the concepts are just harder. b does a bunch of different topics, but the problems are a joke compared to c problems.</p>
<p>in my school, we've got several options. in math we've got four tracks.
in T1 - you spend 2 years on the calc AB curriculum and finish with a test
in T2 - you spend 1 year on calc AB write the test, then 1 year on stats and write the test
in T3 - you spend 1 year on calc Ab write the test, then 1 year doing both stats and calc BC, and finish off with those tests
in T4 - you spend your first year on calc BC, then do stats the second year.</p>
<p>As for physics we've got two tracks
in T1 - you spend your first year doing physics B and that's it
in T2 - you do physics B your first year and physics C in your second.</p>
<p>make of it what you want to. personally i'm looking towards doing math T3, and physics T2 (as many APs as possible), the others of course are chem and bio.</p>
<p>I'm taking Physics C and am enrolled in Calc AB at the same time. The calculus in Physics C is simple in mechanics, though it does get a little more intense in electricity/magnetism. </p>
<p>I would strongly recommend you take Physics B before C, it helps a LOT. In Physics C you just cover the same stuff as in B, but you go more in-depth and learn about rotation, elliptical orbits, and the problems get a lot more complicated. </p>
<p>The nice thing is that they leave out thermodynamics and waves, and it's all straight up Newton's laws for the first semester.</p>