Hey Guys! Unfortunately I have encountered a problem in my high school. I attend a small private high school (not in the US) with less than 50 students in 12th grade (in which I currently am). Although I’ll have to apply to universities before January, I still want to take AP Courses. I am currently enrolled in: AP Calculus AB, AP Literature, and AP Statistics. Unfortunately, my school is so small, that some AP courses are never offered, like Calculus BC. This school year AP Physics was not offered because there was no teacher to teach it.
Since I want to be an engineer (probably mechanical), I wanted to know which AP Physics course should take, since it is going to be very important for my career. I have never taken Physics before only AP Chem in 11th grade (got a 3), AP Bio in 10th grade (got a 4) and general science in 9th grade.
TL;DR So, in short, should i take AP Physics 1, 2 or one of the C variants.
Thank you all in advance for your help!
I’m going to say none of the above. If your school does not offer the class, there is no expectation that you need to take the exam. Wait until college.
If you decide to pursue anyway, since you’re planning on going into engineering, Physics 1 and 2 are pretty pointless; you need physics with calculus.
Would I be able to do it if I am only starting Calculus AB? If so, which AP Physics C is preferable (which one is easier)? I would still like a little more into depth into Physics, my normal Physics class is painful to endure, and my teacher has given me green light to work independently during class. I’m leaning more into Mechanical Engineering, so would Physics C: Mechanics be the better choice?
Mechanics is easier if you have a floppy understanding of calculus. Also unless you already know a good bit of calculus you probably won’t be able to do the things required of the class (though that isn’t to say you couldn’t teach some calc to yourself). Understanding the concept of an integral and derivative are very important for the class and you generally wouldn’t have this understanding if you took it concurrently with AB.
For me, mechanics was easier than E&M, but that may vary by student. At some point, of course, you will need both.
Yes. The level of calculus used is not that sophisticated.
Thank you both! I’ll dive in into Physics C Mechanics with some Calculus, even if I don’t take the exam at the end of the year it will prepare my for my career. Have a great day!