So I’m taking AP Physics C: M&EM concurrently with BC Calc. Most of my classmates, however, are taking multivar right now. My teacher says that he will try to get to EM, but most of the class will be spent covering mechanics so anyone who wants to do EM will have a lot of self-studying to do. I was looking at the textbook which has EM in it but the electricity had stuff like “surface integrals.” Khan academy was not helping because the first video is deep into the multivar section and leads off with partial derivatives (we just started second derivatives in BC, forget partial). My teacher says he will try to help all of the BC kids but I’m worried I won’t be able to do well on the EM (or mechanics really) exam. Am I royally screwed? Any tips? Also, please don’t say “just don’t take the EM exam” thanks.
My D took mechanics and E&M concurrently with AB calc and did just fine.
You are not screwed. You do not need multivariable calc.
If you need help with the math, go to your teachers (both physics and math) for extra help.
The calc needed for these courses is really straightforward, and you don’t need a particularly deep understanding of calc to apply it to the course.
Yes, the Calc requirement is pretty basic. I think our school only has an AB co-requisite and students get by fine.
I assure you the AP exam with not have partials or surface/volume integrals. I think I was in my 3rd undergrad Physics class before running into those.
That would be crazy if there were any partial derivatives for any part of AP Physics C. The AP Physics C class(es) are theoretically supposed to be in-step with AP Calc AB as far as Calculus knowledge goes. Sometimes the Physics C class might step a bit ahead, which could cause problems. So if you’re taking BC, unless your teacher is going ultra slow, you should be fine.
@ProfessorPlum168
I don’t know if partial derivatives are in Physics C but I know for a fact that there are surface integrals and khan academy said that knowing partials would aid with surface integrals.
@RichInPitt
I thought Gauss Law used surface integrals? Flux and the like are on the exam. Also, technically speaking EM is a second-semester course (yeah ik the CB doesn’t really produce accurate exams…) so it isn’t that far off.
In a true college-level calc-based E&M class, which AP Physics C is not as much as the CB would like to pretend that it is, MVC is often a prereq and is used extensively. However, few high schools offer MVC so you will rarely, if ever, need it for the AP exam. Some problems which could easily be solved using MVC, can generally be reduced down to solve with lower-level math. Regardless, the E&M exam has a generous curve with a 60% needed for a 5. Self-studying E&M will be difficult as it is; don’t spend a boatload of time on concepts that will be very infrequently needed.
Whether it’s math (in this case, calculus) or physics, once you understand the concepts well, even in 1-dimension, extending your understanding to multi-dimensions is usually trivial, as long as you can visualize (or imagine, as the case may be). You’ll need the ability to visualize (or imagine) to do well in physics anyway, so it isn’t a new skill set.