<p>Is it possible for a student that is very strong at math to take mechanics Junior year with no previous physics courses? Just curious what it would be like, and any tips/suggestions.</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>It’d be possible, but difficult. If you have intuition for math and mathy things you should do alright</p>
<p>Anything is possible, you just have to be willing to put in thw work</p>
<p>Possible? Yes. Efficient? Maybe not. You might want to self-study superficially the major concepts of mechanics beforehand. And you’ll need to be very good with Calculus so the math doesn’t get in the way of you learning.</p>
<p>I was going to ask “How’s your math?” but you say you are strong. I’ll say it seems to be more important in E&M (some of those differential equations can get hairy), but it is still definitely necessary in mechanics. </p>
<p>Are you talking Calculus at the same time or have you already taken it? Having already taken it will make it easier to really understand. </p>
<p>The basic concepts are easy. However, the way they are tested is hard. There are any number of different things that can be used to solve a problem, such as conservation of momentum, conservation of angular momentum, conservation of energy, no outside force = no change in center of mass of a system, etc. etc.</p>
<p>What makes it hard is that you don’t know which one to use. (usually you get an ice hint from the question!) You have to figure it out. I’ve gotten quite frustrated with myself for not realizing a question was just an application of something simple that I didn’t realize later. </p>
<p>Erm, anywho… Being able to eliminate answers using mathematical logic is a good strategy for MC. If there are two masses (usually m and M) in a question and it asks for a velocity of the little one, you might expect it to be large. So you can rule out something like m/M because it would be very small. (Essentially you just take baby-limits)</p>
<p>I did this exact thing and it worked out well for me (got a 4.)</p>
<p>Having taken calculus and physics concurrently, it’s my opinion that the calculus required to earn a credit-worthy score on the physics exam is basic to say the least. The most difficult calculus concept that I encountered in my preparation was modeling the behavior of springs and pendulums using differential equations. If you can do that and take basic (so basic that the chain rule and u-substitutions are too advanced) derivatives and integrals, you will be fine.</p>
<p>Clarification: My experience only includes Mechanics. E&M may be different.</p>
<p>From previous experience, I can say you will have a very very hard time. It will be an incredible challenge, but doable if you put in lots of time and effort, and have a solid backround of calculus (not simply in AB calc) :)</p>
<p>If it is your first or second AP, I would suggest against it. I took 1 AP sophomore year (chem) an got a 4, so I thought I could handle ap physics, since I was very good at math. Bad idea lol… got a 3 on the AP test, as a lot of smart people did who thought being good at math would carry them through physics.</p>
<p>So to draw a parallel… would being strong at baseball let you jump into the NCAA? Probably not…</p>
<p>I think it is doable, but it may be difficult. I took AP Physics B my junior year and self-studied AP Physics C with no prior physics experience before junior year. If you know Calc BC (Calc I and II), you’ll be fine, knowing Calc III may be a bit helpful for some tricky concepts (such as derivation of moment of inertias), but they are definitely not necessary for the AP test.</p>
<p>Is it possible for me to do well in a course where AP Physics Mechanics and E&M are taught in one year with absolutely no experience in Physics? I am a sophomore, but have finished Multivariate Calculus(If that helps at all), do I have a chance of doing well?</p>
<p>Yes, if you know up to Calc III (multivariate), then doing AP Physics C (both parts) in one year is definitely doable with no experience in physics.</p>
<p>If you enjoy and are good at math (by which we all mean at least integral calculus) then you should be fine of you do mech over the course of the entire year. It’s typically a semester course, so giving yourself the second semester is a great way to review and still have time to prep for the test. I did this exact plan and did well on the ap test. There are many many resources on line (it looks like physicists enjoy computers) so please take the time to use them. At least try khan academy for review</p>