<p>Hi, I'm going to be a high school senior next year and I'm going to take AP calculus and AP Physics B class in school. However, I want to take the two ap physics c tests in may since I'm going to major in engineering, and my high school doesn't teach those topics. What review book(princeton review, barron's) should I get to self study? Or do I need to buy a text book? Thank you.</p>
<p>sounds like a horrible idea.</p>
<p>good luck.</p>
<p>i would go with a textbook, cuz there's probably a lot of stuff you'll need to learn, not just review. but yeah.</p>
<p>Very possible, actually, since Physics B will provide a good background for C so the OP won't entirely be lost.</p>
<p>Don't buy a textbook. Chances are you probably won't even need it.</p>
<p>Get barron's. I heard that their science prep books are good.</p>
<p>Hearing is one thing. Seeing it for yourself is another.
Don't get either Barron's or Princeton Review. I borrowed every possible prep book I could find for Physics C including those two and those two were the ones I rarely used if at all. 5 Steps to a 5 and AP Advantage worked the best for me because those books explained things in a simple and straightforward manner.</p>
<p>I actually self-taught myself for both Physics exams and got a 5.</p>
<p>From my experience, Barron's is really overkill. I personally did not like the layout of the book. My favorite one without a doubt is the AP Advantage one. It's simple and gets to the point, but if you do use it, understand it very well.</p>
<p>you don't need a textbook for C, well just not mechanics. I didn't self-teach, just did a few practice tests my teacher had lying around and got a 5 on Physics B and C:mechanics this year. But I think the extra material for electricity & magnetism is a bit more involved.</p>
<p>AP Advantage is excellent for reviewing the concepts before the AP exam, but if you really want to prepare yourself for a college-level physics course, AP Advantage just won't cut it. I highly recommend that you get Halliday/Resnick with a solutions manual -- it's long, difficult, and covers more than you will need to know, but if you can get through this book, you'll be prepared to handle any college physics course. I can't say that's true of most people who get 5's on the AP Physics C exam.</p>
<p>Conker makes a good point: don't go into this class with the intention of skipping out of introductory physics, as that may backfire when you take tougher courses. Use this as a stepping stone to introductory physics (especially an honors sequence) so you can really have a strong foundation, unless you really feel confident in the material you covered.</p>
<p>Anyway, I used Serway's Physics for Scientists and Engineers along with a Princeton Review book. I enjoyed both, and they served me well (I could not imagine using Princeton Review without an actual textbook, though I didn't have the luxury of an AP Physics B course), but I don't have experience with other books to compare.</p>
<p>I used barron's and it worked great for me...</p>