<p>how hard is AP Physics C: Mechanics?</p>
<p>would it be manageable for a sophomore to take AP Physics C: Mechanics w/out any prior physics knowledge? (i'll also be taking AP Calc AB next year, which means i meet the math requirement for AP physics at my school)</p>
<p>(also, at my school, the mechanics part is a full year course, so i'd be taking mechanics one year, and E&M the next)</p>
<p>Depends on how far you’re into math. If you’re in Algebra II - Precalc, it might be different. HOWEVER, none of this matters if you don’t have any prior knowledge in Physics, then you might be in trouble. AP Physics C is more difficult than B without a doubt. It’s like AP Calc BC vs AB…totally different. If you’re a Physics guru then you should be fine, but if you choose to go into the course…you will spend most of your time trying to grasp the concepts.</p>
<p>Good luck</p>
<p>thanks for the reply!
i’m taking honors precalc this year, but i guess i might not take AP physics next year seeing as i’m not exactly a physics guru…and our school doesn’t offer AP physics B, so that isn’t an option</p>
<p>Hard but manageable.</p>
<p>That’s going to be tough unless you’re unusually smart.</p>
<p>Physics C is much easier if you have already taken Calc, or are enrolled in BC concurrently. Integrals were introduced in the first week of my Physics C class. Calc AB does not cover integrals until late november/early december. I’m taking the class a year after Calc BC and find it very manageable.</p>
<p>Since you can still fit it in and take Calc as a prereq rather than as a coreq, I’d wait until junior year.</p>
<p>You’re a sophomore. Take a regular physics course first because you aren’t going to be able to make it with no prior physics knowledge.</p>
<p>Different schools do different things. For instance, at my school you wouldn’t take regular Physics and then AP physics. AP physics assumed it was your first physics class.</p>
<p>I knew a sophomore at my school who took BC (BC at my school starts right after pre-calc) and AP Physics at the same time, probably had an A in both (especially impressive for Physics, since there were very few As), probably didn’t try too hard to get an A in either. But he was probably a genius (by that I mean literally at genius level… 3 1/3 STDs out).</p>
<p>I think it really depends on the teacher. I know in my school, the physics C teacher is IMPOSSIBLE. On the midterm, the highest grade was a 41/60… but of course, he did the square root curve, which is awesome btw. Still, i know some of my stupid friends at other schools are doing very well…</p>
<p>taking my path right now I see. Well I’m taking the exam next year. Like these guys said, unless you have knowledge of integrals, don’t take the exam, but self-study.</p>