<p>What is your opinion on the level of difficulty of AP Physics C? Do competitive colleges look upon it more favorably than other courses, even if you are not majoring in science, math, or engineering? How much time do you have to commit to studying on a weekly basis? Is it significantly harder than AP Physics B? I'm trying to decide whether it is really worth taking next year (senior year), especially since I found Physics B to be one of the more difficult courses I have taken. Thank you!</p>
<p>It is, in my opinion, the 3rd most difficult course. The hardest for me are the 2 AP english classes. If you’re good at English then it probably would be the most difficult.</p>
<p>Physics C includes calculus, while Physics B does not. Physics B covers much more than Physics C, so I suppose it depends on your definition of difficult.</p>
<p>Physics B covers a lot more than Physics C, but in C you really delve in deeper into each topic on a mathematical level. Physics C is about half the subject material of B but you really have to understand what’s going on in C on a conceptual level as well as being able to apply that knowledge to mathematical analysis and problem solving.</p>
<p>I took Physics C this year and it wasn’t too, too bad. I just had to make sure that I read the material beforehand so that I could focus on asking questions in class about the things I didn’t fully understand. It did, however, take up more time than all my other classes put together (5 other classes). I breezed through Calc, chem, and bio because I love math and science, but Physics C was on another level - the only class I actually ever struggled with. The subject matter itself was relatively straightforward in the book, but the problems required applying it to a multitude of complex scenarios. It is definitely satisfying to say I was able to get through it with an A, but be prepared to work.</p>
<p>From what I’ve heard from my smart friends, Physics C is pretty hard.</p>
<p>@TeenDream: I didn’t think AP Language & Composition was too hard. But then again, I haven’t taken AP Physics yet.</p>
<p>Thanks a lot for your replies! Please post if anybody has any additional feedback</p>
<p>My son taught himself Physics C Mechanics in one weekend and Physics C E&M the following weekend, using his knowledge of Physics B as baseline knowledge. He got 5’s on all three physics tests as well as the BC Calculus – you definitely need a good understanding of calculus to succeed at the Physics C courses.</p>
<p>Beyond a good grasp of calculus, the big question is how well you retain previously-learned knowledge? If you crammed your understanding of Physics B into short-term memory just for the tests and then forgot it, Physics C will be a lot of work. If your knowledge of Physics B is in long-term memory, then you will just be re-exploring previous topics in greater depth with a different form of math, and that’s not too bad.</p>
<p>Physics C is not too bad when you have a physics background already and you know your Calc. However, if this is your first Physics course, I would take B, just cause the information will be useful in college</p>