<p>I'm self-studying Calc BC for next year and honestly I think the course description is kind of vague. Below I listed some of the Chapters/Sections from my Calc textbook (Calculus: A Complete Course 3rd ed. by Robert A. Adams)which I am not sure if they will be on the AP test. So if any BC people could copy and paste, put a plus sign, smiley face or whatever next to the topics that I need to know, that would be really helpful! (It would be great if several people replied so that I don't get answers from only one person) Thanks in advance!</p>
<p>-The formal definition of a limit
-Growth and Decay
-Hyperbolic functions
-2nd order differential equations with constant coefficients
-The Midpoint Rule (for approximating integrals)
-Simpson's Rule
-Romberg Integration
-Mass, Moments, and Center of Mass (Applications of Integration)
-Centroids and Pappus's Theorem
-Other Physicals Applications of Integration (Hydrostatic pressure, work, Potential and Kinetic energy)
- Probability (Expectation, mean, variance, standard deviation, normal distribution)
-1st order differential equations (separable equations, 1st order linear equations)
-Conics
-Coordinate geometry and vectors in 3-Space
-Partial Differentiation
-Multiple Integration
-Curves in 3-Space
-Vector Fields
-Vector Calculus</p>
<p>-The formal definition of a limit
-Growth and Decay
-2nd order differential equations with constant coefficients
-The Midpoint Rule (for approximating integrals)
-Conics
-Vector Fields
-Partial Differentiation
-Multiple Integration</p>
<p>make sure you also know:
-parametrics
-finding arc length
-how to read different graphs like F(x), it’s derivative, and it’s second derivative—knowing what each means.
-Vector Calculus</p>
<p>Also, I almost forgot:
-L’Hopital’s Rule
-Mean Value Theorem
-shell method and disk method for volume rotation
-area under a graph
-left/right Riemann (and their average–trapezoidal area) that’s not the correct name, but I don’t remember it. </p>
<p>Take it from me, I 5’d the exam. ;D</p>
<p>I would study everything. It’s a fun course, and you’ll need it in college.</p>
<p>Items in bold are items you definitely need to know:</p>
<p>-The formal definition of a limit
-Growth and Decay
-Hyperbolic functions
-2nd order differential equations with constant coefficients
-The Midpoint Rule (for approximating integrals)
-Simpson’s Rule -The formal definition of a limit The trapezoidal rule tends to be in this same section as Simpson’s Rule, and is a required topic
-Romberg Integration
-Mass, Moments, and Center of Mass (Applications of Integration)
-Centroids and Pappus’s Theorem
-Other Physicals Applications of Integration (Hydrostatic pressure, work, Potential and Kinetic energy) <a href=“While%20applications%20of%20this%20type%20aren’t%20forbidden%20from%20appearing%20on%20the%20exam,%20they%20usually%20will%20only%20appear%20with%20some%20background%20describing%20the%20situation.”>B</a>**
- Probability (Expectation, mean, variance, standard deviation, normal distribution)
-1st order differential equations (separable equations, 1st order linear equations)
-Conics
-Coordinate geometry and vectors in 3-Space
-Partial Differentiation
-Multiple Integration
-Curves in 3-Space
-Vector Fields (Some texts refer to “slope fields” using this name, which is a required topic)
-Vector Calculus (But only in a really limited sense… position, speed, acceleration can all be represented as vectors…)</p>
<p>Among marvin4espinoz’s list, you do not need:
- Volume by shells (not that you can’t use the technique, but no problem requires you to use shells, whereas some AP problems will require the use of disks).
- Partial Differentiation
- Multiple Integration
- 2nd order differential equations with constant coefficients (these last three topics are beyond the scope of the BC curriculum)</p>
<p>my mistake. Thanks for correcting me. I got those last few confused with other topics.</p>
<p>A lot of BC classes will teach those topics, though, especially if the students are taking BC after AB.</p>
<p>Just get like a princeton review or barrons review book for the test and study whatever it tells you to.</p>
<p>The epsilon-delta definition of a limit (aka formal definition of a limit) is not tested on either AP Calculus exam.</p>
<p>Also:
-Taylor/Maclaurin polynomials
-series, sequences</p>
<p>This section is difficult for some people (I personally thought it was a very easy topic) because its a different way of thinking. Its not the traditional formula math.<br>
There will be one FR on taylor/mac polynomials and a couple easy MC q’s asking you if it converges/diverges. </p>
<p>-Logistics (y=Ce^kt)
very easy</p>
<p>and pretty much anything else anyone mentioned.</p>
<p>What I did to practice is I went to collegeboard.com and printed off all of the FRQ’s and would do a couple a day, timed, so I could get a feel of what they’re going to ask. I got a 4 for the record.</p>
<p>Oops, Portishead, you’re right. I misread that as “the limit definition of the derivative”, which is of course a topic.</p>
<p>Thanks so much guys.</p>