How to self-study Physics B/C & IB Physics Course

<p>1.) I'm planning on self -studying physics B/C because every teacher at our school sucks except the AP statistics teacher (and my standards are not very high either..i'm just an average student - everyone at our school knows that all our teachers suck)</p>

<p>2.) Should I start off with B? Since C is just more in-depth (i would think) of parts of Physics B</p>

<p>3.) I have not taken Calculus and won't take it until my senior year - how much would this hurt? (again - our school's dumb policy makes us take AP statistics BEFORE precalculus and calculus...not trying to blame it on anything, but yea i had to rant :])</p>

<p>4.) I'll be taking an IB Physics course next (junior) year (since i'm in IB i have to take this before i take the AP Physics B course, which is not until senior year)</p>

<p>5.) What methods do you guys suggest would best prepare me for Physics B/C tests and the SATII Physics?</p>

<p>thanks</p>

<p>i would also like to know...</p>

<p>yea i would like to know too..</p>

<p>If you haven't taken calculus (or aren't self-taught) there's no way you're going to be able to handle physics C (I don't mean that to sound condenscending - it's just true). You're right in that B covers more, while C goes more in-depth...the difficult thing about B, though, at least for me, is that you have to find ways to explain your answers other than calc. For SAT II prep, just use the Sparknotes online book - it's free. SAT II physics is much easier than anything you're going to have to do on the AP. I'm sure the IB course will help with that, too. Good luck :)</p>

<p>Silentsailor put it correctly, you are going to need calculus for C, so definitely start with B.</p>

<p>I finished B in school and am now self-studying C over the summer to prepare for school. The calculus involved in C at first is very basic..so I don't think it would be that much of a challenge if you start with C first.</p>

<p>In any case, if you plan to do C, just to warn you..many topics on B are ignored completely when you do C. If I were you and I were good at math/science area, I would brush up on the basics of calc and begin with C right off.</p>

<p>thanks, i plan on self-studying physics too</p>

<p>what sections of calc should i focus on to prepare for physics C? (i already self-studied precalc)</p>

<p>also, what materials are you using for physics C</p>

<p>I'm using the Halliday, Resnick, and Walker (red) text book + my Calculus textbook.</p>

<p>Btw, in my above post I meant to say:</p>

<p>In any case, if you plan to do B [not C, I meant B], just to warn you..many topics on B are ignored completely when you do C. If I were you and I were good at math/science area, I would brush up on the basics of calc and begin with C right off.</p>