<p>Official Physics B thread. Post any questions, comments, advices, suggestions, etc.</p>
<p>as for my progress for the exam, my class finished learning mechanics, except projectile motion, but we will be going to that topic during term 3. Since my school is on a block schedule, my physics b teacher assigned us term 2 work (not mandatory, but mandatory to me since I want a 5 on the exam). After finishing that, we would have covered about 2/3 of the ap physics b content. Term 3 will be all about electricity and magnetism.</p>
<p>What textbooks are you using? Also, what would you say the most conceptually difficult part of physics B is. I also want a 5 (although I wouldn’t be crushed by a 4) so I was thinking of going over this before we do in class. So far nothing has been too hard except for maybe fluids and the centripital force stuff.</p>
<p>my class using cutnell/johnson. I having difficulty in fluid, thermodynamics, torque, and linear momentum. So, I have to read those sections thoroughly.</p>
<p>The textbook was helpful with concepts, but there’s not enough end-of-the chapter problems(odd since there are answers in the back -typical for many math/science textbooks) for each topic. So, I might have to use another ap physics book.</p>
<p>I took physics last year, had a pretty bad experience in class (we never got to thermodynamics or nuclear physics, and barely brushed on optics) but a few weeks of self-study before the test got me a 4. </p>
<p>Mechanics and E&M are the most important of course, and I advise that you practice the “easy” types of problems from those areas so that you can nail them without taking a long time. This includes anything graph-based, projectile motion, collision problems, simple torque, and simple circuits, among other things. Sometimes they will throw really crazy things like moment of inertia but I hear that’s rare. Out of the seven (I think) free-responses, try to prepare for about four at least (assuming you did decently on the MC). They will be from different topics, so expect at least 1 mechanics, 1 thermodynamics, 1 optics, 1 E&M, and 1 nuclear. On my test I had each of the above except there were two E&M, and there was a fluid mechanics problem.</p>
<p>Say guys, I’m enrolled with an Honors Physics class. Unfortunately our teacher isn’t that good and we won’t be covering all the material, meaning that I’ll have to self-study some of the course. We’re using the “Holt Physics” book. My question is, can I get a 5 on this exam with this book plus a prep book (like PR’s)?
Thanks.</p>
<p>No. Holt Physics is a textbook that prepares you only for the state’s standardized tests. Moreover, it’s high school level, not college level. So, it won’t go in depth as in an AP Physics B textbook.</p>
<p>I’m having to self-study simple harmonic motion, thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, E&M, waves, optics, and nuclear and atomic physics. Its a lot! But i want a 5 :)</p>
Well, would a prep book like PR or Barron’s used with that textbook be enough? Actually, would it be possible to get a 5 if you use nothing but a prep book? According to the “consolidated list of ap exam curves”, something along the lines of 115/180 on the test is a five. The curve seems pretty generous. </p>
<p>The reason why this AP is so hard is so much as not the concepts, but the difficult application of them that accompany strange wording of problems.</p>