Physics 8.02 vs AP

<p>What does 8.02 cover that the AP material doesn't? I briefly gazed over course info it and seems it overlaps with the AP to a large extent!</p>

<p>It does. A lot.</p>

<p>I used my AP credit to test out of 8.01 and then took 8.02 second semester. It wasn't until the last....maybe 3 weeks of the semester that I actually learned anything new. They go through all of the Maxwells equations- Gauss and Ampere and Biot-Savart and all that. Then at the very end they get into some more complicated wave stuff that I didn't see (or at least don't remember <em>grin</em>) from AP Physics: wave equations for E/M radiation as well as RLC AC circuits with resonance. That's about all I can remember as being different.</p>

<p>I was worried about testing out of 8.01 because I fell flat on my face on the Physics C AP test. There is a long story behind why it happened, and others in my class did get 5s on mechanics (and I had the highest grade based purely on test scores during the year). Should I try to take the 8.01 ASE? Or should I just sit the class again? I wouldn't be worried except for that glaring 2 on the AP test...</p>

<p>there is no harm in sitting for every ASE you think you might possibly be able to pass. There's no harm if you do badly or take one look at the test and decide to walk out. And they are not going to pass you unless you really are ready to go on to the next course.</p>

<p>Agreed, with the caveat that if you are very ambivalent about your chances of passing, you might instead take the opportunity to have fun and enjoy being at MIT with wonderful people with no homework yet. :)</p>

<p>Are all the ASE exams similar to the final exams for the classes? Are they easier or harder? Does anyone know where I can find old ASE exams? I am taking a physics course this summer and plan on taking the 8.01 and 8.02 placement tests because MIT would not accept the credit for it. Unfortunately, my course teaches physics without calculus. Do the ASE physics exams include a lot of calculus?</p>

<p>Yes, ASEs are similar to the final exams for the classes -- professors generally write both types of tests, so you would expect the content to be similar.</p>

<p>lol yes. there is no non-calculus-based physics at MIT.</p>

<p>I think you're better off just taking the courses.</p>

<p>Wow. The physics website says the material for 8.02 is covered in University Physics, which is the textbook we used in my Physics C class. Yay!</p>

<p>
[quote]
The physics website says the material for 8.02 is covered in University Physics, which is the textbook we used in my Physics C class.

[/quote]
check out the 8.02 syllabus. I think there are some extra topics that are not covered on the Physics C AP exam. They should be in your book, but may not have been covered in your class.</p>

<p>what do most people who got 5s on the AP(s) for physics end up taking?</p>

<p>On the website, it says calculators and formula sheets are not allowed on the physics ase exam. Are they going to provide a formula sheet or do we just have to remember all the formulas? Has anyone taken the Physics ASE exams? Are they in general, tough or doable?</p>

<p>I believe they will provide a formula sheet.</p>

<p>For the Chem ase, is it similar to the 3.091 final exam or the 5.111 final exam?</p>

<p>The 5.111 final exam -- the chem ASE is administered through the chemistry department. There's a list of suggested practice problems on the chem department's ASE</a> webpage.</p>

<p>Then again, I've heard from someone that the Chem ASE is actually more similar to the 5.112 final exam. I see no harm in studying MIT's hardest chemistry class to prepare for the chem ASE.</p>

<p>Are AP exams the only way to get credit for 8.01/8.02 or can we take the finals from last year?</p>

<p>The ASE (Advanced Standing Exams) for 8.01/8.02 are scheduled on Mon. Aug. 28th this year (8.01 from 9-noon, 8.02 from 1-4). As an incoming freshman you don't need to sign up, you just show up and take the exams.</p>

<p>What kind of questions do we need calculus for? I am taking an algebra-based physics class right now, but am planning to take the ase exams. Do we need to derive the formulas, etc? I do know calculus, but I have never applied it to physics.</p>

<p>You might look through the OCW syllabi for 8.01 and 8.02 on the OCW site for an idea of the topics covered and how calculus is used (in the psets and exams). The physics courses are called "calculus-based" so you'll be probably be expected to have that background to pass the ASEs.</p>