<p>Hi,</p>
<p>I am a senior in high school. I plan on majoring in chemical and molecular engineering, most likely at Stony Brook University. I have taken AP Bio and I am taking AP Chem this year. I will not have taken a single physics course in HS, not even regents/introductory physics (before AP). Also, I took Algebra 2/Trig last year and excelled at it so I skipped Pre-calc and now I am taking a course called Calculus Honors. This is a course taken by kids who were in pre-calc last year and aren't good enough at math to make it through AP Calc AB. However, since I skipped pre-calc, it is more of a challenge for me. We cover all the same topics as AB except as a slower pace and we don't take the AP test.
I would like to self-study a little bit of Physics before I enter college. I haven't taken a single physics class. Would it be recommended to try to jump into an AP physics book? Does anyone have any book recommendations who will be taking Physics 1 first semester of college?</p>
<p>Yes, dont baby around with those algebra physics course books. Real physics uses Calculus and thats what is taught in AP Physics. But it will be hard if your algebra isn’t polished.</p>
<p>My algebra is polished; I have taken both Algebra 1 and Algebra 2/Trig. However, as I mentioned, I haven’t completed calculus as I just started in September.</p>
<p>I’m a high school senior too. I didn’t take any physics classes (just physical science & 2 bio classes & chem) until this year and now I’m taking Physics I, dual enrollment through the local cc. My high school doesn’t have the equivalent- they only do physics A & B & this is equivalent to physics c if I take the AP test. But I figured Physics A & B course credit wouldn’t really do much for me in knocking out some of the engineering classes. So far, the class isn’t too bad, but its calculus based so calculus I is a prerequisite to the course (I already took calculus I). For Physics II, calculus II is a prerequisite or co-requisite so I’ll take Calc II next semester & then prolly take Physics II and maybe Calc III over the summer.</p>
<p>Anyway, I think you will be fine for Physics in college if you have Calculus I credit. Otherwise, they might make you take Calc I first, here even the CC will make you have course credit in Calc I before they will sign you up for Physics I. (Otherwise you’re left with intro to physics I & II which is like physics A & B at the high school and won’t really satisfy engineering requirements)So, I’m thinking you should look at prerequisites for Physics I at Stony Brook. If your high school Calc class won’t give you college credit for calculus then you can always take Calc I at your local cc over the summer (I did that last summer) then you will be set up to do well in Physics I in the fall at Stony Brook.</p>
<p>Also, I really want to get credit in Calculus I, II & III & Physics I & II before I start college because alot of engineering schools seem to treat those classes as weed out classes- so maybe if you 're worried about those too (like me), you could even take Calc I at your CC for the spring semester of this year after school and then take Physics I and Calc II over the summer at the CC too. For me, its worked out really well- the cc classes only have like 22 people in them, and my friends who are freshman engineering students (not at cc) have like 150 people in their classes. Their classes and my CC classes both use web assign and when they come home for the weekends I actually end up studying with them cuz its the same material and the same 3 tests + final + webassign + lab class formula. BUT If you’re gonna take them at the CC (community college), then first check the transfer equivalency chart at Stony Brook to make sure you get credit before you sign up for the classes (I’ve done that for the colleges I’m interested in and its really easy- takes like 20 minutes).</p>
<p>So far for me, the really hard part about physics I is getting webassign to accept the answers in HW assignments, NOT making stupid mistakes on the tests, and finding time to study cuz you need to start studying for the tests at least a week in advance to do well on them (like an hour a night & then like all day on a Saturday & part of Sunday- it seems like I study to figure out where I’m having problems understanding so I can fix it before the test).</p>
<p>Hope that helps :)</p>
<p>You could try learning physics from online courses (MIT has really good free online physics courses on youtube). Another option is Khan academy. As long as you get the concept of force/momentum balances down from these courses really well you should be good. Chemical Engineering involves a lot more physics than it involves chemistry and having a good understanding of classical physics is necessary since you’ll be taking classes in fluid mechanics, heat transfer, thermodynamics(all physics topics) as a chemical engineering undergraduate. In fact at my University, some of the ChemE professors have Phd in Physics and teach these courses.</p>
<p>My D is taking AP Phyisics B which requires AP Calculus at her school. She is taking both at the same time though.</p>