I am taking AP Physics 1 and AP Calculus AB at school, currently. Many people in my Physics class are opting to take the Physics C test rather than the Physics 1, claiming it is the same thing with calculus concepts. Is this true? Should I do the same thing? Or is this a terrible idea?
No, it’s totally different from Physics 1.
Yes, the concepts are pretty much the same, but the problems are completely different.
While Physics 1 is conceptual, Physics C is pretty math-heavy.
It’s not a terrible idea to take the C exam instead of Physics 1, but you should definitely study hard in order to get a 5.
@Mminjjae Thanks for the response! I think I’ll be taking both Physics 1 and Physics C: Mechanics exams. I don’t think I’ll have the time to learn the Physics C: EM material as well
Also, I enjoy the math part of physics, so I don’t believe that will be an issue