Self Studying Physics: good idea, or not?

<p>I L O V E physics, but my school doesnt offer it. </p>

<p>How much work is physics B & both C's, compared to other humanities/social studies AP courses?
it is a ton more work than the likes of APUSH, macroecon, environmental? </p>

<p>For someone who has taken the following, do you think I Could self study maybe Physics B, possibly one of the C's?</p>

<p>rising senior:
macro: 5
micro (self study): 5
us history: 5
govt us: 5
environmental sci:5
eng lang: 4</p>

<p>I mentioned self studying it to my semi-delusional mother and she ordered me both of these:
Physics (SparkNotes Study Cards)
Physics Demystified: A Self-Teaching Guide</p>

<p>I really am not sure how much help they would be.</p>

<p>i think if you are willing to put in the work and time things will work out.</p>

<p>You think? by the way. I'm a great student but dont have as great a grounding in science/math as i do social studies.
taking calc ab next year... taken hon bio, chem, and AP environmental</p>

<p>how hard are physics tests compared to ones ive taken (in 1st post)?
this is keeping in mind, basically, i'm not a future engineer, and i do better in social studies.</p>

<p>if you are taking physics C, you have to have a really good foundation in calculus, but physics B is more algebra based</p>

<p>Thanks. that eliminates the C's. </p>

<p>So is B comparable in difficulty (amount of work put into, difficulty of concepts, difficulty of test, etc) to AP ushistory, macroecon, etc?</p>

<p>APUSH, econ, and the likes are waaay easier than physics. Not to sound mean or anything, but the AP exams you took (with the exception of english) are based largely on memorizing, not critical thinking. Luckily, physics usually get a bigger curve than the social sciences.</p>

<p>It might be hard to study physics on your own, but there are always people online who are willing to help.</p>

<p>I am interested to know why you love physics if you have never taken it before.</p>

<p>thats what i wanted to know. for someone thats take the courses and tests i have... any way to give me an idea of what the physics B test would be like??</p>

<p>and i love physics because....
ive always loved space, and everything related to it
ive read a lot of books (the basics... like brief history of time and others like the tao of physics)
always watching shows explaining various physics problems in relation to space and theoretical physics
my stepdads mom is a chemistry proffessor, and talks to me a lot about physics on the micro level
basically it really is the only subject that i have a ton of experience in outside of school. </p>

<p>the subject of physics just fascinates me. on the objective level, physics, i think, could possibly explain everything (THE science, in a way).
its domain affects every science as far as i know, not the other way around. </p>

<p>never taken the class. our teacher sucks, so i wont take it, either. i'm not as interested in 'classical' physics, though (like newton's laws).</p>

<p>^ BrightRed has is right
A lot of the history type APs are based on memorization but for Physics you really have to thoroughly understand the concepts involved. I'm not sure what kind of a studier are you, but some people are good at memorizing a lot of facts while others may be better at critical thinking. You might have to take that into account.</p>

<p>I also heard that a good book for physics is Princeton but I'd also get Barron's too. I'm taking AP physics next year so you might not want to take my advice on the books but I feel like Barron's is an overall good/over preparation for every AP subject</p>

<p>I think macroeconomics was less memorization than the history classes, more concepts and application.
I think I do well at locking concepts of cause and effect into my head.</p>

<p>Physics is a monster unlike anything you have ever seen. Unlike most subjects, if you do not possess the ability to fully understand some material like an equation, (how it works, why it works, where it was derived from, etc) then you're not going to have a chance in hell to be able to analyze, manipulate, and understand things when other variables are thrown in. I've seen many people who have had 5's on all of their science exams, but with a 3 on their Physics AP. </p>

<p>Physics is not like the other sciences, I too had the naive, "oh I think i'll like physics because I think I'd like to know about how and why things work" approach, you saying that you have a "ton of experience" is a blatant exaggeration. I'm sorry that this sounds harsh, but it's because you asked. A teacher, I'd say, is the most important aspect of a Physics class because he/she knows the material and would be able to explain what doesn't make sense. (Eff you vertical circles)</p>

<p>It's not simply "cause and effect", it's much more complicated than that. I think you are seriously underestimating what Physics is.</p>

<p>Watching documentary about physics is not the same as AP Physics. Gawd I was sorely disappointed after taking the actual class to find out that learning physics is so boring (even though I had an amazing teacher). Like you, I used to like the science-y stuff until I had to learn them. </p>

<p>For example, you mentioned space. In physics all we covered about space is the pull of gravitation by 2 planets, which is given by the formula
F=(GMm)/(r^2) <--I still remember that off the top of my head...
That's the kind of stuff you have to deal with, just to give you an idea. School has the ability to make the most interesting of things a bore.</p>

<p>I know you said you're not interested in 'classical' physics, but that is what Physics B is mostly about.</p>

<p>I felt that Physics was less work (in terms of time studying) than the social science, but a lot harder.</p>

<p>the name fits you well, theprotagonist. calm down, and im not going to argue with you.
all that you needed to say in that whole post was this line: "
I'd say, is the most important aspect of a Physics class because he/she
knows the material and would be able to explain what doesn't make sense. (Eff you vertical circles)"</p>

<p>trust me, i understand what physics is.</p>

<p>if physics B is algebra based, i can't see it being amazingly complicated. physics B being a "systematic introduction to the main principles of physics and emphasizes the development of conceptual understanding and problem-solving ability using algebra and trigonometry, but rarely calculus."</p>

<p>can anyone give me some examples of what kind of stuff is done if physics B? such as what kind of concepts, with what kind of problem solving? </p>

<p>what kind of things would a basic physics B AP test question cover?</p>

<p>edit in response to bright red:
yeah i understand its basically all math, and it still interests me lol. my stepdads mom has gone through some random stuff with me. and im sadly aware that it probably wont be anything about space, seeing these days its in the realm of theoretical physics etc and the kind of stuff you cover in graduate courses, not introductory ones. i'm just not sure what to expect - electromagnetism? a lot of newton? probably not anything more advanced?</p>

<p>is it basically: concept > formula > application</p>

<p>lol just forget it all. im going to drudge through the college boards massive packet on the subject and see what it tells me.</p>

<p>Topic outline:
AP:</a> Physics B</p>

<p>Sample Questions:
AP:</a> Physics B</p>

<p>Not fun.</p>

<p>thanks yo. yeah i was looking at the physics B/C monster packet (a pretty 75 page doc). checked through the MC and course overview. i think i could do it, if i could solidly grasp the electricity and magnetism stuff. ive never been introduced to any of that</p>

<p>If you're pretty good with math - NOT the school class kind but the AMC/AIME type math, then that's a pretty good indicator for having the necessary critical thinking skills for manipulating your way around Physics. Electricity and Magnetism is more of the abstract stuff that the OP seems to enjoy. IMO, as long as you know the equations and what the variables mean, a solid math foundation like the one I described should turn Physics into a simple massive equation cramming session two days before the test. : )</p>