Taking AP classes in science before Senior year?

[Anonymous]

Agree with immediate PP that it's not a great idea to skip over AP Physics 1 in favor of jumping straight to AP Physics C. My kid at WJ who is now a physics major took honors bio and honors chem in 9th; AP Physics 1 in 10th; AP Physics C and Calc BC in 11th, AP Chem in 12th. He got a 5 on the AP Physics 1 exam but it was still quite the leveling up to go to AP Physics C because of taking it simultaneously with calculus -- they were learning calculus concepts in Physics C before they got to them in Calculus BC (which is a fast-paced class in and of itself). But he did take both AP exams, Physics 1 and C -- there is no reason to skip the exam for 1.

Also keep in mind that there are actually two AP Physics C AP exams, one for mechanics and the other for electricity and magnetism. The first topic is covered in Physics 1 but the second one isn't -- if the schools here offered AP Physics 2, that is the algebra-based version of electricity and magnetism.

Also, no way honors physics is harder than AP Physics 1.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Schools may allow this, but they are not supposed to, according to their agreement with the College Board to use the AP trademark. (The exception is AP Physics 1, which is dependent on math placement.)

From the course descriptions:

The AP Biology course is an introductory college-level biology course. Students cultivate their understanding of biology through inquiry-based investigations as they explore the following topics: evolution, cellular processes, energy and communication, genetics, information transfer, ecology, and interactions.
RECOMMENDED PREREQUISITES
Students should have successfully completed high school courses in biology and chemistry.

The AP Chemistry course provides students with a college-level foundation to support future advanced coursework in chemistry. Students cultivate their understanding of chemistry through inquiry- based investigations, as they explore content such as: atomic structure, intermolecular forces and bonding, chemical reactions, kinetics, thermodynamics, and equilibrium. The AP Chemistry course is designed to be the equivalent of the general chemistry course usually taken during the first college year.
PREREQUISITES
Students should have successfully completed a general high school chemistry course and Algebra II.

The AP Environmental Science course is designed to be the equivalent of a one-semester, introductory college course in environmental science, through which students engage with the scientific principles, concepts, and methodologies required to understand the interrelationships within the natural world. The course requires that students identify and analyze natural and human-made environmental problems, evaluate the relative risks associated with these problems, and examine alternative solutions for resolving or preventing them. Environmental science is interdisciplinary, embracing topics from geology, biology, environmental studies, environmental science, chemistry, and geography.
RECOMMENDED PREREQUISITES
Students should have completed two years of high school laboratory science—one year of life science and one year of physical science (e.g., a year of biology and a year of chemistry). Due to the quantitative analysis required in the course, students should also have taken at least one year of algebra. Also desirable (but not necessary) is a course in earth science.

AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism is a calculus-based, college- level physics course, especially appropriate for students planning to specialize or major in physical science or engineering. The course explores topics such as electrostatics; conductors, capacitors, and dielectrics; electric circuits; magnetic fields; and electromagnetism. Introductory differential and integral calculus are used throughout the course.
PREREQUISITES
Students should have taken or be concurrently taking calculus.


AP Physics 1 is an algebra-based, introductory college-level physics course. Students cultivate their understanding of physics through inquiry-based investigations as they explore these topics: kinematics, dynamics, circular motion and gravitation, energy, momentum, simple harmonic motion, torque and rotational motion.
PREREQUISITES
Students should have completed Geometry and be concurrently taking Algebra II or an equivalent course. Although the Physics 1 course includes basic use of trigonometric functions, this understanding can be gained either in the concurrent math course or in the AP Physics 1 course itself.

Be careful about thinking that AP Physics 1 is easy. It has the lowest pass rate of all the APs and one of the hardest to get a 5. Kids assume it is easy because it is not calculus based but conceptually it is surprisingly difficult

Something to remember - there are students (think students advanced in math and science) who are likely to get a 5 and bring up the pass rate if they take this exam, but skip it because they would anyway be taking the calc based AP Physics exams. That is part of the reason the statistics looks so scary. Another reason is students who should not be taking it get pushed into taking it; I know parents who were not too thrilled about their kids in the Blair CAP taking AP Physics 1 in ninth grade.

NP here. I don’t think your assessment is accurate. Most kids take AP Physics 1 before AP Physics C. It is generally recommended not to skip AP Phys 1 and go straight to AP Physics C although I’m sure there are a few kids who skip it regardless

Taking AP Physics C as the first COURSE in physics is not recommended; I am not sure if any school would even allow it. I think it usually has a prerequisite of Honors Physics or AP Physics 1 or some such COURSE.

My point about some students skipping AP physics 1 applies to the EXAM.

DC's physics teacher in ninth grade was of the opinion that for students who were really into math and physics - students who were certainly going to take courses in calc, mv calc, physics C, etc. as well as take AP physics C exam - AP physics 1 exam was unnecessary. DC and friends looked at how useful AP physics 1 EXAM would be at UMD (they looked at what courses they can get waived or how many credits they can get ...), if they were anyway going to take the AP Physics C EXAM later. The upshot was whatever benefit they would get based on AP Physics C exams would be a superset of what they can get out of AP Physics 1 exam, and DC and friends decided to skip it. (We were happy to save ~$90!)

[Anonymous]

I need to jump in here about AP Physics C. It is a perfectly fine course to take as a first Physics course, as long as it is being taken concurrently with AP BC Calculus. The content between the two courses is essentially the same (taught from a different perspective). Some high schools may have a pathway with another physics course as a pre-req, and the teacher may teach assuming certain things were covered in a previous course, but it certainly isn’t required. RM offers AP Physics C as a first time physics course, and only a few previously took Honors or AP1.

[Anonymous]

Taking AP Physics C as the first COURSE in physics is not recommended; I am not sure if any school would even allow it. I think it usually has a prerequisite of Honors Physics or AP Physics 1 or some such COURSE.

My point about some students skipping AP physics 1 applies to the EXAM.

DC's physics teacher in ninth grade was of the opinion that for students who were really into math and physics - students who were certainly going to take courses in calc, mv calc, physics C, etc. as well as take AP physics C exam - AP physics 1 exam was unnecessary. DC and friends looked at how useful AP physics 1 EXAM would be at UMD (they looked at what courses they can get waived or how many credits they can get ...), if they were anyway going to take the AP Physics C EXAM later. The upshot was whatever benefit they would get based on AP Physics C exams would be a superset of what they can get out of AP Physics 1 exam, and DC and friends decided to skip it. (We were happy to save ~$90!)


Responding to this post - I can see why 9th graders would skip the AP Physics exam. That makes sense

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I need to jump in here about AP Physics C. It is a perfectly fine course to take as a first Physics course, as long as it is being taken concurrently with AP BC Calculus. The content between the two courses is essentially the same (taught from a different perspective). Some high schools may have a pathway with another physics course as a pre-req, and the teacher may teach assuming certain things were covered in a previous course, but it certainly isn’t required. RM offers AP Physics C as a first time physics course, and only a few previously took Honors or AP1.

College Board does not recommend that approach even if RM does it. AP Physics C is meant to be taken after at least Honors Physics or AP Physics 1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I need to jump in here about AP Physics C. It is a perfectly fine course to take as a first Physics course, as long as it is being taken concurrently with AP BC Calculus. The content between the two courses is essentially the same (taught from a different perspective). Some high schools may have a pathway with another physics course as a pre-req, and the teacher may teach assuming certain things were covered in a previous course, but it certainly isn’t required. RM offers AP Physics C as a first time physics course, and only a few previously took Honors or AP1.

College Board does not recommend that approach even if RM does it. AP Physics C is meant to be taken after at least Honors Physics or AP Physics 1

There is a lot to be said for kids learning things conceptually before they learn them mathematically.