AP Physics in Sophmore year

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So if a student takes Honor Chem and AP Physics 1 in sophomore year and is interested in both AP Chem (double period) and AP Physics C, which one should they prioritize taking first in junior year?

DD's schedule only allows for one of science, and she is not sure which sequence to take first? Are there advantages and disadvantages to each sequence if there is no preference by the student?

If it’s AP physics C Mechanics, there’s too much overlap with AP Physics 1 so the priority should be AP Chemistry.

I did not know this. So what should a student take after AP Physics 1 if they want to continue with Physics?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So if a student takes Honor Chem and AP Physics 1 in sophomore year and is interested in both AP Chem (double period) and AP Physics C, which one should they prioritize taking first in junior year?

DD's schedule only allows for one of science, and she is not sure which sequence to take first? Are there advantages and disadvantages to each sequence if there is no preference by the student?

If it’s AP physics C Mechanics, there’s too much overlap with AP Physics 1 so the priority should be AP Chemistry.

I did not know this. So what should a student take after AP Physics 1 if they want to continue with Physics?

AP Physics C E&M

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So if a student takes Honor Chem and AP Physics 1 in sophomore year and is interested in both AP Chem (double period) and AP Physics C, which one should they prioritize taking first in junior year?

DD's schedule only allows for one of science, and she is not sure which sequence to take first? Are there advantages and disadvantages to each sequence if there is no preference by the student?

If it’s AP physics C Mechanics, there’s too much overlap with AP Physics 1 so the priority should be AP Chemistry.

I did not know this. So what should a student take after AP Physics 1 if they want to continue with Physics?

AP Physics C E&M

Or AP Physics 2.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So if a student takes Honor Chem and AP Physics 1 in sophomore year and is interested in both AP Chem (double period) and AP Physics C, which one should they prioritize taking first in junior year?

DD's schedule only allows for one of science, and she is not sure which sequence to take first? Are there advantages and disadvantages to each sequence if there is no preference by the student?

If it’s AP physics C Mechanics, there’s too much overlap with AP Physics 1 so the priority should be AP Chemistry.

I did not know this. So what should a student take after AP Physics 1 if they want to continue with Physics?

AP physics 2 then AP physics C at My kids school

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just be sure you are realizing the difference between AP Physics I and AP Physics C. AP Physics C is one of the higher level APs which is calculus based. AP Physics I is a lower level class taken at times by freshman who have not taken any Physics before (which is why it is challenging).

Sorry, I disagree. I was a physics major in college. When helping my kid who took AP Physics 1 last year, I was surprised by the difficulty of the AP questions. They are tough and convoluted, not easy at all. It is a challenging class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just be sure you are realizing the difference between AP Physics I and AP Physics C. AP Physics C is one of the higher level APs which is calculus based. AP Physics I is a lower level class taken at times by freshman who have not taken any Physics before (which is why it is challenging).

I teach both AP Physics 1 and AP Physics C Mechanics. In my opinion, the degree of difficulty is not that different between the two courses.
The AP C questions tend to be more straightforward. AP Physics 1 AP exam is much harder to predict

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it okay to take AP Physics in Sophomore year.?
My DS wants to lessen his AP's in Junior and Senior year and has decided to take AP Physics next year (Sophomore year).
Do colleges look at what year students take courses? Is this something we should worry about? He is gearing towards pre med . So, has to take AP Chem, AP Bio and AP Physics and AP Calculus.
Possibly, looking at direct med programs. So, junior and senior year will be intense. To ease the load, he decided to take AP Physics Sophmore year. Prereq. for that is Algebra 2.

Please let me know your thoughts. Thanks!

Physics teacher here. I would recommend taking AP Physics C the same year as AP BC Calculus. The 1st quarters of each are parallel and reinforce each other. AP Physics C is more consistent for students in advanced math to earn a 5.

AP Physics 1 isn’t “easier”. It’s actually very rigorous conceptually, which is harder for younger teens whose brains aren’t as developed for abstract reasoning. I think it is a great course STEM bound students to take as seniors, if they aren’t at calculus yet. Otherwise, I think AP Physics C is the better course for high school students.

This is nonsense. Their wittle baby brains can handle physics concepts.

[Anonymous]

What about taking AP Physics C with AP Calculus BC during 12th grade IF you are strong in math but you have not taken physics at all? So not on-level or Honors physics and AP Physics C is your first physics class? Thank you.

[Anonymous]

My kid who went into Engineering did AP Physics 1 as a junior and then AP C Mechanics + E&M senior year. It worked out well for her.
She got a 4 in AP Physics 1, a 4 in C Mechanics and a 5 in E&M.

[Anonymous]

Why are there always so many threads about AP Physics and not about other AP courses?
What is it about AP Physics that stimulates so much discussion? You never see anything written about AP Bio for example

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why are there always so many threads about AP Physics and not about other AP courses?
What is it about AP Physics that stimulates so much discussion? You never see anything written about AP Bio for example

Because AP Bio is mostly memorization

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why are there always so many threads about AP Physics and not about other AP courses?
What is it about AP Physics that stimulates so much discussion? You never see anything written about AP Bio for example

1) because there aren't these kinds of permutations of AP BIO
2) the very high number of kids planning to major in engineering

[Anonymous]

I don't know if every AP Physics 1 class is like this, but in my child's class last year the teacher started right off the bat using AP questions, which, as a PP said, were convoluted. Very few of the students, primarily 11th and 12th graders, had has any Physics before. Class averages for tests were in the 40 %s.

Unlike our experience in AP social studies classes, the physics teacher did not walk kids through how to attack an AP MC question or FRQ - it was sink or swim. Corrections were available so you could bring test grades up by 25%.

Made for a very tough class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is it okay to take AP Physics in Sophomore year.?
My DS wants to lessen his AP's in Junior and Senior year and has decided to take AP Physics next year (Sophomore year).
Do colleges look at what year students take courses? Is this something we should worry about? He is gearing towards pre med . So, has to take AP Chem, AP Bio and AP Physics and AP Calculus.
Possibly, looking at direct med programs. So, junior and senior year will be intense. To ease the load, he decided to take AP Physics Sophmore year. Prereq. for that is Algebra 2.

Please let me know your thoughts. Thanks!

Definitely take it, especially if they enjoy STEM. That is one of the more valuable AP classes you can take because of the skills you can develop.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So if a student takes Honor Chem and AP Physics 1 in sophomore year and is interested in both AP Chem (double period) and AP Physics C, which one should they prioritize taking first in junior year?

DD's schedule only allows for one of science, and she is not sure which sequence to take first? Are there advantages and disadvantages to each sequence if there is no preference by the student?

If it’s AP physics C Mechanics, there’s too much overlap with AP Physics 1 so the priority should be AP Chemistry.

I did not know this. So what should a student take after AP Physics 1 if they want to continue with Physics?

AP Physics C E&M

Or AP Physics 2.

What's the difference between Physics C E&M versus Physics 2? I remember taking Physics 2 in college and it was basically E&M.