How Can I Prepare for the AP Physics C Mechanics Exam in 3 Weeks?

AI Thread Summary
Self-studying for the AP Physics C Mechanics exam requires a solid understanding of calculus, as it is integral to various topics such as displacement, velocity, acceleration, and forces. Recommended resources include textbooks with ample examples and practice problems, as well as online courses like those found on Course Repository. Concerns about the adequacy of online courses are common, especially regarding the level of calculus involved. Past experiences indicate that intensive study, even in a short timeframe, can lead to success, with emphasis on understanding concepts before tackling problems. The exam features a mix of algebra and calculus, particularly in free response sections, and familiarity with differential equations is beneficial for topics like forces and oscillations.
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I am not currently taking a physics class but decided a few months ago that I would self study the AP Physics C Mechanics exam (not the E&M), however I have been procrastinating ever since. The exam is scheduled for the 14th of May, and I haven't even begun to study for it. Could anyone here recommend a good textbook to use with plenty of examples, practice problems, and solutions? I found this site http://www.courserepository.org/ that has online courses for AP's but am worried that it won't be enough to prepare.

Does anyone know how much calculus is involved in the physics c: mechanics exam? As I was skimming the chapters in the online course, I didn't see very much, if any calculus; it appeared to be merely algebra problems. I am a high school senior who has already taken Calc I, II, and III and am now taking Diff Eq so I'm sure I can handle any math that is in this course.
 
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I think that if you've got a good enough grasp of calculus and differential equations, you ought to be able to handle the mechanics exam. They do give you a formula sheet
 
I'm a junior taking AP C, and this is (roughly) what we've used calculus for.
Mechanics:
-Using calculus to go between displacement, velocity and acceleration.
-Using calculus to go between angle, angular velocity, and angular acceleration.
-Setting up differential equations involving forces, especially drag forces and oscillations.
-Going between force and energy, and force and momentum.
-Finding center of mass and moment of inertia.
-Rocket equations.

E&M:
-RC circuits (and probably LC and RLC circuits too)
-Going between Voltage and Electric field
-Using Coulomb's law for finding fields of rings and other non-point charges.
-Gauss's law, and Ampere's law, nominally. On the AP exam, the problems can always be set up uniformly so the problems are pretty much reduced down to geometry.
-Also may be used with current density and current, in a similar fashion.

That's all I can remember. Good luck.
 
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government said:
I am not currently taking a physics class but decided a few months ago that I would self study the AP Physics C Mechanics exam (not the E&M), however I have been procrastinating ever since. The exam is scheduled for the 14th of May, and I haven't even begun to study for it. Could anyone here recommend a good textbook to use with plenty of examples, practice problems, and solutions? I found this site http://www.courserepository.org/ that has online courses for AP's but am worried that it won't be enough to prepare.

Does anyone know how much calculus is involved in the physics c: mechanics exam? As I was skimming the chapters in the online course, I didn't see very much, if any calculus; it appeared to be merely algebra problems. I am a high school senior who has already taken Calc I, II, and III and am now taking Diff Eq so I'm sure I can handle any math that is in this course.

I too procrastinated in high school for the AP Physics C exams. I studied for both mechanics and e&m in a single week, studying 10 hours a day and scored 5's on both. I simply read the my course's book cover to cover in a continuous manner without stopping for problems, then went back and picked problems I didn't know an algorithm for and did them. I supplemented with a prep book with practice AP Physics C tests and solved all the problems in those. There's a lot of calculus in the free response sections but it fluctuates from year to year.
 
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