What is the Best Book for Understanding AP Calculus?

  • Thread starter Tensaiga
  • Start date
  • Tags
    Book
In summary, the conversation is about a group of students discussing the difficulties they are having with their AP Calculus textbook and looking for alternative books that may be easier to understand. Some suggestions for books include Stewarts Calculus, Strang's Calculus, Schaum's Calculus, and Barron's AP Calculus Review. The students also discuss the difficulty of the AP Calculus exam and the focus on practice questions rather than understanding the material.
  • #1
Tensaiga
43
0
Hello everyone, our school has a sucky ap-calculus book. Well it's either that the book's sucky or I'm just too dumb to understand the material, so anyone know an easier book to understand for ap-calculus?

PS: Our book is great for questions to practice with, but poorly done with the explinations.

Thanks.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
What book are you using? If it's the Larson, Hostetler, and Edwards book then I don't blame you for not liking it, my school uses that book for all of the ap calculus classes and I used it at my high school after having taken Calc-2 at a local university and was taking Calc-3 and really didn't like the way the book presented a lot of theorems and just information in general. For an ap-calculus book I don't think that Stewarts Calculus would be too bad of a choice, but I'm sure others probably have better advice to offer.
 
  • #3
Stewarts is nice. Also, Strang offers his free on the internet in PDF form, so you could at least check it out and see what you think (and purchase if you like it).
http://ocw.mit.edu/ans7870/resources/Strang/strangtext.htm
 
  • #4
If you're studying for the AP Calculus AB or BC exam, then I like Larson, Hostetler and Edwards the best, although some of my friends prefer Stewart's. However, for an AP course I highly recommend getting either the Schaum's Calculus or Barron's AP Calculus Review book, those can be really helpful. Schaum's Calculus is full of thousands of worked out examples. Most of my classmates that I tutored liked the Schaum's book better than our textbook (Larson).
 
  • #5
Schaum's 3000 solved Calculus problems?? is that what you meant? oh and our book is called: "Calculus: Graphical Numerical Algebraic" the 2003 eddition, the Authors are : Finney, Demana, Waits, and Kennedy. It's an OKAY book, just lack explanations, and the questions are though too! aww... anyways, I'm goona say thank you to all of you, it's been a great help.
 
  • #6
OH by the way, does anybody know what the ap exam is like? is it hard?
 
Last edited:
  • #7
The BC calculus test wasn't all that hard, but when after completing the material by the end of march, we had a month or so to study for the exam. Some of the problems click, some of them don't. If you know the material and are a reasonable test taker, you shouldn't have a problem with it.
 
  • #8
from what you said, that your book is good on questions, poor on explanations, that's what ap calculus is all about.

so I guess the problem you are having is you want to understand the material, which is not the focus of the stupid ap program.


i.e. almost any routine book is fine for ap prep, but to understand the subject you need a good book, like courant.
 

1. What is AP Calculus?

AP Calculus is an advanced high school level course that covers both differential and integral calculus. It is equivalent to a college level Calculus I and II course.

2. What topics are typically covered in an AP Calculus book?

An AP Calculus book typically covers topics such as limits, derivatives, integrals, techniques of integration, applications of derivatives and integrals, and differential equations.

3. Do I need a specific AP Calculus book for my class?

It is recommended to use the textbook that is assigned by your teacher or school for your AP Calculus class. However, any AP Calculus book that covers the same topics can be used for additional practice and review.

4. Are there any online resources for AP Calculus books?

Yes, there are many online resources for AP Calculus books, such as e-books, PDFs, and online versions of textbooks. These can often be accessed through your school or library's website.

5. How can I choose the best AP Calculus book for my needs?

When choosing an AP Calculus book, consider your individual learning style and the format of the book (e.g. physical book, e-book, etc.). You may also want to look at reviews and recommendations from other students or teachers to find a book that aligns with your needs and preferences.

Similar threads

  • Science and Math Textbooks
Replies
9
Views
2K
Replies
22
Views
2K
  • STEM Academic Advising
Replies
3
Views
1K
Replies
5
Views
3K
Replies
8
Views
2K
  • Science and Math Textbooks
Replies
12
Views
5K
  • STEM Academic Advising
2
Replies
60
Views
3K
  • Science and Math Textbooks
Replies
12
Views
2K
Replies
12
Views
2K
  • Precalculus Mathematics Homework Help
Replies
16
Views
2K
Back
Top