Is AP Physics B really worthless?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the value and relevance of AP Physics B in the context of preparing for college, particularly for engineering degrees. Participants explore the curriculum, its acceptance for college credit, and its overall utility in learning physics concepts.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express concern that many colleges, including MIT, do not accept AP Physics B for credit, suggesting it may be less valuable than other courses.
  • Others argue that AP Physics B covers useful topics such as thermodynamics and waves, and that it can still provide a foundational understanding of physics.
  • A participant mentions receiving college credits for AP Physics B, indicating that it can be beneficial even if not universally accepted.
  • There is a suggestion that students concurrently enrolled in calculus can manage the transition to AP Physics C material effectively with adequate preparation.
  • Some participants critique the AP exam structure, noting that many questions do not require calculus, which may undermine the perceived rigor of the exam.
  • One participant expresses surprise at the lower percentage required to achieve a 5 on the AP Physics C exam, indicating a belief that the exam may not fully reflect the difficulty of the material.
  • Another participant reiterates that MIT has strict requirements for AP credit, emphasizing the lack of calculus in Physics B as a drawback.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the overall value of AP Physics B. While some acknowledge its utility in learning physics concepts, others question its worth given the limitations in college credit acceptance.

Contextual Notes

There are varying assumptions about the importance of calculus in physics education, and the discussion reflects differing experiences with AP credit policies across institutions.

Who May Find This Useful

Students considering AP Physics B, educators advising on course selection, and prospective engineering majors evaluating their physics education options.

f25274
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I signed up for Physics B because my teacher said it was broad and could help me in getting an engineering degree.
I actually found out that a lot of schools don't accept AP Physics B for college credit.
MIT accepts credit for AP Physics C if there is a 5 on both exams.
It's too late to change now, but is it truly worthless to learn physics B?

sorry if this is in the wrong section :|
 
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Well there is thermodynamics and waves on Physics B, it isn't too bad. Everything else is garbage though
 
I wouldn't go straight to worthless. I got 10 credits for it (Intro I and II, both 5 credits, and I sure don't go to MIT) albeit they were for algebra-based. I still took calculus-based, but the stuff I learned in AP Physics B (like E&M, thermodynamics and waves, optics) were helpful. It can't hurt to keep taking physics classes.
 
It's better than learning no physics.
 
If you're concurrently enrolled in calculus (say at AB or BC level), then it shouldn't be much of a problem. Any good student enrolled in Physics B and calculus (with somewhat decent teachers or just some willingness to learn) should know that it's not hard to cover Physics C material a few months before the AP exam. It should suffice just to read through Barron's, ideally as soon as you've completed a relevant corresponding topic in physics B. MIT OCW lectures and the Halliday Resnick text could serve as additional references.

Also remember that AP exams are stupid. For one, many of the questions on the C exam are either straight up basic physics questions without calculus, or some basic concept that requires a calculus computation (e.g. calculate mechanical work). This applies to both the MC and FRQ portion. For instance, the year I took the exam, 1 of the 3 mechanics problems was essentially a straight up ODE problem related to terminal velocity (pretty standard). Also note that in some previous years, you needed to get something slightly below 60% of the total possible points on the physics C exam to get a 5 (this number doesn't fluctuate much). Basically, this means that if you're used to passing exams on a regular basis, as any decent prospective engineering major should, this should not be a problem.

So, don't worry too much about the actual exam. Though perhaps you might want to actually learn some physics.
 
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60%? I expected the 5 range to be at least 80% and up. So the actual exam isn't that useful but the materials learned are useful? That makes me feel better about taking it :) I'll just keep that in mind.
 
f25274 said:
MIT accepts credit for AP Physics C if there is a 5 on both exams.

MIT has rather strict requirements for AP credit. The problem with Physics B is that it doesn't have calculus and all MIT students are expected to know calculus.
 

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