Should I Take an Introductory Physics Course Before Calculus I?

[marly]

I never really had much math back ground and I was lucky I passed high school math. I was in the hospital a lot, I think my teacher felt sorry for me and gave me a passing grade, so I could get my HS diploma.

I decided to go to college and I took my placement tests and they placed me in remedial math. I’ve gone through all of the remedial math courses, college Algebra I & II, trig, (low A’s/High B’s, I spent hours studying) and I will be taking Calculus & Analytic Geometry next fall.

My question is this: would it make sense to take an intro Physics course at my college before I take the Calculus I class? I have absolutely no physics knowledge, unless you count d=rt from my Algebra courses. :)

Obviously I meet the Prereq for Calculus I at my college, but I was thinking maybe some sort of intro to physics might be helpful.

I’m a slow learner, but once I understand something I understand it. I was thinking some type of background in a different math area other than your normal math might be helpful.

Thanks

 

[dacruick]

calculus will always help, but if it isn't a pre requisite for that course then it shouldn't be an issue.

 

[iRaid]

As long as the physics class IS NOT calc-based you will be fine. There shouldn't be any science pre-reqs for algebra/trig based physics.

 

[QuarkCharmer]

I took a trig-based physics course concurrent with Calculus I and it helped me get familiar with the terms, units, approaches of physics. I would absolutely not take Physics I with Calculus until you can differentiate very easily, and solve simple integrals. You also need to know how to integrate and differentiate functions with log/e et al.

I am taking Calculus II with Physics I w/ Calculus right now and there has already been several occasions where I have learned something in Calc, and found it on a physics test a week later!

 

[phoenix:\\]

I took my physics courses after calculus II. And from the experience I had, I thought physics was fairly easy, might have been because of the calculus courses I took before taking it. But from what I observed of people taking physics I and calculus together, they seem to do fairly well but also have a hard time understanding the material.

If I were you, I'd at-least take a non-calculus physics course to get my feet wet and after Calculus I, take a calculus based physics course.