Taking AP Physics 1 & 2 same year?

[Bristayl]

Any opinions as to whether it would be feasible for a student who is self-studying to take the AP Physics 1 & 2 exams the same year?

[Luckymama]

It should be possible as long as the student covers all the topics as laid out in the various documents on the CB's course websites and regularly does FRQ-style problems :) After all, pretty much the same topics were covered in Physics B before Physics 1 and 2 were created.

 

For those who don't know, here are the topics covered (from the CB course description document):

Students will cultivate their understanding of physics and science practices as they explore the following topics:

AP Physics 1

• Kinematics

• Dynamics: Newton’s laws

• Circular motion and universal law of gravitation

• Simple harmonic motion: simple pendulum and mass-spring systems • Impulse, linear momentum, and conservation of linear momentum:

collisions

• Work, energy, and conservation of energy

• Rotational motion: torque, rotational kinematics and energy, rotational

dynamics, and conservation of angular momentum • Electrostatics: electric charge and electric force

• DC circuits: resistors only

• Mechanical waves and sound

AP Physics 2

• Thermodynamics: laws of thermodynamics, ideal gases, and kinetic theory • Fluid statics and dynamics

• Electrostatics: electric force, electric field and electric potential

• DC circuits and RC circuits (steady-state only)

• Magnetism and electromagnetic induction

• Geometric and physical optics

• Quantum physics, atomic, and nuclear physics

[Bristayl]

Thank you. I took a closer look at the CB page and it sounds like AP Physics 1 & 2 were intended to be like two semesters of college physics except taking a full year for each. So doing them both in one year should be comparable to taking a year of college physics through dual enrollment, which was the other possibility we were considering.

[regentrude]

Just be aware that the AP credit for these will not count towards the degrees for engineering and most science majors (exception biology) since these are algebra based physics, but those majors require calculus based physics.

[Bristayl]

Yes, she is definitely leaning toward biology/biomedical science rather than engineering or other science.

[MBM]

At our high school students take AP Physics 1 and 2 in one year. The same with AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism / Mechanics. E&M and Mechanics are taught over two years at some schools.

 

My son's college gives credit for high scores on the AP Physic's E&M and Magnetism. My son got a 5 on each but he still has to take one more quarter of science to fulfill the science requirement even as a math/econ major. He's going to take another physics class. Schools vary quite a bit as far as credit given for APs.

 

Also, many kids will take the SAT 2 Physics exam after Physics 1 and 2.

[Bristayl]

Thanks, good to hear some schools are doing it that way. Yes, she will probably take the SAT subject exam in physics as well.

[Teachin'Mine]

If cost isn't an issue, I'd suggest dual enrollment for Physics 1 and 2 and sitting for the AP exam to help with possibly getting transfer credit.  Physics labs are fun to do with others and DE is great prep for the 4-year.

[Bristayl]

To cover the bases because some colleges might accept the dual enrollment classes and others might accept the AP credits? That's a thought, although I was originally thinking of just choosing one or the other.

[Kathy in Richmond]

Also be aware that the new AP Physics 1 & 2 courses are completely different from the old Physics B course.

 

The first year of testing resulted in many of the kids earning scores of only 1 or 2 on the exam:

 

2015 AP Physics 1 scores: 5: 4.1%; 4: 12.8%; 3: 20%; 2: 30.2%; 1: 32.9%

2015 AP Physics 2 scores: 5: 8.4%; 4: 14%; 3: 32.8%; 2: 34.9%; 1: 9.9%

 

The focus is now deeply conceptual with much less math-based problem solving than before.  It's supposed to be set up with lots of lab explorations, and lab design is tested now via the FRQs.

 

Kids also have to be good at expository writing as some of the new FRQs require paragraph responses explaining the physics.

 

I'm still following the AP physics teachers CB email loop, & there is a LOT of chaos right now with teachers aghast at the poor performance of their students. Those that continued to teach in the old Physics B style (which is like the SAT II Physics) in particular reported surprisingly low scores.

 

I'd personally hold off on taking these courses at the moment. The Physics C exams are still terrific if your student gets to calculus in time to take them.

[Bristayl]

Wow, thanks; I hadn't looked at the scores yet. 

 

We wouldn't be starting this until Fall 2016; I'm just looking ahead.

[MBM]

Here are the score distributions for ap exams this year. (Is this the correct site, peeps?) I think these scores are preliminary and then the official tallies are released in fall? Anyway, it should give you some kind of an idea how students did.

 

http://www.totalregistration.net/AP-Exam-Registration-Service/2015-AP-Exam-Score-Distributions.php