Need help with physics for 12 grader

[Jean in Newcastle]

I have been looking through pinned list on physics but need help narrowing it down.  What I want - something at a high school level  - not any of the ones marked for junior high or high school lite.  But doesn't have to be honors or AP or anything like that.  She has had Algebra 1 and geometry.  She's taking Algebra 2 this year.  She absolutely loved the Spectrum chemistry because it was very hands on. 

[Momto6inIN]

I'm not sure if Apologia has updated their physics to a 3rd edition with a different author, but we've had good success with the 2nd edition by Dr Jay Wile. Clear with good explanations and definitely not a light course. My oldest took both Apologia physics courses and is now getting easy A's in the introductory  engineering physics courses at Purdue. My 2nd DS is doing well with it too and is starting Module 4 this week.

But not everybody is on board with Apologia, so YMMV.

[katilac]

Does it have to be physics? I think it might be tough with taking Algebra 2 concurrently in senior year. Unless you do conceptual, physics is going to be math, math, and more math. 

If she loved the hands-on chemistry, that's the type of class I'd be looking for again. Forensic science and geology are two that come to mind that have readily available resources and lots of hands-on possibilities. You could also do a second biology or chemistry (not more advanced, just more focused topics), oceanography, botany, zoology - whatever strikes her interest. 

[Jean in Newcastle]

Ds took Derek Owens physics and algebra 2 concurrently and had no trouble. Is Derek Owens conceptual?

[katilac]

2 hours ago, Jean in Newcastle said:

Ds took Derek Owens physics and algebra 2 concurrently and had no trouble. Is Derek Owens conceptual?

idk about Derek Owens. 

I know that lots of students do take non-conceptual physics with only basic algebra, it can definitely be done and they can learn additional math as they go. My thoughts are more along the lines that someone who is taking algebra 2 in senior year may struggle with all of the extra math, or may be strongly disinclined to do it. That doesn't mean you drop physics if there are strong reasons to take it, but maybe it means you think about whether an alternative would be a better fit. If it's on her schedule only because it's the next thing in the standard sequence, it's worth looking at some alternatives. 

I have one kid who did physics and one kid who did not (she did geology). She COULD have done physics, but she didn't need it for future studies and neither of us needed our character built THAT much 😄

physics would have been drudgery for her, it would have been checking a box, whereas she managed to both learn a lot and really enjoy geology. It was also, to me, much easier to make hands-on than physics. Physics is all about labs, yes, but not as hands-on in the same sense as getting really physical and getting your hands dirty (quite literally, with geology!). 

 

[Jean in Newcastle]

I'm asking her about possible other sciences.  She loves science and is possibly interested in medicine even though she is not the most competitive rigorous STEM candidate out there. 

[Jean in Newcastle]

She wants to stick with physics. 

[EKS]

 

5 hours ago, Jean in Newcastle said:

Is Derek Owens conceptual?

Derek Owens is standard algebra based physics (so more than conceptual but not AP level).  

[Jean in Newcastle]

Looking at Dicentra's list, I was surprised to find that Lifepac Physics is in the running.  (I have to admit to having developed a prejudice against them but I don't know if it is based on anything concrete.)  It is affordable (some of the lab kits for some of the linked courses run thousands of dollars).  And it is noted to be "regular physics" that uses algebra.  Is that accurate?  Ie.  Is it really high school level? 

[kbutton]

Are you considering only math-based? I ask because I think that if math is difficult, there could be some value in doing Hewitt's Conceptual Physics to get concepts solid and then taking math-based physics in college if her major requires it. Sort of getting it solid in two steps rather than one big step. But it could make the math easier if physics turns out to be common sense for her. 

I took what our teacher called trig based physics in high school and found that it made Algebra 2 make a lot more sense, but I am not sure that I could've taken Algebra 2 concurrently unless they were covering concepts in a similar order. I had it out of the way first and was taking trig when I took physics (and understood trig better because of the physics too).

My brother, OTOH, took honors physics with the same teacher. The class was calculus-based, and he sailed through it. He's NEVER had a formal calc class, lol--I think he was taking trig at the time he took calc-based physics. He subsequently took college algebra as an English major and pulled his hair out the whole time not sure if he'd pass. 

So, you never know...

Is she thinking nursing, pre-med, allied health, PA school? Some of those might not require math-based physics.

Hewitt texts are readily available and fairly inexpensive. We used it last year, and we used TOPS science units for labs. You might want to do more formal write-ups though for someone with a STEM emphasis.

[Jean in Newcastle]

We ended up looking at and buying Paul Hewitt’s Conceptual Physics at the Homeschool consignment shop today. Thanks everyone!

[ElizabethB]

The accompanying lab book has a ton of experiments to choose from.  There is a PDF out there somewhere of the lab manual, and used books starting from $5 or $6, definitely worth buying and adding in to make it more hands on if you don't have the lab manual already.  I did Hewett last year with both kids, when my son takes physics as I high schooler I will use a math heavy high school or college physics book but will do some of the experiments from Hewett that match up.