Help choosing physics

[busupshot83]

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My school offers two physics courses: general physics and physics, both of which have the same lab. Below are the course descriptions for each:

PHY 1053 GENERAL PHYSICS I 3 credits
Prerequisites: (ENC 0020 and REA 0002) or EAP 1695, and either MAC 1114 or MAC 1147. Corequisite: PHY 1048L. Subject matter includes mechanics, heat, and sound. A course for students not majoring in the physical sciences. (Credit is not given for both PHY 1053 and PHY 2048.) 47 contact hours.

PHY 2048 PHYSICS I 3 credits
Prerequisites: (ENC 0020 and REA 0002 and MAC 2311) or (EAP 1695 and MAC 2311). Corequisite: PHY 1048L. This course includes theory of mechanics: vectors; force; motion; energy; rotation of rigid bodies; elastic properties; vibratory motion; properties of fluids; and molecular theory of matter. It also includes theory of heat; heat transfer; thermodynamics; sound and wave motion phenomena; use of Calculus in problem solving. This course is designed for physics majors and for engineering students. 47 contact hours.

I was thinking PHY 1053, because I am not an engineering student. Thank you for your time.

 

[INFNITE]

don't take calculus based physics if you dont have to

 

[busupshot83]

don't take calculus based physics if you dont have to

So general physics should do? That would suck if I get accepted to a school, and lose my acceptance because I took the wrong physics 😱 .

 

[supraman]

take the first one, the second one like in my school is geared towards engineers

 

[Drill2Fill]

Diffidently don't take calculus based physics. GPA killer.

 

[busupshot83]

take the first one, the second one like in my school is geared towards engineers

Cool, thanks for the insight. Pce.

 

[Nasem]

I have taken my Calc Based physics I and II.... umm theyr actually fun if you pay attention and DON'T DO WHAT I DID.

I took them about 4 years ago (undergrad), check this out, all I ever did was sit down and wrote notes in the class. Never re-wrote my notes, never did any practise problems (big no-no), and only time I ever studyed for it was the night before the exam for about 1 to 2 hrs.

I squeezed out a B- in Phy I and a B+ in Phy II,
I am not telling you to do what I did, I was careless and stupid and If I would have been more serious about it, I would have easily rocked an A+ in both.

The MAIN KEY to any physics / chemistry class is you need a to ALWAYS prepare by reading the chapter before the topic is explained to you in class... that way you KNOW EXACTLY what the professor is talking about....

If you take calc based physics, you woun't do much calculus, but the "calc based" term is mainly used to show you proofs (how the old scientists, like Newton, came up with the physics laws), those proofs use calculus.

 

[xdianaax]

Considering you have to take a year of physics make sure that they both have a second year to them, and if they both do, then look at some dental schools website to see if any require you to have physics with calculus, maybe even call some and ask personally, better be safe than sorry.

 

[OceanBlue]

don't take calculus based physics if you dont have to

i second that

 

[scabiesnrabies]

I took calulus based physics first semester but switched into algebra based for second because I found out that I didn't need to take the harder class. It is way way easier. I wish I took algebra based physics in the first place, my GPA would have been better.

 

[SNu]

It doesn't really matter which physics series you take, but I have heard that calculus based is suppose to be more favored because it tends to be much more challenging. To me, not worth taking the harder series cause while you're taking physics you're already going to be busy with bio-chem classes and the like. I'd rather get a better grade in the easier series.

 

[DDSY]

In my school prehealth students take general physics. All others, including those that want to have some fun😕 😕 , take calculus based physics.

 

[busupshot83]

thanks for the replies.