Success in Calculus-based physics?

[V781]

My community college is only offering one Algebra-based physics course - 1 lecture but 2 lab periods to choose from.

Those lab courses interfere with my Biology class time..so I cannot possible take Biology concurrently with Algebra-based physics. I did email the dean to bring this up - Algebra-based physics is intended for Bio majors, so it should be possible to take both concurrently....I never received a response. I cannot wait another year to take it.

So I am stuck signing up for calculus-based. I'm intimidated. I've always said that physics will be my weak point...and here I am having to face it in calculus form... I did earn an A- in Calc 1 but that was mostly because the exam was entirely multiple choice and the exam replaced all lower scores...

How do I succeed this year? I want an A...I've read that earning an A in Calc-based will impress Med schools but that earning a B will hurt me.

I heard students discussing physics last year and it killed my mood having to listen to it. However, I don't have experience in physics so am also open to the idea that I might end up enjoying it and doing better than I thought.

[I will add that students have really liked this professor I signed up with. He is much better received than the alg-based professor.]

The required text is not yet posted. I would like to study ahead this summer

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Do you really have to take it this year? Why can’t you wait? Taking calc based physics is not going to impress anyone. If you only got an A- in calc because the final was multiple choice and knocked out bad exams, you’re going to have a rough time in calc based physics.

If you absolutely must take it now, you need to really understand differentiation and integration. You need to know how to read a position/velocity/acceleration vs time graph and know how to get to other values. It honestly isn’t that difficult if you get calculus, but if you’re already intimidated, you might psych yourself out.

Read Paul’s Online Math Notes and Hyperphysics, and you should watch the essence of calculus series on YouTube by 3blue1brown to get a good intuition of it.

Edit: as a mathematician, I feel like it’s actually easier to take calc based physics if you’re decent at calc because it’s much less memorization. You can get to the relevant equations using calculus without much memorization as long as you get the concepts. Algebra based is mostly memorization and tons of problems to hammer it in.

 

[V781]

Do you really have to take it this year? Why can’t you wait? Taking calc based physics is not going to impress anyone. If you only got an A- in calc because the final was multiple choice and knocked out bad exams, you’re going to have a rough time in calc based physics.

If you absolutely must take it now, you need to really understand differentiation and integration. You need to know how to read a position/velocity/acceleration vs time graph and know how to get to other values. It honestly isn’t that difficult if you get calculus, but if you’re already intimidated, you might psych yourself out.

Read Paul’s Online Math Notes and Hyperphysics, and you should watch the essence of calculus series on YouTube by 3blue1brown to get a good intuition of it.

Edit: as a mathematician, I feel like it’s actually easier to take calc based physics if you’re decent at calc because it’s much less memorization. You can get to the relevant equations using calculus without much memorization as long as you get the concepts. Algebra based is mostly memorization and tons of problems to hammer it in.

I didn't do poorly on the other exam...I had an 86.5 on the midterm. I honestly just neglected the class because another class was my priority. I didn't do a couple of the online quizzes but those ended up being replaced by the final. I learned most of the material the week before the final. I actually didn't find derivatives or integrals to be too difficult.

I cannot wait another year. I've been at CC too long and I need to get this done. I'm yearning to start applying to med schools but I don't even have my degree yet. It's making me antsy.

Thanks for suggestions.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

I didn't do poorly on the other exam...I had an 86.5 on the midterm. I honestly just neglected the class because another class was my priority. I didn't do a couple of the online quizzes but those ended up being replaced by the final. I learned most of the material the week before the final. I actually didn't find derivatives or integrals to be too difficult.

I cannot wait another year. I've been at CC too long and I need to get this done. I'm yearning to start applying to med schools but I don't even have my degree yet. It's making me antsy.

Thanks for suggestions.

So you actually can wait another year, you just don't want to. As @Goro likes to say, patience is a virtue--the lack of it is not. You most likely will not be able to treat calc-based physics that way and still get an A (although it's at a CC, so you might be able to actually). Why are you doing these prereqs at a CC? Are you a student at a 4-year university where you're getting your degree?

 

[ak-aka-dak]

Is it just the 1 credit physics lab time that interferes? If so, can you take the algebra-based physics lecture now and then take the lab in the spring? You don’t always have to take both lecture and lab in the same semester.

 

[M1i]

My community college is only offering one Algebra-based physics course - 1 lecture but 2 lab periods to choose from.

Those lab courses interfere with my Biology class time..so I cannot possible take Biology concurrently with Algebra-based physics. I did email the dean to bring this up - Algebra-based physics is intended for Bio majors, so it should be possible to take both concurrently....I never received a response. I cannot wait another year to take it.

So I am stuck signing up for calculus-based. I'm intimidated. I've always said that physics will be my weak point...and here I am having to face it in calculus form... I did earn an A- in Calc 1 but that was mostly because the exam was entirely multiple choice and the exam replaced all lower scores...

How do I succeed this year? I want an A...I've read that earning an A in Calc-based will impress Med schools but that earning a B will hurt me.

I heard students discussing physics last year and it killed my mood having to listen to it. However, I don't have experience in physics so am also open to the idea that I might end up enjoying it and doing better than I thought.

[I will add that students have really liked this professor I signed up with. He is much better received than the alg-based professor.]

The required text is not yet posted. I would like to study ahead this summer

I’m currently taking Physics II at my university. It’s Physics for sceintists and engineers (which is a fancy way of saying physics with calc). I took Physics I w/ calc here as well. This is after taking calc I at a community college. And I can assure you it’s not as bad as you may think. Apart from some very simple derivations and integrations, there is very little actual calculus. Truthfully the most difficult component of the class, at least for me, was the trigonometry. I received an A+ in the class, just be sure to put in the time. And this is coming from an individual who certainly doesn’t excel in mathematics based courses. Don’t stress about it. I was also anxious for physics and it turned out to be easier than I had anticipated.

If you’re really that concerned, invest in chegg. But don’t become to dependent on it as it won’t help come test time!

Good Luck!

 

[doctorisopropyl]

From personal experience, calculus based physics involves the simpler parts of calc such as derivatives and integrals. If you did well in calc, you shouldn't have a problem. The difficult part about physics is the actual physics and problem solving skills it requires! I think you should be okay as long as you work hard!

 

[de Ribas]

At our school, physics for bio majors and pre-med students was calc based. You were required to take it. It wasnt that bad. It moved somewhat faster than algebra based course with the same professor.

It's not calculus what is hard in physics, it is actual physics content and its application that matters.

Even though our professor covered a lot of calculus during lectures to show where formulas came from, all exams did not involve calculus. You could use both ways to solve. Calculus was not required for exams at all. Both ways were accepted and everyone did algebra way. Our averages and algebra-physics averages were similar around 55-65% for every exam anyways.

Take it. It shouldn't be any different.

 

[Robin-jay]

Physics has a steep learning curve imo.

 

[de Ribas]

If you absolutely must take it now, you need to really understand differentiation and integration. You need to know how to read a position/velocity/acceleration vs time graph and know how to get to other values. It honestly isn’t that difficult if you get calculus, but if you’re already intimidated, you might psych yourself out.

Read Paul’s Online Math Notes and Hyperphysics, and you should watch the essence of calculus series on YouTube by 3blue1brown to get a good intuition of it.

Edit: as a mathematician, I feel like it’s actually easier to take calc based physics if you’re decent at calc because it’s much less memorization. You can get to the relevant equations using calculus without much memorization as long as you get the concepts. Algebra based is mostly memorization and tons of problems to hammer it in.

It probably depends on the schools and professor. Even though I took calculus years ago, I was worried about calc based physics. I contacted professor ahead of time and he assured me that I will be fine. He said that calc aa prerequisite is not required for calc based physics. He spend lectures mostly driving equations and explaining how they work and applied. So, me not remembering calculus, I did fine.

Our exams did not require us to use calculus, but we could use it if we wanted.

I agree, using calculus makes it easier and understandable for physics.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

It probably depends on the schools and professor. Even though I took calculus years ago, I was worried about calc based physics. I contacted professor ahead of time and he assured me that I will be fine. He said that calc aa prerequisite is not required for calc based physics. He spend lectures mostly driving equations and explaining how they work and applied. So, me not remembering calculus, I did fine.

Our exams did not require us to use calculus, but we could use it if we wanted.

I agree, using calculus makes it easier and understandable for physics.

Man, my calc based physics prof expected everyone to already know how to do triple integrals on day one lol.

 

[Stroganoff]

At our school, physics for bio majors and pre-med students was calc based. You were required to take it. It wasnt that bad. It moved somewhat faster than algebra based course with the same professor.

It's not calculus what is hard in physics, it is actual physics content and its application that matters.

Even though our professor covered a lot of calculus during lectures to show where formulas came from, all exams did not involve calculus. You could use both ways to solve. Calculus was not required for exams at all. Both ways were accepted and everyone did algebra way. Our averages and algebra-physics averages were similar around 55-65% for every exam anyways.

Take it. It shouldn't be any different.

This was similar to my experience with calc-based Physics 1. Lecture involved some calculus to show how Newton (et al) derived the now famous equations just to give more "ah ha" context and make things click, but homework and all exams were algebra-based as far as I can remember. And on exams we could write a bunch of formulas on a small cheat sheet to use.

Physics 1 Lab did involve very, very basic calculus (basic derivatives or maybe partial derivatives) mostly to help calculate error bars when doing graphs.

@V781, if you've never been exposed to any Physics 1 stuff, even in high school, I think the physics itself could be the thing to worry about work really hard to learn, not any calculus.

Physics 2 had more calculus in the actual homework, labs, and exams, but still, nothing crazy. If you want pleasure and excitement pain and suffering, take Physics 3 or any upper level physics classes if you want some intimidating calculus.

Good luck. If you do end up taking calc-based Physics 1, don't worry about the Calc at all, 'cause it could be close to 0 on the exams. Focus more on learning the concepts. And if you really wanna spank it, grade-wise, be diligent about doing the problem sets and putting in the necessary hours to repetitively learn the material. I don't know if CC Physics 1 is any easier than a 4-year university's Physics 1. I thought my Physics 1-2 for Scientists and Engineers was pretty rough honestly, but the best advice is really immerse yourself in the fundamentals and drill hard on problem sets and any supplemental sessions with TAs if those are offered: lots of extra help with problem sets and more opportunities for the light bulb to go off.