Will Precalculus be sufficient for Calculus Based Physics?

[givememymonth]

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I've been away from school for 3-4 years because I fell ill, but I'm better now and eager to continue! Anyway, my math is a bit rusty so I'm thinking about taking precalculus instead of Calculus to reestablish math concepts that I've long forgotten, before I take physics. The plan is to take precalculus during summer and a Calculus based Physics this fall sem at a CC, and fulfill calculus after I transfer to a state university. Do you think precalculus will give me a decent foundation for physics? Or will I be clueless?

Or should I just take non-calculus Physics? Does it matter what type of physics I take?

 

[puglet]

Calculus-based Physics classes usually require Calculus as a pre- or co-requisite.

Medical schools don't care what type of physics you take. My recommendation would be to take whichever one you will do better in, which sounds like it's algebra-based Physics in your case.

 

[ready2go2]

If you're good with integrals and derivatives then you should be fine. That's the only topics that my physics w/ calc class used. Pretty sure that pre calc doesn't cover that so you're going to have to teach yourself if taking calculus is not an option.

I took calculus concurrently with physics and for a portion of it I was lost because I didn't know anything about derivatives and integrals, after we covered that in my calc class I had no trouble catching up.

Also you may not even be able to register for the physics class because you'd didnt take calc. Look into that before you screw yourself. I hadn't taken a math class in 4 years and I self studied pre calculus for 3 months (summer) and took calc, I was nervous because like you I was rusty but I did exceptionally well thanks to my self studying and taking advantage of office hours. Good luck!

 

[medic86]

I've been away from school for 3-4 years because I fell ill, but I'm better now and eager to continue! Anyway, my math is a bit rusty so I'm thinking about taking precalculus instead of Calculus to reestablish math concepts that I've long forgotten, before I take physics. The plan is to take precalculus during summer and a Calculus based Physics this fall sem at a CC, and fulfill calculus after I transfer to a state university. Do you think precalculus will give me a decent foundation for physics? Or will I be clueless?

Or should I just take non-calculus Physics? Does it matter what type of physics I take?

Just take pre-calc and non-calculus physics. It doesn't matter which physics iteration you take for medical school.

Take calculus later if your target medical schools require it (but later, after you get back in the groove of school). Not many schools explicitly require calculus these days.

 

[Catalystik]

Just take pre-calc and non-calculus physics. It doesn't matter which physics iteration you take for medical school.

Take calculus later if your target medical schools require it (but later, after you get back in the groove of school). Not many schools explicitly require calculus these days.

Well said.

 

[johnnytest]

Type of physics does not matter. Take the physics you can do well in.

 

[Lawpy]

I've been away from school for 3-4 years because I fell ill, but I'm better now and eager to continue! Anyway, my math is a bit rusty so I'm thinking about taking precalculus instead of Calculus to reestablish math concepts that I've long forgotten, before I take physics. The plan is to take precalculus during summer and a Calculus based Physics this fall sem at a CC, and fulfill calculus after I transfer to a state university. Do you think precalculus will give me a decent foundation for physics? Or will I be clueless?

Or should I just take non-calculus Physics? Does it matter what type of physics I take?

It's already established that you need calculus to do well in calculus-based physics, so taking the precalculus route is a recipe for disaster.

In regards to medical schools, it doesn't matter what type of physics you take. In regards to understanding concepts, you should take calculus-based physics. Premeds are welcome to dispute me and get disproved, but in the end, it's up to your preferences.

 

[packersfans]

Its been years, but I don't recommend taking calc as a co-requisite. There were so many things that I was confused about that would have been absolute cake if I had just waited a semester to take physics.

 

[deleted393595]

I've been away from school for 3-4 years because I fell ill, but I'm better now and eager to continue! Anyway, my math is a bit rusty so I'm thinking about taking precalculus instead of Calculus to reestablish math concepts that I've long forgotten, before I take physics. The plan is to take precalculus during summer and a Calculus based Physics this fall sem at a CC, and fulfill calculus after I transfer to a state university. Do you think precalculus will give me a decent foundation for physics? Or will I be clueless?

Or should I just take non-calculus Physics? Does it matter what type of physics I take?

You'll be fine. Most of the work that you'll be doing in Calc-based Physics won't require anything fancier than the chain-rule.

In regards to medical schools, it doesn't matter what type of physics you take. In regards to understanding concepts, you should take calculus-based physics. Premeds are welcome to dispute me and get disproved, but in the end, it's up to your preferences.

What this guy said. Taking A YEAR of Calc based Physics before my MCAT gave me a huge edge at the quantitative portions of it.

 

[Premixis]

You'll be fine. Most of the work that you'll be doing in Calc-based Physics won't require anything fancier than the chain-rule.

What this guy said. Taking A YEAR of Calc based Physics before my MCAT gave me a huge edge at the quantitative portions of it.

I couldn't disagree more - Calc based physics gets very difficult if your professor asks you to derive certain formulas, especially in electricity and magnetism. Also, taking calc based physics gave me no edge whatsoever on the MCAT - the approaches used to work through the problems in calc based physics are completely different than the approaches used in non-calc based physics. In non-calc based, it's more of the vanilla formulas, and hell, a lot of the stuff the professor teaches may/may not even be on the MCAT, so you'll still have to self study.

I guess what I'm saying is, it really depends on the difficulty of the professor, but I see absolutely no reason to take a chance by registering for calc based physics. Medical schools simply don't care about the difference, and it's not worth taking a possibly harder course and risking your GPA.

 

[Lawpy]

I couldn't disagree more - Calc based physics gets very difficult if your professor asks you to derive certain formulas, especially in electricity and magnetism. Also, taking calc based physics gave me no edge whatsoever on the MCAT - the approaches used to work through the problems in calc based physics are completely different than the approaches used in non-calc based physics. In non-calc based, it's more of the vanilla formulas, and hell, a lot of the stuff the professor teaches may/may not even be on the MCAT, so you'll still have to self study.

I guess what I'm saying is, it really depends on the difficulty of the professor, but I see absolutely no reason to take a chance by registering for calc based physics. Medical schools simply don't care about the difference, and it's not worth taking a possibly harder course and risking your GPA.

The approaches in "non-calc physics" (whatever that is) require you to plug numbers into a formula conveniently given to you and get the answers. That's equivalent to looking at a solutions manual on how to solve a problem.

 

[Premixis]

The approaches in "non-calc physics" (whatever that is) require you to plug numbers into a formula conveniently given to you and get the answers. That's equivalent to looking at a solutions manual on how to solve a problem.

Not exactly, though somewhat true. Non-calc based physics tests the manipulation of related equations in order to solve the problem at hand. For example, understanding that KE = 1/2mv^2 and that PE = mgh is not enough to solve problems relating to a moving roller coaster. The key understanding comes in through the concept of conservation of energy. This is really the most basic example, but it most definitely is not just plug-and-chug. Questions involving collisions, impulse, and other related topics can definitely become tricky, even in non-calc based physics.

 

[deleted393595]

I couldn't disagree more - Calc based physics gets very difficult if your professor asks you to derive certain formulas, especially in electricity and magnetism.

Oh, come on! Gauss's Law was basically, "Draw a Sphere Around this thinga-ma-bob and what is the equation for a sphere's surface area that you learned in 6th grade?" 😛

Jokes aside, I partially agree with you about E&M. It helps to be taking multivariable calc concurrently with it. But Mechanics felt very very straightforward. The most complicated thing I had to do was to integrate Hooke's law. Or was it differentiate? I don't even remember anymore.

Also, taking calc based physics gave me no edge whatsoever on the MCAT - the approaches used to work through the problems in calc based physics are completely different than the approaches used in non-calc based physics. In non-calc based, it's more of the vanilla formulas, and hell, a lot of the stuff the professor teaches may/may not even be on the MCAT, so you'll still have to self study.

True. But the calc based physics gets you to actually think about problems rather than plug-n-chug. Here's my philosophy: To lift 100lbs in competition, you must train with 200lbs. It seems like overkill, but it works..

I guess what I'm saying is, it really depends on the difficulty of the professor, but I see absolutely no reason to take a chance by registering for calc based physics. Medical schools simply don't care about the difference, and it's not worth taking a possibly harder course and risking your GPA.

Absolutely true. GPA comes first. Don't hurt yourself over a course that you didn't need to take.

 

[deleted577188]

Calc based physics is one of the biggest GPA ruiners after Calc 2 at my uni. Stay AWAY!

Take the easier one. Your goal is to get 2 A's in Physics 1 and Physics 2, not become the next Einstein.

 

[givememymonth]

Thanks for the replies. I'll definitely go for non-calc physics for my transfer units and prereqs.

 

[ridethecliche]

Taking A YEAR of Calc based Physics before my MCAT gave me a huge edge at the quantitative portions of it.

How interesting. Doing MCAT practice problems for a few months did the exactly same thing for me.

 

[deleted393595]

How interesting. Doing MCAT practice problems for a few months did the exactly same thing for me.

Whatever floats your boat. If it works, it works.

 

[NeuResurgens]

Do yourself a favor and take the non-calculus flavor of physics.

 

[Gurby]

While theoretically possible, the type of person who could make it work is not the type of person who would need to take a pre-calc class (as opposed to self studying over the summer with Khan Academy, etc).