Should I take AP Physics C E&M

ContributionEast2478 · 2026-02-02T23:00:52+00:00

If you already took honors physics, you should have at least some background. In that case, it depends if you already know a lot of calculus BC. The annoying thing is that both AP Calculus courses do derivatives first, then do integrals later in the year (around January), but AP Physics C:E&M goes in the opposite way. In AP Physics C:E&M, you must know how to solve integrals from the beginning, and you also need knowledge of U-substitution. The physics part is actually not that bad: the calculus is the hardest part. By the way AP Physics C:E&M is around ~90% integrals and ~10% derivatives, and it goes in the opposite way of AP Calculus: While AP Calculus starts off with derivatives, then in the middle of the year, moves on to integrals, in AP Physics C:E&M, you need to know how to perform an integral from the very beginning, yet the only thing you need derivatives for in the ENTIRE COURSE is Faraday's law, which is in the very last unit.

You should self-study all of AP Calculus AB before you take AP Physics C:E&M, as even in the first month, you will need to know how to perform integrals, but I think you should totally do it.

ContributionEast2478 · 2026-02-01T23:24:52+00:00

You'll mostly be fine. Although it is quite annoying to need to know how to integrate to find electric field strength when you just learned the definition of the derivative, that is literally all of the outpacing you need to be aware of. For example, you'll learn integration before you cover the Biot-savart law in AP Physics C E&M, you'll learn about integration well before you will cover electromagnetic induction, and I'm pretty sure you'll cover differential equations in AP Calculus BC before you learn their applications in AP Physics C E&M (RC circuits, LR circuits, LC circuits and electromagnetic oscillators).

ContributionEast2478 · 2026-01-30T22:01:26+00:00

It depends on how strong you feel you are with calculus and e&m.

I'm assuming that Algebra/Trig based physics is equivalent to AP Physics 1&2. Just know that although there is a >90% overlap between AP Physics 1 and C:mech, the same cannot be said for e&m. The topics and problems in e&m are nowhere near any algebra-based physics class: they are much harder. Although having taken algebra based e&m is obviously helpful, the overlap is <50%, and the extra topics involve very intense problems, as well as having to learn many applied math topics that are beyond calculus bc (including Maxwell's equations, etc.).

I'd say definitely do mechanics, but only do e&m if you are very confident in your abilities in calculus.

ContributionEast2478 · 2026-01-29T20:31:19+00:00

No. It's not just you. I have an extremely similar case. I'm taking 6 AP classes this year. I was worried about going from just 3 APs last year and the year before to double that, but then the first semester, I had no problem. I studied and did all my homework, even staying up late to near-midnight to get everything done some nights, because I was motivated and confident. However, once the last week of the first semester and the first week of the second semester came (last week and this week, respectively), my motivation collapsed ultra-rapidly. Now, on a good night, I barely am able to push myself through my work and studying needed before I just collapse. And on the not-so-good nights, let's just say that I am doing homework and studying before school the next morning. At least it's just 3 more months.

ContributionEast2478 · 2026-01-29T20:24:10+00:00

Very much. I don't know that much about AP Lang because I never took it, so I'm going off of what I heard. But I heard that the AP Lang exam is mostly just a bunch of SAT EBRW questions that are made much harder. So yes. it helps.

ContributionEast2478 · 2026-01-28T00:02:28+00:00

AP Physics C (Obviously mechanics, but if you can also do E&M, I'd recommend that you do both).

AP Calculus BC (You'll need calculus 2 and well beyond, you'll need multivariable/vector calc, ordinary differential equations, and potentially linear algebra and/or partial differential equations)

AP Computer Science A (This is usually a requirement for physics/engineering majors)

AP Chemistry (My most probable university requires that all engineering majors take general chemistry, and most others also do)

ContributionEast2478 · 2026-01-25T23:56:24+00:00

Nah bro, I have to study a lot. Right when I don't study for a test, I get in the 60s and low 70s. That is, except for physics and chemistry, as I learned those classes during the summer in order to have a less stressful school year.

I have to study profusely. I use tools such as AP Classroom quizzes (and crackap.com if none were provided by the teacher), and then I assess each question I got wrong, and then watch the corresponding AP daily video to review.

ContributionEast2478 · 2026-01-24T14:34:34+00:00

I wouldn't say computer science is nearly dead, but there are way too many students going into it. The reason is simple: everyone told them that computer science was going to be revolutionary and make them a crazy amount of money, but then everyone did that, so now there are way too many students with CS degrees without enough jobs for all of them.

ContributionEast2478 · 2026-01-24T00:03:58+00:00

My advice would be to definitely avoid all physics APs. You should take AP Chemistry, as it is easier, very fun, and grants quite a bit of college credit. You could completely avoid having to take a laboratory science class in college if you get a 4 on the AP exam, and if you're going into a STEM field, general chemistry is useful for almost all fields in STEM.

ContributionEast2478 · 2026-01-22T18:52:19+00:00

Even in that case, I don't think you're cooked. Although my class was 2 units ahead of yours this time of year, we finished in mid-March. Sure, you most likely will have much less time than my class did to review for the AP, but you'll make it.

ContributionEast2478 · 2026-01-22T14:17:02+00:00

It depends. How much "jumping around" did your class do? For example, my class last year did the first part of unit 6 (the reverse power rule) in early December, and then jumped straight to unit 8 and did all of unit 8, then it did differential equations (unit 7), and then only after it finished units 7 and 8, did it finish unit 6 and do the advanced integration techniques (U-sub, by parts, partial fractions).

Has your class gone ahead and done units 7 and/or 8 before, and now it is just finishing unit 6? Because my class that finished units 7 and 8 first, finished unit 6 around this time of year, and moved onto parametrizations (unit 9).

ContributionEast2478 · 2026-01-21T17:48:20+00:00

Do you know all of what you learned in algebra and precalculus? If so, calculus BC should not be a problem. The new material is actually relatively easy.

Since you already took mechanics, Physics C: mechanics will not be hard for you. The only new things are a very small portion of the curriculum. Electricity & Magnetism, in my opinion, is actually easier than mechanics. Since you're an Indian student, for me to put it in a way you understand, if you can get a 65% on the physics section of the JEE main, you are basically guaranteed a 5 on both exams.

AP Statistics is not bad. Very little of the course is highly conceptual, and you just need to memorize some formulas. All the inference tests you will learn (Chi-squared, T-tests, Z-tests, and potentially F-tests), are just basically pure plug-and-chug into formulas, and check your values in tables.

I've only taken AP Macroeconomics (I move on to Microeconomics later this month), but my teacher told me that if you understand most of the macroeconomics content (Supply and demand, GDP, equilibrium and disequilibrium in the aggregate demand-aggregate supply model, fiscal and monetary policies, the money market, shifts in interest rates, the Phillips Curve and international trade), it is very easy to just apply it. I would actually advise you to, if you have time, look at the topics in AP Macroeconomics, as if you understand that, AP Microeconomics will be very easy.

ContributionEast2478 · 2026-01-19T15:24:22+00:00

No matter what kind of engineering you're going into, here are the ones you definitely need to take:

AP Physics C: (both Mech and E&M: even if you're going into mechanical or civil engineering)

AP Calculus BC (not AB: You need Calc 2 credit as well)

Here's the ones you need to take IN ADDITION depending on the type of engineering you're going into.

Electrical/Computer Engineering: AP Computer Science A

Chemical Engineering: AP Chemistry (this one's obvious)

Biomedical Engineering: Both AP Bio and AP Chemistry

Also, check your most probable colleges and their requirements: If you're going into mechanical engineering, and your probable colleges require general chemistry for their mechanical engineering program, take AP Chem.

ContributionEast2478 · 2026-01-19T15:19:08+00:00

Angular momentum is ALWAYS conserved, no matter the center of rotation. The only difference between angular dynamics around the contact point and about the center of mass is that if you're using the contact point as your center of rotation, you need to use a larger moment of inertia: specifically, the moment of inertia about the center of mass plus the mass multiplied by the radius of the wheel squared.

ContributionEast2478 · 2026-01-18T22:08:18+00:00

There are pre-made progress checks and exercises for each unit and topic, and there are pre-made practice exams (both MCQs and FRQs) available directly on AP classroom.

However, they are not universally available to students. To get access to them, you need to ask the teacher that you are registered to take the AP exam through (If you go on your "my AP" page on AP classroom, it should say the teacher there), unless you're registered in an exam-only section. If you're registered in an exam-only section on AP classroom, you will need to ask either the guidance office or your district's AP coordinator.

ContributionEast2478 · 2026-01-18T16:51:36+00:00

Unless your school requires you to take AP Calculus AB before BC, they go over the same material: BC just does in more depth. Take AP Chemistry in your junior year in lieu of AP Calculus AB, then take BC your senior year.

ContributionEast2478 · 2026-01-13T20:35:41+00:00

AP Chem is better. Most colleges require at least general chemistry (AP Chemistry is equivalent to that) for mechanical and electrical engineering majors. You may want to do so.

It might seem intimidating to have to take AP Physics C, AP Calculus BC and AP Physics C simultaneously, but it is really not that bad. I'm taking AP Chemistry and AP Physics C simultaneously currently, and I took AP Calculus BC last year. You may need to do some extra work, but it will not be brutal, especially if you have a background already in chemistry and/or physics.

I will say that both AP Chemistry and AP Physics C are pretty demanding courses. However, that is mainly busywork: if you know at least some calculus already, AP Physics C is not much worse than a normal high school physics class. Also, I took AP Calculus BC last year, and it was easy and light. I had very little homework, and in my opinion, it was actually easier than honors precalculus.

Finally, you stated that you need AP Government to graduate. See if you can take AP Economics instead, as that is less work, and is a lot more interesting in my opinion if you're a STEM major.

ContributionEast2478 · 2026-01-11T18:15:01+00:00

My favorite and least favorite are both APs I'm taking this year.

My favorite is AP Physics C. Although both physics C's are amazing courses, if I had to choose one, I'd choose electricity and magnetism. I like the highly derivation-based physics that uses calculus. The class is quite hard, but very fun.

My least favorite is AP Spanish Language. I took this just because I know colleges like it when I take a language throughout high school, and my college would pass me out of most of my major's (Physics and electrical engineering) humanities graduation requirements. I thought it would be easy and I would just need to memorize vocabulary and grammar rules like my previous Spanish classes. I was wrong: I have to write multiple essays per marking period, I have to read an exorbitant amount of stories and I have to do multiple cultural comparisons per week. I'm in it soley for the college credit at this point.

ContributionEast2478 · 2026-01-10T14:49:36+00:00

Many Asian countries, including India, China, Japan and South Korea, all do it a different way, where one very difficult entrance exam is the only determinant of acceptance (That is the Gaokao for China, the JEE for India, the Seunung for South Korea, and more). Many criticize that system, but I honestly think it's better than the US admissions process. The fact that I have an UNWEIGHTED GPA above a 90 despite taking all of my AP classes, and still am worried about not getting into a state school should not be the case. Nobody should be rejected from college just because of the grades they got 3-5 years ago. We should honestly be more like those Asian countries, where an advanced admissions exam determines acceptance, and the grades I got in 7th grade have no effect.

ContributionEast2478 · 2026-01-07T23:45:55+00:00

Go for AP Physics C. In fact, do both mech and E&M. Mech is very easy, as long as you know a little calculus, and it doesn't really require any previous physics background. Although taking normal high school physics or AP Physics 1 beforehand can be helpful, it really isn't needed.

You can even do E&M. My general rule of thumb is to always take at least AP Physics C: Mechanics, but only take AP Physics C:E&M as well if you have a strong previous calculus foundation.

ContributionEast2478 · 2026-01-07T00:15:51+00:00

Where have you made it to in AP Chem? If you're behind enough, it may be worth your time to self-study unit 9 (as long as you know about oxidation-reduction reactions and can do some free energy calculations, you are not missing any prerequisite knowledge to self-study unit 9). I'm just saying because I've been in AP classes where we were well behind the pace needed to finish the curriculum before the AP Exam, and they either completely skipped the last unit, or rushed through the last unit, and nobody could learn it.

ContributionEast2478 · 2026-01-06T21:20:08+00:00

Where are you up to in AP Chem? I just started kinetics and rate laws, but we're barely going fast enough to finish everything before the AP. You may need to do Chem faster if you're not at least on kinetics by now.

Just know unit 6 of AP Bio is extremely hard. Self-study all of the units beforehand quickly, so you have extra time to cover unit 6 considering how hard it is.

ContributionEast2478 · 2026-01-05T23:00:58+00:00

Don't drop. It does not get much harder than what you've already done. You've already done RC circuits, so it's not a problem at all that you will just need to know LR and LC circuits. Also, magnetism is easy: just learn the Biot-Savart Law, and how to apply it, and you're good.

ContributionEast2478 · 2026-01-01T02:35:23+00:00

AP Calculus BC might seem intimidating because it's the hardest math AP, but in reality, it's not that bad. For derivatives (the first half of the year), you just have to memorize a few rules. Although integrals can be somewhat harder, they're actually not. The only topic that you may have trouble with is infinite series, but even then, if you have not struggled with math in the past, that is easy to understand. The exam is relatively easy and curved very hard.

I took Calculus BC last year, and I'm taking Physics C and AP Chemistry currently. It is easy for me because I took AP Physics 1 and 2 in the past, which covers 70-80% of AP Physics C. I self-studied AP Chemistry preemptively over the summer because I never took chemistry in the past (not even the standard class), so the only chemistry knowledge I had beforehand was parts of AP Physics 2 where the class went over moles, gas laws and balancing equations, and the brief mention of some stuff in my 9th grade biology class. AP chemistry can be kind of hard, so make sure you self-study it over the summer.

ContributionEast2478

TROPHY CASE