🚀 go-pugleaf

Dear Mark,  My personal opinion of the REA AP Physics test prep book is
that it is somewhat useful for the "B" test review (and the B material
that applies to C) but very misleading on the "C" test review.  Topics
covered which I have not seen on the AP Physics "C" objectives are polar
and spherical coordinates, forced harmonic oscillator, damped harmonic
oscillator (and damped forced HO), LAGRANGIAN MECHANICS in tensor
notation, DEL operators,thevenin's theorem, curls of vector fields,
Maxwell's equations in phasor form, etc.  Sometimes I wonder if the
authors actually every taught AP Physics "C" in HIGH SCHOOL where the kids
are struggling with basic calculus and know nothing of the math taught in
Multivariable Calculus AND where there are so many school related
absences on a day in and day out basis that it is difficult for an AP
Physics course to have any real continuity.  While I don't believe in
"teaching for the test", time is at a premium in high school.

I find that the best review is old AP Physics multiple choice and
free-response questions which you can order from the College Board


David Thiessen
Deerfield High School
Deerfield, IL


On Thu, 23 Mar 1995, Mark C. O'Connor wrote:

> Hi!
>
> I'm helping a student in my physics class prepare for the AP (part 'C').
> I'm new to teaching physics and its the blind leading the blind when it
> comes to the AP test.  He's very bright and motivated and we have a prep
> book from REA (Research Education Associates).  Its useful, but I'd like
> to get some other resources.  There's all sorts of books out there from
> Barron's and etc on AP English and what have you but I've had no luck
> finding other physics materials.  Any suggestions?
>
> Thanks,
>
>
> Mark C. O'Connor  (moc@snowcrest.net)
>
> c/o Yreka High School, Preece Way, Yreka, CA  96097
>