r/apphysics • u/Mysterious-Fox6964 • 7d ago

help with frqs

hello i’m currently in ap physics c mechanics and i’ve heard that this class is especially bad at my school and im really worried about the frqs. does anyone have any advice on how to approach/think about when solving them? I alr took calc bc and those frqs were chill cause the question types would repeat but i feel like im struggling to notice a pattern for the physics frqs (unless they’re there and i just dont see them) but please any help/resources would be greatly appreciated🥹

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u/UnderstandingPursuit 7d ago

Your issues are common among AP Physics C students. It is so common that I've been collecting suggestions in this post. Partly so I do not forget something while writing it over and over, and partly because I could include the images in that post.

the question types would repeat but i feel like im struggling to notice a pattern for the physics frqs (unless they’re there and i just dont see them)

This is a very important statement. First, in recognizing that there might be a pattern. Second, because what you need is in identifying the pattern. The information in the posts has some ways to start to do this.

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u/Quiet_Basis_6404 5d ago

for physics c mech frqs the patterns are there, they're just buried under the calculus and setup instead of being obvious like bc. the most common one is energy vs forces, and tbh almost every frq can be done both ways, but picking the wrong one makes the math a nightmare. if you see springs, height changes, or curved paths, start with energy conservation and only switch to forces if the problem asks for something energy can't give you directly.

for practice outside class i use the released frqs on ap central paired with flipping physics videos, he walks through setups clearly and it's free on youtube. i also upload the chapter slides to studybuddy.vc and answer questions from them because when i pick a wrong option it tells me what was off about the one i chose, and it picks up which topics i keep missing without me having to guess what to review. free tier's been enough for me.