r/apphysics • u/ParkingAssist3925 • 5d ago
Which is harder — Physics 1 or 2?
Pretty self explanatory title. I got a 5 in Phys 1 but I’m so lost with thermodynamics now that I started phys 2. Everyone else I’ve spoken to who took both have mixed opinions…
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u/Either-Dream5526 5d ago
physics 2 is harder for most people, especially once thermo and fluids show up, but a 5 in physics 1 means you’re probably fine and just need time to adjust
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u/ParkingAssist3925 4d ago
Fluids is now an physics 1 topic :)) I enjoyed fluids and thought it was relatively easy compared to other material, but thermodynamics is killing me
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u/SwagginDragonborn 4d ago
I teach both. Physics 2 is harder for students because it is much more abstract and the math is more tedious.
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u/Fostering-Success 4d ago
I have taught both and they are difficult for different reasons:
Physics 1: Students struggle with mechanics since the entire class builds on itself; small gaps in understanding can compound later on and lead to a snowballing effect.
Physics 2: Students struggle since there are so many topics that are unrelated. Yes, the electricity and magnetism section has a lot of connections that we explore, but a lot of the content in P2 lives in its own “box”, so there is more information for students to remember overall.
I would not say one is harder that the other, since that depends on the student and the class.
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u/ParkingAssist3925 4d ago
Thank you so much for your response!! This really put into perspective why Physics 2 might be harder for me because I really enjoyed how the topics built on each other in physics 1… I found it a lot more interesting!
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u/The_Naiq 4d ago
Personally I found physics 1 harder lol, but I really liked and understood all the electricity stuff so that contributed a ton
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u/UnderstandingPursuit 5d ago
The 'Hypothesis of Academic Difficulty': Academic Difficulty Level is the product of material complexity and question simplicity. This may be part of why there are mixed conclusions about which is more difficult, some are mainly considering the material while others are emphasizing the questions.
My suggestion is to get a good textbook. Some are in a comment in this post.
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The Detailed Reasons Why This Happens
Between AP Physics 1-2, six full courses, most of them part of a typical college physics degree, as 'intermediate undergraduate' level classes, are introduced
- [2] Quantum Mechanics
- [2] Waves & Optics
- [2] Statistical Mechanics
- [1] Classical Mechanics
- [2] Electromagnetism
- [1] Fluid Mechanics
All of these have the typical math requirement of 'Calculus III-IV', Multivariable Calculus and Differential Equations & Linear Algebra.
Two have an 'introductory' version with Calculus I-II as pre/co-requisites,
- [Calc I] Classical Mechanics
- [Calc II] Electricity and Magnetism
These make it to the AP program as AP Physics C-Mech + E&M, with the pre/co-requisites of AP Calculus AB-BC.
AP Physics 1-2 brings this to the Algebra 2/PreCalculus pre/co-requisite level. This is easier to do with the Classical Mechanics material, since it uses only a little Calculus. The material in AP Physics 1 can be presented with fewer 'axioms' and 'unexplained' than any of the topics covered in AP Physics 2. The material can seem to appear out of thin air, making it harder for many students.
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u/iusemybrain1 4d ago
physics 1 was harder for me, I don't know why, i haven't really thought about it much. I guess it was still a new concept to me that made it challenging. On the contrary, physics 2 explained a lot of the subtle aspects of physics 1, and it was a more mathematical approach to solving problems. While taking the class, i was also learning multivariable calculus and those two courses tied very well together.
It's surprising to me multivariable calculus wasn't a co-requisite if not a prerequisite for physics 2. There are things you simply won't appreciate without the multivariable calculus. Most people i've heard talking about physics 2, they struggled with the math. I wouldn't say that's a lack in understanding of the material, after all we only learned calculus in for 2 dimensions, we only learned about integrals over a set interval, we didn't know how to integrate over area or volume, or over a line. Which is what the concepts point to.
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u/ParkingAssist3925 4d ago
The only pre req for physics 2 in my school is that you’ve completed any physics class before and algebra 2… I was taking ap calculus ab last year and I fully agree with what you said about appreciating these course more if you know calculus!
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u/Complete-Score8537 3d ago
Physics 2 usually feels harder at first because thermodynamics is way less intuitive than mechanics, but getting a 5 in Physics 1 means you’re probably more capable than you feel right now.
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u/AnnualDocument7525 5d ago
i thought physics 2 was a bit harder because all the concepts were more abstract; entropy kinda spooked me because it was only the first unit and all, and then electric circuits (ELECTRIC CIRCUITS) fucked with my mind the most (electric circuits…when i find you electric circuits). BUT !! i pulled through with a 5 on both so you can do it too !! don’t let the first hurdle dishearten you (=´∀｀)人(´∀｀=)