AP Physics students: Calculator equations

[Bob Steele]

Originally Posted by wilsonmw04

That is not correct. You are not required to erase your memory before or after the test. You can only use the calc during the FRQ portion of the test. Frankly, I don't have my students memorize any equations for the physics B test. All equations you need are provided on the equation sheet. It is more important to problem solve than memorize to do well on the AP test. From my experience with test readers, correct answers without support are not given credit any way.

Long story short: learn the laws of physics and how to apply them. Physics is not equation manipulation. It is not applied math.

I am also a teacher of AP Physics B and I am not sure how a student can do well on the multiple choice section of the test without memorizing at least a few of the important equations. That being said, we never do rote memorization of the equations... but rather by working with them long enough students develop this knowledge base. You do not get an equation sheet for the multiple choice section of the test, you only get a sheet that has some constants and a few trig values.

I agree that problem solving is the basis of physics, along with a strong conceptual knowledge. Most of our equations are simple and simply proportional (direct, inverse, square, inverse square...) for the most part.

Mathematics is the language of physics. Understanding the concepts and applying them using the equations that quantify them is what separates high school physics from the other high school sciences... For many students this is the first time they have really had to use their math skills to do science.

I believe that physics is a type of applied math. But so is all of science.
Its sort of like saying that journalism is applied English (at least if you write in English..)

I agree that doing physics by ONLY memorizing the equations or trying to use other mathematical methods only (such as dimensional analysis) doesn't teach physics. It is a way of problem solving but you don't really know physics.

I have been privileged to teach physics for most of my career and it is challenging and different from every other high school science.

[ctccromer]

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying memorization is completely out the window. The more I use these equations over the course of the year, the more familiar I am with them (for example, the 5 freefall equations that never go away). Other equations are just so easy that you learn it on your own (F=ma, Fg = mgy, etc).

The AP Test also has an equations sheet. I just like to have the equations becasue 1) I'm familiar with my calculator, and 2) this way I can spend more time focusing on UNDERSTANDING the equations rather than memorizing them.

I DEFINITELY don't intend on fully relying on my calculator, but the programs help a lot on tests in class and are a nice extra resource to have

EDIT: @Bob If people don't memorize equations, does that mean that None Shall Pass?