By Blake Kim
My junior year, filled with trials and tribulations, always improved when I walked into room 60. From day one in AP Physics, Anupama Tandon constantly supported our class—excited to begin an amazing year. While difficult, this class has many niche topics that you may find interesting, like how a car stays at the same velocity around a corner, how the force of buoyancy pulls objects up, or similarly fun ideas. Each unit brings something new, and it’s so rewarding to finish the AP test knowing you challenged yourself with a difficult class.
Unit 1: Kinematics
You start kinematics during the summer and learn a few basics. This unit is super fun and probably the easiest all year. You learn the basics of how objects move, as well as the three equations that you will utilize throughout the rest of the year. Make sure to understand this unit thoroughly because it serves as a base for other in-motion units.
Unit 2: Force and Translational Dynamics (forces)
This unit was a lifesaver for me. I did spectacularly on the test, and it boosted my grade by like 10%—it did wonders. In forces, you go more in-depth about how objects act and the forces required to keep them in or out of motion. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE get your free body diagrams ON LOCK because it is probably the MOST important part of this unit, and the rest to come. Every single unit after has components that YOU NEED TO KNOW from forces, so get free body diagrams and this unit down!!!
Unit 3: Work, Energy, and Power
In this unit, all you really have to know is that energy is conserved unless there is an external force acting on it. Where there’s height, there’s potential energy; where there’s motion, there’s kinetic energy. This unit is commonly put on the AP test, so it’s important to know, and once you get the hang of it, work, energy, and power are pretty easy.
Unit 4: Linear Momentum
Initially, I struggled with this unit, but after something clicked, it became REALLY easy. Make sure you know the conservation of momentum (m1v1=m2v2) and understand the different kinds of collisions. In elastic collisions, the objects typically go in opposite directions, and kinetic energy remains conserved. In inelastic collisions, the objects stick together or go in the same direction, and kinetic energy is lost. Tandon teaches this unit well, but make sure you understand the point mass stuff.
Unit 5 & 6: Rotational Motion
All around the internet, it is said that rotational motion is the hardest unit in AP physics. While difficult, with a strong foundation of all the prior units, rotational motion becomes a breeze. This unit is just a combination of the previous ones, turning linear motion into rotational. JUST MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A GOOD FOUNDATION!!!!!!
Unit 7: Oscillations
Oscillations is an extension of the Work, Energy, and Power unit, dealing with rotating objects like springs and pendulums. Make sure you know trigonometry for pendulum questions!!!!!!! This unit is not too bad, and I love spring questions, but the test was kind of hard. Tandon does not teach one of the equations on the reference sheet, and it wasn’t on my AP test, but it might be on yours, so good luck!
Unit 8: Fluids
They introduced fluids in the year I took it, so basically, I’m putting all of you on. This unit is quite different from the units prior;you have to learn about density and the flow of liquid. While difficult, it’s quite interesting once you start to get it.
While difficult, AP Physics I is an interesting class, filled with wonderful lectures and hilarious jokes from Tandon. She teaches very well and supports you the entire way through, providing tons of resources and different kinds of practice problems. Like most classes, if you apply yourself and try to learn, you will do great. I wish you the best of luck, have a great time, and tell Ms. Tandon that Blake says hello!