Can you teach yourself calculus?

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Shadow Conception

Golden Member
Mar 19, 2006
1,539
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Or is it one of those subjects where you need a teacher?

I may be taking AP Physics C: Mechanics next year (junior year), and apparently the course is very calculus-based. Unfortunately, I'm only in Algebra II/Trig (as well as most of my friends), and I take Functions/Analytic Geometry (i love you) next year. The bare prereq for the class is completion of Alg II/Trig with a B or better (which is no prob, semester average was a 96). The standard is completion of i love you with a B or better, and recommended is concurrent enrollment in an AP Calculus course.

Supposedly, the teacher is supposed to teach you all the calculus involved in the calculations, but I'm assuming it'd only be a brief overview.

I don't wanna take AP Bio, AP Chem, and AP Physics B because they are all two periods instead of one. I'd rather not devote my precious two electives to one class. Physics I (basic level) is the standard science for our grade level, and is filled with dumbasses.

So assuming the teacher really does only give us a brief overview and we find ourselves confused out of our nuts, is it the kinda stuff you can go home and look up on the internet (this is how I got through Digital Electronics 'cause my teacher was a fucktard)?
 
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nonameo

Diamond Member
Mar 13, 2006
5,902
2
76
you can teach yourself calculus, but it sure does help to have someone there that already knows it
 
Mo0o

Mo0o

Lifer
Jul 31, 2001
24,227
3
76
Grab a AP Calc I review book and learn from that. THe basics aren't very difficult and I dont think AP Physics C uses anything past simple integrals
 
B

blinky8225

Senior member
Nov 23, 2004
564
0
0
Sure it is. Newton didn't have someone teach it to him so that he could invent it. Just sit under an apple tree and watch the stars.
 
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Shadow Conception

Golden Member
Mar 19, 2006
1,539
1
81
Originally posted by: ConstipatedVigilante
You have to take a course called i love you?
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Yeah!

The other lower-end option is FAT, which stands for Functions and Trigonometry. I hear they're trying to change i love you to FunAG though... don't know how far that'll get.
 
Mo0o

Mo0o

Lifer
Jul 31, 2001
24,227
3
76
Originally posted by: Shadow Conception
Originally posted by: ConstipatedVigilante
You have to take a course called i love you?
Click to expand...

Yeah!

The other lower-end option is FAT, which stands for Functions and Trigonometry. I hear they're trying to change i love you to FunAG though... don't know how far that'll get.
Click to expand...

wow your school board is retarded. Even just switching it to analytical/function geometry would make it AFG, which is totally innocuous
 
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xSauronx

Lifer
Jul 14, 2000
19,582
4
81
meh, i cant teach myself algebra or geometry, i wouldnt do anything with a calculus book but scream and set it on fire
 
frostedflakes

frostedflakes

Diamond Member
Mar 1, 2005
7,925
1
81
Probably stuff you could pick up pretty easily. And really, they may not even use that much calculus. For example, the teacher may use calculus to derive the equations of motion, but once you have the equations it's all algebra. You don't need any knowledge of calculus to work them.
 
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TheVrolok

Lifer
Dec 11, 2000
24,254
4,092
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Originally posted by: Mo0o
Grab a AP Calc I review book and learn from that. THe basics aren't very difficult and I dont think AP Physics C uses anything past simple integrals
Click to expand...

This is a good suggestion. I think the AP Calc review book would be more than enough to teach you the basics you'd need for physics.
 
A

andylawcc

Lifer
Mar 9, 2000
18,183
3
81
depends if you want to truly understand the concepts behind Calculus. Otherwise, you NEEd Pre-cal. Pre-Cal by any means is much more abstract and difficult because it introduces a whole new dimension of math that one never experience before; once you got over Pre-Cal, Caculus itself is not THAT hard.
 
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Cheesetogo

Diamond Member
Jan 26, 2005
3,824
10
81
None of the calculations that you will need to do will require considerable learning. If you want to get a head start, you should learn how to take basic derivatives and integrals. I would definitely advise taking Physics C if you have a good teacher.
 
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Cheesetogo

Diamond Member
Jan 26, 2005
3,824
10
81
Originally posted by: andylawcc
depends if you want to truly understand the concepts behind Calculus. Otherwise, you NEEd Pre-cal. Pre-Cal by any means is much more abstract and difficult because it introduces a whole new dimension of math that one never experience before; once you got over Pre-Cal, Caculus itself is not THAT hard.
Click to expand...

What exactly are you referring to? My precalculus class was just a slightly more in depth view of algebra and trigonometry. There was a handful of new things, but not much. We discussed scalars, vectors, and planes for a short while, but I don't really think those are necessary concepts for the first two semesters of calculus.
 
F

Fox5

Diamond Member
Jan 31, 2005
5,957
7
81
Physics w/ calc isn't that bad, the mechanics stuff will barely make use of calculus, and the e&m stuff is fairly simple.
 
timosyy

timosyy

Golden Member
Dec 19, 2003
1,822
0
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You'll be fine. If anything my AP Physics teacher taught it in clearer/more useful terms than my Calc teacher.

For example, going straight to the "shortcut" method of derivatives/integrals without mucking around with the definition of such. And no, iirc you don't get very deep into calculus in AP Physics C
 
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oboeguy

Diamond Member
Dec 7, 1999
3,907
0
76
Originally posted by: Cheesetogo
Originally posted by: andylawcc
depends if you want to truly understand the concepts behind Calculus. Otherwise, you NEEd Pre-cal. Pre-Cal by any means is much more abstract and difficult because it introduces a whole new dimension of math that one never experience before; once you got over Pre-Cal, Caculus itself is not THAT hard.
Click to expand...

What exactly are you referring to? My precalculus class was just a slightly more in depth view of algebra and trigonometry. There was a handful of new things, but not much. We discussed scalars, vectors, and planes for a short while, but I don't really think those are necessary concepts for the first two semesters of calculus.
Click to expand...

The precalculus course in my HS was more like the OP's "i love you". OP, I highly recommend the learning the basic material in the "i love you" course before trying on calculus if you're on your own. It could be really helpful. As for calculus, one can learn the basics of one dimensional differential calculus - what you'll need for "physics C mechanics" if it hasn't change in the last 15-odd years - in a day with a decent teacher (e.g. upperclass pal). But to internalize it and learn / memorize / practice the derivative rules you'll need will take some time.

My opinion? You're being too ambitious. Do the "i love you" course in tandem w/ the calc course and do Physics C your senior year w/ a second year of calculus (if available). That's what I (and like 50-60 others in my HS) did. Seriously, my HS had the baddest math team in the country and nobody did what you're proposing. There's really no point in doing it that way.

Where do you go to HS?
 
Locut0s

Locut0s

Lifer
Nov 28, 2001
22,205
44
91
I really don't know why so many people think calculus is so hard. Personally I really like calculus and never found it all that difficult to learn. Certainly there are some twists and turns that are hard to wrap your mind around at first but nothing major. There are far more difficult areas of math.
 
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