Course:AP Physics C/NCHS

AP Physics C is a two-semester physics class that follows AP Physics 1 and covers content for the Mechanics and Electricity + Magnetism AP Tests. The course is taught by Hans Muehsler.

This course is the hardest class at Naperville Central. It is very fast-paced. There are homework assignments every night, notes every day, and college-like likely-to-fail-but-curved tests.

Mastering Physics
Mastering Physics is an online homework portal that you will get mostly all of your assigned homework from. There is usually about one assignment due every day.

Textbook
You are given a large textbook at the beginning of the year and you're probably not going to touch it for the rest. However, it is recommended that you utilize the online version of the textbook which is available through Mastering Physics. The textbook covers about every concept that you will need to know for the test and explains it thoroughly in a much cleaner and less-condensed format than the physical textbook and comes with built-in videos. Furthermore, problems and their diagrams in your Master Physics diagram are derived from the textbook. If you are stuck on a Mastering problem, go look at the textbook and it might help you.

Tests
Tests are one period long with a multiple choice section taken on Canvas and a paper usually 2-question multiple-subparts free response.

If you took AP Physics 1, you'll know what these tests are like. Extremely fast-paced and difficult multi-faceted problems you've sometimes never have seen before. Only in AP Physics C, they're worse. On some tests, you might not even have time to ponder over the mind-bending multiple choice questions and instead will have to stop, guess half of them, and move onto the free response. When you get to the free response, you don't have time to question anything you're doing. You need to know how to each of the methods and concepts you learned in the unit and plan and execute how you will use them to solve the problems. If you don't know how to do one part of the problem, put down your best guess and move on. The #1 thing you have to do if you want to earn points is showing work, even if it's not correct. You can still earn significant amounts of points

Environment
Mr. Muehsler is a hands-off teacher who will gladly give you help, but only when you ask for it. He mostly remains at his desk and does not come around to check on you and what you are doing or if you need help. You need to walk to his desk in order to ask him a question.

However, what's better than Mr. Muehsler is your classmates. Classmates can give you answers faster and that are more-understandable than what Mr. Muehsler will. Having communication channels available every day with at least 2 classmates who know what they're doing is essential to succeeding in this class - particularly because you will get stuck on Mastering Physics or lab problems and have no idea what to do and you are running out of attempts or ideas.

It is critical that you ask questions during notes and practice problems. Although Mr. Muehsler's classes can be quiet and embarrassing to ask questions in it doesn't matter. Chances are, 95% of others in the class also have the same question that you do and they're just too scared to ask it. The reason students create an environment in this class where it feels bad to ask questions is because a lot of advanced topics are covered and if you don't get it the first time Muehsler explains it, then you see that it would make you look dumb if you asked something fundamental about a concept. This creates a cycle that not only brings you down as a student, but the entire class - who you also rely on for help.