FAQ's

What does a synchronous online lesson look like?

• Students interact with the instructor by asking and answering questions in the Zoom chat, unmuting their mic and speaking, and using the Poll Everywhere app to answer questions posed by the instructor.

• Click here to view an excerpt from an AP Physics C lesson on Newton's second law for rotation.

• Click here to view an excerpt from an AP Physics C lesson on centripetal acceleration. 

• Click here to view an excerpt from an AP Physics C lesson on angular momentum.

Is the course authorized by the College Board??

• Yes!  Course authorization for both AP Physics C Mechanics and AP Physics C Electricity & Magnetism was granted to Susquehanna Valley Physics by the College Board in July of 2025.  Course authorization for AP Physics 1 was granted in March of 2026.

• You can find Susquehanna Valley Physics listed for these courses in the official AP Course Ledger.

How do I pay for tuition?

• Payment may be made using Paypal or Venmo.  Please contact me for more information at susvalleyphysics@gmail.com.

Where can my student go to review physics topics prior to taking the placement test or the course?

• "the Physics Classroom" is an online site I'd recommend.  In addition to reading about the various concepts, there are also online interactives and tutorials.

Is there a specific kit required for the laboratory work?

• No.  Many of the mechanics experiments will utilize video analysis software that will be provided to each student as part of their tuition payment.  Others will make use of sensors built into smartphones.  Others will use commonly available household items or online simulations.  There is a list of items that will need to be purchased, the cost of which will not exceed $200 (Option 1 APPC) or $160 (Option 2 APPC), depending on what you already have in your home.  For AP Physics 1, the cost of supplies will not exceed $200.

How much time will students need to devote to this course each week?

• This is a difficult question to answer, since some students are able to solve physics problems much more quickly than others.  For Option 1 (both AP Physics C Mechanics and AP Physics C Electricity & Magnetism in a single year), in addition to the two hours of class time, most students would need to devote another 10 hours for reading the textbook, solving problems, getting help during office hours, and doing laboratory work.  For Option 2 (AP Physics C Mechanics only) or AP Physics 1, most students would need to devote another 5 hours to the above activities.  

How difficult is the math in AP Physics C?

• Most home-schooled students the I've encountered have excellent math backgrounds.  The math in AP Physics C is limited to algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and basic single-variable calculus.  Separable differential equations are introduced throughout the course, but it isn't assumed that students have any prior experience solving them.  Students generally have more difficulty understanding and applying physics concepts than they do applying math concepts.

How difficult is the math in AP Physics 1?

• Most home-schooled students the I've encountered have excellent math backgrounds.  The math in AP Physics 1 is limited to algebra, geometry, and basic trigonometry.  Students generally have more difficulty understanding and applying physics concepts than they do applying math concepts.

If I'm planning to major in Physics or Engineering, isn't AP Physics 1 a waste of time?

• While you won't be able to apply AP credit from the AP Physics 1 exam towards your physics or engineering degree, taking AP Physics 1 can help to provide the deep, conceptual foundation you'll need for further studies in physics (including AP Physics C).  Many introductory physics courses focus primarily on the mathematical aspects of physics and neglect the more challenging conceptual aspects.  AP Physics 1 helps students to develop both conceptual and mathematical skills.  It can be taken as a first physics course in place of Honors Physics for students with good logical thinking skills and math abilities.

How does AP Physics C compare to other AP courses I've taken?

• Students usually classify both AP Physics C courses as some of the most challenging they've ever taken (similar to AP Chemistry and AP Calculus BC).  However, with good instruction and lots of practice, students can earn scores of 4 and 5!

Is this course all-digital, or will students need to use paper and pencil for assignments and assessments?

• The AP Physics exams administered by the College Board are "hybrid" exams.  This means that while they are administered digitally, students answer the free-response questions via paper and pencil in a provided answer booklet.  Furthermore, while multiple-choice questions are answered digitally, students need to be able to use paper and pencil to work out the solutions needed to answer the questions.  Solving a physics problem isn't usually a linear process.  Often several different approaches must be tried before a successful method is found.  Submitted homework should reflect the work done to reach the successful solution rather than a publishable final step.  For these reasons, weekly homework will be completed via paper and pencil, with scanned work submitted online for evaluation.  Laboratory reports may be completed digitally, if desired.

How do students take the AP Physics exams administered by the College Board?

• Although these courses are authorized by the College Board to prepare students to take the AP Physics C Mechanics and/or AP Physics C Electricity & Magnetism exams (with pending authorization for AP Physics 1), Susquehanna Valley Physics does not administer AP exams.  Students may register with a high school in their area (typically November deadline) to take either or both AP Physics C exams or the AP Physics 1 exam at that location in May.  High schools that offer AP courses typically permit homeschooled students in grades 9-12 to register for exams.  Some schools may also permit students in middle school grades to register.

Why are your AP courses available only to students in grades 9-12?

• As part of the course audit authorization process from the College Board, teachers and administrators of AP courses are required to agree to offer AP courses only to students in these grades.  Additional information from the College Board can be found here.

Do you do one-on-one teaching/tutoring in physics?

• Yes, on a limited basis.  Please contact me if interested for availability and pricing.