You’re not looking for flashy graphics or outrageous claims (like Read This and Score a 5, Guaranteed!). Most likely, as a student you’re going to be more interested in (and have more say in) the study guide options.Ī good study guide will review the material in a concise way, often with practice problems for each topic. What Topics are on the AP Calculus BC Exam?.What Topics are on the AP Calculus AB Exam?.Hopefully your textbook covers all of the topics mentioned in the following guides. Take a look at the table of contents and index. If you have a choice as to which textbook to use (and let’s admit it, you probably don’t if you’re a student), then at least make sure that all of the topics on the AB and BC exam show up in the text. Larson and Edwards, Calculus: AP Edition.Finney et al, Calculus: Graphical, Numerical, Algebraic (AP Edition).Some of the most effective books I’ve come across include:
However, some calculus textbooks have a greater focus on AP material. In fact, almost any college-level calculus textbook can help you to learn the material for both the AB and BC exam. In fact the College Board maintains a list of recommended textbooks here: AP Calculus: Example Textbook List. There is no single best AP calculus textbook. Students who take AP Calculus BC should have basic familiarity with sequences and series, as well as some exposure to parametric and polar equations.What is the best AP Calculus textbook? What about supplementary materials like a study guide for the exam? In this short article, I’ll review a few of the textbook and study guides currently out there. Students should also know how the sine and cosine functions are defined from the unit circle and know the values of the trigonometric functions within the first quadrant of the unit circles and their multiples. Students must also understand the language of functions (domain and range, odd and even, periodic, symmetry, zeros, intercepts, and descriptors such as increasing and decreasing). In particular, before studying calculus, students must be familiar with the properties of functions, the composition of functions, the algebra of functions, and the graphs of functions. These functions include linear, polynomial, rational, exponential, logarithmic, trigonometric, inverse trigonometric, and piecewise-defined functions. Prospective calculus students should take courses in which they study algebra, geometry, trigonometry, analytic geometry, and elementary functions. Teachers and students should regularly use technology to reinforce relationships among functions, confirm written work, implement experimentation, and assist in interpreting results.īefore studying calculus, all students should complete the equivalent of four years of secondary mathematics designed for college-bound students: courses that should prepare them with a strong foundation in reasoning with algebraic symbols and working with algebraic structures. A sustained emphasis on clear communication of methods, reasoning, justifications, and conclusions is essential. Exploring connections among these representations builds an understanding of how calculus applies limits to develop important ideas, definitions, formulas, and theorems. The courses feature a multi-representational approach to calculus, with concepts, results, and problems expressed graphically, numerically, analytically, and verbally. Both courses require students to use definitions and theorems to build arguments and justify conclusions. Through the use of big ideas of calculus (e.g., modeling change, approximation and limits, and analysis of functions), each course becomes a cohesive whole, rather than a collection of unrelated topics. AP Calculus AB and AP Calculus BC focus on students’ understanding of calculus concepts and provide experience with methods and applications.
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