Question about high school physics

[Guest]

Do any of you know what the math pre-requisite should be for high school physics, algebra II or pre-calculus? Students in DD's class who are currently in pre-calculus are struggling with the math. I am getting the sense that the math they need now isn't covered in the math class until later in the year.

Thanks,
Miranda

[badunnin]

I took pre-calc concurrently with Physics I.

[MKSquared]

I took beginning physics at a local college, and I took it the summer after I took pre-calc, and before I took calculus. In my high school, the sequence went Algebra-Geometry-AlgebraII-PreCalc-Calculus.

[HUNGRY!]

I took it my senior year, after I took trig/analytical geometry and algebra II. I was behind in my math but I think I did okay in high school as far as that went. I didn't take pre-calc until college (and I was a physics major!). How is her teacher? I think a lot of kids struggle with physics because some of the teachers are so out there. Anyway, a book that helped me later on was Schaumm's Mathematical Handbook. Maybe they have something similar for high school?

[wallycat]

I took physics alongside geometry; prior to that I had algebra.
I didn't take trig until the year after physics. Never had calculus and never heard of pre-calculus :confused:

[sneezles]

DS#2 took physics his senior year along with calculus. He could have taken it his junior year.
DS#3 is taking pre-cal right now with chemistry and will take calc next year with physics. Fortunately, both boys take after their father when it comes to math and science because the teacher they have this year isn't teaching them. She gives the homework assignment and then they go over it the next day. One day as she was explaining a problem my son pointed out that she was doing it wrong!DS took a test last week and scored 105/106, he missed one of the bonus questions but when he asked the teacher what he did wrong she actually told him she couldn't tell him but his answer didn't match the one in the answer key!!!