Next year, AP Physics C will be implemented into the science department. For the past several
years, Huntley has offered AP Physics B, algebra-based physics, but Physics C is calculus-based
and more geared towards students interested in pursuing careers in the hard sciences.

Because the class requires a basic knowledge of calculus, students will be required to have
completed honors physics and have completed or be concurrently enrolled in an AP Calculus
class.

“It will be helpful for students looking to pursue careers in the physical sciences,” said first year
Conceptual Physics and Honors Conceptual Physics teacher Andrew Johnson, who has been set
as the teacher of AP Physics C.

Johnson began to prepare a curriculum for the class when science department head Cindy Fuhrer
asked him if he would be willing to put together and teach the class.

“I thought that it would be great if there would be students in that class,” said Johnson, who has a
background in physics. “I’d be happy to make that class if there was student interest.”

There has not been a Physics C class in Huntley due to the lack of students with the pre-
requisites; not enough students who had completed or were taking calculus were interested in a
physics class.

Starting with the Class of 2014, more students will have completed calculus their junior year
than ever before, giving the class a larger pool of students to draw from. The number of class
periods offered depends on the number of interested students.

In previous years, Physics B offered an option for students interested in science and engineering,
but an AP Physics B credit is usually insufficient for a student to earn credit in college for a
science or engineering major. The Physics C class will give students the opportunity to have a
better understanding of physics and to receive more college credit.

The class was approved in November, and Johnson has been working on polishing the
curriculum since.

“I think it’ll be a good class,” said Johnson. “It will be challenging, but it will definitely help
with their physics classes in college.”