Pre-requisite: Pre-Calculus (DIVE Advanced Math) completed, or taking concurrently.

This is the 4th and final college-preparatory, high school science course offered by DIVE. DIVE Physics teaches the Saxon Physics curriculum, and the textbook and solutions manual are required. Typically completed in 11th or 12th grade, DIVE Physics is a full-year course teaching concepts found in a typical high school AP physics course, preparing students for the AP Physics exam. Topics include but are not limited to Science and Christianity, Newton’s laws, speed and velocity, torque, impulse/momentum, relativity theory, work, gases and thermodynamics, potential and kinetic energy, electricity and magnetism, circuit theory and Ohm’s law, and reflection and refraction. DIVE Physics contains 100 lectures, one for each lesson in the Saxon Physics textbook.

There are 23 video labs, most of which are taught using the scientific method. Students formulate a hypothesis, perform the experiment, and then use the results to determine whether their hypothesis was correct. The majority of DIVE Physics labs use equipment that is too cost-prohibitive for home use, and therefore a supply list is not currently available for the labs. A printable workbook is included containing all lab activities.

Quarterly exams are an integral part of DIVE Physics, as they promote study habits similar to what a student should expect in college, where exams are given infrequently, yet cover several weeks of material. Students prepare for the quarterly exams by studying their weekly Saxon tests. If they understand the material on the Saxon weekly tests, then the quarterly exams are not difficult. A grade calculator is also provided. Parents simply enter homework, lab, Saxon weekly test and DIVE quarterly exam grades into the calculator, and it automatically calculates the student’s overall grade.

Upon completion of DIVE Physics, students who want to go a step further can also purchase the CLEP Professor course to prepare for the AP Physics “B” Exam (The College Board does not offer a CLEP Physics exam). CLEP Professor is designed to bridge the gap between high school science and college credit. By using DIVE Science, the bridge becomes much shorter, and with a little extra study using CLEP Professor, the student can attempt the AP Physics B exam, saving themselves both time and money on future college coursework. Students using DIVE Physics will also become skilled at working with the scientific method, will be familiar with the use of technology in science, and will develop their lab skills above and beyond most of their peers. Most importantly, students will have a better understanding and appreciation for the rich Christian heritage that exists in science, and will better understand the importance of studying His word and His works as they seek to become good rulers of His creation.