AP Calculus AB includes techniques and applications of the derivative, the definite integral, and the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus. It is equivalent to at least a semester of calculus at most colleges and universities.

This online course offers a combination of assessment and instruction in an online environment containing but not limited to the areas of functions, functions and limits, differential calculus, and integral calculus. The course applies differential calculus to finding the slope of a curve, solving problems with related rates, calculating motion properties of moving particles, etc. It then applies integral calculus to finding the areas of irregular regions in a plane, volumes of rotation by various methods, and other scientific applications.

The purpose of this course is to provide students with a deep understanding of the concepts of calculus in order to prepare them for the AP exam and for further college and university calculus courses.

AP Calculus AB and AP Calculus BC focus on students’ understanding of calculus concepts and provide experience with methods and applications. 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. Both courses require students to use definitions and theorems to build arguments and justify conclusions. The courses feature a multi-representational approach to calculus, with concepts, results, and problems expressed graphically, numerically, analytically, and verbally. Exploring connections among these representations builds understanding of how calculus applies limits to develop important ideas, definitions, formulas, and theorems. A sustained emphasis on clear communication of methods, reasoning, justifications, and conclusions is essential. Teachers and students should regularly use technology to reinforce relationships among functions, to confirm written work, to implement experimentation, and to assist in interpreting results.

AP Calculus AB is designed to be the equivalent of a first semester college calculus course devoted to topics in differential and integral calculus.

RECOMMENDED PREREQUISITES
Before 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. Prospective calculus students should take courses in which they study algebra, geometry, trigonometry, analytic geometry, and elementary functions. These functions include linear, polynomial, rational, exponential, logarithmic, trigonometric, inverse trigonometric and piecewise-defined functions. 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. 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). Students should also know how the sine and cosine functions are defined from the unit circle and know the values of the trigonometric functions at the numbers 0,π/6, π/4, π/3, π/2, and their multiples.

Study materials (e-books, Discovery, Education, etc. ...) for FLVS Global courses are INCLUDED in the price of the course.