I never took physics in high school or college, but after reviewing Apologia's Advanced Physics in Creation and the accompanying Solutions and Tests Manual ($75 for the combined set, or can be purchased separately), I'm wishing I had! Science courses, particularly advanced, college preparatory science classes, tend to make many homeschool parents (including me!) quake in their boots! Dr. Wile is a former college science professor and homeschooling father who has made science accessible for us mere mortals. He has a well-earned reputation for making very complex concepts understandable and interesting for both students and parents.

Advanced Physics in Creation is a follow-up course that requires both a standard high school physics course (preferably Apologia's course) and trigonometry as prerequisites. The combination of Physics and Advanced Physics provides the equivalent of one college-level physics course or Advanced Placement (AP) course. The following topics are covered:

• Units and Vectors Revisited
• Kinematics
• Newton's Laws
• Energy and Momentum
• Rotational Motion
• Oscillations and Waves
• Sound and Light
• Gravity and Relativity
• Heat
• Thermodynamics
• Electrostatics
• Electrical Potential Energy and Electric Potential
• DC Electric Circuits
• Magnetism and Electromagnetic Induction
• Atomic Physics
• Nuclear Physics

The 16 modules are designed for approximately two weeks of study each. Helpful laboratory experiments are included throughout the text, most requiring only common household items to complete. Each module includes "On Your Own" problems to solve, as well as review questions and practice problems. Answers to the "On Your Own" problems are included in the text, but you will need to purchase the Solutions and Tests Manual for answers to the review questions and practice problems. A test for each module, including answers, is also provided in the Solutions and Tests Manual.

So how do you know if this course is right for your student? First, let me say that it is definitely a rigorous course, but it is also highly understandable. If your student did well in a basic high school physics course and is ready for more, or plans to study science in college, this course would be excellent preparation! It would also be very helpful for students to take with them to use as a reference in their college classes. What did we like and not like about this course? This 642-page textbook is very in-depth, conversational, easy to follow, and interesting. The modules are well designed with clear guidelines for what students need to memorize, which points are most important to understand, etc. Frequent diagrams are helpful in understanding the often-complex topics. The various types of exercises are comprehensive and helpful in learning the material. Perhaps in a later edition some of the diagrams could be printed in color, as many of the other Apologia books are, to add interest, but this is a small point! It would also be great to see the course offered in CD and MP3 versions, which might be helpful for many students. Some students might be initially concerned by the size of this excellent textbook, but once they start working through the chapters, I think they will find the material very understandable and interesting. If you have any questions about the material, Apologia provides several methods of reaching them for your convenience. I would highly recommend Advanced Physics in Creation and the accompanying Solutions and Tests Manual for students who are ready to truly understand God's handiwork through the study of science!

Product review by: Dr. Anne Margaret Wright, Senior Product Reviewer, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, July 2008