AP Physics C: Mechanics Tutor — Calculus-Based

Most online tutors stay with a student for 6–8 weeks. Tae's longest-running students are in year 5.

Palo Alto Mentor is the online private practice of Tae Hyun Nam — a long-term STEM mentor for high-achieving high schoolers. Two families have been with him since 2021, working through middle-school math, AP coursework, and college admissions with the same mentor. Not the rotating cast of tutors that Wyzant, Preply, and Varsity rely on.

What Tae covers in AP Physics C: Mechanics

  • Calculus-based kinematics: velocity and acceleration as derivatives, motion functions
  • Newton's laws with non-constant forces: drag, variable-mass systems, integration to find motion
  • Work and energy: line integrals, work-energy theorem in vector form, conservative vs. non-conservative
  • Momentum and center of mass: systems of particles, variable-mass problems
  • Rotation: moment of inertia by integration, parallel-axis theorem, rolling motion
  • Oscillations: differential equation of SHM, damped and driven oscillators
  • Gravitation: gravitational potential, orbits, Kepler's laws derived from force law
  • Exam prep: AP Physics C exam is 35 multiple choice + 3 FRQs in 90 min; FRQs are math-heavy

Who AP Physics C: Mechanics tutoring at Palo Alto Mentor is for

Best fit: 11th and 12th graders concurrently enrolled in AP Calculus, students applying to engineering or physics programs, and high-achievers who want the most rigorous AP physics option. Requires calculus comfort.

How sessions work

  • 100% online via Zoom plus a shared digital whiteboard
  • Weekly cadence — 1-hour standard, 90-minute during exam season
  • Personalized progress tracking: Tae logs weak topics across the year
  • Mock exams in the spring with detailed scoring breakdown
  • Direct text and email access between sessions for time-sensitive questions

Related subjects

About Tae

Tae Hyun Nam is the sole tutor at Palo Alto Mentor. Based in South Pasadena, California; teaching online to students nationwide. Reviews from five-year families specifically mention his ability to work across “algebra, trigonometry, physics, chemistry, and computer science” with the same student — the breadth and continuity that make the multi-year mentorship model work.

Book a 20-minute intro call

The intro call is free and runs about 20 minutes. Contact us to schedule.