calc before physics??

[sai987]

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hey everyone! i have a quick question- is it true that physics is easier/makes more sense after you've taken calculus?

thanks! 🙂

 

[dbhvt]

hey everyone! i have a quick question- is it true that physics is easier/makes more sense after you've taken calculus?

thanks! 🙂

yes

 

[jackieMD2007]

hey everyone! i have a quick question- is it true that physics is easier/makes more sense after you've taken calculus?

thanks! 🙂

Ummm.....I don't think there is anything "easy" about physics.

That little opinion aside...my physics class in college required little to no calculus, just some simple derivations, etc. So, in my case, calculus was NOT the magic bullet that made physics suddenly make sense.

 

[bbas]

hey everyone! i have a quick question- is it true that physics is easier/makes more sense after you've taken calculus?

thanks! 🙂

If you're not taking the calc based physics, then the only math you need is algebra.

 

[Addb]

Depends on if you're taking calc-based physics or non-calc based 😉

 

[Addb]

If you're not taking the calc based physics, then the only math you need is algebra.

jinx

 

[dbhvt]

Ummm.....I don't think there is anything "easy" about physics.

That little opinion aside...my physics class in college required little to no calculus, just some simple derivations, etc. So, in my case, calculus was NOT the magic bullet that made physics suddenly make sense.

We didn't have to crank through many calc problems on the exams in first semester physics, but it still really helped conceptually.

 

[dbhvt]

If you're not taking the calc based physics, then the only math you need is algebra.

the op asked if it made it easier, not if it was necessary to do the computations.

ps: I am officially taking over this thread. This is my house, you play by my rules. Raaar.

pps: I hate moving.

 

[ShyRem]

I thought physics was very easy (but no one else in my class did). However, I had two semesters of calc under my belt at the time. I didn't memorize very many formulas at all. A bunch of my class, however, was figuring out HOW to do the problem, not necessarily doing computations. The prof figured any monkey could press buttons on a calculator, but figuring out *how* - that was the whole point of physics. Loved that class.

 

[TheFreshPrince]

I thought physics was very easy (but no one else in my class did). However, I had two semesters of calc under my belt at the time. I didn't memorize very many formulas at all. A bunch of my class, however, was figuring out HOW to do the problem, not necessarily doing computations. The prof figured any monkey could press buttons on a calculator, but figuring out *how* - that was the whole point of physics. Loved that class.

yes.

 

[seadizzle]

yes

it helps with first semester physics the most, e/m less so if you aren't taking a calc based course

for example, all of kinematics is reduced to the set up of the problem once you have the mechanics of integration and derivation at your disposal

 

[novawildcat]

delete this post

 

[MossPoh]

The majority of these people are saying the same thing. Would it help....probably. Is it necessary...not really. You can take both at the same time. I mean PSU requires the calc based physics for premeds..at least in undergrad so you have to take two levels of calculus before or concurrently with each level of phsyics. Knowing about derviatives and integrals helped a bit with that...but I took an easier physics that essentially covered the same stuff if not more (just less indepth) and I didn't use one ounce of calculus. However you'd weight out one ounce of math I don't know.

 

[sai987]

thank you everyone for your responses! 🙂

 

[notdeadyet]

We didn't have to crank through many calc problems on the exams in first semester physics, but it still really helped conceptually.

Agreed. Physics IS Calculus. If you have a good grasp of both subjects, you'll find it hard to separate the two.