Physics Advice

[reluctantoptimism]

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I'm in a calc-based physics course and I should still be able to make an "A" but do to a lackluster professor, constant bi-weekly exams, and incredibly short testing times (about 50 minutes), I'm not doing as well as I'd like. My professor gives exams with formula sheets but I seem to have issues with picking/modifying the right equations for a given problem. Has anyone had issues with a similar problem and if so, what should I do to resolve my issue? If I have a formula sheet, I feel I should be doing better but I just cannot seem to translate my knowledge to my exam.

At this point, I'll leave the physicists to their own as I'm just ready to apply to med school (about 6 months).

I hope someone understands my plight.

 

[allantois]

Practice, practice, practice

 

[bluejay456]

^ but seriously, physics is though. I know I made the mistake in physics 1 of only reading lecture slides to understand the concepts. Looking back I didn't do enough practice problems and therefor didnt know how to apply my knowledge. Do a lot of practice problems. If you still don't get a concept use YouTube or grab a tutor and have them explain it to you.

 

[ProudMD]

Did you have to take calculus-based physics as part of your major?

Algebra-based physics is more than enough for the MCAT.

 

[TheRhymenocerous]

Try to focus on really understanding the equations and what each part corresponds to and what happens when you manipulate them in different ways. If you can try to see them as representations of concepts that you understand, instead of a string of variables, you'll get much better at applying them. And really try to visualize everything! Physics is incredibly intuitive when you get down to it – it's a model of the things you know and see every day just from living on this planet. If you can try to make real world connections, you'll get less bogged down in numbers and formulas.

 

[aprimenumber]

I'm going to echo what other people said and emphasize practice. Redo your homework problems (and don't look at solutions) until you're sure you hit a mental dead end, then learn and copy the steps that lead to the right answer. A good (fair) physics professor's test questions should never be harder than the hardest homework problem.
Worst case scenario, you don't learn the concepts much better, but you become familiar with how to recognize problems and how to solve those specific kinds. You may not be learning physics the right way, but it'll get you through your tests. That's what I more or less ended up doing when I was studying for my upper level physics classes.

 

[soccerusa]

I think everyone's gotten it exactly right. It is all about practice. If you have to, just memorize the problem types and adapt to the ones on the exam.

 

[mimelim]

Do every problem in the textbook. If you still don't get it. Get another textbook, go to office hours and do every problem in that book with a TA. If you still don't get it, then you can give up.

 

[rangoon1984]

Physics and I never really got along.

I limped my way through the class by doing every problem in the book. I was able to get A's and move on.

 

[mehc012]

When I made flashcards for equations, I'd often make ones like "given variables a, b, and c and asked for variable d, which equation should you use?' That way even the rote memorization focused on the thought process and application.

 

[freemontie]

As a tutor, one thing I tell people to watch out for is "robot mode". You should be actively thinking about each problem. The goal shouldn't revolve around picking/playing around with equations until the variable you need is isolated. That tells me you would benefit from doing the conceptual questions in your book before attempting more computational problems.

 

[mehc012]

As a tutor, one thing I tell people to watch out for is "robot mode". You should be actively thinking about each problem. The goal shouldn't revolve around picking/playing around with equations until the variable you need is isolated. That tells me you would benefit from doing the conceptual questions in your book before attempting more computational problems.

Usually what the concepts do is tell you how to play with the equations until you isolate the target variable, though...

 

[freemontie]

Usually what the concepts do is tell you how to play with the equations until you isolate the target variable, though...

.

Don't know what to say to that other than maybe you didn't have a good textbook. I've tutored students with 3 different textbook over the last 2 years (2 non-calc/1 calc); typically conceptual questions elucidate common pitfalls- especially in the non-calc books; and/or help make connections (e.g. in the case of physics 1: between kinematics and conservation of energy or between dynamics and momentum). Some conceptual questions involve "proportionality" problems but that's also conceptually useful.

Here's a very simple problem that SEVERAL of my tutees got wrong last week by lack of conceptual understanding but not lack of practice problems: paraphrasing: something like a spring does work equal to 51 joules when it extends to 2.9m from 1.4m from equilibrium. What's the spring constant?

 

[DoctorSynthesis]

.

Don't know what to say to that other than maybe you didn't have a good textbook. I've tutored students with 3 different textbook over the last 2 years (2 non-calc/1 calc); typically conceptual questions elucidate common pitfalls- especially in the non-calc books; and/or help make connections (e.g. in the case of physics 1: between kinematics and conservation of energy or between dynamics and momentum). Some conceptual questions involve "proportionality" problems but that's also conceptually useful.

Here's a very simple problem that SEVERAL of my tutees got wrong last week by lack of conceptual understanding but not lack of practice problems: paraphrasing: something like a spring does work equal to 51 joules when it extends to 2.9m from 1.4m from equilibrium. What's the spring constant?

My favorites physics problem is if you where to shoot a falling apple where would you aim?

 

[mattheworosa]

I know how you feel. I struggled early on with physics and right now I'm doing OKAY I guess (making a B in the course). The key for me was just doing a lot of problems over and over again. You'll eventually get better after practice.

 

[freemontie]

My favorites physics problem is if you where to shoot a falling apple where would you aim?

Yup that's definitely a classic. Only very bright students realize that it won't depend on the magnitude of the initial velocity of the bullet/arrow/pellet/whatever without doing the math first.

 

[moisne]

It's actually really generous for him to provide equations,...

Anyways,
Highlight information you are given, focus what the problem is asking to be solved.

You will basically have All the variable except for the variable you are asked to solve - thus use that equation.