Physics without calculus?

[Zephaniah]

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Hey guys! How difficult is college physics without calc and trig?

 

[LnSin]

Are you taking calculus based physics or not?


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[TheBiologist]

all physics will use some trig, even if it's called "algebra based"

 

[Zephaniah]

Are you taking calculus based physics or not?


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I’m not sure yet! How do I know if the class is algebra or calc based physics before I register for the class. I’m planning to take this coming summer.

Hey guys! How difficult is college physics without calc and trig?

Are you taking calculus based physics or not?


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[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

The course description will tell you whether it is calculus or algebra/trig based.

 

[xochitl]

They probably wouldn't let you register for calc-based without the pre-reqs (calc)

 

[861843]

I'd be really interested in what a physics without trig would look like

P.S. I tutored physics / math / stat for a few years and honestly think that physics without calculus is so much harder because it doesn't make any sense (I know this may be an unpopular opinion).

 

[Lawpy]

I'd be really interested in what a physics without trig would look like

P.S. I tutored physics / math / stat for a few years and honestly think that physics without calculus is so much harder because it doesn't make any sense (I know this may be an unpopular opinion).

I don’t think it’s harder but I agree it makes no sense. It feels like memorizing a bunch of equations without understanding the underlying concepts.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

I'd be really interested in what a physics without trig would look like

P.S. I tutored physics / math / stat for a few years and honestly think that physics without calculus is so much harder because it doesn't make any sense (I know this may be an unpopular opinion).

Been saying this for years.

 

[calivianya]

How difficult? Tremendously, for me. The physics series was the worst thing I did to myself, way worse than biochem/orgo/any of that. Take this with a grain of salt because I suck at math, and the last math class I had was in 2006 (took physics in 2017) - didn't even remember a^2 + b^2 = c^2 before taking physics, if you get my drift.

I would especially avoid taking physics over the summer. Had a solid 4.0 through my last degree (including physics 1) until I took physics 2 over the summer and was lucky to scrape a C; I almost failed it altogether. If you have to take something over the summer, take a biology course or a fluff gen ed, not a chem or physics course.

 

[Pagan FutureDoc]

I'd be really interested in what a physics without trig would look like

P.S. I tutored physics / math / stat for a few years and honestly think that physics without calculus is so much harder because it doesn't make any sense (I know this may be an unpopular opinion).

Algebra based physics has always seemed more like advanced word problems to me.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Algebra based physics has always seemed more like advanced word problems to me.

My calc based physics courses had more complicated word problems since it’s a lot easier to describe variable acceleration with calculus. We had a running joke where the problems were always some ant walking around the surface of a donut that was spinning on a record player, and what would happen to the ant’s speed if you dropped a 1 gram crumb on him. Oh and this is taking place on a circular space station 20m in diameter rotating at 7RPM.

 

[quarky]

I've never taken a physics course in college without trig and algebra, but I have in high school. It makes soooo much more sense with trig and calculus. Like others have mentioned, without the calculus, it feels more like you're just memorizing rather than really understanding how it works.

It's a lot more interesting when you see how some equations are derived, though I may be biased since I'm majoring in physics.

 

[nomdeplume1234]

Hey guys! How difficult is college physics without calc and trig?

I don't know how your course catalogue is worded but there is college physics and then university physics. college is usually algebra based while university is calculus based. you can check the syllabus and see what the prerequisites are for your course. if you don't need university physics for your major then I don't see why you would want to take university physics, especially without the calculus. My teacher might just have been nice to us but there was very minimal trig use in my class. At the very least you are going to need to be able to draw a triangle and know what sin/cos relationships are for that triangle.

 

[gyngyn]

I don't know how your course catalogue is worded but there is college physics and then university physics. college is usually algebra based while university is calculus based.

College and university are essentially interchangeable in the US (as are college and university physics as far as most of us are concerned).
I can still remember when the California state colleges became universities... It was a transformation that occurred instantaneously!

 

[nomdeplume1234]

College and university are essentially interchangeable in the US (as are college and university physics as far as most of us are concerned).
I can still remember when the California state colleges became universities... It was a transformation that occurred instantaneously!

ohh ok, well then in that case OP if there are multiple physics offered then algebra based is usually the one with the lower number. so Phys 1400 vs Phys 2411 you can be pretty sure the 1st will be algebra-based.

 

[de Ribas]

but there is college physics and then university physics.

I have seen that too.
Otherwise course description is where to look for.

Also, at one university it said Physics for Bio and pre-medicine (calc-based) and college physics (algebra-based)

 

[aldol16]

Very difficult without trig. A lot of classical mechanics requires understanding basic trig. But if you can understand basic trig, you should be fine.

 

[boogiecousins94]

sometimes algebra physics requires calculus eventually...at least for my major I could take calculus based or algebra based. Calculus was 2 semesters and algebra was 3 semesters of physics with the final class being "physics problems with calculus" or something like that

 

[Zephaniah]

How difficult? Tremendously, for me. The physics series was the worst thing I did to myself, way worse than biochem/orgo/any of that. Take this with a grain of salt because I suck at math, and the last math class I had was in 2006 (took physics in 2017) - didn't even remember a^2 + b^2 = c^2 before taking physics, if you get my drift.

I would especially avoid taking physics over the summer. Had a solid 4.0 through my last degree (including physics 1) until I took physics 2 over the summer and was lucky to scrape a C; I almost failed it altogether. If you have to take something over the summer, take a biology course or a fluff gen ed, not a chem or physics course.

Thanks.

 

[Zephaniah]

I don't know how your course catalogue is worded but there is college physics and then university physics. college is usually algebra based while university is calculus based. you can check the syllabus and see what the prerequisites are for your course. if you don't need university physics for your major then I don't see why you would want to take university physics, especially without the calculus. My teacher might just have been nice to us but there was very minimal trig use in my class. At the very least you are going to need to be able to draw a triangle and know what sin/cos relationships are for that triangle.

I need physics for my post bacc pre-Med program. I think I just have to take a college physics!