What are the most difficult concepts in Physics

[blankguy]

Which are the most difficult concepts in physics in the first semester? second semester?

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[SillyRabbit]

First semester wasn't that hard for me.
Second semester.....i'd say electricity and magnetism were a bit harder. But with good practice you should get the hang of it.

 

[drPheta]

I'd say optics...right next to electricity and magnetism.

 

[trypmo]

Angular momentum was always the kicker for me. Didn't manage to get a very solid link between the math and the physical part until advanced undergrad classes.

E&M is challenging, but it's always been my favorite.

A good thing for a lot of ppl about 1st year physics is that even if you don't fully get it, it is possible just to memorize everything for the tests.

Best of luck, friend!

 

[ItsGavinC]

Physics is a completely dreadful subject and it was ALL hard for me.

Having said that, I memorized the formulas and got a B+/A- by doing that.

 

[critterbug]

I'll second (or third?) optics.

 

[rsweeney]

I loved everything about physics. It was completely logical, and it just made sense. I would definately agree that optics was a kicker!

 

[saman1]

I guess I'll be the weird one here... I hated mechanics! really really hated mechanics... but optics was my favorite topic though. E&M wasn't too bad... i don't remember much from it.... 😀

 

[blankguy]

So far Physics seems to be a really weird animal. I try to compensate by reading ahead and doing the problem sets ahead of time so that when the class hits the subject and everybody else is doing it I'll redo it with a better idea.

 

[critterbug]

E&M was fascinating to me. I've always been intrigued by electricity. I thought this section was more "conceptual" by nature, therefore I liked it. Of course I am speaking in relative terms 😎

 

[Rezdawg]

optics is tough...I just memorized the couple formulas that came with it. If I was asked a question that required you to just plug in the numbers into the equation, I was set. If the question involved some form of knowledge regarding the concepts associated with optics, I would smile and move on to the the next question.

Magnetism got me as well.

 

[mmapcpro]

I took an indepth vector calculus class before physics, so electrostatics (what you guys are calling E&M) was actually interesting, because instead of just using trig and plugging into memorized formulae, I could use the calculus to find flux. I was finally able to see a practical use for all that "calculate the flux through a side of this cube" stuff, and I guess it got me excited....what a geek I am, heh.

I always hated rotational motion. I took dynamics after physics, and it wasn't until then that I actually started to get it. But at the time, I remember rotational motion giving me the most trouble.

 

[DDSdude]

I will add to what others have said.

Memorizing the formulas and knowing how to plug in the numbers from raw data/word problems helped me in both semesters.

I didn't get too caught up in understanding all the material in the book. If you are juggling other classes, a family, and more than full-time career it can be overwhelming at times. I focused on the material in class and reviewed all the problem sets in the book. I made note cards of all the formulas and what the letters/symbols in the equations meant and how to derive them.
😀

 

[seanjohn]

Physics is not my favourite subject by any means. Notice how I spelled favourite, the Canadian way. 😀 Anyways, optics can be a pain, but don't worry because all those optometry students have to take many courses dealing solely with optics in optometry school. Just be glad it's one physics course you have to take and that there's no physics in dental school.

 

[aphistis]

Originally posted by seanjohn
Just be glad it's one physics course you have to take and that there's no physics in dental school.

Not completely true. Your dental materials course will place a good deal of emphasis on physics and chemistry.

 

[Zurich5]

I hated...repeat hated physics... I did however get a lot of outside reading done during the lectures... lots of newspapers... lots of them.

 

[Zurich5]

Inexplicably and somewhat overwhelmingly, hip-hop stars like Pharrell Williams and Kanye West are espousing their love for.... John Mayer?!?

 

[seanjohn]

Bill, you mean there actually are courses relating to chem and physics in dental school?? It's only one course though right? If it has nothing to do with formulas and number crunching then that's fine, I just dread the physics problems, they tend to dim one's sanity, the harder ones anyways.

 

[aphistis]

Originally posted by seanjohn
Bill, you mean there actually are courses relating to chem and physics in dental school?? It's only one course though right? If it has nothing to do with formulas and number crunching then that's fine, I just dread the physics problems, they tend to dim one's sanity, the harder ones anyways.

Sorry, buddy, but I don't know how you can have a physics class without at least a little number-crunching 😉 There a lot of mechanical properties coming into play when you're talking about replacing natural tooth structure with an artificial restoration. It's not the end of the world by any means, but it's every bit as annoying as undergrad physics, if blessedly shorter.

 

[toothache]

right on the gspot

 

[seanjohn]

wow, so I guess I'm not done with physics after all. 😱 Is there only that one course? Are there any other number crunching courses in dental school? Anything related to calculus?🙄 If I wanted to do some more physics I would have just gone into optometry, those guys live for physics, or at least I think so. 🙂 Sacrifices will have to be made I guess, more physics for me yippee.

 

[The Musketeer]

For me, the most difficult part of physics is electricity. I still remember all these different funky parallel and serial circuits diagrams with various resisters and capacitors added/drawn on, and then to figure out the voltage at specific points on the circuit using all these damn formulae....this just BLOWS MY MIND!