Why do people think physics is so hard?

humanino

What is the volume of a cow ?
Roughly the same as the volume of a sphere of water with the same weight !
(It's well-known)
Look, I'm a physicist !
What I mean is, a circle is a circle, we all agree on all properties of circles, no matter which definition we use of a circle (as long as they are equivalent to each other). But there is no circle anywhere in Nature. We know the mathematical objects we use to describe reality, but we should not forget that they are not reality. We don't know what is out there for sure.

Hurkyl

And it's not in mathematics? From one perspective, this is the entire point of calculus, and the primary proof technique of real analysis!

Knowing what to throw away is important even in cases (apparently) far removed from the idea of approximation. For example, the theory of rings can be quite difficult and complex. One of the most important advances was Emmy Noether's observation that most rings of interest satisfy a certain technical condition which greatly simplifies the theory (we now call such rings Noetherian, in tribute). Knowing to consider only the important Noetherian case makes it much, much easier to deal with many of the questions that arise in ring theory / algebraic geometry.

Wellesley

At least for me, some topics in Physics are hard to grapple with conceptually.....For example the speed of light (and it's limitations). The traditional way of thinking (think Star Trek, Sci-Fi and Star Wars) has made the reality much harder to grasp. Everyone (who hasn't taken Physics) thinks objects can be accelerated past c, and that's what we group up thinking. This also makes learning Physics much harder than understanding how to manipulate equations.

Winzer

In my years of schooling I have found mathematics easier to learn then physics. Physics is a skill that I have developed. A lot of hard work has gone into it and I am proud to say it is not in vain.

Its funny. I considered going into pure and applied math for college study. But I found physics to be even more challenging; it was always the one science class I would get a B in High School. In addition I was not satisfied with my physical understanding of the world at the time. So for reasons of being stubborn and seeking perfection I joined the physics tank--no regrets.

Yes, I think physics is hard. I still have a long way to go with physics and I HOPE it is hard as hell.

ice109

because they've never done it. they see all these funny looking symbols and get scared.

whenever anyone comments on my genius with regards to my studying physics i always emphasize how dumb i actually am and how i could teach anyone that was interested.

D H

High school physics is hard. It involves a lot of disparate equations that have to be memorized and don't seem to be connected to one another in any meaningful way. Calculus-based physics is a lot easier. Things fit together, and there is a lot less memorization (but a whole lot more to derivation).

Winzer

I would agree. After studying calculus based physics more concepts and derivations became clear and even intuitive. I would take being able to do derivations over straight memorization any day, as I would expect most people would.

ice109

this is all of physics. every single physics class i've ever taken save for my mechanics classes has been like this.

matthayzon89

Just so you know. I knew nothing about physics before this year. I never took Trigonometry (which is usually required b4 taking physics). I am going junior in a college and I have a 3.2 GPA. Physics is simply HARD! Intro to Physics is what im talking about. It's not hard to understand the basics and know the formulas but its hard to apply it REAL life situations and really understand different concepts in different situations. I strongly disagree when people say 'its easy'. I would say it's very very time consuming and requires hours of hard thought to completely understand a given concept 'in and out'.

thack45

I think high school physics is hard if you have any interest in actual physics. Others breezed through advanced physics in HS while every problem for me just drew more questions. So much was to be taken as a given. Just do the math and you're in there. I failed that class.

Galteeth

This has been touched on, but there is a stereotype that pople who are good at abstract thinking are not as good at concrete mathematical processing and vive-versa. To do well with physics one needs both types of cognitive ability and must be able to use them in parallel. This is intimidating to alot of people, even those who may be intelligent but are aware of their own cognitive weaknesses.

Pythagorean

I agree that this is how it should be taught, but I'm afraid that it depends on the teacher in my experience :/

rewebster

Why do people think physics is so hard?

well, first I would say that most people don't care about physics (or math and the sciences).

If you think about what grade school kids, then high school kids, in general, care about, its usually not math, physics, or the sciences. And if you asked those kids about them, they would probably say that they care less about them first, before they would say they were hard.

By the time that people who became interested in the sciences, they are on a goal course that doesn't resemble what most peoples' goal courses are--and at that time, those people look at people in science and wonder why they are trying to figure out what gravity is--and think, big deal, gravity is gravity. With no comprehension what all those symbols that physicists use, its like a foreign language that they see no sense in learning---so they think its 'hard'.

Mohammad_93

The beauty of Physics lies in its hardness

Jack21222

Argh! Necroposter!

Chi Meson

Six times


and counting?

Mohammad_93

yes yes