How can I improve at physics without relying on a solutions manual?

[cs23]

hey,

to get better at physics, do i need to do a lot of problems? Should i start from the basic problems than progress to the more difficult ones?

 

[bignum]

Work on your Math, the concepts of Physics will just come to you when you do it. Most concepts are there because most people don't have the mathematics to deal with it.

 

[lisab]

You got it...the "secret" to doing well in physics is problems, problems, problems.

Yes the math is important, it has to be a tool you're comfortable with. But analytical problem solving just takes a lot of practice to master.

 

[Count Iblis]

It is best to work on a range of problems from easy to difficult at the same time. If you work on only easy problems and only move on to more dificult problems when they become easy for you, then you may not reach that point in time.

You also have to learn to deal with difficult problems that can take many days to solve. It is not good to become used to a situation where every problem can be solved withing a short time in a straightforward way. This will dumb you down.

Note that real physics involves working on extremely hard problems in which sometimes you don't make much progress after years of hard work.

 

[lisab]

It is best to work on a range of problems from easy to difficult at the same time. If you work on only easy problems and only move on to more dificult problems when they become easy for you, then you may not reach that point in time.

You also have to learn to deal with difficult problems that can take many days to solve. It is not good to become used to a situation where every problem can be solved withing a short time in a straightforward way. This will dumb you down.

Note that real physics involves working on extremely hard problems in which sometimes you don't make much progress after years of hard work.

Good advice.

Also, in the real world, there is no solutions manual. Working through long problem sets in college, I got used to checking my answers to see if I was right. It's sort of a safety net. Real world = no safety net.