Pre-university physics study group (calculus based)

[thorbjorn]

So here is a problem (more of a dilemma) I encountered in my mandatory physics class [(high school level) i say mandatory since I take an other optional calculus based one], many students are often mislead for example in kinematics the equations are very clunkily derived and when you finish attending a rather beautiful combinatorics class where everything is so magnificently shown and you then have to go to a physics class where everything is dumbed down, this causes many who have a passion for math, and naturally try to delve in what i would consider the more elegant side of applied maths, to loss all interest in physics.

So although i try to show my friends, who love math but despise physics, the beauty of physics if you don't hinder yourself with abstaining from using any calculus, but sadly most people in high school never get the privilege of getting calculus courses in high school, so by extension they cannot fully understand the beauty of physics... but there is an alternative!

The internet.
Although resources like khan academy are great for calculus, but not physics! I personally thought (while in middle school) that khan academy could give me a free path through physics till uni, and while for math it is amazing, not for physics, mainly cause while going through the topics he sometimes slips calculus in for example in electrical fields but then again he says nothing of the sort for conservation of momentum...

But never fear! there are hundreds of others sites and books that not only help for physics, but also calculus (since i hated khan academy for introduction calculus), but where are those sites? and where are those people in high school that tell you where those books and sites are? where are the study groups that help you with the complicated problems? They are all in Universities! That is exactly my point, why not just start one here?

 

[fresh_42]

But never fear! there are hundreds of others sites and books that not only help for physics, but also calculus (since i hated khan academy for introduction calculus), but where are those sites? and where are those people in high school that tell you where those books and sites are? where are the study groups that help you with the complicated problems? They are all in Universities! That is exactly my point, why not just start one here?

Not sure what you intend to do. This forum is basically just all that:

• a place, where you can ask for reliable textbooks or other sources
• a place, where you can find expertise on your problems: physics as well as mathematics, engineering and even biology and chemistry
• a place, where you can discuss the problems you face while studying STEM
• a place, where you can get competent advice for questions around your (academic) career building
• a place with a large fund of existing discussions on nearly everything, plus our "INSIGHTS" section with specific articles, including many of how to self-study

So, don't we already match all of the above? Of course, the basic premise is a precise description of where one stands and what the problem is. That's why we insist to use our homework template. The better prepared a question is, the better will be the answer. And you won't find a group on the internet, i.e. spread all over the world, whose members all read the same book. It might need some energy to do some research on your own, e.g. using our two search functions (one for the threads and one for the insight articles) or at least have a look on Wikipedia beforehand, as nobody wants to spend time to answer, e.g. the exact value of the speed of light in a vacuum. However, I bet that even this could be found somewhere on PF. You will be surprised what can be found by using the forum searches.