Should I Memorize Thermodynamics Laws for the SAT II Physics Test?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the necessity of memorizing the laws of thermodynamics for the SAT II Physics test, particularly in the context of preparing for the exam on short notice. Participants explore strategies for effective studying and the relevance of cramming.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Homework-related
  • Exploratory

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions whether the SAT Physics test will ask about the specifics of the Second Law of Thermodynamics and expresses concern about the need to memorize all laws.
  • Another participant suggests that using a practice book could be beneficial for preparation.
  • Some participants argue that cramming may not be an effective strategy, while others contend that due to the nature of the SAT II, it is possible to cram successfully.
  • A participant shares their experience of using SparkNotes for last-minute preparation, noting its limitations but also its relevance for the SAT II content.
  • There is a discussion about the effectiveness of studying intensively in a short time frame, with differing opinions on whether this approach can yield significant results.
  • One participant emphasizes that a few hours of cramming may not make a substantial difference for someone who has not adequately prepared over a longer period.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the effectiveness of cramming for the SAT II Physics test. Some believe it can be done successfully in a short time, while others argue it is unlikely to be effective without prior knowledge and preparation.

Contextual Notes

Participants reference the limited scope of the SAT II Physics test and the nature of its questions, suggesting that the depth of understanding required may not be as extensive as in other physics assessments.

crazybandit
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will the SAT Physics test ask me something like "What does the Second Law of Thermodynamics say should happen..."? If so, do I need to memorize all these laws? How can I possibly know them all? Is there a list?
 
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Of course, do you have a practice book ? Working on it alone would also be of help.


--Forgive and Forget--
IwillBeGood
 
IwillBeGood said:
Of course, do you have a practice book ? Working on it alone would also be of help.


--Forgive and Forget--
IwillBeGood

yes, i am, but I am cramming cause my test is in 3 days... did you take it yet? if youre good in physics you have to help me... seriously
 
How much will you pay for me ?
 
crazybandit said:
yes, i am, but I am cramming cause my test is in 3 days...

This strategy is unlikely to help.
 
This strategy is unlikely to help.
I respectfully disagree. For a real, well-designed physics test this may be the case, but due to the standard format of the SATII and the fairly limited amount of stuff covered and the shallow way in which it's covered it's extremely easy to cram for it.

If this is simply for SATII, not trying to actually learn physics, then I can suggest you look at:
http://www.sparknotes.com/testprep/books/sat2/physics/
It tries to focus exactly on the areas relevant to the subject test and it doesn't really dig deeper when it doesn't need to. In addition it tries to give you questions like the ones you can expect on the SAT. It's however somewhat poorly written and there is a considerable amount of errors in the text, and I would definitely not choose it for learning physics, but for the SATII I haven't found anything better. Personally I used that and the chemistry guide on the same site to cram for the December 2008 subject tests and got 3x800 in mathII, chem and physics. I already had the math learned and I had been exposed to a lot of the material in school at some point, but I feel this guide helped me to get the last 200-400 points of the way in just 2 days (for instance I had never heard of optics so that section was extremely relevant to me and we hadn't covered magnetism in school). They also have some practice tests, but I believe you have to sign up for a couple of free accounts to get access to all these (dunno if this is allowed; probably not). The practice tests sometimes mark correct answers as incorrect, but on the whole they can be great to let you get a feel for the test, but remember that these are unofficial and some of the questions may not be of the type you could get on the real thing. If you can you should get your hands on a real past test (I know CollegeBoard released at least one as part of their own SAT Subject Test book, but I don't think it's available online). So my advice: Spend some time going over the stuff in SparkNotes that you're not comfortable with, take a couple of practice test and go over some more of the stuff you did badly on (perhaps refer to your physics books if you have such a thing for an alternative explanation).
 
gunch said:
I respectfully disagree. For a real, well-designed physics test this may be the case, but due to the standard format of the SATII and the fairly limited amount of stuff covered and the shallow way in which it's covered it's extremely easy to cram for it.

Even if I bought that, the time scale is three (now two) days. Cramming now, even if I stiplate that cramming is effective, is too late.
 
Vanadium 50 said:
Even if I bought that, the time scale is three (now two) days. Cramming now, even if I stiplate that cramming is effective, is too late.

40 hours is a lot of time...
 
maze said:
40 hours is a lot of time...

Not in comparison to the time one spent - or should have spent -studying physics for a year.

Look, we have someone who's complaining about memorizing "all those laws" when asked about the Second Law of Thermodynamics. Do you really think a few hours of cramming will make a huge difference?
 
  • #10
Vanadium 50 said:
Not in comparison to the time one spent - or should have spent -studying physics for a year.

Look, we have someone who's complaining about memorizing "all those laws" when asked about the Second Law of Thermodynamics. Do you really think a few hours of cramming will make a huge difference?

Studying 40 hours is equivalent to doing 2 hours a day for 5 days a week, for 4 weeks. I'm not saying its the best way to go in terms of your physical or mental health, but if the pressures on, you really focus, and you have enough caffeine... you can learn a lot in 2 days.
 
  • #11
maze said:
Studying 40 hours is equivalent to doing 2 hours a day for 5 days a week, for 4 weeks.

If you say so. Not in my experience.
 

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