Special Relativity and Thermal Physics finals

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Discussion Overview

The thread revolves around participants discussing their experiences with finals in Special Relativity and Thermal Physics, sharing personal anecdotes, and contrasting different academic systems. The conversation includes elements of humor and camaraderie among students facing similar academic pressures.

Discussion Character

  • Meta-discussion
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • Participants express good wishes and support for each other regarding finals.
  • Some participants mention their own academic schedules, noting differences in timing for finals and midterms.
  • There is discussion about the structure of academic programs, including trimester and quarter systems.
  • One participant shares their experience of the difficulty of their Thermal Physics exam compared to Special Relativity.
  • Participants discuss the content of their respective thermodynamics courses, highlighting differences between engineering and physics approaches.
  • One participant mentions a specific textbook used in their Thermal Physics class and praises the professor's teaching style.
  • Humorous exchanges occur regarding the scheduling of finals, including a mention of a Saturday morning exam.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the challenges of finals and the support for one another, but there are differing views on the structure and content of thermodynamics courses, indicating multiple competing perspectives on the subject.

Contextual Notes

Participants reference specific academic systems and course content, which may not be universally applicable. The discussion reflects personal experiences and opinions rather than established academic consensus.

Who May Find This Useful

Students in physics or engineering programs, particularly those preparing for finals or interested in thermodynamics and relativity courses.

franznietzsche
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Well, here I go, six hours of finals starting right now. Special Relativity and Thermal Physics.
 
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Good luck!

I still have another month for my finals.
 
Good luck, franz! :smile:
 
best of luck!
 
Wow, I just finished mid terms and youre already taking finals.

Good luck!
 
Well, I survived Special Rel. I think that's enough tensors for the rest of the year. One more to go, and then I'm going to just go to sleep. Did I mention that seven am finals suck? It took me three alarm clocks to get up.
 
Good luck. I still have one more midterm...then its straight into finals for me to.
 
How did you get your finals so early in the year? I would have thought you would be having mid-terms.
 
Good Luck, Franz! Yeah, finals suck. I even have one on a Saturday morning this time.
 
  • #10
Math Is Hard said:
I even have one on a Saturday morning this time.
On Saturday? In the morning? I'd seriously considering murdering the teacher. Contact me if you want anything done about the situation...:devil:
 
  • #11
Dawguard said:
On Saturday? In the morning? I'd seriously considering murdering the teacher. Contact me if you want anything done about the situation...:devil:
Ahh.. you are going to be a good friend to have around. :approve:
 
  • #12
Thanks, I try to helpful. In the most painful way possible: torture is a hobby of mine.
 
  • #13
Good Luck Franz. I am with almost everyone else here, I had midterms last week, and this week I have spring break :biggrin:
 
  • #14
He might be on a trimester system.
 
  • #15
cyrusabdollahi said:
He might be on a trimester system.


Quarter system, yeah. 3 quarters in the normal academic year, 1 summer quarter the exact same length as the regular year quarters.

YAY I survived Hell day. Thermal was harder than I thought it was going to be, and Special Rel was easier. Now I have five hours to finish up my electronics lab notebook (that class makes me want to kill people. And robots. And computers. And lightbulbs. And Edison. Again. And Tesla. And Faraday. I hate them all. Not Maxwell though. I forgive him.). Eh, at least next quarter will be easier.
 
  • #16
I have two finals coming up next week, too. Damn you, quarter system.

- Warren
 
  • #17
And no more electronics labs for me! EVER! Take that transistors!

Just two more finals to go. Nuclear :approve: and Electronics :frown:
 
  • #18
Is your major engineering, franznietzsche?
 
  • #19
Engineers don't take special relativity or thermal physics.
 
  • #20
z-component said:
Is your major engineering, franznietzsche?


No, physics.

cyrusabdollahi said:
Engineers don't take special relativity or thermal physics.

Actually there are a few engineers in our Special Rel class, but they're all physics minors. None in thermal, they have their own thermodynamics class.
 
  • #21
Yeah, and I am in thermogodnamits. :frown:
 
  • #22
cyrusabdollahi said:
Yeah, and I am in thermogodnamits. :frown:
I'm sorry. Thermal Physics is great. One of my favourite classes thus far.
 
  • #23
Studying nuclear even for an exam must be enjoyable!:!)
 
  • #24
Im guessing you guys did very different thermodynamics than we did. We use an engineering approach. Quality, mass flow, compressors, diffusers, nozzles, power cycles engines refrig, heating, p-v,t-v,p-t diagrams.

You guys probably did more thermodynamics of chemical reactions, atoms, molecules, etc. no?

Its a good class, but hard.
 
  • #25
franznietzsche said:
Actually there are a few engineers in our Special Rel class, but they're all physics minors. None in thermal, they have their own thermodynamics class.
My school has a "Relativity for Poets" class. I'm holding out for "Relativity for Blondes". :smile:
 
  • #26
MIH, I'll have you know that you're my girlfriend's favorite PF "character." :biggrin:

- Warren
 
  • #27
chroot said:
MIH, I'll have you know that you're my girlfriend's favorite PF "character." :biggrin:

- Warren
awwrrrr! shoot! I'm honored! :redface: :smile: Does she ever post here?
 
  • #28
cyrusabdollahi said:
Im guessing you guys did very different thermodynamics than we did. We use an engineering approach. Quality, mass flow, compressors, diffusers, nozzles, power cycles engines refrig, heating, p-v,t-v,p-t diagrams.

You guys probably did more thermodynamics of chemical reactions, atoms, molecules, etc. no?

Its a good class, but hard.


Physics, not chemistry. We derived everything you learned from first principles, and then some. All the way up to classical and quantum statistics (we just barely reached that, we do the rest of that next quarter in Thermal Physics II). About 90% of the class was deriving the class, the other 10% was minor applications. It was awesome. Very much looking forward to Thermal II. My professor, who is also the author of the book we use, has the amazing ability to make complicated things seem very very simple (He's also my Special Rel professor). His book, "Introduction to Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics" by Keith Stowe, is a very very good thermo book (2nd edition will be in print soon, since it wasn't out yet, he just bought us all kinko's copies of the book so we could use it instead of the older first edition). Its easily the best textbook I've used thus far.
 
  • #29
chroot said:
MIH, I'll have you know that you're my girlfriend's favorite PF "character." :biggrin:

- Warren

:smile: :smile: :smile:
 
  • #30
Math Is Hard said:
awwrrrr! shoot! I'm honored! :redface: :smile: Does she ever post here?

Not that I know of.. I think she just checks the place out every now and then to see how her boyfriend is wasting all the time he could be with her instead. :biggrin:

- Warren
 

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