Introduction to Physics I
Advice
General Advice
Learning is a difficult intellectual enterprise. It is also greatly rewarding, provided you have sufficient patience and perseverance. You can have fun learning physics (yes, fun) if you keep in mind that you are engaging in probing the nature of things, in the quest to understand the world in which we live and which we observe. At the most basic level, many deep questions in life sciences, biology, chemistry, and even in philosophy -- to say nothing of astronomy and cosmology -- reduce to physics. We will not be studying these questions but the tools of inquiry and analysis you will be learning are universal. You must, however, be prepared for a considerable challenge and maybe also a dose of frustration. This is to be expected for nothing that is worthwhile comes easily. On the other hand, the insights that emerge from considering even the "simplest" physical phenomena in detail are a generous reward for the effort they require.
Scientific methods of inquiry are quite different from those used in other disciplines, for example in the arts and the humanities. As a result, one must employ different strategies of learning, and different study habits are required to succeed. This is especially critical in physics, which is the most fundamental science, and also in mathematics, which underlies all sciences. Memorizing plays a small role in learning physics (although you have to remember a few things, for without memory it is impossible to think). Instead, one must focus on understanding the concepts, relationships between them, and the mathematical representation of them.
But how does one know that one understands something in physics? It is often hard to tell, especially without previous experience, whether something has been truly understood or one simply remembers an explanation. The only way to tell, and to develop the required skills, is by attempting to solve practice problems. This is why you should spend about 80% of your study time with physics on problem solving. This is also why the homework and exams in this course consist of problems and not of essay questions.
Practical Advice
The best way of acquiring problem-solving skills is by starting with the easiest problems for a given topic, and then gradually progressing to more complicated ones. Problems following each chapter of the book are arranged in order of increasing difficulty, the easiest are labeled "E" (Exercises) and the rest "P" (Problems). It is better to try a lot of straight-forward problems than to struggle for a long time with a single difficult problem. Indeed, the former provide an excellent preparation for the latter.
Just as it is nearly impossible to solve a hard problem in a given section without gradually learning the technique on easier problems, it is not possible to assimilate new concepts in the course without having a good foundation in the preceding material. The topics are inter-related, and build on one another.
For this reason, it is not likely you will be able to learn physics by studying only a few days before the exams. To do well, and to derive a satisfaction from your growing knowledge, it is necessary to study regularly and to keep in step with the course. Here are several specific study habits which you will find advantageous:
- 1. Attend the lectures. They will guide you through the course.
- 2. Attend the recitations. They will serve to sharpen your problem-solving skills.
- 3. Read the assigned text before the corresponding lecture, review before recitation.
- 4. Solve assigned problems, hand them in on time. Try additional new problems on your own.
- 5. Study several times every week for a few hours. Work alone and with peers.
Last but not least, derive the maximum benefit from your interactions with the lecturer and the recitation instructors. We are available to help you study. If you have any concerns or suggestions, let us know.
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