How is physics taught and learned. Teaching strategies, class examples and demonstrations; learning resources, career advice, etc. For explicit problems, use the 'homework' tag instead.
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0answers
192 views
Interesting Math Topics Useful for Physics [closed]
What are some interesting, but less popular, math topics that are useful for physics that can be self-studied? Specifically, topics that might ultimately be useful in high energy theory (even if it is ...
2
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0answers
177 views
What's the most efficient way to study physics? [duplicate]
I'm CS major trying to learn QFT on my own . I'm trying to make an efficient study plan .The problem is that I've never read any textbook from cover to cover and solved all the problems .What of the ...
2
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0answers
202 views
Is there any reason to major in physics if you're certain you will never do a Ph.D? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
What sort of jobs do physics graduates with B.Sc/M.Sc get?
I've been told over and over again..."I would not major in physics unless you are looking to get a Ph.D." What ...
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0answers
264 views
Examples of incorrect physics education [closed]
Can you give me examples where the standard physics curriculum in high school or college is inaccurate? When did you realize you had been fed lies?
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3answers
6k views
Uses of Vectors In Real Life
I always wonder how vectors are used in real life.Vectors and decomposition of vectors,dot and cross products are taught in the early stage in every undergraduate physics course and in every ...
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5answers
280 views
Theoretical physics and education: Does it really matter a great deal about what happens inside a black hole, or about Hawking radiation? [closed]
I stumbled across this article http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/cross-check/2010/12/21/science-faction-is-theoretical-physics-becoming-softer-than-anthropology/
It got me thinking. Why do we ...
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3answers
265 views
video documentaries about physics?
Does anyone know about good video documentaries about physics, possibly on youtube?
I've seen a couple of them about string theory, but I could not find many others.
Thanks
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3answers
304 views
Video or animation for continuity equation in water pipes
I am looking for an animation or even better a video with a real experiment, which shows that at constant flow rate the speed of water in a pipe is higher at narrower parts of a pipe.
I googled ...
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5answers
858 views
Recommended progression with which to learn physics for fun
I enjoy reading up on new topics in physics and astronomy, and learning the concepts and ideas in the major theories, like relativity and quantum mechanics. Unfortunately, one thing that I lack ...
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2answers
2k views
Best physics olympiad resources [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Book recommendations
I am looking for good book recommendations at the level of high-school physics.
I am having in mind to find out as to what are the typical books ...
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1answer
73 views
Why does a plane wave have definite momentum?
Apologies if this is a little vague. It might not have a good answer.
Given the interpretation of $|\psi(x)|^2$ as a probability distribution it's unsurprising that a wave function that is ...
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1answer
75 views
Can electromagnetic momentum be introduced at pre-university level as for electromagnetic energy?
Electromagnetic energy is introduced at pre-university level, starting with static electric energy followed by static magnetic energy. But the introduction of electromagnetic momentum usually has to ...
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2answers
149 views
Can a student with a heavy math background start learning physics with Goldstein's “Classical Mechanics”? [duplicate]
Can a student with a heavy math background start learning physics with Goldstein's "Classical Mechanics"?
Or is the book too obtuse with basic physics that I need to start elsewhere?
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2answers
118 views
Physics and what it means [closed]
I got into a debate with a friend about the meaning of physics and its purpose, he is the sort who will test you and if you get it wrong it somehow gratifies his own self-reflection and self-worth. ...
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1answer
188 views
Would someone who is only interested in string theory benefit from working out the problems in Jackson electrodynamics?
This is a soft question. I'm not sure if it is appropriate for this site.
Would someone who is only interested in string theory benefit from working out the problems in Jackson electrodynamics? I ...
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2answers
130 views
Is quantum perturbation theory taught in college?
Is perturbation theory usually taught in undergraduate physics, and how much of it is taught in quantum mechanics courses?
Also, how much of quantum field theory would be taught in undergraduate ...
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2answers
2k views
Comparing scales of atomic level objects to scales of everyday size objects
I am trying to come up with everyday size objects comparisions of atomic scales items, e.g. if a proton probability cloud was of size basketball how far would the next atoms to it be?
reason being is ...
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1answer
190 views
Please recommend a physics problems book similar to Demidovich [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Graduate Physics Problems Books
Does anyone have recommendation for a physics problems collection book (series) that is similar to Demidovich's A Collection of Problems ...
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2answers
351 views
Simulation of physics of chains/ropes in force fields resources?
I'm thinking about a project to tackle, and I'd like to make a simulation that allows the user to define a rope or chain of length L, pin it at arbitrary points r1, r2.... etc. and draw the resulting ...
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2answers
166 views
How much pure math should a physics/microelectronics person know [duplicate]
I do condensed matter physics modeling in my phd and I was struck up learning quite an amount of physics. But while having done lot of physics courses, I see that if I learn pure math I would ...
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1answer
477 views
Walter Lewin Lectures in HD
I like the lectures by Walter Lewin 8.0x. However the quality of the videos is pretty bad. Is there any way (DVD, web,...) to get the lecture videos in a good quality, best in HD?
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1answer
355 views
Applications of the particle in a box and the finite square well
What are some "real" world applications of the particle in a box (PIB) and the finite square well (FSW) which are discussed in an intro quantum mechanics class? For instance, I know that the PIB can ...
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1answer
110 views
What chemistry course to take for a physics undergraduate [closed]
This question is mainly aimed at people who know about the science market in the UK, but any suggestions would be much appreciated.
I am a third year physics undergraduate, studding for an MSci ...
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2answers
110 views
Interpreting range of conductivity diagram
I have found the following diagram (unfortunately in german) about the range of conductivity of conductors (Leiter), semiconductors (Halbleiter) and insulators (Isolatoren).
How should one interpret ...
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2answers
306 views
Simple home pressure experiment: how to understand the dependence on the glass opening?
Suppose you put a drinking glass under water such that it is completely filled with water. Then hold it upside down and slowly raise the drinking glass out of the water. The water in the drinking ...
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1answer
428 views
Electrodynamics textbook that emphasizes applications
Which textbook in Electrodynamics which emphasizes practical applications and real life examples would you recommend for undergraduates ?
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3answers
208 views
Testing my understanding of QM - The Double Slit Experiment without the slit
First off, sorry to throw in another question from someone who hasn't studied the maths.
I'd like to see if I have a correct (if very basic and non-mathematical) understanding of the wave and ...
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0answers
49 views
Studying QM without math and physics background [duplicate]
I rode all posted answers about this topic but i need to ask you another information. I have done a semester course called "Principle of Physics" (i am studying Biotechnology) and one called ...
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0answers
49 views
Geometry for Physics [duplicate]
I am currently a high school student interested in a research career in physics. I have self taught myself single variable calculus and elementary physics upto the level of IPHO . And I am comfortable ...
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0answers
42 views
Book suggestion : geometric approach to electromagnetism [duplicate]
I´m looking for a book on electromagnetism that is introducing the topic from a geometric point of view, focusing more on the theoretical structure than on the application.
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1answer
86 views
The length of an antenna is twice the amplitude of the wave
I have seen it remarked in some problem sets that if you have an electromagnetic wave traveling in the $x$-direction with it's $y$-coordinate given as
$y(x,t)=y_0\sin (\omega t +kx)$
and you want a ...
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0answers
144 views
Starting string theory studies in grad school
How is it possible for a grad student to do research in any modern area of string theory like AdS/CFT or ABJM if they need to start grad school by having to learn QFT from scratch?
Is there a ...
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1answer
172 views
Learning roadmap for solid state physics [duplicate]
I am a PhD student in mathematics who knows little more about physics than what one learns in high school. For my research on tilings of space and aperiodic order, every now and then I have to skim a ...
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0answers
148 views
Describing the Higgs mechanism to non-particle physicists
I'm sure I'm not the only person with this problem at the moment. I have been asked to give a public (not quite public, scientists, just not physicists) about 'this Higgs boson thing'. I am trying to ...
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1answer
130 views
Educational game [closed]
I am in the process of conceptualizing an iOS or computer game (a modification of Tetris) that would be suitable for motivated high school students and university undergraduates. It is meant to be an ...
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0answers
201 views
Any undergrad exercises about nuclear bomb design? [closed]
Are there any handy exercises about nuclear weapon design that are suitable for advanced undergrads in a nuclear physics or similar level physics course? I'm most curious about questions that ...
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0answers
82 views
should I take notes in class [closed]
I'm taking a graduate physics class.
I usually sit at the front and madly scribble down everything the teacher writes....
But the professor also publishes his notes on the internet.
I find it ...
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0answers
88 views
Knowledge needed to study and understand general and special relativity theory [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
What are the prerequisites to studying general relativity?
I'am 27 now and i have a burning desire to study math and physics from the ground up and I strongly prefer ...
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4answers
461 views
What is the typical career path to become a professional Astronomer? [closed]
Here is a typical question which I have been asked many times while giving public lectures in various places. While I know one of the paths like Diploma, Masters and PhD but sometimes this is not so ...
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6answers
1k views
What distinguishes between physics and chemistry? [closed]
What are the major differences between physics and chemistry? I know that they both study atoms, electrons and molecules, but what makes some topics part of one and some part of another?
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9answers
8k views
What's the standard “roadmap” to learning quantum physics? [closed]
I'm really interested in quantum physics and would like to learn more. However, I don't know where to start and in what order I should learn things. So, ideally I'm looking for some sort of roadmap of ...
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4answers
290 views
Why don't most physics programs study the primary sources?
Why don't most physics programs study the primary sources? In other words: Why don't they include Newton's Principia, Lagrange's Analytical Mechanics, etc., in the curricula?
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4answers
279 views
why people choose condense matter physics the most in 2007 and 2008 for their phd? And what are they studying and what is application in this subject?
Page 11 of this report from the American Institute of Physics shows that condensed matter physics is by far the most common PhD dissertation topic in 2007 and 2008. Can anyone here explain why this ...
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2answers
141 views
What is a good way to reason in physics? [closed]
I have recently made the decision to study Physics seriously. However, in the past, I've had some difficulty with the subject because of my primarily mathematical background. I find that sometimes ...
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2answers
200 views
Advice on classes: Theoretical Mechanics vs E&M II
So I'm having a tough time deciding between courses next semester. I'm a rising 3rd year undergrad math major whose goal is to get a solid understanding of theoretical physics through advanced math ...
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3answers
219 views
Learning physics conceptually [closed]
Can anyone suggest a video or book that will allow the layman to grasp physics concepts in a conceptual manner?
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2answers
178 views
How to teach myself physics needed at undergraduate electrical engineer level? [closed]
I want to learn electrical engineering on my own, specifically because I'm interested in loudspeaker design, more specifically how to design active dipole loudspeakers using DSP crossovers.
I have ...
0
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1answer
312 views
How do I start learning particle physics? [closed]
I am 16 at the moment. I am really interested in physics. Especially particle physics. Can someone please tell me how to start learning the subject. like what to learn first. like which fundamental ...
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1answer
179 views
How does this problems are solved (modeling/simulation)? [closed]
Can somebody guide me in what to read and learn in order to be able to solve or understand how to solve the following types of problems:
The modeling/simulation of the bullet, shot into the water ...
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1answer
114 views
Is it possible to study solid state from kittel after taking only one course in quantum mechanics? [closed]
I have taken only QM I, which is the 1st half of Griffiths including the chapter on identical particles, will that be enough to understand Kittel's solid state?
Should one have also taken a course ...
