Physicists can't Change the Problem

  1. Physics involves the creative synthesis of multiple ideas.

    • Upper division vs. lower division.

  2. Physics problems may not be well-defined math problems.
    • There may be no obvious coordinates or independent variables.
    • A physical object rarely comes with a parameterization.
    • The unknowns don't have names.
    • Getting to a well-defined math problem is part of the problem.
    • If you can't add units, it wouldn't make a good physics problem.

  3. Physics problems don't fit templates.
    • Template problems not very useful.
    • A few key ideas are more easily remembered later.

  4. Physics involves the interplay of multiple representations.
    • Dot product.


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