Lifting the Fog: AP Physics Demystified

Why does physics always seem to completely stump students? 

Even the bright ones struggle to orient themselves in the fog that descends around them as vectors and kinematics fill their brain. Don’t even get me started with the ones that are “good at math”.

The most common phrase uttered by a new physics student is, “I don’t know how to pick the right equation”. And, yeah, I get it. That AP Physics equation sheet sure does look menacing.

I am constantly reminded of my days spent sitting in a cold but warmly-lit second story classroom at Lehigh University. Around 50 of us sat quietly in the typical combo chair-desks, scribbling madly to keep up. At the front of the room stood an older Turkish gentleman whose wiry white hair and scarred, shiny scalp was always staring at us. 

He, our thermodynamics professor, spent most of the fifty minute long class mumbling into the green chalkboard while scribbling away in literal Greek letters. Needless to say, I did not absorb much. So, trust me, I know what it’s like to be drowning in what seems like a completely new language.

Indeed, the problem that our physics students have inherited is that modern math instruction no longer teaches math as a language with which to understand and describe the world.

Most math teachers may have the best intentions, but we are multiple generations removed from a system that truly lets students explore the world using the language of math. That exploration is what physics is all about. The question: “what is the right equation to solve this problem?” is completely misguided. Instead, we need to ask, “how do I describe this situation in the language of math?”.

Over the course of 5,000+ hours of one-on-one tutoring, I have seen the exact same pattern play out hundreds of times. The “good at math” student who is now floundering has only ever had to execute operations. In most cases, an equation is provided, and they just need to do some algebra or calculus to solve for ‘x’, or find the domain and range. Math classes are all about analyzing an equation that is given to the student.

So if physics isn’t about picking the right equation, what is it about?The standard physics curriculum teaches us some core principles that can be explained in English or any other language: motion, forces, energy, momentum. These are all everyday words. Most of us could easily describe balls or model rockets flying through the air, blocks sliding up or down ramps, or signs hanging from a building.

The point of physics, then? Taking normal, everyday physical interactions and creating an equation (a mathematical model) that tells a story. This is not the same thing as doing math operations. First we have to translate the scenario to create the math problem. Only once we have created the math problem can we do the math problem.

It isn’t easy. Learning a new language never is. It takes concerted effort, and practice. But, when you can clearly see the goal, when you start to be able to see through that pesky fog, you realize that you were merely lost. Now that you’re back on track, the real work can begin.

Back to our prototypical student: straight A's in precalc, but entirely lost last fall and convinced she was "just not a physics person." Twenty minutes later she was explaining the block-on-the-ramp problem back to me, gesturing with her hands, saying “wait — so the ramp is just the triangle from trig?” 

She didn’t just solve the problem, she wrote the problem. That’s the beauty of physics.

Picture first, math second. That is how I teach. 

If you or your student is feeling overwhelmed, let’s work together to clear the air. Don’t let the fog define you. 

Hit reply to this email, or grab a time on my calendar below. An intro call is always free.