

Ask HN: Tips/Guide for thinking like a physicist? - dmn

The title says it all, I'm having a hard time in a physics class (studying electricity)... and I just have a hard time wrapping my head around the application of formulas and how to "attack" the problems.<p>It's pretty much just felt like a dead weight for me, and usually I love problem/puzzle solving... but I guess not this time.<p>Thanks
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hga
The approach I used is called physical intuition. Specifically, you try to
envision using _some_ sort or set of metaphors of what's going on. For
electricity (what level? DC, AC, AC with calculus?), e.g. moving electrons,
for AC add the propagation of current. Try to connect visual plots of voltage
and so on to that.

Then see how the formula apply to your visualizations. And/or use the formula
to help produce them ... i.e. the formula says "at this point, voltage will be
X and rising" ... how does that translate into current and electrons moving?
Or try to visualize fields.

Also seek out other explications of this. If you have trouble with the
calculus as it's taught today, look into infinitesimal calculus (one free on-
line book, one Dover reprint of a good MIT Press book). Maybe _The Manga Guide
to Electricity_ would help. Or Purcell's _Electricity and Magnetism_ ; yeah,
it's an advanced, "honors physics" treatment (e.g. it derives magnetism from
electricity using Special Relativity:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relativistic_electromagnetism>), but maybe it'll
give you some useful approaches. (If you can't find a copy to look at, try to
get the Tata McGraw-Hill Indian edition ISBN-10 0-07-066729-2), it's not in
print elsewhere and copies are $$$).

Talk to other people and see if they can wave their hands in ways that make
sense. Etc.

Good luck.

