I am doing my damndest to Marine my way out of this class and not fail. I am in a Physics 101 course, which I feel is way above my levels of math comprehension, I have been out of high School for almost 20 years and the highest level of math I took I think was Algebra II. I am looking for some assistance to help me through the next 8 weeks of this course, I feel like I am drinking from the firehose and barely staying above water and it is only the first week. I am drowning in Kinematics right now, any help would be greatly appreciated, heck if you are in the VB area i can pay in Liquor and Booze just slide in them DMs if you can help... Or reply here whichever suits you. Thanks in advance gents.

About 40 years ago, I had to take 3 semesters of Physics. The first semester I made a B, the second I made a C, the third I made a D. That D made me happier than any A I ever made. Physics is harder than and Chinese Arithmetic. I never had algebra, I was a 9th grade drop out . Good luck Op

Check these out https://www.khanacademy.org/science/physics/one-dimensional-motion/kinematic-formulas/v/average-velocity-for-constant-acceleration

With a bunch of this stuff it is all about how the information is presented to the student. If the teacher does not explain it it your style it can be rough. (Disclaimer - last physics class I took was an engineering physics 2 class 30 yeas ago)

Seems like I am swimming in the same pool as a few of you... Was hoping I could reel in my Moby Dick to help me not bomb the shit out of this course..

If your highest math is HS Algebra II and you are drowning in a college class of what was classically basic high school non calculus based physics,
You are either lacking in your base, your brains, or both.

Prove me wrong like a Marine should.

As a former enlisted as an E1 Ranger Bn Infantryman  that had no math beyond HS Algebra 1, 2, and Trig/Geometry, when I finished my first four year enlistment, and went reserves for four years while in college thirty years ago, I can emphasize.

If you had asked about this a month or two ago, I would have had you Grab some old basic HS books and bone up.

It will be a little harder while in it, you can google search for some refresher math and HS physics help pages.

I would hit them up for half an hour two or three times a day.

Find out your grad assistant’s and professor’s backgrounds.

They may be willing to hook you up with some extra time.  
I had an English professor emeritus that was former department chair and college dean let me in an overbooked class of his and call in a favor with another professor in  their overbooked class simply because he was a WWII vet Infantry Officer, my first Calc professor hooked me up with some work sheets because he was a West Point five then out before grad school type, a Physics with Calc professor some free tutoring / mentoring because he was an Armenian communist hating American / military lover, and a Biology professor still hold an advanced class when I was the only student because he was a WWII DAC.

Overall, University’s may be full of leftist, communist, progressive swine,
But if you can keep from eating crayons and drawing dicks on your desk in class,
You may find a few solid holdouts willing to help a hard working Marine.

Are you taking physics or calculus based physics?

When I took calc physics they just proved everything with calculus all you really needed to do was learn the proved equation and be able to apply it.  I would doze off during the proofs.

Just accept that it's proven and save yourself some heartburn.

I love studying Physics.  I go through on line courses for things like Quantum Entanglement etc etc.  Here is what I do with the math at that level....  "Yep, looks good to me"  Right down the equation that solves it and go on with my life.  Calc for me was 30 yrs ago.  If they say its a proof, who am I to argue?  But I do enjoy the thought process that brought about Quantum Mechanics.  Now, I can solve F=MA and some of the simpler stuff.

Pretty much what I said.  Unless you are planning to become a Physicist, you don't need to know how to prove the shit.  Just tell me now to apply what shits out the other end of the proof.

This one is just straight physics. I for the most part just have a hard time remembering how to set up equations and which ones go where. It is part of my Geosciences degree for some reason, why I don't know.. I cant say i may never need to use it but Ive been doing this now for almost 9 years now and cant think of a time where I used it.

If you have a grasp of algebra then you should be able to handle physics.  It could be a terrible teacher.  My stent in Physics 1 was a shit show because the teacher was terrible.  Physics 2 went much better due to better teacher.

Its not a brick and mortar class, its online so i will agree a terrible teacher (myself) and I guess whoever the faculty advisor is.

One of my favorite classes in high school and engineering school.   Also helped my wife thru her college physics class.

Mind you this is well over 20 years ago.  May be able to help you in a pinch.

Big thing to remember is the laws of physics are all around you.  Gravity, conservation of energy, etc.  Best advice is to try to relate it to what you have observed over your life.

You are clearly a capable person given your existing accomplishments so should be able to improvise,  adapt, and overcome this.

I've found youtube a much better instructor than any of my professors. Especially when it came to the physics and math department. I'm pretty sure they're all just a bunch of supper nerds who can't articulate what they know to someone who doesn't and probably only have their job because they bring research money in to the school..... Rant


Check out organic chemistry tutor on YouTube. He breaks things down better than kahn academy and gets to the point faster too.

I have a 1979 B.S degree in math & physics with a minor in chemistry.  For best understanding the support series of
"schaum's outlines" gave me better results than any textbook I ever studied.  Not just for physics either.

This one is for Physics 101

Not on the same level.
I teach radiology physics.
A very narrow scope to assist radiology students with physics and math calculations related x-ray.

I took a completely different approach to math calculations.
Rather than memorize a plethora of formulas I taught them how things work and how all of the different selections interrelate.
With that knowledge the student can make their own formula on the fly whether for the boards or for practical applications.
After changing my teaching approach, all of my radiology students ace the math and physics portion of their boards.

I love physics.

Just like for math, you need to put in a lot of time until it clicks.
I would have loved to had the khans and YouTube tools to help that are available now.
Personally I started with university physics, so never taken a physics class that didn't utilize calc, but if you post up what is causing confusion someone might be able to offer up suggestions.

How did you get into physics with no calculus?

In the same way that what once used to be HS freshman Algebra can now be a “college Algebra” course and meet a college graduates math requirement,
There are now “college physics” courses that used to be a basic high school non Calc based physics course.

For example, I have a boomer relative that went to tech school for nine months in the 1960s.  It was essentially two semesters for an engineering tech certificate.

Around 1980 the same school started a 2 year/four semester program offering an associates in engineering technology.

Twenty years later it was absorbed by another college and now has a 4 year/8 semester engineering tech B.S. degree.  
During the first year and a half they have math courses that basically are classic HS college prep Algebra, Algebra II, Trig, Geometry, and Pre/applied-cal, and take a non calc based physics.

Based on cohort evaluations of USMC officers the median IQ of college graduates dropped .75 to 1.0 sD from about 1940 to 1980, and the same between 1980 and now.  From 1940 to 1980 we went from about 4% of people having an undergrad degree to about 17% in 1980, to around 35% now.

The percentage of college graduates having the basic first year of Calc is way down over that time, with about 1/3 of undergrads failing when attempted.  With huge talk of changing how calculus is taught, making it unnecessary for majors needing it, plus the degree creep of changing degree level for a multitude of programs.

Back in 1940, unless they were coming from a teacher, preacher, or Ag school- you would have expected your college grad to have pretty much knocked out a year of Calc, a year of bio, a year of Chem, history, English, art, classics, philosophy, physics, etc. with pretty much the same courses during the first two years regardless of major.  Then hammered major specific stuff out the last two years.  And their foreign language requirement was not the joke it is now, they were socially conversant and able to read in it.

The “democratization” of education has led to way more HS and college grads than we used to have by far over the past century.  However, it means we have a ton of HS grads without anywhere near the education expected of a HS grad 50 years ago, and the same for college grads.

Without some calculus physics quickly becomes
a nightmare of equations to memorize.

With some basic calculus you can concentrate on the
ideas and derive almost all of the equations easily enough.

Just list all your assumptions, and assume away all of the variables.
"Assume a frictionless surface, in a perfect vacuum, with no gravity..."

One of the dudes I work with said the same thing about calculus and physics. I am most definitely employing all of my Marine Corps skills to make sure I eek out a decent grade from these two classes.

You most likely will be able to have a formula sheet. The key to every kinematics problem is to carefully read the problem, write the given information taking note if the object starts at rest (v=0, a=0) or if it is already in motion. Also look out for similar wording to determine whether or not acceleration is more than 0, slowing down (negative number), or speeding up (positive number). From the given info you can narrow down what kinematics equation to use just by deduction, use the one with only one unknown variable.

After that it's very important to draw a free body diagram and include only the basic information (forces, object, ect.) sometimes the x and y components tripped people up, depending on what way you look at your forces in respect to trigonometry, the x component will be Fcos(theta) and y component will be Fsin(theta). And forces pointed down and left are typically written as negative numbers.

That should get you pretty far in any problem you do. If your physics class progresses into rotational kinematics don't get stressed out, they littereally use the same equations but the names of the variables change to a different symbol.

Pretty much this.  Don't ask "why" because the answer is "because Newton said so," which is not a satisfactory answer in my book.

Non-calculus based physics is pretty straight forward, truth be told.

That reason is that physics is used extensively in geology, meteorology, and oceanography.  Here's the bad news:  it's calculus-based physics to boot.  And pepper your angus for Differential Equations.

I know it is tough. BTDT

But it is the most fascinating field of study. You are learning how the universe works.

I have had a similar discussion with people over the years.

If you have not had the traditional, first year that a major in the subject would have taken calc, physics with Calc, bio, General chem, and organic chem- you do not even have the most basic understanding of how the world works.
Plus you need stats to understand how it is described.  The percentage of the human population with this under their belts is a fraction.
And that is the minimum.  A little more math, chem, etc. goes a long way.

And without half a dozen semesters or so of classic, old school, hard work literature, classics, philosophy, Econ, history, religion, etc. you have that Knowledge in a vacuum.

At his point, over in GD, someone would pipe in about their 30 years as a machinist or welder at a nuke plant and them there guys with all that book learning ain’t got no common sense, or people with a Ph.D. In management from an Internet college and no math beyond HS algebra weigh in with weightless opinions about the dummies in trades,
Both oblivious that someone had to design, build, build the machines that build, the equipment those guys are operating, ensure the waste heat didn’t kill everything in the river, design the mri for parts inspections, make sure it was installed where it doesn’t interfere with other stuff, ensure the health and exposures of workers, and Have the skills to hands on operate the stuff.

When I was a kid, and even until fairly recently, you used to know people that were and engineer officer on a ship in WWII in the pacific, or a bomber pilot in Korea, and they were college grads, sometimes advanced degrees, and they could weld, solder, run a lathe, build cabinets, put in points, gap plugs, etc. and they were Respected people with brains and hands on skills.  They were not seen in the same, disdainful light smart and educated people seem to be now.  And skilled, experienced tradespeople were respected as well and not seen as dummies.

Sure, there were always meathead grease monkeys, ditch diggers, etc. and full of hot air not so bright pseudo intellectuals,

But it didn’t seem to be near the no smart, educated people have any common sense and all trades are for dummies dynamic we have now.

Use the Laplace Transform to solve Differential Equations.

It reduces DEs to algebra in the Laplace Domain.
It is what EE and Chem E use daily.

I had to look that up, a whole cup of no.

I am definitely giving this class a go basically working on this class with most of my free time. Once I found my resources to help figure out which formula goes with the equations for the homework, a lot of hard work but a lot smoother sailing.

Well I aced the course, probably the class that I have put the most effort and brain power into. Decided to buy myself a gift because I did so well... Attached File


They were back ordered on 31's so figured Ill keep the order in and wait.

Congrats!   Nice to hear that hard work and determination won out once again.  Well Done!

It only looks complicated because most texts want to show the derivation of the Laplace Domain.
They do the same thing with the Fourier Domain, and Basic Calculus.

Limit as delta goes to zero.

In EE capacitors are 1/sC.
Inductors are sL
Resistors are just R.
Form up loop equations and solve.

I was thinking along the same lines because I took physics 151 and 152, which were algebra/trig 2 based, while working on an associate of applied science degree.  The BS Mechanical Engineering I was working towards, required Physics 251 and 252, which were calculus based.  

When I saw he stated 101, I thought it was algebra based, but looking online, it is calculus based.  I am wondering the same thing as another poster asked, how he got into the class without the calculus prerequisite.  Unless there is no pre-req, and they just teach you the minimal amount of calculus you will need, up front in the beginning of the course.

Another possibility, since it is an online course, is that the system allowed him to register for and take the class, only to be told later it doesn't count because he didn't make sure he had the pre-req prior to taking the course.

I couldn’t say.

Used to be, any one with an undergrad degree in Math, Physics, Bio, Chem, pre-med, engineering, etc. Took the exact same first year/two semesters of Calc, Bio, Chem, physics with Calc, etc.

They have invented a lot of college courses that are not as rigorous as the classic entry courses used to be, degree creeped many undergrad degrees to grad or professional degrees without typical actual graduate level rigor, etc.

I think you might be suffering from a case of the good old days.  ABET accreditation still requires the same rigor as you are describing.

There have been a lot of colleges, especially of the online variety, that have cropped up over the decades that are specifically designed to prey on veterans and other recipients of financial aid.  Many of them offer 4 year technology degrees and even standard degrees that don't necessarily amount to much.

I worked with a guy that earned the same AAS as I did.  It was a Nuclear Maintenance Technologies degree that was required as a condition of our employment.  After graduation, and in between field work, he signed up for an online program to get an Engineering Technologies BS.  They accepted all of our AAS classes, and a few short months later, he got his BS from this place.  He then applied to a university, to either get a straight engineering BS or maybe a masters, and they told him he would basically have to start from scratch because his credits were worthless.  He spent all of his GIBill and I think quite a bit out of pocket because the place was very expensive.  The name Excelsior comes to mind, but don't quote me on that.

When I was getting a BS in EE the calculus class for engineers was a
5 hour class for the entire freshman year.
Every weekday. Another hour of calculus.
It met for an 'academic hour' (you never noticed that an academic hour' is only 50 minutes) every weekday.
First quarter was differential calc.
Second was integral calc.
Third was multivariate.
The same calc but every variable was a matrix.
That is how you got X, Y, Z directions and time wrapped all together.
And time takes care of both AC circuits and movement.

Its chief purpose was to wash out anyone weak in math.
Virginia Tech used a quarter system.
10 week quarters, a week of exams, a week off, into the next quarter.
So 3 quarters made up an academic year.

We routinely used textbooks designed for a 15 week semester system
(the far more common system, and what tech has now used for many years.
We did 15 weeks in 10 weeks + one exam week to prove you actual learned the stuff.

Beware of the prof that gives "open book" tests.
If you have to look up more than a few things you are NOT going to do well.

I did the same thing when teaching undergrads.
Worked very well.

I have over a dozen of those.
Worth keeping.
Especially if you have marked them up.

I jumped in front of the fire hose today for the first day of my Physics class.  I can certainly understand where the OP was coming from in the beginning.  There's a lot to take in, in a short period of time.  To make things even more fun, this is an 8-week course.  

This is going to be interesting, to say the least.  But, I'll get through it.

@ElPresidenteAnRK

Look up Khan Academy on Youtube. It has helped me a lot.

Yes, I have seen the model where engineering has its own first year of calc courses.

I was not trying to imply getting a real engineering degree has lapsed in math courses.

On the other hand, you can get a B.S. in Engineering Technology, without a year of calc.  Just the basic high school Algebra, Geometry, Trig, maybe whiff of pre-Cal.

I was describing the classic university/ college of arts and sciences type model where a year of calc is the classic year of calc - with biology, chemistry, math, physics, pre-med, etc. all sitting in the same class.  As well as the same gen Chem year, same organic year.

With about 35% of people getting a degree,

That means about 2 million bachelors degree are earned each year in the USA.  Only about 30K are in physical sciences.  Only 1.5%.
If you add technology, architecture, the ag/env stuff, about 100K engineering type degrees a year.  So about 5%.
Life Sciences, again- counting some of the softer ag, env, etc. Stuff,  pushing 150K, about 7.5 percent.

About 400K are going to get business, finance, Econ, management, etc. Degrees, ranging from a basic high school level statistics course to some nerd level business math.  

Arguably, only about 10-15 percent of the population could handle the courses and rigor of the typical degree expectations that existed until about the 1960s.

Unless you plan to be a physics major, you don't need to understand the mathematical proofs.  Just accept the formulas as proved and learn to apply them.  Should only need Algebra for that.

Engineering books teach you how to analyze circuits.

Technician books give you analyzed circuits you plug new values into the equations.

Well, I just took one final exam of the two for the class (class plus lab).  This one was the lab.  I got a 100 on that one.  Now, it's time to go have a celebratory cheeseburger with my son and then get back in the books for the big final exam.  

What some of you say about your brain being wired a certain way is absolutely true.  I'm not entirely convinced all my circuits were functioning.  

I came to like the subject a little bit and do find it fascinating.  Getting over the initial shock of the sheer amount if info being thrown at me took a week or so but I was able to settle in and keep up with the pace.  In the beginning, all I could see was 8 weeks ahead of me and I had no idea how I was going to make it.  I did better than I expected and the professor even thanked me for working hard on the course.   Making it through this course, even thought it was an intro-level course, gives me a little bump in the self confidence.  I was getting a little worn down after the last semester between COVID, math and NDT stuff.  All that's left is the final for this class, then I'm off to another math, radiographic testing and ultrasonic testing.


Edit:  In some good news, I managed to get an A in both the class and the lab portion.  

I designed refractor telescopes for mm-Wave band.
Over 24 inches in diameter looking at each other with carbon loaded nylon as the refractive elements.
We quickly realized we could obtain very good performance using Fresnel Style lenses.

By placing the mm-wave at a loss point in the atmosphere it was very hard to detect that anything was going on.

Any 'spill' was quickly attenuated.
But the 'antenna gain'  with those large telescopes was incredible.
What did you say?

If you're taking a Calculus based Physics class, rather than a basic Algebra level course, you need a foundation in Calculus.

IME a lot of people have problems with Physics because of the concepts and instructors not being able to explain them in normal people terms. Ive seen several times where somebody is completely lost and then they get the concept explained to them in a way they can understand and boom it's off to the races.

Khan academy is excellent.  I would’ve loved to teach you in person if you were local to me but other than that Khan academy is your best resource.  Physics I is not difficult, if I remember you don’t need any more than algebra and remembering energy is constant, meaning, ex. If you have ball traveling and coming to a complete stop, you need to write the equation for forces acting on it while it’s traveling and equating that to the force that stopped it and solving for the variables, Why because energy is constant and will not disappear, it will just changes form, from velocity and acceleration to friction and resulting heat that stopped it - I obviously simplifies the scenario to make a point! But you need to understand and allow for all the forces acting on the ball as it changes state.

Good luck, once you learn science - and there’s only two, physics and chemistry (and it’s applied engineering versions) - there’s no going back because you realize how silly the majority of people are and why the group thinking is almost always wrong!

I wish you were local as I studied physics for 10 years post high school and love to simplify complex subjects!

F=ma
V=Vo +at
S=So+Vot+1/2a t^2

KE=1/2mV^2
KE=p^/2m
p=mV
PE=mgh

F=kq1q2/r^2
E=V/d

I could go on but won't bore you.

It is amazing how much I remember from my high school physics class.

F=ma

You're welcome

Math is racist.  

Science is racist and sexist.  

Of course, these are the perspectives of English majors who, admittedly, still count using their fingers and who think pi is a European construct.

The sexism is as undeniably real as it is anywhere in the world.  However, I would say that women have greater opportunities in the fields of science and math than just about anywhere else.