#physics explained

[scarcelyodd]

Visit the post for more.

I’ve started a blog! It’s basically my experiment in writing a physics textbook with a casual tone. Here we go...!

[scarcelyodd]

That’s it. That’s the goal of this blog: to explain physics to you in what is hopefully both an engaging and a clear manner. Now I’m making a few assumptions about you that it’s important you know …

First post! What’s this blog about, anyways?

[scarcelyodd]

Math: The Language of Physics

Let's talk about what you'll need out of math - the language of physics. #math #physics #physicsexplained

This post is all about math, because in order to go beyond purely conceptual physics, you need to be comfortable with mathematics. It’s how physicists talk to each other; it’s the language of physics.

So, what math skills do you need to successfully follow this blog? Since I’m starting out with algebra-based mechanics, you definitely need to be comfortable with algebra. You also need to know…

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[scarcelyodd]

The Kinematics Equations

New blog post: Let's derive the kinematics equations - WITHOUT calculus! #physicsexplained #kinematics

Alright. We’ve defined our main concepts (displacement, velocity, and acceleration) and we’ve reviewed our algebra skills. It’s time to tackle the kinematics equations. The whole point of the kinematics equations is that they mathematically describe motion. Note: they do not explain motion! We’ll worry about explaining motion later because explaining why things happen is always more difficult…

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[scarcelyodd]

Acceleration – Scarcely Odd

Acceleration

We’re ready to discuss our final concept – acceleration! In the same way that velocity is a change in position over a change in time, accele

Time to speed things up by discussing acceleration!

[scarcelyodd]

Still learning this whole Wordpress.com thing. On my most recent post, I wrote a clever little tweet but it didn't get tweeted out, I guess because I just clicked "Publish" instead of "Schedule." Hmpf!

[scarcelyodd]

How do you feel about physics?

New post! How do you feel about physics? #physicsexplained #physics

And I do mean this in a very literal sense: what are the primary feelings that come to mind when you hear the word, “physics”?

I ask my students this question on the first day of class, using pictures of my dog, Cheyenne (who, by the way, will make frequent appearances on this blog):

Physics makes me feel like:

Which one represents you?

I would love it of course if everyone…

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[theorangelifeofriley]

Minute Physics: Why the Sky is Blue

We were just talking about this the other day!