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VCE Stuff => VCE Science => VCE Mathematics/Science/Technology => VCE Subjects + Help => VCE Physics => Topic started by: ed_saifa on March 07, 2008, 05:52:23 pm

Title: Does anyone find physics to be very ambiguous?
Post by: ed_saifa on March 07, 2008, 05:52:23 pm
Im just curious..
Title: Re: Does anyone find physics to be very ambiguous?
Post by: midas_touch on March 07, 2008, 05:53:40 pm
Elaborate...
Title: Re: Does anyone find physics to be very ambiguous?
Post by: ed_saifa on March 07, 2008, 07:20:45 pm
its just harder than every other subject. the only reason im passing is because i'm using specialist maths knowledge and techniques
Title: Re: Does anyone find physics to be very ambiguous?
Post by: cara.mel on March 07, 2008, 07:23:12 pm
Why is it harder? The general aim of vce physics is to simplify all the maths down so that in your perfect air resistance less world you can understand the underlying concepts.

And physics helped me with spec with all the kinematics stuff, not the other way around =/
Title: Re: Does anyone find physics to be very ambiguous?
Post by: ed_saifa on March 07, 2008, 07:24:57 pm
wow. it really is the opposite for me. all the kinematic and dynamic stuff in spesh really helped with  understanding in physics.
Title: Re: Does anyone find physics to be very ambiguous?
Post by: dcc on March 07, 2008, 08:08:17 pm
this topic is quite ironic.
Title: Re: Does anyone find physics to be very ambiguous?
Post by: ed_saifa on March 07, 2008, 08:35:03 pm
ironic? how so?
Title: Re: Does anyone find physics to be very ambiguous?
Post by: cara.mel on March 07, 2008, 08:38:30 pm
ironic? how so?

The topic is ambiguous as well :P
Title: Re: Does anyone find physics to be very ambiguous?
Post by: ed_saifa on March 07, 2008, 08:45:48 pm
physics is affecting me so much. btw did anyone go to luna park for phyiscs?
Title: Re: Does anyone find physics to be very ambiguous?
Post by: Mao on March 07, 2008, 09:06:44 pm
i want to! but then i'll just get hooked on stuph instead of working *gets distracted*

physics is really just boiled-down math, i dont find it ambiguous, except that it's painfully simplistic at times (and you dont realise it and try to do it the hard way) and tend not to be compatible with your other subjects (much)
that and, I hate electronics

but the thing is (as a few people here have pointed out to me), you dont need to know why, you dont really even need to know how if u can do the maths, you just need to know it does, and that it does with these formulas =P
Title: Re: Does anyone find physics to be very ambiguous?
Post by: cara.mel on March 07, 2008, 09:13:16 pm
Luna Park was the best excuse for an excursion ever :P

At my school, we didn't even need to fill out the work sheets for it, like ever. xD
Title: Re: Does anyone find physics to be very ambiguous?
Post by: midas_touch on March 07, 2008, 09:24:34 pm
Why is it harder? The general aim of vce physics is to simplify all the maths down so that in your perfect air resistance less world you can understand the underlying concepts.

And physics helped me with spec with all the kinematics stuff, not the other way around =/

Not to mention, a frictionless world as well. I also agree that physics also helped me with spec in the kinematics/newtons laws section.

With VCE physics, your basically just given the formulas and are told that they apply. More rigorous derivations of these forumlas aren't looked into until u do physics at uni.
Title: Re: Does anyone find physics to be very ambiguous?
Post by: ed_saifa on March 07, 2008, 10:06:08 pm
So everyone so far has found physics somewhat easy?..O_O
Title: Re: Does anyone find physics to be very ambiguous?
Post by: iamdan08 on March 07, 2008, 10:50:05 pm
Yeah i enjoy physics and dont find it hard at all. I am the same with Mao and HATE electronics.
Title: Re: Does anyone find physics to be very ambiguous?
Post by: cara.mel on March 08, 2008, 08:44:31 am
You also have to remember that this forum doesn't have a typical sample of vce students on it, and you're probably doing a lot better than you think. I personally think it's the best subject in the world ^_^

If you have any problems understanding something, remember that people here are more than happy to help you
Title: Re: Does anyone find physics to be very ambiguous?
Post by: Ahmad on March 08, 2008, 10:27:40 am
I always asked why in physics, and more often than not I did not receive or think up an adequate answer.

It's important that you ask why when learning something, and in many circumstances VCE physics doesn't make this possible because often important details are left out to simplify things - but I love the details! The thing is - if you don't ask why early, you'll familiarise yourself enough with the topic you don't fully understand until you think "it's common sense" why such and such is true, whereas really you've just skipped over what could've been a deeper understanding of the topic. Then again, you don't really need to know why at a deep level to get 50 for physics, or spesh.

This occurs with maths at the VCE level too, however it's easier to justify steps yourself, or if you can't do that consulting a more advanced text or some resource online will often do the trick.

So yeah, sometimes I felt physics was ambiguous.
Title: Re: Does anyone find physics to be very ambiguous?
Post by: ed_saifa on March 08, 2008, 12:19:08 pm
w00t someone agrees! and yes..i hate electronics as well.
Title: Re: Does anyone find physics to be very ambiguous?
Post by: /0 on March 15, 2008, 02:34:20 pm
Isn't motion pretty straightforward though?
Title: Re: Does anyone find physics to be very ambiguous?
Post by: ?HI? on March 15, 2008, 06:01:15 pm
It's important that you ask why when learning something, and in many circumstances VCE physics doesn't make this possible because often important details are left out to simplify things

Asking 'why' is definitely a good thing, as a greater understanding of the physics concepts helps you to know when it is appropriate to apply a certain rule. I agree that 50 in Physics and Maths are achievable without a thorough understanding; at the VCE level, a person who is accurate and good with memory can ace these subs. HOWEVER understanding certainly will help you in your quest of obtaining high study scores in science and maths subjects.

Regarding physics being ambiguous - perhaps it is due to the textbooks available? It seems like the majority - if not all of them! - of VCE physics texts are not well written; concepts are not justified well through explanation, etc. If you don't fully comprehend any of the material in physics, I would advise using the internet (and Wikipedia!) as a tool for further reading - this certainly helped me with getting a 50 :

As for motion - VCE-wise, it is quite straightforward! The exams are mostly formulae-application without much explanations required. Of course, motion as an actual subject is obviously so much more complex.
Title: Re: Does anyone find physics to be very ambiguous?
Post by: Ahmad on March 15, 2008, 08:26:21 pm
I agree that 50 in Physics and Maths are achievable without a thorough understanding; at the VCE level, a person who is accurate and good with memory can ace these subs.

I was/am neither  ;D
Title: Re: Does anyone find physics to be very ambiguous?
Post by: iamdan08 on March 15, 2008, 08:56:37 pm
I agree that 50 in Physics and Maths are achievable without a thorough understanding; at the VCE level, a person who is accurate and good with memory can ace these subs.

I was/am neither  ;D

lol. Then how did you get 50?
Title: Re: Does anyone find physics to be very ambiguous?
Post by: Ahmad on March 15, 2008, 09:02:29 pm
Luck
Title: Re: Does anyone find physics to be very ambiguous?
Post by: cara.mel on March 15, 2008, 09:09:11 pm
Luck

Sif be modest on your birthday :P
Title: Re: Does anyone find physics to be very ambiguous?
Post by: midas_touch on March 15, 2008, 09:16:23 pm
Luck

rofl. ur just pro.
Title: Re: Does anyone find physics to be very ambiguous?
Post by: iamdan08 on March 15, 2008, 09:51:37 pm
Luck

I hope i am as lucky is you!  ;D
Title: Re: Does anyone find physics to be very ambiguous?
Post by: /0 on March 15, 2008, 10:14:17 pm
Luck

Smart people create luck  ;D
Title: Re: Does anyone find physics to be very ambiguous?
Post by: ?HI? on March 15, 2008, 11:47:16 pm
sif luck. Seems to me that Ahmad did it through solid UNDERSTANDING of his subjects. I predict great uni results for him ;P
Title: Re: Does anyone find physics to be very ambiguous?
Post by: Fyrefly on March 20, 2008, 11:14:59 am
I always asked questions. Drove my teacher insane.

I found physics helped me with spec and not the other way around, but my spec textbook covered kinematics/dynamics/etc at the end of the year, so it was really just a whole bunch of physics revision for me.
Title: Re: Does anyone find physics to be very ambiguous?
Post by: random.photon on April 08, 2008, 04:21:58 pm
Whats wrong with Electronics? :/
Title: Re: Does anyone find physics to be very ambiguous?
Post by: iamdan08 on April 08, 2008, 06:41:20 pm
Whats wrong with Electronics? :/

Its ambiguous! lol