If I do Specialist Maths, should i also consider doing Physics?

[jamalgreen1]

I have received advice from numerous past students to consider doing Physics if I am doing Specialist Maths as the theory in each subject will help one another. Just wanted to know whether this was true and how much it would contribute to maximising my final VCE results.

[Tau]

I have received advice from numerous past students to consider doing Physics if I am doing Specialist Maths as the theory in each subject will help one another. Just wanted to know whether this was true and how much it would contribute to maximising my final VCE results.

I wouldn't necessarily say that doing Physics will help with Specialist - the level of maths in Physics is negligible. You may find that the mathematical approach to kinematics, dynamics, and statics in Specialist may aid with the corresponding Physics topics, however.

[S_R_K]

Physics background helps most with setting up diagrams for forces acting on particles, because the content here is not strictly mathematical (eg. understanding how pulleys work, how normal forces arise, etc.) To the extent that there is an advantage for physics students, it is only early on when first learning the material. Writing and using an equation of motion from an accurate labelled diagram doesn't require much physics background.

Kinematics doesn't require a significant physics background. What you learn in Units 1 & 2 Methods / Specialist is sufficient, and I haven't found that physics students have any noticeable advantage.

Also: perhaps mods could collapse this thread with the other.

[IceWallowCome]

Specialist maths unit 4 is heavily weighted on physics unit 3. Physics people will have an advantage as they have encountered these questions many times before the people who haven't.

[keltingmeith]

When I did spec, everyone else in my class did physics except me. I got full marks on both my mechanics SAC, and exam. They all said that doing mechanics in spec helped more with physics than doing it in physics helped with spec.

Do what you enjoy, not what you think will help. You'll study better that way

[milanander]

There would definitely be some overlaps in content but you wouldn’t NEED to have to do physics in order to do well in spesh. I’m pretty sure it’s a requirement that the study design of all VCE subjects are written so that whether or not you do another subject would have minimal impact on your performance in another (sorry that’s a clumsy sentence but I hope you get what I mean).

That said, I know physics+spesh is definitely a “recommended” pairing. But I hear that spesh is more helpful for physics, not the other way around.