Calculus in Physics

[the GardenGnome]

I would like to become a physicist. But you need to know calculus in physics. Is it really all that hard?

[fafalone]

The calculus is far from the hardest part of physics.

[the GardenGnome]

Originally posted by fafalone

The calculus is far from the hardest part of physics.

 

What is the hardest part of physics?

[blike]

Originally posted by the GardenGnome

What is the hardest part of physics?

 

Probably classical mechanics Fafalone's favorite!

 

Faf told me last night the calc used is pretty basic, which is encouraging. I plan I taking physics w/ calculus, but I've only been through calc1.

[fafalone]

One you get into upper level physics the calculus is pretty intense, but you'll have to have the required calc courses as a prerequisite. but you won't have trouble learning it if you get through the early levels.

[Ryoken]

Good, because calc is a mystery to me too.

 

What is the basic consept of calc that makes it so important/useful?

[EvilMind]

algebraic geometry, Lie groups, operator calculus, manifold theory.

 

calculus is nothing, its just a small step.

[Dave]

Originally posted by Ryoken

Good, because calc is a mystery to me too.

 

What is the basic consept of calc that makes it so important/useful?

 

it's the concept of a limiting value that's key to calculus. it enables us to find gradients of graphs at any given point exactly and to find the area defined under a graph (which is useful for velocity-time graphs, to quote a simple example). it's a key role in more or less any part of mechanics and if you deal with motion in general then you're going to run into it at some point.

[Dave]

In fact, to further expand on this, take for an example (in a simplified case), a rocket being launched, which loses mass over a period of time. ignoring changes in gravitational field strength, relativistic effects etc, the problem stands that you effectively have a particle with changing mass. in order to create the mathematics behind this, you have to consider the change in mass of the rocket over a "small" period of time.

 

in this case, you then take the limiting value of this small period of time. this enables you to solve the equation that you perform. without the limiting values and calculus in general, you wouldn't be able to do this problem or anything like it. same thing applies for things like shock absorbers (damped harmonic motion), springs, coils, etc.

 

basically, calc is good and kindof essential

[JoeDaWolf]

Also, a hard part about physics is applying mathematics to problems that exist in the world. most people aren't good at applied mathematics becuase their brains don't think like that

 

~Wolf

[JaKiri]

Calculus is dead easy for the most part.

 

The difficult bit in physics is the algebraic manipulation of equations.