Tips for Cramming Physics Definitions & Concepts

[smart_worker]

is there a way i could cram physics definitions and concepts.i know that i have to understand and learn but in my school we are asked to write exactly the textbook words just like a poetry or something.only if we write each and every in the textbook we are given good grades otherwise they are failing us in the examination.if we fail then we have to waste a year by studying again.

the same thing goes with the hand writing as well.even if it is understandable but not neat no marks are awarded for that answer.in short we must write exactly as in the textbook and draw the exact diagrams if necessary neatly and the problems too must be done only in the textbook way and not in any other method.so everything has to be from the textbook and no changing even 1 or 2 words even if they are grammatically and scientifically correct and make sense.

the only way is to cram the whole textbook.but it is too vast.have you guys memorized a book like this.if yes please give me some tips and strategies.


all the questions are only from the textbook.the worst part is that the ones who don't understand and cram everything are considered brilliant here.the same goes to chemistry and other science subjects as well

 

[Forensics]

Flash cards can really help with memorizing terms and definition.

 

[ZapperZ]

is there a way i could cram physics definitions and concepts.i know that i have to understand and learn but in my school we are asked to write exactly the textbook words just like a poetry or something.only if we write each and every in the textbook we are given good grades otherwise they are failing us in the examination.if we fail then we have to waste a year by studying again.

Wow. That is just ... sad!

And we wonder why so many students are turned off by physics.

Zz.

 

[jbrussell93]

is there a way i could cram physics definitions and concepts.i know that i have to understand and learn but in my school we are asked to write exactly the textbook words just like a poetry or something.only if we write each and every in the textbook we are given good grades otherwise they are failing us in the examination.if we fail then we have to waste a year by studying again.

even if the answers what we write in the exam are wrong we are not given marks.the same thing goes with the hand writing as well.even if it is understandable but not neat no marks are awarded for that answer.in short we must write exactly as in the textbook and draw the exact diagrams if necessary neatly and the problems too must be done only in the textbook way and not in any other method.so everything has to be from the textbook and no changing even 1 or 2 words even if they are grammatically and scientifically correct and make sense.

the only way is to cram the whole textbook.but it is too vast.have you guys memorized a book like this.if yes please give e some tips and strategies.

This literally sounds like a nightmare to me. Can I ask what is your level in school and/or the country you are from?

 

[smart_worker]

This literally sounds like a nightmare to me. Can I ask what is your level in school and/or the country you are from?

it is high school 12th grade physics.we learn electronics,optics,electricity,manetism and mechanics

 

[WannabeFeynman]

You two (Zz and jbrussel) sound surprised. I am taking physics in high school (I am studying physics by myself on the side) and it's a similar situation every where. The OP's school seems a bit unorthodox, but most math and science subjects at school are equivalent to memorizing formulas and knowing how to plug the numbers it.

smart_worker, if that is the case, then I presume you have no choice other then just memorize. I can suggest just memorizing the formulas and do some application problems. But the best thing you can do is get a good textbook and actually work on understanding the subject.

 

[ZapperZ]

You two (Zz and jbrussel) sound surprised. I am taking physics in high school (I am studying physics by myself on the side) and it's a similar situation every where. The OP's school seems a bit unorthodox, but most math and science subjects at school are equivalent to memorizing formulas and knowing how to plug the numbers it. .

The plug-and-chug I know of and can semi-understand why. The memorization and regurgitation of definitions word-for-word is what I find puzzling.

Zz.

 

[smart_worker]

do some application problems. But the best thing you can do is get a good textbook and actually work on understanding the subject.

all the questions asked in the exam are 100% form the book and directly.all the self evaluation questions are provided answers at the end of the textbook.the homework they give us is just copying the textbook problems.

so no use of doing any additional problems and buying another book

 

[smart_worker]

science is now a literature

 

[Forensics]

When I was in high school 10 yers ago this was the standard. Science classes in 6th grade were interesting but from grade 7 to 12 it was all memorization and copying things out of a book.

 

[tiny-tim]

all the questions asked in the exam are 100% form the book and directly.all the self evaluation questions are provided answers at the end of the textbook.

as a matter of interest, what are the author and title of the physics textbook?

 

[adjacent]

is there a way i could cram physics definitions and concepts.


all the questions are only from the textbook.the worst part is that the ones who don't understand and cram everything are considered brilliant here.the same goes to chemistry and other science subjects as well

What you have to do is carefully learn what the methods of different teachers are(I mean different teachers may give marks differently.That's how it is.).I don't think you should copy-paste all of the book into the brain.Ask the teachers about how they give marks.(You may get a tip)

Physics equations formulas etc are not so hard to learn but they are hard to just rote- memorize.Understanding it will automatically get itself copied to the brain.

 

[smart_worker]

as a matter of interest, what are the author and title of the physics textbook?

name is "physics 12"

education system here is different.it is not 1 author who had wrote this book but a group of them.

actually practicals are also in same condition.you don't do any experiment you just simply cram and write things down.

for instance if you are working with a circuit in which you need to find the resistance using ohm's law you need not take any reading you just simply write the crammed values that you already got when you did before the exam

 

[smart_worker]

What you have to do is carefully learn what the methods of different teachers are(I mean different teachers may give marks differently.That's how it is.).I don't think you should copy-paste all of the book into the brain.Ask the teachers about how they give marks.(You may get a tip)

education system here is different.you write an exam at a different school.the papers are corrected at another different school anywhere in the state

 

[adjacent]

education system here is different.you write an exam at a different school.the papers are corrected at another different school anywhere in the state

Still ask the teacher.He/she may know about the general marking scheme.

 

[mal4mac]

Memorising formulas is fine, indeed an easy way to memorise laws, like Newton's laws of motion.

Memorising the exact wording in textbooks is ridiculous - your teacher cannot be a good teacher if he is asking you to do that. Tell your parents and get them to complain to the headmaster or board of governors.

 

[smart_worker]

Memorising the exact wording in textbooks is ridiculous - your teacher cannot be a good teacher if he is asking you to do that. Tell your parents and get them to complain to the headmaster or board of governors.

ha ha ';;;lol the education system here is different.all the schools follow this process

well nothing can be done

 

[Vanadium 50]

Smart_worker, unless you are from North Korea, odds are that you are not the first person here from your country. Yet you are the first person to say your entire country does things this way. Why might that be?

 

[Seydlitz]

ha ha ';;;lol the education system here is different.all the schools follow this process

well nothing can be done

I also want to know, where are you from actually?

 

[smart_worker]

you are the first person to say your entire country does things this way. Why might that be?

i am not saying the entire country does this.the country has different educational boards.each board has its own unique way of training students.each state follow different educational board.

one cannot switch over from one board to another in grade 12

 

[shawrix]

Smart_Worker is probably from India by the 'Same boat theory'.

I understood this just by reading the question. :D
I keep hearing it all day long...yawns..

 

[smart_worker]

'Same boat theory'.

what do you mean by 'Same boat theory'.

what do you keep hearing all day long

 

[WannabeFeynman]

Smart_Worker is probably from India by the 'Same boat theory'.

I understood this just by reading the question. :D
I keep hearing it all day long...yawns..

This is the most ridiculous thing I have heard. India does enforce some rote learning, but boards such as CBSE also enforces a high degree of understanding the concepts in a very rigorous form. Please don't make statements over small anecdotal evidence.

 

[VishalChauhan]

If smart_worker is referring to the physics books published by the NCERT.India , I think his statements are ridiculous. These are perhaps the best physics books published in the country.Every physics nerd here swears by the ncert books. The tone of the book never suggests rote memorisation, infact the foreword itself warns against it.Fault lies in the way his teachers handle the subject.

 

[WannabeFeynman]

If smart_worker is referring to the physics books published by the NCERT.India , I think his statements are ridiculous. These are perhaps the best physics books published in the country.Every physics nerd here swears by the ncert books. The tone of the book never suggests rote memorisation, infact the foreword itself warns against it.Fault lies in the way his teachers handle the subject.

I don't know whether smart-worker is in India (is was just a stereotypical guess from shawrix). I agree that the NCERT books are very good (well, it depends on the school though as to how they use them).

Anyways, back to topic, smart_worker, if you knew the requirements from the start, then you should have started memorizing 10 months ago (as ridiculous as that sounds). Good luck on your exams though.

 

[AlephZero]

I don't know about India, but this thread reminded me of http://calteches.library.caltech.edu/46/2/LatinAmerica.htm

 

[WannabeFeynman]

This situation should serve to make us reflect on how bad the education system in North America is. Rote memorization is not the way to study anything - not even history which is based on facts and dates, much less math and science. Whats more, such things scare students like me and (if I didn't know better by studying on my own) we would be under the assumption that all physics is simply memorizing definitions and formulas.

 

[shawrix]

what do you mean by 'Same boat theory'.

what do you keep hearing all day long

I am too from India, although i did my schooling from Dubai.
I too crammed up various topic when i was in senior school, that's what i mean by the same boat theory.

This is the most ridiculous thing I have heard. India does enforce some rote learning, but boards such as CBSE also enforces a high degree of understanding the concepts in a very rigorous form. Please don't make statements over small anecdotal evidence.

Every single CBSE school in India doesn't enforce practical ways of teaching. There's a large chunk of population that just doesn't know what they are supposed to do after cramming up some formulas and derivations.

Good books don't teach students, teachers teach students, atleast the average students. We all know we lack not only teachers at primary level, but also at secondary and even at graduation level.

CBSE? You can pass senior secondary board exams just by studying for last 3 months. You practice last 10 years papers and voila.

 

[Seydlitz]

...

You can pass senior secondary board exams just by studying for last 3 months. You practice last 10 years papers and voila.

I don't see why practicing using past papers has no merit. They exist and are published for a reason. Many large universities publish past papers extensively for students to learn. Now if we are talking about memorising past papers and their solutions blindly, then that is problematic.

 

[WannabeFeynman]

I am too from India, although i did my schooling from Dubai.
I too crammed up various topic when i was in senior school, that's what i mean by the same boat theory.

Every single CBSE school in India doesn't enforce practical ways of teaching. There's a large chunk of population that just doesn't know what they are supposed to do after cramming up some formulas and derivations.

Good books don't teach students, teachers teach students, atleast the average students. We all know we lack not only teachers at primary level, but also at secondary and even at graduation level.

CBSE? You can pass senior secondary board exams just by studying for last 3 months. You practice last 10 years papers and voila.

Just to confirm, I am talking about the India in South Asia. All CBSE schools, more or less, are enforced to follow the same procedures. There are few discrepancies however... "Cramming up derivations" is not possible without understanding the concept by the way. Anyway, tell any topper (someone who received 90% approx. on the exams) that you can do well on senior secondary board exams by studying for 3 months.

 

[shawrix]

I don't see why practicing using past papers has no merit. They exist and are published for a reason. Many large universities publish past papers extensively for students to learn. Now if we are talking about memorising past papers and their solutions blindly, then that is problematic.

Exactly. Atleast 40 to 45 percent of the paper is based on old papers and even some questions are repeated again and again. This encourages cramming...

Just to confirm, I am talking about the India in South Asia.

This comment made me recheck on google if there are other countries in world called 'India'.
How many India's are there in the world?
I am residing in India now and i know well what i am saying.

"Cramming up derivations" is not possible without understanding the concept by the way.

I don't agree.

tell any topper (someone who received 90% approx. on the exams) that you can do well on senior secondary board exams by studying for 3 months.

Not talking about toppers, you can easily score 75 percent and above by studying for last three months. I did that and its no miracle, the question papers and the 'high' quality checking makes it simple.

 

[Alpharup]

i think he is from tamilnadu...

 

[Alpharup]

l have already posted and it was discussed here https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=700489

 

[tiny-tim]

l have already posted and it was discussed here https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=700489

I had difficulty memorizing tough definitions like these …
…
There is very less of problem(Plug and chug type) solving involved in my textbook which too I didn't like. The same problems are asked for the exams without even changing the numbers!
You may take a look at my school textbook;

http://www.textbooksonline.tn.nic.in/Books/11/Std11-Phys-EM-1.pdf

For mathematics, many definitions are used exactly. … Will memorizing the definitions do much help in physics, if not in classical physics, atleast in higher physics like relativity and quantum mechanics?
…
My high school physics textbook …
For example, the definition of "force" in physics textbook is,
"Force is defined as that which when acting on a body changes or tends to change the state of rest or of uniform motion of the body along a straight line."

hi sharan swarup!

a definition like that may not be easy to remember, but it is easy to reconstruct:

you start with Force is defined as that which when acting on a body changes the state of motion of the body

you then think "but sometimes the body isn't in motion, its at rest" so you add "of rest or" …
Force is defined as that which when acting on a body changes the state of rest or of motion of the body

you then think "but sometimes a force doesn't change anything, it keeps it as it is" so you add "or tends to change" …
Force is defined as that which when acting on a body changes or tends to change the state of rest or of motion of the body

you then think "but a torque fits that definition, and i don't want it to, so how do i exclude that?" and you add "along a straight line" …
Force is defined as that which when acting on a body changes or tends to change the state of rest or of uniform motion of the body along a straight line.

(but I'm not sure what the word "uniform" is supposed to do )

the point is: if someone presented one of the intermediate definitions to you, you should be able to see something wrong with it, and if you can't then you don't understand what you're reading as well as you think you do!

a question that requires you to reproduce the definition is not testing your ability to write, but your ability to understand ​

(of course, i agree with you that more problem-solving is also needed)

(i'm not necessarily saying i support this rote learning, but i do see the point of it, and if properly taught it should not be a mere memory exercise

btw, does it have anything to do with the indian culture of learning ancient texts?)

 

[Alpharup]

hi sharan swarup!

a definition like that may not be easy to remember, but it is easy to reconstruct:

you start with Force is defined as that which when acting on a body changes the state of motion of the body

you then think "but sometimes the body isn't in motion, its at rest" so you add "of rest or" …
Force is defined as that which when acting on a body changes the state of rest or of motion of the body

you then think "but sometimes a force doesn't change anything, it keeps it as it is" so you add "or tends to change" …
Force is defined as that which when acting on a body changes or tends to change the state of rest or of motion of the body

you then think "but a torque fits that definition, and i don't want it to, so how do i exclude that?" and you add "along a straight line" …
Force is defined as that which when acting on a body changes or tends to change the state of rest or of uniform motion of the body along a straight line.

(but I'm not sure what the word "uniform" is supposed to do )

the point is: if someone presented one of the intermediate definitions to you, you should be able to see something wrong with it, and if you can't then you don't understand what you're reading as well as you think you do!

a question that requires you to reproduce the definition is not testing your ability to write, but your ability to understand ​

(of course, i agree with you that more problem-solving is also needed)

(i'm not necessarily saying i support this rote learning, but i do see the point of it, and if properly taught it should not be a mere memory exercise

btw, does it have anything to do with the indian culture of learning ancient texts?)

If the system can't support problem solving method, it should support atleast the freeedom of expression...ie... The students should have the liberty to express what they have thought and are thinking in their own words. If I blindly write the definiion given in the textoook(without changing the words), would the teacher know that I have understood? Only when I express myself in own, will someone know that I have understood the material or not.

If a question does not allow us to express ourselves as an induvidual , how can that question be said to test our understanding and not our writing skills? In fact the question neither tests our understanding and writing skills, but tests only our memory.

I believe that proper teaching and the ability to retain exact words have no correlation. Proper teachinng will infact make you understand more, it will make you express the same material by using different "words", it can infact make you a good teacher. It can also make you a problem solver.