Hardest Physics Classes I've Taken in Undergrad

Andrew Dotson
5 Jan 201807:28
EducationalLearning
32 Likes 10 Comments

TLDRIn this video, a physics master's student reflects on the three most challenging physics courses taken during their academic journey. The first, classical mechanics, proved tough due to a transition from biology to physics, requiring a shift from memorization to critical thinking. Thermodynamics, the second course, presented complexities in understanding macroscopic and microscopic interactions, involving intricate equations and state functions. The third, atomic physics, was challenging due to simultaneously taking it with a prerequisite quantum mechanics course, demanding a rapid adaptation to new concepts and advanced problem-solving. The student emphasizes the importance of a strong mathematical foundation and critical thinking in physics, sharing insights on how each challenging course contributed to their overall understanding and appreciation of the subject.

Takeaways
  • 💻 Classical Mechanics challenges students to move beyond memorization to critical thinking, emphasizing the importance of understanding over rote learning.
  • 🔫 The transition from a Biology to Physics major illustrates the adaptability required in academia and highlights the stark differences in learning approaches between disciplines.
  • 🤷‍♂‍ Thermodynamics splits into two main sections: the macroscopic view of thermodynamic quantities and the microscopic perspective offered by Statistical Mechanics.
  • 📖 Thermodynamics laws humorously encapsulate the inherent limitations in energy transfer and utilization, providing a succinct overview of the discipline's foundational principles.
  • 🔍 Statistical Mechanics is favored in graduate studies over classical Thermodynamics, indicating a trend towards the microscopic understanding of thermodynamic processes.
  • 🚀 Atomic Physics as a senior course requires a strong foundation in Quantum Mechanics, underscoring the importance of prerequisites in advanced studies.
  • 📚 Quantum Mechanics and Atomic Physics are intricately linked, with the latter deepening understanding and application of concepts learned in the former.
  • 🔬 Variational methods in Atomic Physics demonstrate the iterative process of scientific inquiry, emphasizing approximation and refinement towards accurate solutions.
  • 👨‍🔬 The intimate class size in advanced physics courses facilitates in-depth discussion and personalized learning, illustrating the benefits of small group education in complex subjects.
  • 📱 The personal journey from struggling with foundational courses to excelling in advanced topics showcases the value of persistence, adaptability, and continuous learning in academic success.
Q & A
  • Why did the speaker find Classical Mechanics challenging?

    -The speaker found Classical Mechanics challenging because it was the first upper-level course that demanded critical thinking and moved away from the memorization-based mentality that was sufficient for lower-level physics courses.

  • What is the main difference between university physics and classical mechanics in terms of problem-solving?

    -In university physics, many physical quantities like air resistance and friction can be neglected, but in classical mechanics, these simplifications are withdrawn, and one must derive equations on the go, considering more complex factors like linear and quadratic air resistance.

  • How did the speaker describe their experience with the Lagrangian and Hamiltonian mechanics sections of Classical Mechanics?

    -The speaker found these sections interesting but had not yet developed the mathematical rigor to fully appreciate concepts like the calculus of variations at the time.

  • What are some of the key concepts studied in Thermodynamics?

    -Thermodynamics focuses on the macroscopic description of quantities such as temperature, entropy, enthalpy, volume, and pressure, and how they relate to work and energy, encapsulated by the zeroth, first, second, and third laws of thermodynamics.

  • Why did the speaker struggle with the Thermodynamics section of the course?

    -The speaker struggled because solving problems in thermodynamics requires the use of concepts like partial and total derivatives, and the equations change depending on the equation of state being used, which was not always clear.

  • How does Statistical Mechanics differ from Thermodynamics?

    -Statistical Mechanics allows for the microscopic description of thermodynamic processes and enables the derivation of equations of state statistically from the energy of particles.

  • What was the speaker's experience with Atomic Physics?

    -The speaker found Atomic Physics difficult due to the prerequisite of having taken Quantum Mechanics, which they were concurrently studying, leading to a lack of intuition and understanding of the material. However, by the end of the course, they had a better grasp of the concepts.

  • How did the speaker's experience with Atomic Physics affect their understanding of Quantum Mechanics?

    -The speaker's experience with Atomic Physics made Quantum Mechanics easier as they became familiar with concepts like wavefunctions, variational methods, and perturbation theory through the application in atomic systems.

  • What advice does the speaker give regarding taking challenging courses?

    -The speaker advises against taking classes before being qualified, as their experience with Classical Mechanics and Atomic Physics was more challenging due to a weaker math background and concurrent study of prerequisite courses.

  • What strategies helped the speaker in their thermodynamics class?

    -The speaker noticed that quantities derived in thermodynamics often followed similar derivation methods. Understanding this pattern could have improved their experience in the class.

  • What are some key takeaways from the speaker's experiences with these physics courses?

    -The speaker's experiences highlight the importance of developing a strong math background, the ability to think critically, and the value of understanding the underlying motivations behind derivations in physics courses.

Outlines
00:00
🎓 Reflecting on Challenging Physics Courses

The speaker, a master's student in physics, shares their experiences with the most difficult physics courses they've encountered. They preface their discussion by acknowledging that their experiences may not align with others due to varying mathematical backgrounds. The speaker explains that their initial background in biology led to a memorization-based approach to learning, which was insufficient for upper-level physics courses like classical mechanics. They found classical mechanics particularly challenging as it required a shift to critical thinking and understanding complex concepts like air resistance and friction, which were simplified in lower-level university physics. The speaker also discusses their struggles with thermodynamics and statistical mechanics, highlighting the mathematical rigor and the application of concepts like partial and total derivatives.

05:01
🌪️ Navigating Quantum Mechanics and Atomic Physics

The speaker delves into the challenges of taking quantum mechanics and atomic physics concurrently, despite the前者 being a prerequisite for the latter. They describe the initial difficulty in understanding multi-electron atoms and the lack of intuition for the subject matter. However, by the end of the course, the speaker had gained a better grasp of the material, attributing this to the practical problem-solving approach used in atomic physics. The course covered advanced topics such as wavefunctions, variational methods, and perturbation theory, which were new concepts for the speaker. They conclude with advice for students: to avoid taking classes before meeting the prerequisites and to focus on developing a strong mathematical foundation to better understand and appreciate the complexities of physics.

Mindmap
Keywords
💡Classical Mechanics
Classical Mechanics is a fundamental branch of physics that deals with the motion of macroscopic objects under the influence of various forces. It is based on the principles of Newtonian mechanics and is concerned with understanding the motion of particles and systems without the need for quantum effects. In the video, the speaker found this course challenging because it required a shift from rote memorization to critical thinking and problem-solving, which was a new experience for them coming from a biology background.
💡Thermodynamics
Thermodynamics is the study of the relationships between heat, work, and energy. It is divided into macroscopic thermodynamics, which deals with large-scale systems, and statistical mechanics, which describes the microscopic underpinnings of thermodynamic processes. The speaker struggled with this course because it required understanding complex concepts like partial derivatives and total derivatives, as well as dealing with different equations of state, which were not as straightforward as the concepts they had learned in university physics.
💡Statistical Mechanics
Statistical Mechanics is a branch of physics that provides a microscopic interpretation of the thermodynamic properties of systems by considering the statistical behavior of their constituent particles. It allows for the derivation of macroscopic thermodynamic quantities from the properties of individual particles. The speaker found this section of thermodynamics more intuitive than the other, as it clicked with them better and was more aligned with their mathematical skills.
💡Atomic Physics
Atomic Physics focuses on the study of the structure, properties, and behavior of atoms, including their interactions with electromagnetic radiation. It often involves quantum mechanics to describe the behavior of electrons in atoms. The speaker found this course particularly challenging due to the prerequisite of having already taken quantum mechanics, which they were concurrently studying, and the fast-paced introduction of complex concepts like the Schrödinger equation and perturbation theory.
💡Quantum Mechanics
Quantum Mechanics is a fundamental theory in physics that describes the behavior of matter and energy at the atomic and subatomic scales. It introduces concepts like wavefunctions, superposition, and quantization, which are essential for understanding phenomena that cannot be explained by classical mechanics. The speaker mentions quantum mechanics as a prerequisite for their atomic physics course and notes that studying atomic physics helped them grasp quantum mechanics better.
💡Schrodinger Equation
The Schrödinger Equation is a fundamental equation in quantum mechanics that describes how the quantum state of a physical system changes with time. It is used to determine the wavefunction of a system, which contains all the information about the system's quantum state. In the context of the video, the speaker had to solve this equation in three dimensions at the beginning of their atomic physics course, which was a challenging task given their concurrent study of quantum mechanics.
💡Stern-Gerlach Experiment
The Stern-Gerlach Experiment is a famous experiment in quantum mechanics that demonstrated the quantization of angular momentum (spin) in particles like electrons. It showed that the magnetic moment of particles can only have certain discrete values, which has profound implications for our understanding of quantum states. In the video, the speaker discusses this experiment as part of their struggle with the advanced topics in atomic physics.
💡Wavefunction
In quantum mechanics, the wavefunction is a mathematical function that provides a complete description of the quantum state of a system. It contains all the information needed to calculate the probabilities of various physical properties of the system. The speaker's struggle with atomic physics involved understanding and guessing wavefunctions, which are crucial for applying variational methods and perturbation theory.
💡Variational Methods
Variational methods are mathematical techniques used in quantum mechanics to approximate the ground state energy of a system by guessing wavefunctions and iteratively improving them to find the best possible solution. These methods are essential for solving complex quantum systems that cannot be exactly solved. In the video, the speaker had to learn and apply these methods in their atomic physics course, which was a significant challenge.
💡Perturbation Theory
Perturbation Theory is a mathematical approach used in physics to approximate solutions to complex problems by considering a known, simpler solution and then accounting for the differences caused by additional, smaller effects. In quantum mechanics, it is used to find approximate eigenvalues and eigenvectors of a Hamiltonian when the system cannot be solved exactly. The speaker found this concept particularly challenging as it was a new and complex idea introduced in their atomic physics course.
💡Critical Thinking
Critical thinking is the ability to analyze and evaluate information and arguments in a systematic and logical way to form judgments. In the context of the video, the speaker had to develop critical thinking skills to succeed in advanced physics courses, which required more than just memorization of facts. This was a significant shift from their previous study habits in biology, where memorization was more prevalent.
Highlights

The speaker is in their final semester of completing a master's in physics.

The speaker initially started as a biology major before switching to physics due to a lack of interest in memorization.

Classical mechanics was challenging because it required a shift from memorization to critical thinking.

In classical mechanics, simplifications made in university physics, such as neglecting air resistance, are withdrawn.

The speaker found the later sections of classical mechanics, involving Lagrangian and Hamiltonian mechanics, interesting but struggled due to lack of mathematical rigor.

Thermodynamics is split into two sections: thermodynamics and statistical mechanics.

Thermodynamics involves the macroscopic description of physical quantities and their interplay with work and energy.

Solving problems in thermodynamics requires the use of partial derivatives and total derivatives, which the speaker found challenging.

Statistical mechanics allows for the microscopic description of thermodynamic processes and the derivation of equations of state statistically.

The speaker attributes their grade in the course to their performance in the statistical mechanics section.

Boltzmann and Ehrenfest, both students of statistical and thermodynamics, had tragic life stories.

Atomic physics is a 400-level senior course that the speaker took, which was challenging due to its prerequisites.

The speaker took atomic physics and quantum mechanics simultaneously, which was demanding.

The class in atomic physics was taught by a theoretical atomic physicist, which added to the difficulty.

The speaker had to learn to solve the Schrodinger equation in three dimensions at the start of the semester.

By the final exam, the speaker had a better understanding of the physics concepts taught in the atomic physics class.

Atomic physics involves guessing wavefunctions and using variational methods to improve these guesses.

The speaker suggests that having a stronger math background could have improved their experience in classical mechanics.

The speaker advises against taking a class before being qualified, based on their experience with atomic physics.

Transcripts
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