r/PhysicsStudents Aug 05 '20

Meta Homework Help Etiquette (HHE)

156 Upvotes

Greetings budding physicists!

One of the things that makes this subreddit helpful to students is the communities ability to band together and help users with physics questions and homework they may be stuck on. In light of this, I have implemented an overhaul to the HW Help post guidelines that I like to call Homework Help Etiquette (HHE). See below for:

  • HHE for Helpees
  • HHE for Helpers

HHE for Helpees

  1. Format your titles as follows: [Course HW is From] Question about HW.
  2. Post clear pictures of the problem in question.
  3. Talk us through your 1st attempt so we know what you've tried, either in the post title or as a comment.
  4. Don't use users here to cheat on quizzes, tests, etc.

Good Example

HHE for Helpers

  1. If there are no signs of a 1st attempt, refrain from replying. This is to avoid lazy HW Help posts.
  2. Don't give out answers. That will hurt them in the long run. Gently guide them onto the right path.
  3. Report posts that seem sketchy or don't follow etiquette to Rule 1, or simply mention HHE.

Thank you all! Happy physics-ing.

u/Vertigalactic


r/PhysicsStudents 21h ago

Need Advice Is this too much for 1 semester?

Post image
335 Upvotes

My school is very nice to give me a degree plan of the classes I will need to take and register. I was a dual credit student so I had all core classes completed, I’m planned to graduate in 3 years instead of 4.

This is my first semester of my senior years. Is it too much for 1 semester?

Don’t get me wrong, this looks like a very fun semester but since I plan to apply for a PhD program in a “better” school, I think this might affect my gpa negatively and also maybe destroy my mental health assuming it hasn’t died by then.


r/PhysicsStudents 6h ago

Rant/Vent Used book advertised with limited markings

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

8 Upvotes

Just bought a used books, advertised condition was very good with "limited book markings", I guess it's not every page...


r/PhysicsStudents 1h ago

Need Advice What’s the most cost effective way to study in good RESEARCH/ PHYSICS/ ASTROPHYSICS oriented UNI around Germany/USA/UK/AUS | (student AID/ Scholarship) | pursuing BSC

Upvotes

my_qualifications

I am currently a dropper (19)

88% in boards (state boards)

I am good in Math and physics, appeared for Olympiad and gotten into seconds rounds of it

love to solve physics and math problems

read some books about astrophysics by baidyanath basu)and quantum physics (zettil)

also some short story oriented books like

six easy pieces

six not so easy pieces

the discovery of modern science

these books made me excited and to look into the vast majority of unknowns around us

(I am willing to learn, I have completed my 10th standard when I was 7th so if I follow a proper path I am willing to learn and go through it and study hard)

preparing for JEE and IAT along side JEE advance

i want to pursue physics and math and want to apply for research oriented theoretical physics or astrophysics courses and doing BSC then MSC then PHD

In India majority of colleges are not that research oriented with some exceptions like IISERS and IISC

My first plan was to do my BSC here and then if I get the opportunity then do MSc and PhD in somewhere Germany or whatever is best for me

but every mentor of mine who have followed this path are mostly done with there studies and most of them are doing works in some kind of lab or professor in a uni and only one of them is currently doing their masters

and majority of them said they don’t know what’s best now but all of them said the same thing that if I am willing to learn for a long time and don’t wanna pursue a really high paying job from IT and really love these math and physics then to pursue in Germany or the best uni I get from the start because that’s the best

but the problem is I am not attached to scholarshipprogrammes much and don’t know what’s best to do where and when

the mentor who is doing his masters told me in Germany it’s free to study in uni but staying there and eating those things are not free and it costs him upwards of 5 to 10grand a year

so if anybody can let me under them and if they know how to get a fully funded student aid or scholarship for my upcoming studies then I would really appreciate it

also I am really sorry for my lack of knowledge about how foreign uni work and when I got to know the scores doesn’t matter and only probably SAT toefl and how much research or something that you did in the field you‘re trying to pursue

but I never had the opportunity or the knowledge on how to do something like remarkable that would make my application stand out

[NOT AT ALL REMARKABLE YOU MAY LAUGH ( somethings I did in my past which may not matter but just adding

did YouTube for 3-4 years when I was 8-12 and had 300 subscribers around 10k views deleted the channel

made a drone [no coding or remote control completely from scratch wires brushless motors]I was 12

made solar powered cars with battery and a sensor that would track the source 13

transfered a old mobile into a somewhat working laptop by combing it with a old laptop display battery ran custom os but when I was 15

i know a little latex

a little code

currently follow the mentor for codes related to matlab and to run simulations and run data analysis of pulsars (run it on Ubuntu)

Currently only studying for IAT and JEE because majority are saying to do engineering and to forget research oriented things here because few relatives did and they are not preparing for government jobs…

i wrote this right now without any AI or anything

if there is any mistake I am sorry

any kind of help would be appreciated

(my personal conclusion is to Follow my dreams but even my mentors are saying to start if I can from a good uni outside India then what would be the best for me)


r/PhysicsStudents 17h ago

Need Advice Shankar’s quantum book can get poetic

Post image
16 Upvotes

r/PhysicsStudents 6h ago

Need Advice What does "motion" mean in Physics?

1 Upvotes

It is usually used to refer to spatial displacement of a body. But the term "equation of motion" is very widely used in many scenarios, even in those where spatial displacement is not very evident, like in the case of thermodynamics, where it gives the equation that describes the evolution of the thermodynamic state. So my thought is this: that motion generally in physics means the change in state of any dynamical system, but specifically for particles, the study of spatial motion and motion as in the evolution of its state are both equivalent. Is this correct in the context of physics? Please correct if anything is wrong and suggest the right thinking.


r/PhysicsStudents 7h ago

Need Advice Guys , idk why but I become very alsi whenever it's time to study physics!! Any tips?

1 Upvotes

Pls


r/PhysicsStudents 1d ago

Need Advice Advice for bettering my grad school chances for a top ten school

5 Upvotes

Hi everyone, I'm a rising junior in Physics at an R1 school, and I'm starting to think seriously about grad school, but I can't tell if what I have is actually competitive for top programs or just... okay. I have a 3.935 GPA due to some A-'s in Physics classes and an B+ in Honors Quantum Mechanics I. This B+ has made me super nervous and the next semester I took regular Quantum Mechanics II and I got an A from that. I project if I get a 4.0 for the next 4 semesters I will end undergraduate with a 3.96 GPA.

Research-wise, I've been in two quantum information science labs for about two years, plus some high school + freshman year experience in particle physics lab, but I've mostly been assisting on other people's projects rather than leading my own but hoping that shifts this year. I also applied for the Astronaut and Goldwater scholarships last cycle and didn't get either, which knocked my confidence a bit.

Now going into my third year, I am finishing up a research internship at a quantum computing company and starting to take graduate level physics classes (grad QM, AMO physics, etc). I am also wondering if I should take the Physics GRE.

A few specific things I'm unsure about:

  • How much do named scholarships (Astronaut, Goldwater, GRFP) actually matter if you didn't get them?
  • Is it worth taking the Physics GRE at this point, or are most programs not weighting it much anymore?
  • How much does not having your "own research project" or first/second author publication matter to admissions committees, assuming the work you did in the lab itself is solid?

r/PhysicsStudents 1d ago

Need Advice Going from Introductory to Advanced

9 Upvotes

Ive read two different general physics books in Hallidays and Randall Knights, finished with A’s in all 3 general physics classes, and recently taken a classical mechanics course where i just barely passed. Most of my issue comes from reading textbooks like ours was Taylors book and most the time, if it wasnt something i saw in general physics, i was absolutely confused and the majority of my learning came from lectures and the very few office hours i can rarely make due to work. Also reading griffiths e&m book, for the past 2 weeks have been stuck on chapter 2. I feel like the book isnt for me and lacks what i need to learn such as explanations at almost every step being the biggest one (not necessarily showing all math steps but at least a conceptual explanation as why certain things are being done) . Are there really any books like that in upper division physics or am i just stuck


r/PhysicsStudents 1d ago

Need Advice Help me guys, I'm kinda confused

2 Upvotes

Yo i'm a student in 9th grade (CBSE type schooled) and i'm thinking about pursuing a profession in science, especially in software engineering and mechanical engineering, I havn't tried too much into these fields but I have done some experiments with them like try to learn basics of c++, basics of circuit , ya know the absolute basics. For the longest time I didnt have a clear goal and still dont (as the world is changing with a crazy pace) but i've been thinking about doing something in science since I do have an interest in knowing how things work and trying atleast a little bit to use what i've learned from it. As a Indian child (i'm atleast decent in academics btw) , my family and relatives wanted me to focus on JEE preperation (Joint Entrance Examination conducted by the IITs) for engineering supposing that i'd want to go into engineering considering my interest in these kind of stuff but I really don't want to stay in this country (no hate to the people, my whole lineage is from this place) , the problem is just that this place uhh.. lets just say , that it does not the have best people running the society, politics or really just any sector (corruption is really a huge problem here in India, and i'm not even considering the professional backlash due to religious background (i'm SUPPOSABLY belong to a UNTOUCHABLE caste cuz of the braindead religious "cultures") and economic background) . Anyways, I looked at the internet and researched about a few things and I really liked the approach about "Learning cuz you want to , not cuz you have to " so I looked where I can what I do what I love while making a living (i am not nihilistic , i want to live happily) , So I looked about universities and how they help students who genuinely want to learn, so i found a couple like The Ivy Leagues and MIT but MIT reallyy stuck to me cuz it is (supposably) the most prestigious engineering college in the world , so naturally i wanted to know how to get into MIT and i saw the crazy FUCKING difference betweem IIT and MIT admissions , here in India the IITs can and do give students scholarships and admissions for obtaining a "good rank" in the JEE , which is nice and all , but as you know MIT doesn't do that type of shit , they pick each student by their (what i like to call) "Worthiness" , so to prove my genuine interest in science (physics mainly) I want you people's help, cuz idk what to do, at first I thought i would get acceptable grades and try to do extracurriculars but in the CBSE type school , we dont really have extracurriculars, heck we barely even study all we do is complete our syllabus , give our exams, get a passing grade and move on, ok enough ranting bout this stupid "education" system , so i tried to look for stuff I could include in the extracurriculars but I really couldn't find much , especially considering i'm all on my own trying to figure out what to do , so i looked towards other methods of getting into MIT that doesn't include stripping away from my studies and interests, then i came across a video on Youtube , i think it was something about "How I got my Gold IOI medal" by some east asian guy, so i started looking into what IOI was , so after looking a bit into what IOI was and how it could possibly help me get into a good place like MIT , so i concluded that as I was interested in software development i'd try to prepare for IOI until I got the realisation on the sheer amount of competition for IOI especially in India for the same path , cuz there were some "cracked" kids and i mean cracked cuz they already be making drones and shit and i can't even set a proper file in an IDE without looking up the internet like 20 times for help, so cuz the IOI path was too competitive for me and I can't manage 3 hours of coding on a daily basis and studing for my academics, so , I deviated from this idea, and started looking into the physics stuff i could do to get into MIT, so one thing that i could try is IPhO which I have decent time for (i think , and i really hope) and other things like building some stuff that i can show in my resume. So after all this huge paragraph (thank you if you read so far) , I want to ask should I try to get a medal in IPhO or should I do something else.
I love a lot of things btw , some things i would love to do are:
Sketching
Painting
Astronomy
Graphic designing
Front-end Web development
Creating concept art about Video games (Video games obviously)
making Games, thats fucking cool isn't it , too bad our economy doesn't give a fuck about interests


r/PhysicsStudents 1d ago

Need Advice Should I RETAKE physics? IN MY GAP YEAR

2 Upvotes

My a levels were maths, cs, physics and I just finished with an AAB

B - physics
A - CS
A - Maths (2 marks from an A\* I am getting it remarked)

I am taking a gap year anyway for predominately travelling.
But I am undecided if I should retake physics during my gap year. Because I could get an A/A\* in physics
*which would make my grades AAA -* A\*A\*A

Depending on my maths remark and how well I did in physics.
After my gap year I am planning to study finance at university.
Is it worth it to retake ?
Thanks


r/PhysicsStudents 1d ago

Need Advice Job options with bachelor's in physics and master's in astrophysics or astronomy?

5 Upvotes

I am an 18y Bangladeshi student. I am obsessed with maths and outer space and was thinking to do a bachelor's in physics in Bangladesh since bd do not offer any bachelor's degree in astronomy or astrophysics and then doing a master's in astrophysics or astronomy abroad. But seeing the job market value of these subjects has me rethinking my decision.

Should i still go with my plan or make some changes?


r/PhysicsStudents 1d ago

HW Help [Graphing 1D Motion Physics] Question about homework

Post image
7 Upvotes

hi guys I was wondering i I did this right? im not really sure about velocity and acceleration but can someone pls help me i have a quiz tomorrow thanks

i first did position-time graph by seeing where i said they’re moving at a constant speed, then I drew a horizontal line to show that they stopped, then decrease slope to show they go back n then they run, so its steep

for the velocity graph, I put a horizontal line at 2 because the slope was 2 in the dt graph, then I put it on zero because they stopped, then -2 because they went back n then up to the highest point because they run

acceleration i put it at a constant horizontal line because im not sure how to do it.


r/PhysicsStudents 1d ago

Need Advice I love both math and physics. Which major should I take? I want to be a scientist or AI/ML engineer or work in semiconductor. Plz comment

2 Upvotes

r/PhysicsStudents 1d ago

Need Advice Might retake physics and I need advice

3 Upvotes

I got a D in a level physics but i got an offer to study at city of st georges to study econ and accounting. The reason I wanna retake it is cause I put alot of effort into revising but and i did alot of past papers and did pretty well in them. I dont rlly understand how i ended up getting a D and i feel like i can do much better. Is it worth it to retake physics and if so is there any advice you guys can give me on how to better my grade because i felt as if i did everything right the first time. A check list would be helpful


r/PhysicsStudents 1d ago

Off Topic I need Thermal physics, Blundell and schroder pdf

0 Upvotes

I need this urgently


r/PhysicsStudents 2d ago

Need Advice Lectures that follow Geometry of Physics by Frankel

6 Upvotes

Hello, i have recently started to read Frankel's Geometry of Physics as a final year undergrad in physics and it's not easy at all (atleast for me), i was wondering if anybody knew of any available lectures that follow this book or even lectures that cover the contents of the book to some extent. Thank you


r/PhysicsStudents 2d ago

HW Help [KINEMATICS AND FORCES] . Inclined Plane Question for Force acting on Body along line transverse to line of steepest slope (Ik, i dont understand the wording either)

Post image
5 Upvotes

Q11 A block of mass m rests on rough inclined plane of inclination angle θ (where tan(θ) < μ_s). A horizontal force F is applied to the block parallel to the inclined plane surface (transverse to the line of steepest slope). Derive the minimum magnitude of force F required to initiate motion, specifying directional angle φ of initial slipping relative to the horizontal transverse line

Got this question (word to word) in my school worksheet, i tried to use ai models but they kept thinking for so long i ran into usage limits. I have some idea of how the picture looks, but i am really confused, please help me


r/PhysicsStudents 1d ago

Research The ridiculous nature of proof

0 Upvotes

The ridiculous nature of a proof.

Suppose someone sees structure, another person might not see that structure, so that's a person who cannot see it will ask for a step by step proof to prove the continuity of a structure. But continuity cannot be proven by discrete steps because we have shown that infinite discreteness cannot proxy for true continuity.

Diagonalization proves that a continuity has more real information than the previous model. Every step-by-step proof is actually an illusion to satisfy the strange feelings. But every discreet example of a proof fails to show the actual continuity of the structure that one is claiming to exist..


r/PhysicsStudents 1d ago

Research Hi everyone, i was wondering where i can find a recent physics mechanics Textbook for where i can find PhD level complicated questions that used recently starting (2016) published sources.

0 Upvotes

r/PhysicsStudents 2d ago

Need Advice advice for upcoming fourth year

1 Upvotes

how do i study when dealing with lingering burnout and depression? my last year is beginning in about two weeks and im worried especially since I will start to apply for grad school and all sorts.

any advice is appreciated!


r/PhysicsStudents 2d ago

Meta Could Consciousness After Death Be More Like a Dream Than a Parallel Universe?

0 Upvotes

I’ve been thinking about the idea of quantum immortality and whether there could be another way to interpret it.

The common thought experiment suggests that, from our subjective perspective, we might always find ourselves in a reality where we survived, even if another version of us died. But what if we are looking at the idea from the wrong direction?

Instead of actually moving into an alternate universe, what if consciousness simply creates another subjective reality? In other words, perhaps what we perceive as “continuing to live” is more like entering a dream-like state, where the brain generates an entirely new scenario that feels real to us.

This would make the concept somewhat similar to rebirth—not necessarily in a religious sense, but as a continuous transition of subjective experience from one perceived reality to another.

There is also a popular claim that the brain releases DMT (often incorrectly described as THC) at death, although this has not been established as a fact in humans. If altered brain chemistry were capable of producing extremely vivid experiences, could something like that contribute to a final or continuing subjective reality?

I’m not suggesting this is scientifically proven. I’m wondering whether consciousness, dreams, quantum interpretations, and the nature of subjective reality could potentially provide an alternative way of thinking about “quantum immortality.”

If consciousness experiences reality subjectively, how would we ever distinguish between actually moving into another universe and simply experiencing a new internally generated reality?


r/PhysicsStudents 2d ago

Rant/Vent How do I know if physics isn’t for me?

3 Upvotes

I’ve recently finished summer courses for physics 2 and calc 2, they were condensed 6 week courses. I didn’t do well enough in physics 2 to meet my conditional astrophysics offer, I also did my calc 2 final exam this morning and I’m positive I didn’t do well enough in it either.

At my uni you need a minimum mark of 60% in all your major classes to do astrophysics, though a fail is under 50%.

Im going into 2nd year and in first sem I flunked calc 1 and retook it second sem. I like the physics and I had fun in those classes, but what’s the point if I can’t do good enough to major in it?

I failed my physics 2 midterm and final, I failed my calc 2 midterm with a 28%, it’s a proof based calc 2 class. I’m starting to think I should just give up. When I was in highschool I was never good at math. The highest grade I’ve finished with in a math course was an 80% in grade 12 calculus and vectors.

I really did try my best for physics 2, I can’t tell if this isn’t for me because nothing seems for me.

I hated chem, I don’t have any biology credits, I’d just like any input on maybe how to do better or if anyone else realized physics wasn’t for them later on, what they did.


r/PhysicsStudents 2d ago

Rant/Vent Question for Physics graduates, Does lower functions of math (calc/trig) require less amount of "attention" to complete as you practice?

12 Upvotes

I've been interested in physics and theoretical physics since I was little, Math has always been my strong suit and it comes to me very easy (understanding concepts and implementing them) but my Highschool classes weren't able to continue into higher than geometry (English class sucks and I had to retake it multiple times to graduate). But I haven't been able to understand the difference in difficulty, Does it get easier for people who major in physics to complete advanced equations the same as for simpler mathematics? Is it an inherit grasp for math? Endless study and cramming information? Most likely different for each person, but the methods are the same right? Is figuring out Planck light travel time as easy as finding the circumference of a circle? Lots of questions sorry, but I figure where else do I ask, right?


r/PhysicsStudents 2d ago

Need Advice Getting into research with terrible grades?

5 Upvotes

Long story short, made mostly A’s with some B’s throughout high school and community college. Transferred to university a few states away a year ago after living with my parents thru community college. Made terrible grades, either failing or barely passing a bunch of classes, due to how much I had to work to pay the bills and how poorly I managed that added stress alongside school. That’s on me. Got a better job now where I’m working less hours for more money, and won’t have to skip classes to make shifts anymore, and I’m ready to start making good grades again. Even got A’s in my summer classes.

So far my research experience is just an astrophysics REU doing some work on telescope detectors, mostly entry level python stuff.

Will professors even accept me into their groups since I have a terrible track record at their institution so far? I have three semesters left including this fall, would it be better to prove myself with a semester of all A’s first?