Many students are faced with the questions: Why do I need to learn physics? I am not going to major in science in college, why should I take physics? Hopefully the information contained below will supply you with the answers to those questions. Also after reading through this information it will become more evident that physics is a natural prerequisite for most disciplines and your life.

Physics is the study of everything; and there is a lot more to physics than you may realize. Why can an automobile air bag help save your life, or possibly cause great injury? Physics can answer that question and other questions like it, without question. Physics is both an extensive body of knowledge and a creative process for producing new information.

Although physics is the study everything, its primary concern is not detail, but the search to understand fundamental phenomena (ref 1) Therefore physics is a discipline of fundamentals based on simple laws that anyone can learn to understand and then easily apply to many situations in their everyday life.

Physics is known as the fundamental science. Most modern technology came from physics. Any technology involving electricity, magnetism, mechanics, optics, etc… all is based on principals of physics. And like technology it is hard to find a branch of science which does not contain some physics-related aspects (ref 2). From physics the other disciplines of science including Chemistry, Biology, Astronomy, Geology, and even the medical field can be better understood. Chemistry becomes indistinguishable from physics when exploring the atomic model or thermodynamics.

Physics is fun. No matter what you have heard before, physics is fun to learn and explore. You study practical everyday situations that explain how the world works. There are no hidden meanings within physics, what you see is what you get.

Physics is also a great tool to learn problem solving skills that can be applied to all areas of your life. It follows logical steps, where no memorization is involved. The problem solving techniques will polish the needed skills to score well on the ACT or SAT. It will help develop both math and verbal skills needed to be successful in college and beyond. The problems in physics are word problems that require students to think logically, use analogies, and deal with subtle shades of meaning (ref 2).

Physics is practical, providing common sense information about the way the world works. This knowledge is also combined with problems solving skills and logical thinking skills that are also powerful tools for success in life as well as science (ref 1).

However, it is still important to realize that comprehending physics takes a lot of time…maybe more time then you really want to commit. Physics asks much of you, but offers much in return (ref 1). What you get out of physics largely depends on what you put in. If you do decided to take physics, you will learn new and interesting things about yourself, the world around you, and things that will be helpful in understanding the real world outside of physics.

Mrs. Manni Belfrage

References

1) Hubbard, K. & Katz, D. The Physics Toolbox: A Survival Guide for Introductory Physics. 2002. Thompson Learning, Inc. p. 1-8.
2) Intuitor.com. High School Physics Page. www.intuitor.com/physics/physmain.html