Physics reference anyone?

[garnet13aj]

So my sister called me bawling today that she's going to get a C in physics and it will be the end of her life as she knows it and no one will let her into college and she'll never be challenged again. Yes, she is a bit of a drama queen. I, in a fit of desperation, promised to help her study for her final next week because I'll be coming home from college on saturday. After hanging up with her I remembered that I hate physics and can remember nothing from when I took it in highschool.
Does anyone know any books or online references that would be understandable and approachable for learning physics at a highschool level?
Thanks!

 

[garnet13aj]

.

 

[jon321]

Using notes and the class assigned textbook, then going on wikipedia or google for an easier or extra explaination is what I do. The net usually has a couple "dumbed down" websites with these types of things. For example you might be going through the electricity unit or something and see "capacitance" and dont understand the given definition, so you google it.
Jon

 

[sylvius]

I second that. Wikipedia, in particular, seems to be pretty strong in the physical sciences.

 

[schneidts]

Maybe this would help...

 

[watson3]

Considering that Wiki is pretty much open source ( i could write that your sister in fact created the idea of physics), at least choose google over the two..But then, youre still beleiving something off the internet...

 

[phixer]

Originally Posted by garnet13aj
So my sister called me bawling today that she's going to get a C in physics and it will be the end of her life as she knows it and no one will let her into college and she'll never be challenged again. Yes, she is a bit of a drama queen. I, in a fit of desperation, promised to help her study for her final next week because I'll be coming home from college on saturday. After hanging up with her I remembered that I hate physics and can remember nothing from when I took it in highschool.
Does anyone know any books or online references that would be understandable and approachable for learning physics at a highschool level?
Thanks!
Sounds like you sister has an easy life if she's that upset about getting a C. No one cares about GPA after you graduate anyhow. There are several resources for tutoring in the local area and by using the internet. Craigslist.
Tell her not to sweat a C, and just focus on passing the class. Physics may not be her thing. If she is worried about her GPA it can be boosted by getting better grades in easier subjects.
What do you call someone who finishes last in medical school...Doctor

 

[garnet13aj]

What do you call someone who finishes last in medical school...Doctor
LOL, my dad tells that joke all the time! So dorky, but true.
Anyway, I know a C isn't the end of the world, and so does she when she's not stressed, that being said why not strive for better.
I want to help her this weekend, so I'm justing looking for references that have maybe helped other people.
Sounds like you sister has an easy life
She's taking 3 AP clases (out of 6) and working for the holiday season, it may not be the hardest life out there but it's definitely not the easiest.

 

[garnet13aj]

Physics for dummies might be they key unless anyone has other suggestions.

 

[2563]

Don't rely on wikipedia. Anyone can go and change the info on it. I used it for a report on the depression and alot of my major facts were completely wrong, wasn't one of my better projects.

 

[phixer]

My Sister recently graduated also, can understand.
Think of it this way. Energy and practicality, its a waste of energy and not very practical for her to get this stressed out over a C at the HS or F/S college level because of what is gained by getting the A compaired to what is expended to get a C? especially if it causes this kind of strain and effects her ability to focus in other areas? An A in one class at the expense of adverse effects in other areas isnt worth it in the long run. Wouldnt it make more sense to stay afloat with 3 Bs,3 Cs or two A s and a C? The return on a C is same as an A in the long run. Pass or fail is all that matters, the GPA can be boosted in other areas she is more skilled.
Of course teachers and many parents would disagree because its partially a reflection of their ability in many areas and some may see it as failure on their part. Everyone wants their kid or student to be a genious straight A pupil. The truth is most arent and a C will have very little effect if any on future success in life because she will make up for it in other areas if she is a good student and continues to work hard. The C will still allow her to go on to tougher classes as long as she understands the material and can read the teacher.
The tortise always wins.
Sounds like your Sister has chosen to take on a heavy load?
Best of luck to her.

 

[lindilou]

When trying to get into college, sometimes class rank counts as well as GPA. You might only drop a few hundredths of a point with a C, but it might make the difference in class rank. You are correct; later on in life it won't matter. If she thinks it means not being able to get into college (the one of her choice), then she does have reason to be stressed. As far as physics help goes...what is it that shes studying? I might be able to find something that would be helpful. :thinking:

 

[phixer]

Kind of reminds me of a scene regarding library cards in the movie Good Will Hunting? Attendance at some of these Ivy league schools seems like a huge waste of money to me when the same result can be obtained for much less. I guess its the fancy name tag some folks are lured to.

 

[garnet13aj]

I agree that it is still possible to get into college (a good one at that) with a "C" and I agree that Ivy league schools are overrated (Go UW!

). But when you're in highschool, as I was not to long ago, that seems like the whole world and I get where she's coming from. Anyway, we picked up a book for her today, I can't remember the name, but I'll post it later, just in case anyone else is interested (it could happen

).
Anyway, the real moral of this thread is, yay for college because it is head over heals better than highschool!

 

[lindilou]

I totally agree, but here in Texas if you're in the top 10% of your class you are automatically admitted into any state supported school in Texas of your choice. If you're not you have to take your chances and just try to get in. That's what I meant by getting into the school of your choice. You might have to settle for community college when you had your heart set on getting into a University.

The high school I went to is highly competitive; so I know how she may be feeling. Other than that no one cares about class rank. Good luck with studying. :cheer:

 

[phixer]

Experience and a good work ethic. GPA means nothing on the outside. Once you have the degree who cares what your GPA was. Hard work dosent necessarily mean a better GPA either if you dont have the ability to grasp the material.
These colleges love to raise their tuition a little more each year and try to justify it by claiming that the extra $$$ = a better education, they stand to gain a great deal by doing this and drive HS kids nuts trying to get into these institutions who fall for this hype.

As mentioned earlier you could pay 50 cents for a library card go to a CC transfer to a State University and achieve exactly the same results for a fraction of the cost. The catch: you wont be able to put that fancy sticker in your rear window and scoff at the peasants

:hilarious . The guy who merely graduates and proves himself in the workforce will earn just as much if not more regardless of what college he graduated from. Life is the proving grounds not the campus. At least thats what my aunt and uncle who are MDs have told me.

 

[garnet13aj]

I agree and don't agree

.
Here in Alaska (I know it says I'm from seattle but that's just where I go to school, I grew up in Alaska, it's my home), the top 10% get to go to University of Alaska for free, but the school sucks. I have a ton of friends that go there and it is nothing compared to where I go, they are getting less of an education, they have less classes that are offered, and they there teachers aren't as good. I don't go to an Ivy League school and I don't think that they have better education than other schools in the country, but there are differences between schools and a community college is not always going to get you the same education (aka prepare you for your future job). I've had TA's talk about the difference between teaching at a community college and a university and they say the whole atmosphere is different. Every person obviously has to choose for themselves and some people are more suited to one environment over another.
Also, GPA doesn's mean anything in the real world, that I agree with. But it does mean something when trying to get into college, it's not everything but it could make the difference if you are borderline in other areas.

 

[phixer]

I disagree. The good schools attract the good teachers because they are paid more, because the tuition is higher. The text book material is still the same regardless of what school your enrolled in.
Another scam... (new textbooks are required each year, math for example hasn't changed in 100s of years) :hilarious
If you can read and have a little self discipline you will fair well. Most of the material I had to learn I learned on my own usually about 3 O'clock in the morning from hours of practice. The course moved quickly and there was no time to dwell on any area so most of the learning took place through self study and homework.
I have rarely had to remember any of the formulas I learned in college on the job. If the data cant be found in an existing table or computed by an existing program were in trouble. So I cant say that it really prepared me. The military prepared me better than college. College was just a proving grounds.
Critical thinking isnt something you learn in a classroom, you learn it from life experience. I would take a Mustang over a Thoroughbred anyday.

 

[lindilou]

Not everyone uses the same textbook. Different schools use different textbooks, and yes, the material can vary greatly from one textbook to the next. As stupid as that sounds, it happens. Also different professors might prefer different textbooks within the same college. A new one is not required every year; sometimes they upgrade to a new edition though. That IS a big scam, mostly on the part of the publisher. I used to work in a college bookstore. We would get new editions in and figure out that the color of the pages was different, and that was the ONLY difference in the two books from one edition to the next. Sometimes they just fix all the typos. Sometimes they reword things or switch the chapters around, but if it's what the professor requests then that's what the bookstore buys.

 

[garnet13aj]

Yeah, I think that we can all agree that new editions are a big scam. I've probably spend close to 1,000 or more in 1 1/3 years of college. It's ridiculous and they give you cents on the dollar when you trade them back in.
We can agree to disagree on the rest because we each have had different experiences that have told us otherwise and it sounds like we won't be in the sound profession once I graduate. I don't actually know what you do, but I know that when I graduate I'll use the information I'm learning in my biology classes and I'll need my chemistry and physics classes (as much as I hate to say it) to better understand the background of what I'm studying.