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Physics Question

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  • 13-05-2009 7:23pm
    #1
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 4,630 ✭✭✭


    Just a quick question: are you allowed to use calculus to answer questions in physics? I haven't seen it mentioned on the marking scheme (although I didn't lose any marks for using it in my mocks), so I just want to make sure that you wouldn't lose marks for using it instead of the normal methods given in the textbooks. For example, when it asks you to derive F=ma, it's far easier just to differentiate momentum than it is to use the method given in the book; it's also possible to use calculus in most of the mechanics questions (I only like using it because it takes up far less time than the ordinary methods).

    So, would you get no marks for using calculus?


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    #2
    Des23
    Closed Accounts Posts: 287 ✭✭Des23


    I'm no physics teacher or anything, but I'd say if you show all your workings and get the right answer they probably would give it to you, but it would probably be less gernerous with the attempt marks as they wouldn't have any marking scheme. That said the actual equations in physics are fine so you wouldn't want to be getting them wrong in the first place.

    Out of interest are you doing it along the lines of the difference equations in applied maths?


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    #3
    PurpleFistMixer
    Registered Users Posts: 5,851 ✭✭✭PurpleFistMixer


    Calculus ftw.

    Deriving F=ma though, wtf. How does one even prove that?

    For deriving the equations of motion, the calculus approach is way faster, but the other approach isn't particularly difficult either, so I'd probably err on the side of caution and go with whatever's in the book. If you have time though, you could just do the calculus one first and then append the other version at the end, though the examiner might get pissed at you giving two solutions (particularly if one of them is wrong : p).


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