Speaking the same language in physics and math

Harvey, Marci

doi:doi:10.1119/1.3677295

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The Physics Teacher -- February 2012 -- Volume 50, Issue 2, pp. 122

Speaking the same language in physics and math

Marci Harvey

West Forsyth High School, Clemmons, NC

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“Hey, is that the same thing as a derivative from calculus?” “Isn't that a quadratic equation?” These are some of the math-related questions my physics students ask every year. Some students realize that determining velocity from a position-time graph is the same thing as taking the first derivative in calculus or they recognize a quadratic equation has a t² term. Why can all students not make the connection between the two? I wonder if we, as teachers of two different subjects, are making this learning more difficult because we have different terminology for identical concepts. We have an opportunity to create a learning environment that offers multiple opportunities to improve student comprehension. Teachers can connect the concepts from various classes into a cohesive set of information that can be used for higher-level thinking and processing skills.