Ace
Short answer: study physics by principles, not formulas. For each topic, learn the idea a formula expresses and when it applies, then practise with mixed problems where you have to decide which principle to use. Predict before you calculate, check that answers make physical sense, and test yourself on concepts as well as calculations. Interactive simulations help you see how the quantities in a formula relate.
Why does physics feel so hard?
Because the hard part isn't the maths, it's deciding what to do. A physics question rarely says "use conservation of energy". It describes a ball on a slope, and you have to recognise the principle underneath.
A classic study by Chi, Feltovich and Glaser (1981) showed this difference clearly. Asked to sort physics problems into groups, beginners grouped them by surface features (problems with inclined planes, problems with springs). Experts grouped them by the principle needed to solve them (energy conservation, Newton's second law). Studying physics well means training yourself to see the principle.
How do you study physics effectively?
1. Learn each formula as a sentence
For every equation, be able to say in words what it means, what each symbol is, and when it applies. "Kinetic energy grows with the square of speed, so doubling speed quadruples it" is more useful than remembering ½mv².
2. Predict before you calculate
Before solving, guess roughly what the answer should be: bigger or smaller, which direction, about what size. Then check your result against your prediction. When they disagree, you've found either a calculation slip or a misunderstanding, and both are worth finding.
3. Mix your problems
Doing ten problems of the same type in a row feels productive because you already know which method to use. Exams don't tell you. Rohrer and Taylor (2007) found that students who practised mixed (interleaved) maths problems did far better on a later test than students who practised in blocks, even though blocked practice felt easier at the time. Shuffle problems from different chapters.
4. Engage, don't just watch
Hake's (1998) survey of over 6,000 introductory physics students found that courses using interactive engagement, where students predict, discuss and work through concepts, produced roughly double the conceptual gains of traditional lecture-only courses. Do the same on your own: pause worked examples and try the next step before reading it.
5. Play with the relationships
Interactive simulations let you change a quantity and see what happens, which makes abstract relationships concrete. Research on simulations in physics, such as the PhET circuit study, found they can teach concepts as well as or better than real lab equipment. We cover the evidence in do interactive simulations help you learn?
Ace builds this into practice: when your physics notes state a formula, it can create a small simulation from it and ask you to set the values that reach a target result, then show you how close you were and the exact setting. The formula comes from your own material, with the line it came from shown.
6. Test yourself on concepts, not just calculations
Many physics exam questions are conceptual: why does this happen, what changes if this doubles, what order do these steps happen in. Practise those with quick questions from your lecture notes, using active recall rather than re-reading your formula sheet.
7. Check your answer makes sense
Before moving on, check units, sign and size. A car that accelerates at 300 m/s², or a negative mass, means something went wrong. This habit alone catches a lot of lost marks.
What does a good week of physics revision look like?
- Day 1: for one topic, write each key formula as a sentence and list when it applies.
- Day 2: conceptual questions on that topic from your notes, then five worked problems, predicting first.
- Days 3 to 5: new topics the same way, plus a short mixed set covering everything so far.
- Day 6: a past paper under timed conditions; see how to use past papers.
- Day 7: redo only what you got wrong, and note which principle you failed to spot.
To get practice questions from your own physics lectures, upload your slides or PDF, or paste a YouTube lecture link, into the Ace web app. You'll get a mix of question types, including simulations where your material has a formula.
Frequently asked questions
Should I memorise physics formulas?
Know them well, but learn them with their meaning and conditions. A formula you understand is easier to remember and much easier to apply to an unfamiliar question.
How many practice problems should I do?
Enough that you can choose the right method for a mixed set without looking at the chapter title. Quality beats quantity: predict, solve, check, and review every mistake.
Why can I follow the lecture but not solve problems?
Following an explanation is recognition; solving a problem needs you to choose and apply a principle yourself. Close the notes and try problems from scratch to practise that step.
Are physics simulations useful for exams?
They're useful for understanding how quantities relate, which supports both conceptual and calculation questions. Use them with a goal, such as hitting a target value, rather than just playing.
Sources
- Chi, M. T. H., Feltovich, P. J., & Glaser, R. (1981). Categorization and representation of physics problems by experts and novices. Cognitive Science, 5(2), 121–152.
- Hake, R. R. (1998). Interactive-engagement versus traditional methods: A six-thousand-student survey of mechanics test data for introductory physics courses. American Journal of Physics, 66(1), 64–74.
- Rohrer, D., & Taylor, K. (2007). The shuffling of mathematics problems improves learning. Instructional Science, 35(6), 481–498.
- Finkelstein, N. D., et al. (2005). When learning about the real world is better done virtually: A study of substituting computer simulations for laboratory equipment. Physical Review Special Topics – Physics Education Research, 1, 010103.
