Should I Take Math before Physics

New to brilliant.org and I heard physics was built on math. Does that mean I should take the math courses here before moving on to physics? Or should I jump straight in?

Easy Math Editor

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Math	Appears as
Remember to wrap math in `$` ... `$` or `\[` ... `\]` to ensure proper formatting.
`2 \times 3`	$2 \times 3$
`2^{34}`	$2^{34}$
`a_{i-1}`	$a_{i-1}$
`\frac{2}{3}`	$\frac{2}{3}$
`\sqrt{2}`	$\sqrt{2}$
`\sum_{i=1}^3`	$\sum_{i=1}^3$
`\sin \theta`	$\sin \theta$
`\boxed{123}`	$\boxed{123}$

Comments

Basically what the note asks, can I go straight to physics or should I do the math courses?

A Former Brilliant Member - 3 years ago

Hey @Knight Omen, it depends on what level your math is at. For instance, Physics of the Everyday assumes familiarity with basic physical concepts but doesn't use math beyond simple arithmetic (in some places). On the other hand, Classical Mechanics and Gravity do not shy away from calculus where it is called for. You can still learn a lot from them without it, but there are sections within them where calculus is required. Solar Energy assumes some familiarity with the geometry of spheres. Special Relativity, while conceptually difficult, does not use any math beyond simple algebra. The same is true for the soon to be released course in Quantum Objects. As the year progresses we'll be releasing more science content that assumes virtually no math, aimed at beginners. I'd be happy to answer your question in more detail if you let me know where your math skills are at.

Josh Silverman Staff - 3 years ago

There will be quite a lot of math in some physics topics. If you are comfortable with the math in the physics courses, you can jump straight in; but if you’re not, it would be better to first make yourself comfortable with the math courses.

Chandrashekar Giridharan - 3 years ago

Math	Appears as
Remember to wrap math in `\(` ... `\)` or `\[` ... `\]` to ensure proper formatting.
`2 \times 3`	$2 \times 3$
`2^{34}`	$2^{34}$
`a_{i-1}`	$a_{i-1}$
`\frac{2}{3}`	$\frac{2}{3}$
`\sqrt{2}`	$\sqrt{2}$
`\sum_{i=1}^3`	$\sum_{i=1}^3$
`\sin \theta`	$\sin \theta$
`\boxed{123}`	$\boxed{123}$