›
To take part in discussions on talkSFU, please apply for membership (SFU email id required).

Math 154 necessary for Physics 101?

Dalistic
edited September 2013 in General
Right now I am thinking of switching from Math 154 to Math 100 but don't know if this will be a bad decision. I am in Physics 101 and it lists Math 154 as a co-req. If I were to switch would I be screwing myself over for physics??  Any opinions on staying in Math 154 (is it extremely hard for the average person) and on the Calc co-req for physics is greatly appreciated !!

Thanks a lot !

Comments

  • ryan
    Well generally if a course has a co-requisite it is seen as a requirement that needs to be met (like a prerequisite would be.) So if you are considering switching I would be sure to talk to an advisor first just incase the switch makes you ineligible for phys 101.

    While I haven't taken phys 101, usually when I have been in a course with a co-requisite it only really applied to a small section of the course. This means if they let you switch maths and still remain in physics you would probably be able to pick up the calculus you need for it. It is just that the professor will not spend as much time on it because they expect you to be in another class where you are learning it.

    Also keep in mind that while taking math 100 might be a good idea to solidify your knowledge of the fundamentals, you will likely have to take calc 1 eventually. Maybe the best course of action would be to stick with it and seek some additional help. Sometime math classes can be intimidating off the hop, but they don't always turn out all bad.
  • Dalistic
    Thanks so much Ryan,

    I would be taking Math 100 just to touch up on forgotten concepts but it might be best to stick with Math 154 and attend extra tutorial if necessary.

    Once again, thanks for the advise. 
  • MXC
    I don't think anything in MATH 154 is applied to phys 101 exam wise lol. At least that's what I believe, I took phys 140, and it shouldn't be much different from phys 101
  • Dalistic
    I asked my prof and she said pretty much the same as MXC. 

    Thanks for the replies 
  • biochemsfu
    when i took phys 101, we did not use calculus although the professor did mention that you can solve some of the problems using derivatives(with is what math 154 is from what i remember).  you could still do good without math 154 though.  its important to have a basic math understanding so i would talk to the counselor to see what they say about it.  usually when a class is listed as a co-req it is very necessary however in my opinion this is one of the exceptions.   i had taken math 154 before phys 101 and i never used any of it. 
  • Dalistic
    Just in case future people have this question,

    My prof said as long as I have a "good command of trigonometry, geometry and algebra" I should be able to do good in the course. Although I decided to stick with Math 154, this may be useful for other people that run into a similar problem.
  • BeAnBeAnBeAnBeAn
    What is trigonometry.
  • MXC
    Sinus, cosinus, tanned
  • BeAnBeAnBeAnBeAn
    But why
  • KJB
    I took PHYS 101 with Sarah Johnson and I didn't need calc at all. Probably depends on the prof.

Leave a Comment