you can still score some easy points here if you simply remember that old standby, .
Memorizing equations will earn you points. It’s that simple.Treat Equations Like Vocabulary
Think about how you would memorize a vocabulary word: for example, “boondoggle.” There are several
ways to memorize this word. The first way is to say the word out loud and then spell it: “Boondoggle: B-
O-O-N-D-O-G-G-L-E.” The second way is to say the word and then say its definition: “Boondoggle: An
unproductive or impractical project, often involving graft.” If you were to use the first method of
memorizing our word, you would become a great speller, but you would have no clue what “boondoggle”
means. As long as you are not preparing for a spelling bee, it seems that the second method is the better
one.
This judgment may appear obvious. Who ever learned vocabulary by spelling it? The fact is, this is
the method most people use when studying equations.
Let’s take a simple equation, vf = vo + at . An average physics student will memorize this equation by
saying it aloud several times, and that’s it. All this student has done is “spelled” the equation.
But you’re not average. 1 Instead, you look at the equation as a whole, pronouncing it like a sentence:
“V f equals v naught plus at .” You then memorize what it means and when to use it: “This equation relates
initial velocity with final velocity. It is valid only when acceleration is constant.” If you are really
motivated, you will also try to develop some intuitive sense of why the equation works. “Of course,” you
say, “this makes perfect sense! Acceleration is just the change in velocity divided by the change in time. If
acceleration is multiplied by the change in time, then all that’s left is the change in velocity
So the final velocity of an object equals its initial velocity plus the change in velocity.”
The first step in memorizing equations, then, is to learn them as if you were studying for a vocabulary
test, and not as if you were studying for a spelling bee.
Helpful Tips
Memorizing equations takes a lot of time, so you cannot plan on studying your equations the night before
the AP exam. If you want to really know your equations like the back of your hand, you will have to spend
months practicing. But it’s really not that bad. Here are four tips to help you out.
Tip 1: Learn through use. Practice solving homework problems without looking up equations.Just as with vocabulary words, you will only learn physics equations if you use them on a regular basis.