Physics Made Easy: Apply Formulas Confidently with a 3-Column Table

Why Memorizing Formulas Isn’t Enough

You can memorize every formula in your sleep and still feel like you’re not getting anywhere. Many students struggle with physics problems not because they don’t know the formulas, but because they’re unsure how to translate words from the question into the symbols used in those formulas.

The Challenge: Translating the Problem

The fix is surprisingly simple. Every physical quantity has three essential components: its symbol, unit, and name. In many physics problems, however, only the name or the unit is mentioned, not the symbol. The formulas you’ve memorized, on the other hand, consist entirely of symbols. This is where the 3-column table comes in — it helps you bring order to the chaos.

Build Your Learning Table: Three Columns

Create a study table with three columns and list all the quantities you’ve learned: symbol, unit, and name.

How to Use the Table While Solving

Once you’ve memorized this overview, you can annotate any problem as you read it: replace the names and units with their matching symbols, note what’s given and what’s required, and the correct formula usually becomes obvious at a glance.

Example

A car travels 100 m in 20 s. What is its speed?
Given: s = 100 m, t = 20 s, required: speed → v
Formula: v = s/t = 100/20 = 5m/s

Pro Tip

If you use this method regularly, solving physics problems will become much easier. Instead of getting lost in numbers and symbols, you’ll clearly see which quantities are given, which you need, and how to choose the right formula every time.