How to Become a Theoretical Physicist
Make sure you are serious about learning the subject., Use the Internet as a resource, but be careful of what you find there., Try alternative approaches whenever possible., Buy Physics textbooks and do the exercises., Explore and study related...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Make sure you are serious about learning the subject.
Take every opportunity to learn more about physics and science in general.
If you are in high school or earlier, take all the science classes you can get.
It is likely that your high school classes will approach physics largely from a Newtonian perspective, but this is an important foundation for what you will learn later on.
If you are at the university level, enroll in university classes in your chosen field.
Explore physics on your own, too.
There are many popular science books exploring topics in modern and classical physics in varying levels of detail.
Read up on the history of physics and other sciences.
Understand how new discoveries come about and how they often challenge societal and even scholarly assumptions about the workings of the universe.
Study as much math as you can.
While mathematics isn't physics, it is the language used in physics. -
Step 2: Use the Internet as a resource
Always ask yourself who's making a claim and how they arrived at their results.
For experimental results, examine the methods carefully for possible errors or biases.
For theoretical results, check whether they tend to match the experimental results and look for exceptions to the rule. , You will gain a better understanding of why physicists that came before did things the way they did, and in turn, you will better understand Physics itself. , Doing them will increase your understanding of the subject.
Try to get to the point where you discover the numerous misprints, tiny mistakes, and more important errors these books make, then imagine how you would improve them.
If you get good at spotting errors or writing texts, consider writing for a collaborative online textbook project.
There are several out there, and writing for them can help both you and the readers become better physicists and scientists. , Much of theoretical physics today explores phenomena at the atomic and sub-atomic level and at an astronomical scale, so a grasp of astronomy and chemistry will give you a better understanding of the subject.
Not everything has to be done in this order, but this approximately indicates which ones come first.
Languages Primary Mathematics Classical Mechanics Optics Statistical Mechanics and Thermodynamics Electronics Electromagnetism Quantum Mechanics (broad subject with several sub-disciplines) Quantum Topology Atoms and Molecules Solid State Physics Nuclear Physics Plasma Physics Advanced Mathematics Special Relativity Advanced Quantum Mechanics Phenomenology General Relativity Quantum Field Theory Super string Theory , Most research in Physics is done at a university level, in particular at universities known for the subject.
Work towards a degree from one of those schools. -
Step 3: but be careful of what you find there.
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Step 4: Try alternative approaches whenever possible.
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Step 5: Buy Physics textbooks and do the exercises.
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Step 6: Explore and study related subjects
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Step 7: Get a university education in Theoretical Physics.
Detailed Guide
Take every opportunity to learn more about physics and science in general.
If you are in high school or earlier, take all the science classes you can get.
It is likely that your high school classes will approach physics largely from a Newtonian perspective, but this is an important foundation for what you will learn later on.
If you are at the university level, enroll in university classes in your chosen field.
Explore physics on your own, too.
There are many popular science books exploring topics in modern and classical physics in varying levels of detail.
Read up on the history of physics and other sciences.
Understand how new discoveries come about and how they often challenge societal and even scholarly assumptions about the workings of the universe.
Study as much math as you can.
While mathematics isn't physics, it is the language used in physics.
Always ask yourself who's making a claim and how they arrived at their results.
For experimental results, examine the methods carefully for possible errors or biases.
For theoretical results, check whether they tend to match the experimental results and look for exceptions to the rule. , You will gain a better understanding of why physicists that came before did things the way they did, and in turn, you will better understand Physics itself. , Doing them will increase your understanding of the subject.
Try to get to the point where you discover the numerous misprints, tiny mistakes, and more important errors these books make, then imagine how you would improve them.
If you get good at spotting errors or writing texts, consider writing for a collaborative online textbook project.
There are several out there, and writing for them can help both you and the readers become better physicists and scientists. , Much of theoretical physics today explores phenomena at the atomic and sub-atomic level and at an astronomical scale, so a grasp of astronomy and chemistry will give you a better understanding of the subject.
Not everything has to be done in this order, but this approximately indicates which ones come first.
Languages Primary Mathematics Classical Mechanics Optics Statistical Mechanics and Thermodynamics Electronics Electromagnetism Quantum Mechanics (broad subject with several sub-disciplines) Quantum Topology Atoms and Molecules Solid State Physics Nuclear Physics Plasma Physics Advanced Mathematics Special Relativity Advanced Quantum Mechanics Phenomenology General Relativity Quantum Field Theory Super string Theory , Most research in Physics is done at a university level, in particular at universities known for the subject.
Work towards a degree from one of those schools.
About the Author
Martha Knight
Dedicated to helping readers learn new skills in lifestyle and beyond.
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