Watch this first before anything else in the dojo. In this video I'll show you exactly how the dojo works, what to do when you arrive, and how to get the most out of your training here. After watching, scroll down and tell me two things: 1. What physics course are you currently taking? 2. What's your biggest challenge in physics right now? That's your first rep. The sensei is listening. The Physics Sensei

Welcome. Before you do anything else, follow this 5-day training path. It takes about 15-20 minutes per day and by the end you'll know exactly what's blocking you in physics and what to do about it. Day 1 — Introduce Yourself Go to the Welcome section and drop a post. Tell me your name, what physics course you're in, and the #1 thing giving you the most trouble right now. That's your first rep. Day 2 — Find Your Block Watch the training video in the Classroom tab. Then take Weekly Challenge #1. It walks you through the exact process of finding what's holding you back. Day 3 — Train Your Mind Read the Mini Lessons in Training Strategies. Pick the one that hits closest to home and reply with your answer to the question at the end. Day 4 — Test Your Understanding Go to Ask Sensei and answer the two discussion questions. Don't just guess, think it through. The Sensei will respond. Day 5 — Post Your Win Go to the Wins category and post one thing, one concept you understood better this week than you did on Day 1. No win is too small. Complete all 5 days and you'll have earned your first belt points and taken the most important step most physics students never take, figuring out exactly what needs to be fixed. The dojo is open. Your training starts now. 👊 keep training, The Physics Sensei

Energy is conserved when the net work done by non-conservative forces is zero. Non-conservative forces are things like friction, air resistance, applied forces, anything that adds or removes energy from the system. If any of those are present and doing work, energy is NOT conserved and you need the full work-energy theorem instead. Before every energy problem ask yourself: is there friction? Is there an applied force doing work? If yes, conservation of energy alone won't get you there. Quick check: a ball rolls down a ramp with friction. Can you use conservation of energy? Reply below.

This trips up almost every Physics 1 student at some point. On a flat surface with no acceleration: yes, normal force equals mg. But the moment you add an incline, acceleration, or an extra applied force, that changes everything. Normal force is whatever it needs to be to keep the object from passing through the surface. You calculate it, you don't assume it. Test yourself: a 10.0 kg box sits on a scale in an elevator accelerating upward at 2.00 m/s². What does the scale read? Reply below with your answer and your reasoning.

The net work done on an object equals the change in its kinetic energy. That's it. That's the whole theorem. What this means practically: if something speeds up, net work was done ON it. If it slows down, net work was done AGAINST it. If it moves at constant speed, net work is zero. Here's where students get tripped up, they confuse work done by one force with NET work done by all forces combined. Always ask: what is the NET work? Not just the work done by one force. Quick check: a car brakes to a stop. Is the net work positive, negative, or zero? Reply below.