For example, you might have learned the formulas for sine, cosine, and tangent of an angle with the mnemonic device “SOH CAH TOA. ” Here, Sine is the length of the Opposite side over the length of the Hypotenuse, Cosine is the length of the Adjacent over the length of the Hypotenuse, and Tangent is the length of the Opposite side over the length of the Adjacent.
For example, if you’re trying to remember that E = mc squared, you could remember it by saying that Elephants (E) are afraid of mice and critters.
For example, think about the house where you grew up. Say that you’re trying to remember that the area of a circle is Pi x radius squared. You can remember it by thinking of your kitchen, where there was always pie on the windowsill, next to two rolling pins.
So let’s say you know that speed is the amount of time it takes an object to travel a certain distance. So to figure out speed, you need to know how far the object went and how long it took to get there: so divide the distance traveled by the amount of time it took to get there. If you know all this, you can figure out that speed = change in distance/change in time.
For example, say you’re having a hard time remembering the formula for velocity, but you know velocity is an object’s speed in a specific direction. Review the formula for speed, which is distance over time. Then you know that velocity is just speed with a direction attached.
Practicing each formula will take a bit of time, but it’s worth it, especially if you have a big exam coming up, or if you’re going to need these formulas for your career. You can find practice questions in your textbook, or search for practice tests online. If you’re having a hard time find extra questions to practice with, ask your teacher for some.
If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed, put your work aside, and take another deep breath. Give yourself a break to relax a little bit.
