Approximations Intro

Scientify
Why do we need this?

Competitions

Physical Intuition
The purpose of physics

Nature
Mathematics
(Complicated)
(Intelligible)

Mathematical rigor << Intuitive Power

Don’t be afraid of making
approximations
Approximation Techniques
Numerical Approximation 1:

Higher order terms of a small

number are negligible

BUT it depends on which physical

quantity you are approximating
Numerical Approximation 2:
If denominator>>numerator,
the fraction is negligible

DON’T do this unless stated in

the problem

You don’t know if it’s negligible

if there’s a constant multiplied
Taylor Expansion for Small x

Again, it depends on
≈0 which physical quantity
you are approximating
Binomial Expansion for Small r

≈0
Easy example: Gravitational Acceleration Near Earth’s Surface

h: height above surface h<<<r

Earth r: radius of Earth

r
h
h/r ≈ 0
Easy example: Gravitational Acceleration Near Earth’s Surface

h: height above surface

UGLY

Earth r: radius of Earth

:(
r
h

Can’t Use These

 Easy example: Gravitational Acceleration Near Earth’s Surface

h: height above surface

Earth r: radius of Earth

r
h

No h
Gravitational acceleration is
constant near Earth’s surface
The power of approximation

Then take the derivative

of h to get v(t)
The power of approximation