1.7.3 Representations

A picture is one way to represent your knowledge of a situation. You could also represent your knowledge using words, graphs, or equations. Each representation of knowledge gives us a different perspective on the problem. The more tools you have for thinking about a complex problem, the more likely you are to solve it.

A photo of two architects examining a building plan at a construction site.

A new building requires careful planning. The architect’s visualization and drawings have to be complete before the detailed procedures of construction get under way. The same is true for solving problems in physics.

There are four representations of knowledge that we will use over and over:

  1. The verbal representation. A problem statement, in words, is a verbal representation of knowledge. So is an explanation that you write.

  2. The pictorial representation. The pictorial representation, which we’ve just presented, is the most literal depiction of the situation.

  3. The graphical representation. We will make extensive use of graphs.

  4. The mathematical representation. Equations that can be used to find the numerical values of specific quantities are the mathematical representation.

NOTE   The mathematical representation is only one of many. Much of physics is more about thinking and reasoning than it is about solving equations.