Chapter 3
Speaking Physics: The Basics for All Areas of Biophysics
In This Chapter
Defining physical dimensions with units
Locating where you are in space and time with maps
Using mathematics in physics
If you want to know biophysics, then you need to know that many words in everyday speech come from physics. In physics though, these words have specific meanings that are blurred in everyday speech. For example, people have a tendency to interchange the words mass and weight to mean the same thing, but they’re very different things in physics. Physics also likes to use mathematics for a few reasons.
This chapter provides an overview to the language of biophysics, including how your everyday words fit in the language. This chapter also explains the shorthand notation (mathematics) of biophysics, dealing specifically with the physics concepts that apply to all areas of biophysics.
When working through problems, I suggest you also write your own dictionary of each mathematical symbol and what the symbol means. Doing so is especially helpful if you’re reading from more than one biophysics ...
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