Revision methods · 25 September 2026 · 6 min read
How to study physics when you do not understand the topic yet
‘I do not understand physics’ often describes several different difficulties. The words in the question may be unfamiliar, the mathematical step may be missing, or the student may know individual facts without seeing how they connect. Each problem calls for a different kind of help.
The method below is designed for the stage before ordinary revision feels useful. It starts with a small, specific gap and builds towards independent questions. You can use it with the free notes, a school lesson or a tutor’s explanation. Progress is judged by the reasoning you can perform, not by how quickly you finish a chapter.
Replace a broad difficulty with one precise question
Choose a recent example that became confusing and mark the first line you cannot explain. Do you understand what the quantity means? Can you identify the system in the diagram? Do you know why that equation was chosen? Can you follow the rearrangement? Stop at the earliest gap, because everything after it may look difficult simply because that step is missing.
For instance, a student struggling with density might confuse mass with volume, know both quantities but not the ratio, or understand the ratio but struggle to convert centimetres cubed to metres cubed. Saying ‘density questions are hard’ hides these differences. Write the smaller question in plain language so you can select an explanation or ask for help that addresses the actual obstacle.
Rebuild the prerequisite with a concrete representation
Use a labelled diagram, simple numerical example or familiar comparison. For density, imagine two objects with the same volume but different masses: the more massive object has greater mass per unit volume. Then compare equal masses occupying different volumes. These comparisons establish the meaning before the algebra becomes the main task.
Check the prerequisite separately. If the problem is rearranging ρ = m/V, practise finding each variable with simple values. If it is the volume conversion, draw a small cube and convert each dimension. Avoid trying to fix a mathematical gap, unfamiliar vocabulary and an advanced application all at once. A simpler task is useful when it isolates the missing idea rather than removing the need to think.
Study one worked example as a sequence of decisions
Take an original example: a block has mass 81.0 g and volume 30.0 cm³. Its density is 2.70 g cm⁻³ because the calculation asks how much mass corresponds to each cubic centimetre. Before substituting, name the known quantities and required quantity. After calculating, explain the unit. This connects the number to the physical meaning rather than treating division as a remembered trick.
Hide the solution and reconstruct it. Then change the unknown: a material has density 2.70 g cm⁻³ and volume 20.0 cm³, so its mass is 54.0 g. Explain why multiplication now replaces division. If that variation becomes confusing, return to the meaning of ‘mass per unit volume’ and use a drawing or a simple one-cubic-centimetre example before attempting harder questions.
Increase difficulty one change at a time
Begin with a question that uses the same idea in a slightly different form. Next add a different unit, an unfamiliar context or a short explanation. Once those steps are secure, mix the topic with others so the required method is not announced in advance. Jumping from a watched solution straight to the hardest mixed paper can obscure whether the foundation was ever learned.
Use mistakes to choose the next task. If you selected the correct density equation but converted the volume wrongly, repair the conversion rather than rereading every density definition. If you chose an unrelated equation, work on recognising the situation. A fresh attempt after feedback is the check that matters. Recognising a solution when it is shown is a useful stage of learning, not the final stage.
Ask for help with the attempt attached
A useful question includes the original problem, your working and the step you cannot justify. For example: ‘I know the mass and volume, but I divided volume by mass because I could not tell which ratio density means. How can I decide?’ This gives a teacher enough information to correct the model, rather than simply providing another finished answer.
If a written explanation remains unclear, ask for a diagram, a simpler comparison or a second example with a different unknown. Be specific about what changed in your understanding. If you have missed several lessons, tell the teacher which topics were missed and ask for a catch-up sequence. Repeatedly searching for new videos without identifying the gap can leave the same prerequisite unresolved.
Build a short recovery session and check again later
An illustrative session might use five minutes to locate the gap, ten minutes to study and reconstruct an explanation, fifteen minutes for a few independent questions and five minutes to mark them and write a follow-up question. Adjust those timings freely. The target is one clearer idea with evidence of application, not a fixed quantity of work completed regardless of understanding.
Return to the idea in a later session and attempt a fresh question before opening notes. If the first step remains inaccessible despite focused practice, additional teaching may be useful. Dr Desouky’s IGCSE, AS and A2 course enquiries can start with the exact board and a marked attempt, allowing a discussion of the appropriate group and support. There is no need to claim complete understanding before asking for help.
Questions, explained
Choose a question for a direct answer, then explore the explanation and supporting resources. Each answer has its own link to save or share.
Why can I understand a physics solution but not solve the question myself?
Following a method that is already selected is different from choosing it independently. Hide the next step, predict it and explain why it applies. Then attempt a closely related question with different values or a different unknown. If you cannot begin, identify whether the missing skill is understanding the quantities, choosing a model or carrying out the mathematics.
Should I do past papers if I do not understand the basic physics?
A short attempt can diagnose the gap, but repeated full papers may be inefficient when the foundation is missing. Study the specific prerequisite, work through a clear example and try simpler related questions independently. Build towards mixed and timed practice as the reasoning becomes more secure. Use the paper to guide learning rather than treating its score as the only outcome.
What should I ask a teacher when I do not understand physics?
Bring the question and your attempt, then identify the first step you cannot explain. Ask about the meaning, model or mathematical operation at that point. If necessary, request a simpler example or diagram before returning to the original problem. This gives the teacher a clear starting point and helps you judge whether the explanation has resolved the difficulty.