Correlation between mathematical skills and success in physics

A pre-course test of algebraic and trigonometric skills has been correlated with performance in introductory physics without calculus. For 200 students in two sections it was found that mathematical abilities at the beginning of the course weakly correlate with performance in the course. A repeat of the test at the end of the course indicates that mathematical skills alone are not sufficient to guarantee success in physics, but that unless the student has the mathematical skills, the performance in the physics will be poor.

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