Calc III: Where Calculus Meets Geometry And Physics

The professor hands over what looks like a simple assignment, but then BAM—it's the continuity equation for charge conservation: ∇·J = -∂ρ/∂t. That face in the middle panels says it all! This equation basically states that electric charge can't be created or destroyed (only moved around), but trying to solve problems with it feels like trying to explain quantum mechanics to your cat. The student's progression from confidence to existential crisis is the physics equivalent of ordering "just a light salad" and receiving a 17-course molecular gastronomy experiment. Every electrodynamics student has had this exact moment when Maxwell's equations stop being theoretical and start getting personal.

Suggesting we remove multiplication tables from schools is like proposing we remove wheels from cars because "GPS exists." That look of disbelief is every math teacher who's watched a student try to calculate a 15% tip by drawing 15 separate circles and counting them individually. Fundamental math skills aren't just "curriculum filler" – they're the difference between calculating compound interest and believing the bank just gives you money for existing.

When trigonometry meets savage burns! The meme instructs you to set your calculator to degrees (not radians), then calculate the sine of your age. The punchline? "It's less than 1" - which is mathematically inevitable since sine functions always output values between -1 and 1. It's basically saying "I know you're old without saying you're old" with mathematical precision. The genius part? Even if you're 90, the sine value is still approximately 0.894... proving that math can deliver burns with decimal-point accuracy!

The infamous "spherical cow" - where theoretical physicists strip away all those pesky real-world complications like, you know, actual cow shape . "Consider a perfectly spherical cow in vacuum" is basically physics-speak for "I'm going to ignore everything that makes this problem hard." Sure, it makes the math work out beautifully, but good luck milking that geometric monstrosity. Next week: frictionless chickens and point-mass elephants!

Textbook errors: where mathematical nightmares begin! The equation shown (20 × 9.8N = 19.6N) is hilariously wrong—it's off by a factor of 10! This is probably someone's attempt to calculate weight using F=mg where g=9.8 m/s², but somehow they managed to turn 196N into 19.6N. Nothing builds student confidence quite like learning from resources that can't do basic multiplication. No wonder students develop trust issues with physics!

This clock is what happens when mathematicians get bored with regular time-telling devices. Instead of boring old numbers, we've got mathematical expressions that would make your high school teacher either proud or have a nervous breakdown. The highlight is the "3(π-14)" at what would normally be 3 o'clock. If π were exactly 3.14 (spoiler: it's not), then this would equal 3(3.14-14) = 3(-10.86) = -32.58. Which is... nowhere near 3. Nice try, clock designer! This is the mathematical equivalent of those "live, laugh, love" decorations, except it's "calculate, miscalculate, give up and buy a digital watch." Engineers everywhere are quietly muttering "π=3" and walking away.