The Language of Physics
Bridge the gap between everyday English and scientific precision. Learn to describe the laws of the universe using the specific vocabulary and phrasing of a physicist.
Like Duolingo, but for The Language of Physics. Tomo turns the whole topic into a game you play five minutes a day, until it actually sticks.
A short one: 9 levels across 2 sections, about 18 minutes end to end, roughly 4 days at five minutes a day. It moves through Describing Motion and Force and Waves and Fields. It assumes you already know the basics.
Free forever · No credit card · iPhone & Android
Key ideas in The Language of Physics
- Speed is a scalar value representing how fast an object moves regardless of path
- Velocity is a vector that requires both a numerical speed and a specific direction
- Acceleration occurs whenever there is a change in speed, including slowing down
- Changing direction at a constant speed is a change in velocity and thus acceleration
- Distinguishing speed from velocity in a physical context
- Identifying acceleration as any change in the velocity vector
- Inertia is an inherent property that resists any change to the current state of motion
- Mass is the physical measure of an object's inertia
- Acceleration is inversely proportional to mass when a constant force is applied
- Newton's Second Law dictates that more mass requires more force to reach the same speed
- Net force is the final result after adding all individual force vectors together
- Understanding inertia as a resistance to change in motion
- An object only accelerates if the net force acting upon it is non-zero
- Applying the proportional relationships of Newton's Second Law
- Determining movement based on the sum of forces
- Work requires a force to cause an actual displacement of the object.
You've tried the other tabs
Thirty open tabs. Four facts you actually kept.
You watched. You nodded. By Sunday it was gone.
One answer, then back to scrolling.
Eight weeks. You meant to finish. You didn't.
Tomo gives The Language of Physics the Duolingo treatment: levels, streaks, and quick quizzes that test what you just learned. That game loop is what the tabs above never had, so it's the one you actually finish.
Here's what playing it feels like
A real question from this course. Take your best guess.
A pilot reports they are flying at 500 mph heading due North. What physical measurement are they describing?
Get it right to open this lesson and 8 more in the app.
How to learn The Language of Physics, step by step
Go in order. 9 short levels across 2 sections, about 18 minutes in all, five minutes a day.
- 1
Describing Motion and Force
- The Precision of Movement
- Energy, Work, and Power
- 2
Waves and Fields
- The Vocabulary of Waves
2 sections · 3 units · 9 levels. Built to play, not to enroll.
Questions about The Language of Physics
How do I learn The Language of Physics?
Go in order: start with Describing Motion and Force, then Waves and Fields. On Tomo that's 9 short levels, about 18 minutes in all, played five minutes a day. Start free and play the first level in under a minute.
Is there a Duolingo-style app for The Language of Physics?
Yes. Tomo works like Duolingo: short daily lessons, streaks and quick quizzes. The Language of Physics is one of its free courses, and you can type any other topic to get a course of your own.
Is The Language of Physics free?
Yes. The Language of Physics is playable on Tomo's free plan, which doesn't expire. No credit card, no waitlist. Download the app and start your first lesson.
How long does it take to learn The Language of Physics?
9 levels across 2 sections, about 18 minutes of play in total. It's built for five minutes a day, so you finish it a little at a time instead of all at once.
Do I need any background to start The Language of Physics?
No. It's pitched at an intermediate level, so it starts where you are and builds up. If you can tap a phone, you can start.
Tomo is in ChatGPT
Tomo is also a ChatGPT plugin: the same playable courses, built and played inside your chat.
Add Tomo to ChatGPT- What to ask
- “Make me a Tomo course on black holes.” “Turn this chat into a Tomo course.”
- What you get
- Quick questions with instant feedback, hearts and stars, ready to play in about a minute.
- Where it goes
- No sign-up to start. Connect your Tomo account and your streak carries on in the app.
You pick the voice
The Language of Physics is taught in the Bestie style: your friend who just gets it. Want a different feel? In the app you can spin up the same topic in any of Tomo's teaching styles. Same facts, totally different vibe.
More Science on Tomo
The Laws of the Universe
Discover the mathematical elegance and physical laws that govern everything from falling apples to distant galaxies. Learn to calculate the forces of nature and see the world through the eyes of history's greatest thinkers.
Everyday Physics of Motion
Decode the invisible forces behind how objects move, fall, and collide in daily life. Learn why you lurch forward when a bus stops, how crumple zones save lives, and why everything falls at the same speed.
Physics in Motion and Energy
Bridge the gap between basic concepts and quantitative physics. Calculate trajectories, balance forces, analyze collisions, and explore how energy shapes circuits, waves, and engines.
The Physics of Everyday Motion
Discover the invisible forces that govern how you move, drive, and play. Learn to see the world through the lens of momentum, energy, and the laws that keep everything in its place.
Physics of Motion and Energy
Move beyond plug-and-chug formulas to analyze the hidden budgets of the physical world. Learn how momentum, rotational inertia, energy landscapes, and entropy govern everything from vehicle collisions to orbital mechanics.
How Electricity Works
Demystify the invisible force that powers modern life. Learn how circuits operate, what voltage and wattage actually measure, and how electricity safely runs your home.
Start The Language of Physics today.
Download Tomo, search The Language of Physics, and play your first lesson in under a minute.