Can ChatGPT solve physics?

Measuring ChatGPT's physics expertise

Can ChatGPT solve physics equations?

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ChatGPT has been getting a lot of attention lately and it is no surprise! OpenAI’s language model seems to be the most powerful AI chatbot that’s been released to the public and has become popular with both mathematicians and physicists alike. When it comes to natural language processing tasks, there really isn’t much this model can’t do. But, can ChatGPT solve physics? Let’s find out.

Can ChatGPT solve physics problems?

In short, ChatGPT can solve physics problems but not all the time. Since the model is built to churn out responses in the form of text, ChatGPT will likely struggle with advanced calculations, deriving theorems, and evaluating difficult integrals. All of which are required for at least college-level courses.

However, the model seems to be able to answer physics problems that are conceptual in nature. YouTuber, Cool Worlds actually put ChatGPT against an introductory-level college astrophysics exam.

Surprisingly, the model managed to answer most of the multiple-choice questions correctly, scoring 73.9% on the test. The AI tool does appear to know about general relativity and Ohm’s law, and can understand velocity and momentum. This ability is common amongst today’s most advanced NLP models. Of course, it does still use token prediction, and not a real bonafide understanding of the world, in the way that Runways General World Models propose. But for a simulation of understanding, it’s still pretty convincing.

✓ Steve says

Can ChatGPT understand physics?

Machine learning algorithms aren’t rules-based (in the way non-AI algorithms are) and instead purely operate based on examples. This is actually a great hindrance for calculating math, and by extension physics, equations with AI. It’s still far more computationally efficient and accurate to use arithmetic than machine learning for math. In other words, a normal calculator (even the calculator app in the your phone) beats ChatGPT.

This is pretty impressive, to say the least. The model was even able to provide explanations and reasoning behind its answers.

So let’s tone it down now, to high-school-level physics. From what it seems, ChatGPT will be able to solve most school physics questions. We actually tested the model on a straightforward problem assessing knowledge of pressure.

The AI successfully answered the question and even showed how it came to that conclusion. This clearly demonstrates ChatGPT’s ability to at least perform some basic mathematical calculations.

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Is there an app that solves physics?

There are a bunch of apps that can help you solve physics problems. Of course, the more advanced the problem the more difficult it will be to find an app that is capable of tackling your query.

Which AI is best for physics?

Regardless, here are a couple of apps you could try out:

PhyWiz – Physics Solver

This app is available for free from the Google Play Store. PhyWiz can help you with physics homework covering over 30 different topics including kinematics, quantum physics, and forces. And can provide detailed solutions including numerous equations to teach you how to tackle various problems.

WolframAlpha

WolframAlpha is a favorite among the maths and physics community. The website not only offers help with mathematical and physics calculations but also covers numerous topics in Science & Technology, Society & Culture, and Everyday Life.

Can ChatGPT 4 solve physics problems?

For starters, there isn’t necessarily a ChatGPT 4 but there is a new version of ChatGPT coming out that uses OpenAI’s language model GPT-4.

So, can this new version solve physics problems? Since the current ChatGPT can solve some basic physics problems we would expect the next version also to be able to do this. What makes the new ChatGPT special is that it can understand image inputs. So, this time around you may be able to upload your physics assignment directly to the platform instead of writing the question out by hand.

Can AI solve physics?

Yes, there have been many occasions when AI has been used to solve physics problems. Advanced AI such as predictive models and deep learning algorithms to name a few have all been utilized for physics research.

Can ChatGPT solve quantum physics problems?

Impressively, AI chatbots have been known to correctly answer theoretical questions. This emergent capability is also hard at work in the field of medicine when discovering new molecules with desirable properties, as in the AlphaFold system developed by Google DeepMind.

Final Thoughts

ChatGPT definitely can solve physics problems. But, to what degree of accuracy? It is important to remember that ChatGPT isn’t a calculator of any sort but more a text generator with a large bank of knowledge of the world. For educational purposes, it’s great, and even with higher-level questions, it can assist physicists. This includes even complex phenomena around gravity, dark matter, gravitational waves, black holes, and more.

If you want an answer to a conceptual problem, solely based on ideas and principles, ChatGPT could definitely help you. When it comes to difficult calculations, however, you may want to look elsewhere for the correct answer.