What Is a Differential Equation?

In this introductory lesson, we explore what a differential equation is. We begin with a real-world example of a vertical amusement park drop ride at Magic Mountain. We model the drop with a basic differential equation and go through the results. We then discuss various areas where differential equations appear such as radioactive decay, motion with resistance, simple harmonic motion, and vibrating strings. We also survey broader contexts where differential equations appear such as in Maxwell's equations for electromagnetism, the Black-Scholes equation in finance, and the Schrodinger equation in quantum mechanics. RELATED PLAYLISTS: Differential Equations - Full lessons:    • Differential Equations - Full Lessons   Differential Equations - Worked Examples:    • Differential Equations - Worked Examples   Math Concepts Explained:    • Math Concepts Explained   Video timestamps: 00:00 Vertical drop example 08:10 Definition of a differential equation 08:35 Various examples of differential equations Ref: ODE-FL-001a