Math and science are two of the core academic subjects taught in schools. They involve learning complex concepts, solving challenging problems, and developing critical thinking skills. Many students find both subjects difficult in their own way. So which one is truly harder – math or science?
Key Differences Between Math and Science
While math and science share some similarities, there are several key differences between the two subjects:
- Math involves more abstract thinking and logic. Science relies more on observation, testing, and real-world application.
- Math builds heavily on previous concepts. Science topics are more compartmentalized into distinct disciplines like biology, chemistry, physics.
- Math focuses on numbers, quantities, shapes, and patterns. Science examines the natural world through experimentation.
- Math seeks definitive right or wrong answers. Scientific conclusions are based on evidence and can be revised with new discoveries.
- Math curriculum progresses sequentially each year. Science courses vary more depending on the specific discipline.
Difficulty of Math Concepts
Math is systematic and cumulative, with each new topic building on the previous ones. Some of the concepts that many students find especially challenging include:
- Algebra – Using variables and mathematical expressions to represent numbers and quantities requires abstract thinking.
- Geometry – Visualizing and manipulating shapes and figures in multiple dimensions taps spatial reasoning skills.
- Trigonometry – Applying trigonometric functions to calculate angles, lengths, and trigonometric identities involves advanced math.
- Calculus – Understanding rates of change and areas under curves goes beyond basic arithmetic.
- Statistics – Making sense of large datasets, distributions, and probabilities requires mathematical maturity.
Mastering higher math requires students to think flexibly, make logical connections, and develop problem-solving strategies. The step-by-step progression along with the abstract nature makes math a subject that some students find impenetrable.
Difficulty of Science Concepts
Science encompasses a wide range of technical disciplines with dense terminology and research-based theories. Some of the most challenging science topics include:
- Physics – Understanding motion, electromagnetism, thermodynamics, and other physics concepts involves grasping complex mathematical relationships.
- Chemistry – Making sense of the properties and interactions of elements, compounds, and chemical reactions requires deep analysis.
- Biology – Memorizing details about cell structures, physiological systems, inheritance, and ecosystems taxes students’ recall abilities.
- Astronomy – Comprehending astronomical distances, celestial motions, and the expansion of the universe strains human cognition.
- Engineering – Applying physics and math to analyze, design, and problem solve for complex systems and technologies is demanding.
Science disciplines are dense with factual information. Staying on top of technical vocabulary, conceptual models, and quantitative relationships takes significant study. The empirical nature of science can clash with personal beliefs, also presenting hurdles for some students.
Cognitive Abilities Required
To better evaluate the difficulty of math compared to science, it helps to examine the cognitive abilities each subject requires:
| Cognitive Ability | Math | Science |
|---|---|---|
| Logical reasoning | Highly required | Moderately required |
| Abstract thinking | Highly required | Moderately required |
| Spatial reasoning | Moderately required | Highly required |
| Memorization | Moderately required | Highly required |
| Critical thinking | Highly required | Highly required |
| Problem solving | Highly required | Highly required |
This comparison shows that both math and science rely heavily on critical thinking and problem-solving skills. However, math emphasizes abstract reasoning while science requires more spatial skills and memorization. The logical yet conceptual nature of math poses unique challenges for some students.
Difficulty of Advanced Courses
Looking at advanced high school and college-level courses provides another perspective on the comparative difficulty of math and science. Some notably challenging courses include:
- Multivariable calculus – Analyzing functions of several variables requires keeping track of many moving parts.
- Differential equations – Solving equations with derivatives of unknown functions taps deep mathematical intuition.
- Organic chemistry – Understanding diverse reactions involving carbon compounds strains mental modeling abilities.
- Physics mechanics – Applying calculus-based rigid body dynamics taxes even strong math students.
- Biochemistry – Grasping intricate cellular metabolic pathways pushes the limits of human memory.
Students often dread these advanced courses due to their fast pace, complex concepts, and high stakes exams. In general, upper-level math courses rely heavily on precise logical thinking and abstraction. Upper-level science courses require strong visualization, comprehension of technical language, and integrative thinking skills. Both can prove extremely difficult for all but the top students.
Real World Applications
The abstract nature of math makes mastering higher level math courses especially difficult for some. However, the technical complexity and factual breadth of advanced science also poses big challenges. Looking at real world applications provides further insight:
- Math – Used in finance, data analysis, engineering, and computer science – underpins many cutting edge technologies.
- Science – Drives innovation in healthcare, energy, agriculture, and environmental sustainability – key to improving human lives.
So while advanced math may be harder in an academic sense, science is no less critical for solving real world problems. The two complement each other. Scientists model complex systems using math. Mathematicians pursue discoveries inspired by scientific questions.
Study Time Required
One concrete way to compare the difficulty of subjects is to look at the average time students spend studying. A survey of thousands of high school students found the following break down of weekly study time:
| Subject | Average Study Hours/Week |
|---|---|
| Math | 5.5 hours |
| Science | 4.7 hours |
| English | 3.9 hours |
| History | 3.7 hours |
| Foreign language | 3.2 hours |
On average, students reported spending nearly 1 hour more studying math compared to science each week. This suggests they find math concepts marginally more difficult to grasp. However, the study time for both subjects is well above other core academics.
Failure and Drop Out Rates
Looking at course failure and attrition rates also provides insight into subject difficulty. A study by the Department of Education found the following high school class failure rates:
| Subject | Failure Rate |
|---|---|
| Math | 19% |
| Science | 14% |
| English | 11% |
| History | 10% |
| Foreign language | 8% |
Failing a required math class was the most common reason students were denied graduation. The 5% higher failure rate in math suggests it poses slightly greater difficulties for high school students. Science courses still saw significantly higher failure rates than humanities or language classes.
In college, drop out rates in early undergraduate math and science classes provide another measure of difficulty:
| Course | Drop Out Rate |
|---|---|
| Calculus 1 | 24% |
| General Chemistry 1 | 21% |
| Basic Biology | 18% |
| Composition | 12% |
| Intro Psychology | 11% |
College math and science courses saw substantially higher attrition compared to humanities and social science introductions. The calculus drop out rate exceeded chemistry and biology, confirming advanced math presents unique challenges.
Expert Opinions on Difficulty
In addition to looking at student performance data, insights from educators provide further perspective on the comparative difficulty of math and science:
- A high school math teacher explained: “Math is more sequential and abstract. Each concept builds on the next all the way through calculus. This makes it harder for students who fall behind to catch up.”
- A physics professor argued: “Intro physics involves visualization, conceptual thinking, and strong math skills. It’s a perfect storm of difficulty for freshmen.”
- A chemistry PhD student countered: “Memorizing the periodic table, chemical structures, reactions – chemistry is sheer information overload. The concepts aren’t intuitive.”
- A biology professor conceded: “Math certainly requires very sophisticated cognitive abilities. But mastering the sheer breadth of factual knowledge in biology is just as challenging in its own way.”
Experts acknowledge advanced math requires uniquely rigorous abstract thinking and logic. However, science disciplines also pose big challenges due to dense factual knowledge and technical complexity. There are few easy subjects at higher levels.
Standardized Test Results
Looking at standardized test scores also sheds light on the comparative mastery of math and science skills among students. On the SAT college entrance exam, the mean scores were:
| Section | Mean Score (out of 800) |
|---|---|
| Math | 531 |
| Critical Reading | 497 |
| Writing | 482 |
The 34 point advantage for math suggests students find math content less difficult to master by the end of high school. However, science is not broken out as a separate section. An analysis of ACT science and math scores shows a smaller gap:
| Section | Mean Score (out of 36) |
|---|---|
| Math | 20.7 |
| Science | 20.4 |
So while math skills appear slightly ahead, science remains very close. Standardized tests confirm both subjects prove challenging for many students.
Conclusion
In summary, math and science represent two of the most difficult core academic disciplines. Math requires greater abstract reasoning and build heavily on prior knowledge. Science involves massive factual breadth across many technical subfields. Both feature concepts counterintuitive to human experience.
Looking at cognitive abilities, advanced courses, real world applications, study time, failure rates, expert opinions, and test results shows math and science are comparable in overall difficulty. If one subject holds a slight edge, it is math due to the uniquely abstract and sequential nature required for mastery.
However, science disciplines pose substantial challenges of their own due to dense technical knowledge across physics, chemistry, biology, and more. There are few easy answers or shortcuts in upper level math or science. They require strong critical thinking, logic, visualization, and problem-solving skills.
While measuring subjective difficulty across diverse subjects poses inherent challenges, the weight of evidence suggests advanced math is marginally harder for most students to grasp. But science runs a very close second, and exceeds math in terms of brute memorization. In the end, both subjects provide rigorous training for the mind and indispensable tools for advancing human knowledge.