Your Physics Student Toolkit
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Programming, maths and data tools for physics students.
Who this toolkit is for
For physics students. Specialist lab software is usually provided by your department.
Showing tools for every device. Choose your computer to see only compatible software and verified install commands.
Essential (2)
Core tools that are broadly useful.
Office / Documents
LibreOfficeOpen Source
Why you may need this: Free documents and spreadsheets for lab reports.
Visit Official Website
Research / Citation
ZoteroOpen SourceAlso on iPhone/iPad
Why you may need this: Organise research sources and generate citations for coursework and dissertations.
Visit Official Website
Recommended (4)
Useful for particular parts of the work or course.
Office / Documents
- Microsoft 365
PaidAlso on Android, iPhone/iPad, Web
Why you may need this: Word and Excel for lab reports; check your institution's free access.
Open web appCheck your university access
Your university or college may provide this software or a student licence. Check before purchasing.
Prefer a free option? LibreOffice, ONLYOFFICE Desktop · Compare alternatives
Programming
Why you may need this: Write analysis code for labs.
Visit Official Website
Maths
- GeoGebra
FreeAlso on Android, iPhone/iPad, Web
Why you may need this: Visualise functions and geometry.
Open web app
Study
AnkiOpen SourceAlso on Android, iPhone/iPad
Why you may need this: Spaced-repetition flashcards for memorising terms and facts.
Visit Official Website
Specialist / Optional · Show specialist tools (3)
Consider these for particular modules, tasks or environments.
Numerical Computing
- GNU Octave
Open Source
Why you may need this: Numerical methods.
Visit Official Website
Data Analysis
PythonOpen Source
Why you may need this: Analyse experimental data with code.
Visit Official Website
Reports
- Overleaf
FreemiumAlso on Web
Why you may need this: Write reports with LaTeX.
Open web app
Course requirements vary. Software requirements differ between schools, colleges, universities and modules. Check your course materials before purchasing software.
Build your student setup
Build My Setup lets you add or remove apps, see why each is included and, where verified packages exist, get one install command. Nothing is installed automatically.