drowning in physics

I seem to be up against a task that I don’t really understand.  If I did, I would get to it, but I suppose this is what real, grown-up physics is like: not just getting the right answer, but posing the terms of the question properly.  I haven’t managed yet to get even that far.  I pray that I will succeed, but I think I might have waded in a little too deep on this one.