New ways to learn math and science in ChatGPT

Source: OpenAI Blog

Introduction

ChatGPT has quickly become one of the most widely used tools for learning. Each week, 140 million people use ChatGPT to help them understand math and science concepts. Users also explore new topics, work through homework problems, prepare for exams, and break down concepts they’ve always found difficult.

A recent Gallup survey found that more than half of U.S. adults struggle with math, and many parents don’t feel confident helping their children learn it.

New interactive visual explanations

Starting with more than 70 core math and science concepts, ChatGPT now offers dynamic visual explanations. Learners can see how formulas, variables, and relationships behave in real time. These experiences are available globally across all plans as of today.

Research suggests that visual, interaction‑based learning can lead to stronger conceptual understanding than traditional instruction for many students. When learners manipulate variables and instantly see the effects, they may better internalize the relationships behind mathematical and scientific concepts.

Now, when someone asks ChatGPT about one of the core topics, it can:

• Explain the concept
• Present an interactive visual module
• Let users adjust variables, manipulate formulas, and instantly see how those changes affect graphs and outcomes

How to try it

You can start by asking ChatGPT:

• “Help me understand the Pythagorean Theorem”
• “Explain how PV = nRT works”
• “How can I find the area of a circle?”

Early testing feedback

• Students (college and high‑school age) reported that the interactive experience helped them better understand how variables relate to one another.
• Parents said it gave them a more dynamic way to walk through problems alongside their children.
• Educators noted that tools like this could help students grasp how concepts work, instead of simply memorizing formulas.

Future plans

This is just the beginning. Over time, we plan to expand interactive learning to additional subjects and continue building tools that strengthen learning with ChatGPT. The work builds on experiences such as Study Mode, introduced last year to help students work through problems step by step, and quizzes, which help users strengthen recall and prepare for exams.

The research landscape on how AI affects learning is still taking shape, but recent studies—including our findings on Study Mode—show promising early signals. Through partners in OpenAI’s NextGenAI initiative and the OpenAI Learning Lab, we will continue to advance research to better understand how AI shapes learning over time. We intend to publish findings, shape future product experiences based on these insights, and work side by side with the broader education ecosystem to ensure AI benefits learners worldwide.

Note

Interactive learning is now available to all logged‑in ChatGPT users. The current list of math and science topics is most relevant to high‑school and college learners and includes, for example, binomial square, Charles’ law, circle area, circle equation, compound interest, cone surface area, cone volume, Coulomb’s law, cylinder volume, degrees of freedom, difference of squares, exponential decay, Hooke’s law, kinetic energy, lens equation, linear equation, Ohm’s law, period–frequency relation, potential energy, PV = nRT equation, Pythagorean theorem, slope–intercept form, surface area of a sphere, triangle area, trig angle‑sum identity, and others.