Scholars Online Physics

Course Overview

Scholars Online offers a an intensive introduction to physics covering the following topics:

• Kinematics (motion) in one, two and three dimensions, including rotational motion
• Dynamics (forces) and Equilibrium
• Work and Energy
• Momentum
• Solids and Fluids
• Waves and Vibration
• Thermodynamics (temperture, heat, and entropy)
• Electrical charges, fields currents, and circuits
• Magnetism
• Electronmagnetic waves, Light, and Optics
• Special Relativity
• Quantum Mechanics
• Nuclear Energy and Elementary Particles
• Astrophysics and Cosmology

We will approach this mass of material through our texts, through discussion, through guided Web Tours, and through lab experiences. As we learn about the concepts and methods of modern physics, we will try to put them into perspective by addressing these questions:

• What is science?
• What is scientific methodology?
• How do we observe a natural object or event?
• How do we use instruments to discover more detailed information about matter, energy, motion, and forces?
• How do we evaluate and organize our knowledge?
• What are hypotheses, models, and theories, and natural laws? How do we test, accept, or disprove a theory?
• How does the very act of organizing knowledge limit or enhance the way we think about nature and ourselves?
• What are the ethical implications of scientific investigations into energy and matter?
• How does making an abstract model help us understand a "real event"? How does it obscure the reality of the event?
• What are the areas of conflict between current physics theories and models, and the social, cultural, and religious concerns of the human community?
• What are our responsibilities as stewards of the natural resources of Earth?

Browser Recommendation: I strongly that you use FireFox to attend class and use the Moodle, and avoid Chrome and Microsoft Edge, since Google and Microsoft chose not to implement the MathML standard in their browsers. We depend heavily on this math formatting tool in chat. Additionally, the Moodle is optimized for FireFox; some features are available in FireFox and not in other browsers.

Meetings: This course meets twice a week in live ninety-minute chat sessions using the Scholars Online HTML-based chat application (no audio)¹ for a review of the material and open discussion of homework assignments or topics posing difficulties. Some time will be devoted to basic lab work. Students post individually-assigned problems to the course conference center to gain practice in explaining solutions.

Credit: Students completing the course will receive high school physics credit. Students completing additional lab work will receive honors credit. AP credit is no longer offered as of the 2020-2021 academic year (see the FAQs page for an explanation).

Standard Exam Preparation: Students taking the Honors Course should be well prepared to take both the SAT II Physics Test. Students completing extra lab work should be prepared to take the AP Physics 1 and/or 2 exam. Those interested in either exam should read the Physics Exam Preparation page, and contact the instructor if they have questions.

Prerequisites: The Scholars Online Physics Course is designed to be an independent course for students who have completed a rigorous junior high school physicsal or earth science course, or Scholars Online Natural Science I and II.

Labs and Lab Equipment:

Labs are not optional. Students must complete twelve labs for the course. Students must have parental permission to perform labs in order to receive credit. The lab permission form and a list of required equipment and materials is available from the Lab Requirements page.

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Need more information? Further details on this course are available at this site on course procedures and other frequently-asked questions.

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© 2005 - 2024 This course is offered through Scholars Online, a non-profit organization supporting classical Christian education through online courses. Permission to copy course content (lessons and labs) for personal study is granted to students currently or formerly enrolled in the course through Scholars Online. Reproduction for any other purpose, without the express written consent of the author, is prohibited.