Physics is concerned with the basic principles of the universe. It is the foundation on which engineering, technology, and other sciences are based. The science of physics has developed out of the efforts of men and women to explain our physical environment. These efforts have been so successful that the laws of physics now encompass a remarkable variety of phenomena. One of the exciting features of physics is its capacity for predicting how nature will behave in one situation on the basis of experimental data obtained in another situation. In this class, we will begin the process of understanding the underlying order of the physical world by modeling physical systems using analytical and the numerical tools provided by digital computers. We will also have significant hands-on laboratory experience to make predictions and explore some of these models. 

In this thematically-integrated course, students will cover a full year of algebra-based physics through small-group discussions, interactive lectures, and hands-on laboratory investigations. We will learn about motion, energy, models, and the process for constructing them. We will study some of Galileo's significant contributions to classical mechanics, Kepler's astronomical observations, Newton's work on laws of motion, optics, acoustics, Maxwell's development of the unified theory of magnetism, Einstein’s relativity, and many others. This class will cover many of the traditional topics of a first-year physics sequence.