Learn some basic principles of physics that help you understand how the world around you works. In our highly technological society, it is useful to have a basic understanding of the how and why the world works the way it does: that’s what physics is all about. It also involves a touch of history, a bit of mathematics, and many everyday examples.
Physics is concerned with every aspect of our universe, and in Basic Physics you will explore 4 main areas: Motion, Waves & Sound, Electricity & Magnetism, and Light. You will gain some valuable insight into these topics, and be able to make simple calculations and predictions.
What will I learn?
- The important quantities that describe motion: position, velocity, acceleration
- How to analyse the causes of motion using Newton’s Laws of Motion
- What the relationship is between force and energy
- How to understand the properties of waves, including a mathematical description
- How to understand sound and light in terms of their wave nature
- How waves overlap and interfere, and how this applies to some musical instruments
- Why a siren changes pitch as it moves past you
- The general properties of electric and magnetic fields
- How to understand the motion of charge as an electric current, and its application in simple circuits
- How to determine the forces on charges and currents from magnetic fields
- Key steps in the development of our understanding of light
- How to use the basic principles of reflection and refraction to understand the behaviour of lenses and mirrors
- An insight into the unusual and unexpected properties of light that are simultaneously wave-like and particle-like
This course requires approximately 2 - 4 hours of study per week, but can vary depending on the student. This includes watching videos, and taking quizzes and assessments. The total video time for this course is approximately 3 hours and 56 Minutes.
If you pass this course you'll receive a Certificate of Achievement. While this certificate isn't a formal qualification or credit, you can use it to demonstrate your interest in learning about this area to potential employers or educational institutions.
