PHYS101: Introduction to Mechanics

Physics is the branch of science that explores the physical nature of matter and energy. Physicists examine the story behind our universe, which includes the study of mechanics, heat, light, radiation, sound, electricity, magnetism, and the structure of atoms. They study the events and interactions that occur among the elementary particles that comprise our material universe.

In this course, we study the physics of motion from the ground up – learning the basic principles of physical laws and their application to the behavior of objects. Classical mechanics studies statics, kinematics (motion), dynamics (forces), energy, and momentum developed prior to 1900 from the physics of Galileo Galilei and Isaac Newton. We encourage you to supplement what you learn here with the Saylor course PHYS102 Introduction to Electromagnetism.

Since mathematics is the language of physics, you should be familiar with high-school-level algebra, geometry, and trigonometry. We will develop the small amount of additional math and calculus you need to succeed during the course.