Conceptual Physics Vs General Physics

[Paulette Dzurilla]

Physicsis the scientific study of fundamental and universal phenomena. It explores the natural relationships that help us understand and predict the motion, organization and interaction of the most basic and measurable constituents of our physical existence. Physics, like all sciences, requires careful and continual observation and testing of its ideas, working hand-in-hand with creativity, imagination and an open mind.

This course presents the physical laws that tie together the diverse phenomena of nature. This course uses a descriptive approach, with limited use of basic algebra, to increase the students' understanding of the everyday physical world.

This course is a non-calculus based survey of general physics. It is designed for biological science students, including those in pre-medical, pre-dental, optometry, agricultural, and forestry programs. Topics include kinematics, Newton's Laws, dynamics of rigid bodies, work and energy, momentum, rotational motion, fluids, thermodynamics, and oscillatory motion (including mechanical waves and sound).

This course is a non-calculus based survey of general physics. It is designed for biological science students, including those in premedical, pre-dental, optometry, agricultural, and forestry programs. Topics include electric charge, electric fields, AC and DC circuit theory, electromagnetism, geometric and wave optics, special relativity, atomic structure, quantum physics, and nuclear physics.

Topics covered in this class include linear and rotational motion, Newton's laws, dynamics of rigid bodies, harmonic motion, and fluid statics. This course is for physics, mathematics, chemistry, architecture, and engineering majors. Eighteen (18) hours of the lecture are devoted to discussion sessions.

This course presents an in-depth treatment of electricity and magnetism and stresses problem-solving. Topics covered include charge and electric force, electric fields, electrical potential, magnetism, electromagnetic induction, and DC and AC circuit theory. This course is for physics, mathematics, chemistry, architecture, engineering, and computer science majors. Eighteen (18) hours of the lecture are devoted to discussion sessions.

This course examines thermodynamics, wave theory, light and sound, geometrical and physical optics (including lenses and mirrors), quantum physics, and high-energy physics. The treatment of topics would be most appropriate for physics, mathematics, chemistry, architecture, and engineering majors. Eighteen (18) hours of the lecture are devoted to discussion sessions.

This course is designed to enable both science and non-science students to learn about recent developments in physics. Selected topics would not include those that are part of current course offerings. UC transfer credit will be awarded only after the course has been evaluated by the enrolling UC campus. The units completed for this course cannot be counted towards the minimum 60 units required for admissions.

This course is designed to allow a student or group of students to study selected topics or areas of physics that go beyond the other courses offered by the Physics department. Topics or areas of study are chosen by mutual agreement between the students and the professor overseeing the course.

UC transfer credit will be awarded only after the course has been evaluated by the enrolling UC campus. The units completed for this course cannot be counted towards the minimum 60 units required for admission to UC.

Maybe I would have been a lot more scientifically literate and confident to having been a science major. Maybe I would have had more idea about the concept of momentum rather than being caught up in trying to figure out what formulas I had to use to finish my homework. Maybe I would have seen better how things worked and found an interest in physics, rather than slaving and fighting my way to make sure I did well enough on homework and tests.

I just think that if I had an idea of what a concept was like in real life, perhaps I would have been better at retaining the information long-term. And by retaining in my long-term memory, perhaps eventually use the information to think more richly about other concepts in my everyday life.

I am a physics teacher and I agree with you completely. I like teaching conceptual physics because I get to have students focus on concepts first and the math second. FYI conceptual physics does involve some algebra based math but the emphasis always relies on the concepts. It is usually taught with demos and activities so it ends up being a real blast to teach.

I absolutely hate this dichotomy. Physics cannot be understood without equations nor concepts. My experience teaching physics and taking classes in physics is that classes make a choice. They either focus on the equations, and not so much on what they mean, or they focus on the concepts, and avoid the math.

What I suggest is having an agenda of physics courses, with the intro course (100/101) being based solely on concepts. Once you get into the 200 level courses, then you start to introduce the very mathematical part of physics in a gradual way.

@Allen Awesomeness I respectfully disagree with your setup of courses. I believe that we are creating a false dichotomy. Conceptual Physics should never be low on math, because mathematics is so fundamental to the discipline of physics. However, we must radically rethink how math is utilized in a physics course.

Perhaps every physics teacher i have encountered, both as a student and as a teacher, uses math only in plug-and-chug (though they never would admit it). It was so commonplace when i was a student to find equations that just matched to the knowns and unknowns presented. I almost never had to give any extra thought to the equation.

What should be taught is an appreciation for the equation. Why is this equation valid? What does this equation describe? These are two very important questions that are often left out from physics class assessments.

To illustrate this, i present you with two (abbreviated) problems. A) Bob is sitting at one end of a see-saw, how far must heavier Charlie sit from the pivot in order to balance it? B) Bob, sitting at one end of a see-saw starts moving to the center. What must heavier Charlie do in order to maintain balance?

Kellie, i agree with you. You do need an understanding of the math in order to understand the science. This is true because the world behaves in a logical, for a lack of a better word, manner. Mathematics, being the language of logic, thus, is necessary to understanding how the world works.

In other words, i can explain the entire world with a few simple rules. Just as charges flow from a state of higher energy to lower energy, so does water when passing through a membrane. This method puts a lot more meaning into what they are learning. Thus, we should teach the simpler sciences earlier and the more complex ones later.

I understand your frustrations concerning your son. The reality is teaching physics first is a greater undertaking than just moving it earlier in the high school curriculum. Nonetheless, many schools are willing to do just that.

If you wish to pursue a career in physics or a related field, ARC's Physics program offers you a strong foundation. Through this program, you have a number of course options to fulfill a GE requirement and/or needed physics coursework required for your major. You will be required to take some course work in physics if you major in, for example, biology, chemistry, many pre-health fields, engineering, mathematics, or computer science.

The Careers Toolbox for Undergraduate Physics Students is a great place to start exploring career options for physics majors. For more detailed information, you can find a variety of up-to-date employment data and reports for physicists, astronomers, and related scientists here. Many other career and internship-related resources are available to you at the AAPT Career Center.

The Associate in Science in Physics for Transfer (AS-T) degree may be obtained by completion of 60 transferable, semester units with a minimum 2.0 GPA, including (a) the major or area of emphasis described in the Required Program, and (b) the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC).

This program provides a broad study in the fields of biological and physical sciences in preparation for transfer to a four-year program and continuation of studies in upper division science courses.

The General Science Associate in Science (A.S.) degree may be obtained by completion of the required program, plus general education requirements, plus sufficient electives to meet a 60-unit total. See ARC graduation requirements.

The Physical Science/Mathematics Associate in Science (A.S.) degree may be obtained by completion of the required program, plus general education requirements, plus sufficient electives to meet a 60-unit total. See ARC graduation requirements.

This course covers selected topics in motion, gravity, heat, sound, electricity, magnetism, light, and atomic and nuclear physics. It is designed for non-science majors and students who have not taken a course in physics.

This survey course emphasizes problem solving in physics. Topics include motion in one and two dimensions, forces, energy, and momentum. It is designed for science majors who plan to continue with PHYS 350 or 410.

This laboratory course provides hands-on observation activities and interpretation of data in a variety of experimental situations. Topics include motion, sound, light, heat, electricity, and magnetism.

This trigonometry-based physics course covers the mechanics of particles, rigid bodies, and fluids. It also covers mechanical waves, sound, heat, and thermodynamics. The PHYS 350/360 series is designed for biological science students, including those in pre-medical, pre-dental, agricultural, and forestry programs.

This trigonometry-based physics course covers electricity, magnetism, basic electric circuit theory, optics, wave behavior, and modern physics. The PHYS 350/360 series is designed for biological science students, including those in pre-medical, pre-dental, agricultural, and forestry programs.

3a8082e126