Physics

• PHYS 102: General Physics I
• PHYS 103: General Physics II
• PHYS 410: Classical Mechanics

PHYS 102: General Physics I

Self-paced Online

PHYS 102 covers mechanics and thermal physics. The course presents the physical principles that apply in our day-to-day lives as well as everywhere in the universe. Students gain practice and appreciation for problem-solving and thinking skills applicable to other fields of inquiry outside of physics. While the material in PHYS 102 is largely conceptual, an understanding of the concepts requires a significant amount of problem solving, so students must have a working understanding of algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and vector mathematics. This course does not include the lab component.

• Instructor: Murray Silverstone, PhD
• Credit-granting Institution: UNC-Chapel Hill
• Restrictions: This online version of the course is not open to UNC-Chapel Hill students. It does not include the lab component. The lab (PHYS 104L) can be taken during a later semester if the student is admitted to UNC-Chapel Hill.
• Credit Hours: 3
• Assignments: 21
• Prerequisite: MATH 130 or a working understanding of algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and vector mathematics.
• View a sample course syllabus.

Required Text

• Walker, Physics with MasteringPhysics™, 4th edition (2010), ISBN 978-0321541635

Students need to purchase a new textbook with the ISBN above in order to have the required MasteringPhysics license code required to complete the work in this course. The textbook is available from Friday Center Books & Gifts in person, online, or by mailing or faxing in the book order form. Refer to the online ordering site for current book prices.

Required Equipment

• a basic scientific calculator

Computer System Requirements

• See the System Requirements on the MasteringPhysics Web site. Students complete their graded assignments on the MasteringPhysics site.

How to Enroll

PHYS 103: General Physics II

Self-paced Online

PHYS 103 is an algebra-based college course in general physics. It is the second course in a two-course sequence that covers all the basic areas of physics. This course covers electricity, magnetism, optics, and modern physics. In addition to presenting the various physical principles that apply in the areas of physics, the courses develop skills in thinking through problems, applying basic principles, expressing problems in mathematical terms and equations, solving mathematical equations to obtain numerical results, and expressing and comparing those numerical results with experimental results. The problem-solving skills you learn here can often be applied to other areas of intellectual inquiry outside of physics.

• Instructor: Murray Silverstone, PhD
• Credit-granting Institution: UNC-Chapel Hill
• Restrictions: This online version of the course is not open to UNC-Chapel Hill students. This course does not include the lab component. The lab (PHYS 105L, Section 400) can be taken during a later semester if the student is admitted to UNC-Chapel Hill.
• Credit Hours: 3
• Assignments: 17
• Prerequisite: PHYS 102 and a good knowledge of algebra and trigonometry
• View a sample course syllabus.

Required Text

• Walker, Physics with MasteringPhysics™, 4th edition (2010), ISBN 978-0321541635

Students need to purchase a new textbook with the ISBN above in order to have the required MasteringPhysics license code required to complete the work in this course. The textbook is available from Friday Center Books & Gifts in person, online, or by mailing or faxing in the book order form. Refer to the online ordering site for current book prices.

Required Equipment

• a basic scientific calculator
• a scanner (if the student does not have a scanner, the three tests can be mailed in for grading)

Computer System Requirements

• See the System Requirements on the MasteringPhysics Web site. Students complete their graded assignments on the MasteringPhysics site.

How to Enroll

PHYS 410: Classical Mechanics

Self-paced Online

PHYS 410 covers topics in analytical mechanics using vector operators and differential equations.

• Instructor: Paul Heckert, PhD
• Credit-granting Institution: Western Carolina University
• Credit Hours: 3
• Assignments: 7
• Prerequisite: For Western Carolina University students, the prerequisite for this course is PHYS 320 (Mathematical Methods of Physics) or MATH 256 (Calculus III). Other students should proficient in mathematics through calculus and have taken a good, year-long general physics course. Some knowledge of differential equations is also useful; students who have not taken a course in differential equations will need to work harder to do well in this course.
• View a sample course syllabus.

Required Textbook

• Fowles and Cassiday, Analytical Mechanics, 7th edition (2005), ISBN 978-0534494926

The textbook is available from Friday Center Books & Gifts in person, online, or by mailing or faxing in the book order form. Refer to the online ordering site for current book prices.

Required Software

Browser: Students must use Firefox, or Internet Explorer 7 or 8 and the free software MathPlayer in order to view mathematical notation on the web.

Equation Editor: The instructor prefers that students use an equation editor to create and insert equations into their work. Options include using the equation editor that comes with Microsoft Word or purchasing a more powerful tool called MathType by Design Science. Students who are unable to access an equation editor must have very good handwriting and be able to scan their legible handwritten work into a PDF file.

How to Enroll