Physics

Mechanics uses force and conservation laws to describe and predict the motion of bodies.

• Physics: Definitions and Applications

  Read an introductory account of physics and its applications.

Momentum

The product of a system’s mass and velocity.

Impulse

The change in momentum produced by a net external force acting over time.

Thermal physics relates heat, work, and internal energy; statistical physics studies thermodynamic laws and entropy.

• Thermodynamics: Section Summary

  Review the first law, entropy, and heat engines.

Internal energy

The sum of the kinetic and potential energies of a system’s atoms and molecules.

A wave is a disturbance that moves from its source and carries energy; wavelength and speed help describe its behavior.

• Introduction to Oscillations and Waves

  Use this introductory course to study oscillatory and wave phenomena.

Electromagnetism studies electric and magnetic phenomena; electric charges produce electric fields, and moving charges produce magnetic fields.

• Magnetic Fields, Field Lines, and Force

  Continue with magnetic fields and their connection to moving charges.

Quantum mechanics is a framework for understanding the motions and interactions of particles at small scales, including atoms and molecules.

• The Schrödinger Equation

  Study how the Schrödinger equation is used to make predictions about wave functions.