Introduction to high school physics
About this video
This introduction previews the high school physics course. It describes physics as the science of building models, using observations and maths to predict and understand the world, and lists the topics ahead: motion, forces and Newton's laws, momentum, gravity, electricity and magnetism, energy, and electromagnetic waves.
You'll be able to
- describe physics as building models to explain and predict how the universe works.
- name the main topics this course will cover, starting with describing motion.
- connect everyday questions (falling on a bus, floating astronauts) to physics topics.
Key words
- Physics
- The science of building models to explain how the universe works.
- Model
- A description of the world, often written in maths, that we use to explain and predict what happens.
- Momentum and impulse
- Tools for studying collisions that help engineers design things like safety cushions and crumple zones.
Transcript
- [Instructor] Why do you fall backwards when a bus suddenly accelerates? What powers those launched roller coasters? And speaking of power, how do power stations generate electricity without using any batteries? We know an apple falls because the Earth pulls on it, but does the apple pull on the Earth as well?
Why do astronauts in space stations appear to float even though gravity still exists there? And why do the hottest stars in the night sky often shine blue? In this high school physics course, we'll answer all these questions and many more. Physics is the science of building models to explain how the universe works.
We take observations, describe them with math, and use those models to predict and understand the world around us. So, what will we explore in this course? Well, we'll start by learning to describe motions, how to track positions, velocities, and accelerations.
Then we'll ask, but what causes motion? That will lead us to the idea of forces and Newton's laws. We will then explore momentum and impulse, tools that help engineers design things like safety cushions and crumple zones. Next, we dive into gravity. We will see how a single model can explain why apples fall on Earth, why planets orbit the Sun, and why astronauts seem to float inside space stations.
Then comes electricity, starting with static charges and leading up to how electricity and magnetism are connected. We'll discover how motors spin and how motion can generate electric current. We will also explore energy, how it's transformed, how it's conserved, and how it lets us model everything from roller coasters to atoms.
We will also dive into electromagnetic waves. We will learn how light behaves like a wave, helping us model how it bends, reflects, and spreads; and how it behaves like a particle, letting us harness sunlight to generate electricity. But this course isn't just about watching videos.
You will also check your understanding at every step, clear up misconceptions, and apply your knowledge to real problems, building mastery as you go. Welcome to high school physics. Let's model the universe together. I'll see you inside.
Video © Khan Academy, used under CC BY-NC-SA. Watch on Khan Academy. Puzzicle is not affiliated with Khan Academy.