Physics, Part 2

Physics, Part 2 extends students’ understanding of motion and energy into waves, light, electricity, magnetism, and modern physics. The course begins with mechanical and electromagnetic waves, where students study wave properties, behaviors, standing waves, resonance, and sound across different media. Students then explore light, focusing on reflection, refraction, and image formation in mirrors and lenses using ray diagrams and mathematical relationships. The course continues with electricity, where students analyze how electric charges interact through forces and fields, examine conductors and insulators, and study electric potential, capacitors, and dielectrics. Circuit concepts follow, including current, resistance, Ohm’s Law, and the behavior of series and parallel circuits. The course then investigates magnetism and electromagnetism through magnetic fields, motors, generators, and electromagnetic induction. It concludes with modern physics topics such as thermal energy, thermodynamics, relativity, nuclear physics, and emerging areas like nanotechnology and dark matter. Real-world technologies in communication, power generation, and modern electronics highlight the relevance of these concepts. Physics is approved by the University of California A-G as a laboratory science – Physics (category D).

Upon completion of this course, the student is awarded 5 credits. Each credit corresponds to 15 hours of study. Of course, some students work more quickly than others, and some can devote more hours to study, so some students are able to complete the course at an accelerated rate.