Free online courseFundamentals of Physics

Course Description

Physics is more than memorizing formulas: it is a way to model the world, make predictions, and solve unfamiliar problems with confidence. This free online course strengthens your foundations step by step, connecting core ideas from mechanics to modern physics in a way that makes concepts usable, not just recognizable. You will learn how to translate real situations into physical quantities, choose the right principles, and check whether your answers make sense in units, limits, and intuition.

You start with Newtonian mechanics and the language of vectors, building a clear understanding of motion in one and multiple dimensions. From there, the course develops the reasoning behind Newton’s laws, forces on inclines, and the work-energy perspective that often simplifies complex motion. As you progress, conservation of energy becomes a unifying tool, helping you move from single-object problems to systems and higher-dimensional thinking. The emphasis is on understanding what each quantity represents and why certain approaches work across many different scenarios.

Rotational motion is treated as a natural extension of linear dynamics, so torque, moment of inertia, and rigid body motion become intuitive rather than intimidating. Later, the course opens the door to relativity, explaining the physical meaning of Lorentz transformations and introducing spacetime thinking through four-vectors. Mathematical tools such as derivatives in more than one dimension and Taylor series are presented as practical methods that support the physics, helping you approximate, simplify, and analyze behavior when exact solutions are hard to reach.

The final portion expands your toolkit into oscillations and waves, including driven and damped motion, then moves into fluid statics and dynamics with Bernoulli’s equation. You also build conceptual clarity in thermodynamics, including equilibrium, temperature scales, the first law, and the implications of the second law through entropy and ideal engines. Throughout, short practice checks reinforce your understanding so you can study efficiently and track your progress.

This course fits learners who want stronger performance in school physics, preparation for engineering or science pathways, or a structured return to fundamentals. By the end, you will be able to approach physics problems with a repeatable strategy: define the system, choose principles, set up relationships, and reason your way to a solution with confidence.