Start with Physics Foundations. Work through the lessons, practice each idea, then use the reading and video resources below.
This is an introductory study guide. Becoming a professional physicist ordinarily requires substantial further study and research training. GLI does not award college credit or a professional license.
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Open Physics FoundationsBegin a physicist path with measurement, motion, forces, energy, and scientific reasoning.
A physical model links measurable quantities through stated assumptions. Record a value with its unit and uncertainty. Check dimensional consistency before using an equation; a result with the wrong units cannot describe the intended quantity.
Measure a moving object over a known distance. Record distance, elapsed time, units, and one likely source of uncertainty.
Position tells where an object is relative to a reference point. Average velocity is displacement divided by elapsed time; acceleration describes how velocity changes. A sign indicates direction along the chosen axis, not whether motion is good or bad.
Sketch position versus time for an object that travels forward, stops, then returns. Explain the slope on each segment.
A free-body diagram shows external forces acting on one object. The vector sum of forces equals mass times acceleration. Balanced forces mean zero acceleration; the object can still be moving at constant velocity.
Draw a free-body diagram for a book resting on a table. Label the gravitational and support forces, then explain the net force.
Work transfers energy when a force acts through a displacement. Kinetic and potential energy can change form; in a defined system, account for thermal and other transfers before calling energy “lost.”
Describe the energy changes as a ball falls and bounces, including where some energy goes during impact.
A useful prediction identifies what should happen under specified conditions. Compare the prediction with observations, document uncertainty, and revise assumptions when evidence disagrees. A single matching result does not prove a model universally true.
Write a testable prediction for a pendulum, identify one variable to change, and state what you will measure.
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