Our courses focus on the development in understanding, problem-solving, collecting experimental data, and relating physics to local and global issues.
Select a course below to see full descriptions. (#) Indicates amount of credits per course
Introductory physics, including Newtonian mechanics, gravitation, electricity, and optics. This course is designed for non-science students. Not open to students with credit for Physics 12 or equivalent.
Prerequisite(s):
ENGL 099, MATH 12 (B) or MATH 100 (C) (MATH 100 may be taken concurrently)
Transfer to:
UBC PHYS 100 (3)
SFU PHYS 100 (0) Exemption
UVIC PHYS 1XX (1.5)
UNBC PHYS 115 (4)
First part of a two-semester general-physics survey course intended principally for life-science majors. Topics covered include Newtonian mechanics, physics of fluids, material properties, heat and thermodynamics with applications to the life sciences.
Prerequisite(s):
ENGL 099, PHYS 12 or PHYS 100 (B) and MATH 104/151 (Math may be taken concurrently)
Preclusions:
Students with credit for PHYS 141 or 151 may not take PHYS 101 for further credit
Transfer to:
UBC PHYS 100 (3)
SFU PHYS 101 (3), Q/B-Sci & SFU PHYS 132 (1), Q
UVIC PHYS 1XX (1.5); ALEX PHYS 101 (4) & ALEX PHYS 102 (4) = UVIC PHYS 102A (1.5) & UVIC PHYS 102B (1.5)
UNBC PHYS 100 (4)
TRU PHYS 1100 (3)
Second part of a two-semester general-physics survey course intended principally for life-science majors. Topics covered include electromagnetism, ray optics, and nuclear physics with applications to the life sciences. Not for Chemistry or Physics majors. Students may receive credit for only one of Phys 101 or Phys 141; Phys 102 or Phys 142.
Prerequisite(s):
ENGL 099, PHYS 101 and Math 105/152 (Math may be taken concurrently)
Preclusions:
Students with credit for PHYS 142 or 153 may not take PHYS 102 for further credit.
Transfer to:
UBC PHYS 1st (3), Exempt UBC PHYS 101 (3)
SFU PHYS 102 (3), Q/B-Sci & SFU PHYS 133 (1), Q
UVIC ALEX PHYS 101 (4) & ALEX PHYS 102 (4) = UVIC PHYS 102A (1.5) & UVIC PHYS 102B (1.5)
UNBC PHYS 101 (4)
TRU PHYS 1200 (3)
Part I of a two-semester calculus-based general physics course designed for physical science and engineering students and taught in the studio-physics format, including formal laboratory exercises. Topics include translational and rotational motion, energy and momentum, simple harmonic motion, gravitation, and introduction to fluids and/or special relativity, as time permits. Students may receive credit for only one of Phys 101 or Phys 141; Phys 102 or Phys 142.
Prerequisite(s):
ENGL 099, PHYS 12 or PHYS 100 (B), MATH 151 (Math may be taken concurrently)
Preclusions:
Students with credit for PHYS 101, 151 or 152 may not take PHYS 141 for further credit.
Transfer to:
UBC PHYS 117 (3)
SFU PHYS 140 (4), Q/B-Sci
UVIC PHYS 1XX (1.5); ALEX PHYS 141 (4) & ALEX PHYS 142 (4) = UVIC PHYS 110 (1.5) & UVIC PHYS 111 (1.5)
UNBC PHYS 110 (4)
TRU PHYS 1XXX (3); ALEX PHYS 141 (4) & ALEX PHYS 142 (4) = TRU PHYS 1150 (3) & TRU PHYS 1250 (3)
Part II of a two-semester calculus-based general physics course designed for physical science and engineering students and taught in the studio-physics format, including laboratory exercises. Topics include electricity and magnetism, simple DC and AC circuits, electromagnetic waves, and optics. Students may receive credit for only one of Phys 101 or Phys 141; Phys 102 or Phys 142.
Prerequisite(s):
ENGL 099, PHYS 141 and MATH 152 (Math may be taken concurrently)
Preclusions:
Students with credit for PHYS 102 or 153 may not take PHYS 142 for further credit.
Transfer to:
UBC PHYS 118 (3) & UBC PHYS 119 (1)
SFU PHYS 141 (4), Q/B-Sci
UVIC ALEX PHYS 141 (4) & ALEX PHYS 142 (4) = UVIC PHYS 110 (1.5) & UVIC PHYS 111 (1.5)
UNBC PHYS 111 (4)
TRU 1XXX (3)
An engineering physics course covering forces, equilibrium of rigid bodies, distributed loads, structural analysis, internal forces, dry friction, kinematics, kinetics, and thermodynamics. This course is calculus-based and intended for students of science and engineering.
Prerequisite(s):
ENGL 099, PHYS 12 or PHYS 100, MATH 151 (MATH may be taken concurrently)
Transfer to:
UBCV PHYS 170 (3)
SFU PHYS 1XX (3)
UNBC PHYS 1XX (3)
UVIC ENGR 141 (1.5)
Statics of particles, equilibrium of rigid bodies, internal forces, trusses; kinematics: rectilinear motion, curvilinear motion; dynamics of particles and rigid bodies, including Newton’s second law, friction, impulse, linear momentum, angular momentum, work and energy.
This course is calculus-based and intended for students of science and engineering.
Prerequisite(s):
ENGL 099, PHYS 12 or PHYS 100 (P), MATH 151 (math may be taken concurrently)
Preclusions:
Students with credit for PHYS 101 or 141 may not take PHYS 151 for further credit.
Transfer to:
UBC PHYS 170 (3)
SFU PHYS 120 (3), Q/B-Sci
UVIC PHYS 1XX (1.5); ALEX PHYS 151 (3) & ALEX PHYS 152 (4) & ALEX PHYS 153 (4) = UVIC PHYS 110 (1.5) & UVIC PHYS 111 (1.5) & UVIC PHYS 1XX (1.5)
UNBC PHYS 1XX (3)
TRU EPHY 1700 (3)
Oscillations, simple harmonic motion, traveling waves and standing waves, including sound and light, interference of waves, including interference and diffraction, statics and dynamics of fluids, heat, temperature, and calorimetry.
This course is calculus-based and intended for students of science and engineering.
Prerequisite(s):
ENGL 099, PHYS 12 or PHYS 100 (P), MATH 151 (math may be taken concurrently)
Preclusions:
Students with credit for PHYS 101 or 141 may not take PHYS 152 for further credit.
Transfer to:
UBC PHYS 157 (3)
SFU PHYS 1XX (4), Eligible as a pre-requisite for SFU PHYS 121 & SFU PHYS 132 & SFU PHYS 133; ALEX PHYS 152 (4) & ALEX PHYS 153 (4) = SFU PHYS 121 (3) & SFU PHYS 132 (0) & SFU PHYS 133 (1) & SFU PHYS 1XX (3)
UVIC ALEX PHYS 151 (3) & ALEX PHYS 152 (4) & ALEX PHYS 153 (4) = UVIC PHYS 110 (1.5) & UVIC PHYS 111 (1.5) & UVIC PHYS 1XX (1.5)
UNBC PHYS 111 (4)
TRU PHYS 1150 (3)
Introduction to electricity and magnetism, electric circuits, electromagnetic waves, and radioactivity, including applications. This course is calculus-based and intended for students of science and engineering.
Prerequisite(s):
ENGL 099, PHYS 152, MATH 152 (math may be taken concurrently)
Preclusions:
Students with credit for PHYS 102 or 142 may not take PHYS 153 for further credit.
Transfer to:
UBC PHYS 158 (3) & UBC PHYS 159 (1)
SFU PHYS 121 (3) & SFU PHYS 133 (1), Q/B-Sci. Student may request SFU PHYS 141 (4), Q/B-Sci instead; ALEX PHYS 152 (4) & ALEX PHYS 153 (4) = SFU PHYS 121 (3) & SFU PHYS 132 (0) & SFU PHYS 133 (1) & SFU PHYS 1XX (3), Q
UVIC ALEX PHYS 151 (3) & ALEX PHYS 152 (4) & ALEX PHYS 153 (4) = UVIC PHYS 110 (1.5) & UVIC PHYS 111 (1.5) & UVIC PHYS 1XX (1.5)
UNBC PHYS 202 (4)
TRU PHYS 1203 (3) & TRU PHYS 1205 (0)
This is a general astronomy course designed to acquaint the student with the heavenly bodies and their seasonal migration throughout the sky. Emphasis will be placed on the methods and tools used in exploring the solar system and the local galaxy. Theories about the rest of the universe will be included. Students will spend time observing the night sky and using computer simulations as an important part of the course. (Not for credit for Associate of Science degree)
Prerequisite(s):
ENGL 099, MATH 12 (C) or MATH 100
Preclusions:
Students with credit for PHYS 102 or 142 may not take PHYS 153 for further credit.
Transfer to:
UBC ASTR 1st (3), Not for credit in the Faculty of Science.
SFU PHYS 190 (3), Q/B-Sci
UVIC ASTR 1XX (1.5)
TRU ASTR 1XXX (3)
Instructors and students use a wide variety of active learning methods including class discussions, problem solving, presentations, and experiments using physical objects and computers.
Developing analytical and quantitative skills in physics is useful for any career. Physics graduates work in law, finance, medicine, engineering, computer science, and biology.
Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science.
Physics World helps scientists working in academic and industrial research stay up to date with the latest breakthroughs in physics and interdisciplinary science.
The Feynman Lectures on Physics is perhaps the most popular physics book ever written.
Founded in 2002 by Nobel Laureate Carl Wieman, the PhET Interactive Simulations project at the University of Colorado Boulder creates free interactive math and science simulations.
Alexander College acknowledges that the land on which we usually gather is the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Coast Salish peoples, including the territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. We are grateful to have the opportunity to work in this territory.
Alexander College acknowledges that the land on which we usually gather is the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Coast Salish peoples, including the territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. We are grateful to have the opportunity to work in this territory.
+1 604-435-5815
4805 Kingsway
Burnaby, BC
V5H 4T6 Canada
+1 604-681-5815
#100 - 570 Dunsmuir
Vancouver, BC
V6B 1Y1 Canada
