Physics
8 courses · Butte College · 2026-2027 Catalog
Classes: Fall 2026 · Spring 2027
PHYS 10 Concepts of Physics
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 51 hours lecture
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
This course explores physics from a conceptual rather than a mathematical approach. Topics include Newton's Laws of Motion, energy and momentum, heat and thermodynamics, electricity and magnetism, light and optics, and atomic and nuclear physics. Not intended for students who have completed high school physics or PHYS 21 or 41.
PHYS 11 Concepts of Physics Laboratory
- Units
- 1
- Hours
- 51 hours lab
- Prerequisite
- PHYS 10 (or concurrent enrollment)
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
This course is designed to accompany the lecture topics taught in PHYS 10. Experiments performed will cover the areas of motion, sound, electricity and magnetism, and light. Not recommended for physics majors.
PHYS 21 College Physics I
- Units
- 4
- Hours
- 51 hours lecture, 51 hours lab
- Prerequisite
- MATH 20, MATH 28, MATH 28s or high school trigonometry
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
- C-ID
- PHYS 105/PHYS 100S
This course is intended for students not majoring in physics or engineering but needing a one-year course in physics as a requirement for their major program. The course is part of a two-semester sequence whose contents may be offered in other sequences or combinations at articulated institutions. Topics include kinematics, dynamics, work and energy, momentum, fluids and simple harmonic motion. Graded only. (C-ID PHYS 105/PHYS 100S).
PHYS 22 College Physics II
- Units
- 4
- Hours
- 51 hours lecture, 51 hours lab
- Prerequisite
- PHYS 21
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
- C-ID
- PHYS 110, PHYS 100S
This course is intended for students not majoring in physics or engineering but needing a one-year course in physics as a requirement for their major program. The course is the second part of a two-semester sequence beginning with PHYS 21. Core topics include: electrostatics, magnetism, DC circuits, optics and modern physics. Graded only. (C-ID PHYS 110) (C-ID PHYS 100S = PHYS 21 and PHYS 22).
PHYS 41 Physics for Scientists and Engineers I
- Units
- 4
- Hours
- 25.5 hours lecture, 51 hours activity, 51 hours lab
- Prerequisite
- MATH C2210 or MATH C2210E
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
- C-ID
- PHYS 205/PHYS 100S
This course, intended for students majoring in physical sciences and engineering, is part of a three-semester course whose contents may be offered in other sequences or combinations. Core topics include an introduction to kinematics, dynamics, work and energy, momentum, gravitation and simple harmonic motion. Graded only. (C-ID PHYS 205/PHYS 100S).
PHYS 42 Physics for Scientists and Engineers II
- Units
- 4
- Hours
- 25.5 hours lecture, 51 hours activity, 51 hours lab
- Prerequisite
- PHYS 41, MATH C2220
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
- C-ID
- PHYS 210/PHYS 200S
This course, intended for students majoring in physical sciences and engineering, is part of a three-semester course whose contents may be offered in other sequences or combinations. Core topics include electrostatics, magnetism, DC and AC circuits, and Maxwell's equations. Graded only. (C-ID PHYS 210/PHYS 200S).
PHYS 43 Physics for Scientists and Engineers III
- Units
- 4
- Hours
- 51 hours lecture, 51 hours lab
- Prerequisite
- PHYS 41, MATH C2220
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
- C-ID
- PHYS 215, PHYS 200S
This course, intended for students majoring in physical sciences and engineering, is part of a three-semester course whose contents may be offered in other sequences or combinations. Core topics include optics and modern physics. Graded only. (C-ID PHYS 215) (C-ID PHYS 200S = PHYS 41, PHYS 42, and PHYS 43).
PHYS 95 Special Studies-PHYS
- Units
- 1-3
- Hours
- 51-153 hours independent study
- Prerequisite
- Permission of instructor
- Transfers to
- CSU
Supervised study in researching an area in the student's academic major. Any student interested in registering for a Special Studies course should contact a full-time instructor or chair/coordinator in the appropriate area no later than the last day of the tenth week of instruction. Students may not petition for a Special Studies course until they have completed satisfactorily 12 units of study at Butte College. 51-153 hours Independent Study. This course may be repeated to a maximum of 3.00 units to complete the entire curriculum of the course.