Physics
10 courses · El Camino College · 2026-2027 Catalog
Classes: Fall 2026 · Winter 2027 · Spring 2027
PHYS 1A Mechanics of Solids
- Units
- 4
- Hours
- 3 hours lecture, 3 hours lab
- Prerequisite
- One year of high school Physics or PHYS 2A and MATH 190 with a minimum grade of C
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
This is the first course in a four-semester calculus-based physics sequence designed for students with majors in engineering and the physical sciences. The course focuses on the mechanics of solids, with topics including statics, kinematics, Newton's Laws, energy, power, linear and angular momentum, rotational dynamics, elasticity, simple harmonic motion, and gravitation.
PHYS 1B Fluids, Heat and Sound
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 2 hours lecture, 3 hours lab
- Prerequisite
- PHYS 1A with a minimum grade of C MATH 191 with a minimum grade of C or concurrent enrollment
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
This is the second course in a four-semester calculus-based physics sequence designed for students with majors in engineering and the physical sciences. This course focuses on fluids, thermodynamics, and wave phenomena, with topics including fluids, statics and dynamics, gas laws, heat transfer, engines, the first and second laws of thermodynamics, and sound.
PHYS 1C Electricity and Magnetism
- Units
- 4
- Hours
- 3 hours lecture, 3 hours lab
- Prerequisite
- PHYS 1A with a minimum grade of C and MATH 220 with a minimum grade of C or concurrent enrollment in MATH 220
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
This course details the mathematical and physical description of Coulomb's Law, electric field and potential, Gauss's Law, DC circuit analysis with Ohm's Law and Kirchhoff's Law, AC circuit analysis with phase diagrams, elementary electronics, capacitance, magnetic fields and their effect on moving charges and currents, magnetic fields produced by various current configurations, induced emf, mutual and self-inductance, basic theory of dielectrics, magnetic properties of materials and Maxwell's Equations in integral and differential form.
PHYS 1D Optics and Modern Physics
- Units
- 4
- Hours
- 3 hours lecture, 3 hours lab
- Prerequisite
- PHYS 1C with a minimum grade of C and MATH 220 with a minimum grade of C
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
This is the fourth course in four-semester calculus-based physics sequence intended for students entering majors in engineering and the physical sciences. The topics covered include geometric and physical optics, special relativity, quantum mechanics, nuclear physics, and selected topics in modern physics.
PHYS 2A General Physics
- Units
- 4
- Hours
- 3 hours lecture, 3 hours lab
- Prerequisite
- MATH 170 with a minimum grade of C or equivalent
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
This course is part of a one-year algebra- and trigonometry-based survey of physics. Topics covered include kinematics, statics, dynamics, momentum, energy, rotation, gravitation and planetary motion, fluids, kinetic theory of gases, and thermodynamics. In addition, the course covers elasticity and vibration, wave motion, interference, standing waves, and sound.
PHYS 2B General Physics
- Units
- 4
- Hours
- 3 hours lecture, 3 hours lab
- Prerequisite
- PHYS 2A with a minimum grade of C
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
This course is part of a one-year algebra- and trigonometry-based survey of physics. Topics covered include electric forces and fields, electric energy, electric circuits, magnetism, electromagnetic waves, geometric optics, wave optics, applied optics, relativity, electrons and photons, atomic structure, the nucleus, applied nuclear physics, and particle physics.
PHYS 3A General Physics with Calculus
- Units
- 5
- Hours
- 4 hours lecture, 3 hours lab
- Prerequisite
- Mathematics 160 or MATH 190 with a minimum grade of C in prerequisite
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
This course is part of a one-year general survey of the basic principles of physics including kinematics, dynamics, statics, momentum, energy, rotation, gravitation, and planetary motion. Elasticity, fluids, vibration, wave motion, sound, the kinetic theory of gases, and thermodynamics will also be discussed. This course is designed for life science majors requiring a calculus-based physics program.
PHYS 3B General Physics with Calculus
- Units
- 5
- Hours
- 4 hours lecture, 3 hours lab
- Prerequisite
- PHYS 3A with a minimum grade of C
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
This course is a calculus-based survey of electricity, magnetism, light, geometric and physical optics, special relativity, and atomic and nuclear physics. This course is designed for life science majors requiring a calculus-based physics program.
PHYS 11 Descriptive Introduction to Physics
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 3 hours lecture
- Advisory
- Eligibility for English C1000 or equivalent
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
This course utilizes lectures and demonstrations to present various principles of physics in a conceptual manner. Newton's Laws of motion and gravitation, momentum, work, energy, and heat will be presented. Other topics will be selected from properties of matter, fluids, sound, light, electricity and magnetism, atomic and modern physics, special and general relativity.
PHYS 99 Independent Study
- Units
- 1-3
- Hours
- hours to be arranged
- Formerly
- Physics 99abc
- Transfers to
- CSU
This course provides special advanced studies in a subject field of Physics not covered in the regular departmental offerings. Regular conferences with the instructor are coordinated with assigned Physics projects (54 hours per unit).