Preface
This is the textbook for the course Physics 110: Introduction to Physics at Olympic College, designed to familiarize students with the concepts and problem-solving skills of physics. The level of the course falls somewhere between a purely conceptual physics course (usually only one term, with virtually no mathematics) and the first term of an algebra-based General Physics sequence (often called “College Physics” and covering a full academic year).
A conceptual physics course provides thought-provoking and qualitative explanations of the physics of everyday phenomena. These types of courses are an excellent introduction to viewing the world around you in a new light, but they do not have the mathematical rigor that is required to solve quantitative problems.
In this book, you will find qualitative descriptions of physics concepts, derivations of some of the equations we will use as tools to solve problems, worked example problems, and practice problems.
Prof. Dan Roth
Olympic College