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High School Physics

These notes are intended to be a non-comprehensive introduction to physics at a high-school level.

Definition of "High-School Physics"​

High-school physics is a very broad term, and it can mean many different things. Here we define it as follows:

  • Domain: High-school physics includes most fields of physics, including classical mechanics, electromagnetism, thermodynamics, optics, and modern physics.
  • Level: High-school physics focuses on breadth over depth. It does not go into rigorous detail, but rather focuses on the big picture and the most important concepts.
  • Mathematics: High-school physics uses basic algebra and trigonometry, but does not require calculus. It is possible to do high-school physics without calculus, but it is not as rigorous.
  • Audience: High-school physics is intended for high-school students, but it can also be useful for anyone who wants to learn the basics of physics.

Personally (as of April 2025), I do not believe that "high-school physics" is a good introduction to physics. Because of its focus on breadth, students end up overwhelmed with information but lack the depth of understanding to make sense of it all. This results in a lot of rote memorization, which is not a good way to learn physics. However, high-school physics is a good introduction if one is not learning it for any form of assessment.