8 Physics Preparatory Programs in Canada

For those interested in how the world works, in every detail and at the deepest levels, choose the most fundamental natural science – physics. The study of physics includes everything from atoms and molecules, to supercomputers, the atmosphere, planets and the universe itself. Our goal is to help our students learn to apply physics in diverse contexts, and to develop an appreciation for the utility, power, beauty and fun of physics.

Our courses focus on the development in understanding, problem-solving, collecting experimental data, and relating physics to local and global issues. 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. Instructors and students use a wide variety of active learning methods including class discussions, problem solving, presentations, and experiments using physical objects and computers.

Students will learn to see the world through the “eyes” of physics and to reason as a physicist does. In the process, they will learn how to apply physics principles to a wide range of problems. The course requires that the students have a good background in mathematics. Work in Physics 11 includes the development of following competencies: questioning and predicting, planning and conducting, processing and analyzing data and information, evaluating, applying and innovating and communicating.

The main goal of this learning module is to discuss phase transitions and critical phenomena in statistical physics. We introduce the ideas of mean-field theory and renormalization group and exploit them to calculate the critical exponents for the Ising model. More advanced topics concern the models with continuous symmetry, topological phase transitions, as well as Monte Carlo simulations.

This course enables students to deepen their understanding of the concepts and theories of physics. Students will explore further the laws of dynamics and energy transformations, and will investigate electrical, gravitational, and magnetic fields; electromagnetic radiation; and the interface between energy and matter. They will further develop inquiry skills, learning, for example, how the interpretation of experimental data can provide indirect evidence to support the development of a scientific model.

This course enables students to deepen their understanding of physics concepts and theories. Students will continue their exploration of energy transformations and the forces that affect motion, and will investigate electrical, gravitational, and magnetic fields and electromagnetic radiation. Students will also explore the wave nature of light, quantum mechanics, and special relativity.

This course develops students’ understanding of the basic concepts of physics. Student will study the laws of dynamics and explore different kinds of forces, the quantification and forms of energy (mechanical, sound, light, thermal, and electrical), and the way energy is transformed and transmitted. They will develop scientific-inquiry skills as they verify accepted laws and solve both assigned problems and those emerging from their investigations.

Biophysics is an exciting discipline at the intersection between physics and biology. It is an interdisciplinary field in which the laws, methods, and techniques of physics are applied to biological processes and organisms. Biophysics applies the knowledge of physics to explain biological questions, such as the transmission of nervous impulses or muscle control.