The science of physics involves the discovery of patterns and relationships in natural phenomena. Students learn to explain, according to the laws of physics, the events that occur in the world around them. Through text, graphics, and interactive simulations, they will investigate straight-line motion, motion in two dimensions, energy, relativity, properties of matter, change of state, heat, and temperature during the first semester. During the second semester, students will investigate wave motion, sound, light, reflection and refraction, color, magnetism, electricity, and nuclear physics. Students successfully completing this course will be able to increase their knowledge of the physical world by concentrating on major concepts of physics instead of isolated facts and formulas; explore how physics applies to everyday life; and test new ideas by making observations, collecting evidence, searching for patterns, and proposing hypotheses to explain the observed relationships. Students may take the first half-credit of the course without taking the second half-credit but may not take the second half-credit of the course without taking the first half-credit.