How Things Work: An Introduction to Physics

The University of Virginia uses familiar objects to make physical principles easier to discuss. Skating, falling balls, ramps, seesaws, wheels and bumper cars provide the course’s main examples. The everyday framing offers a useful contrast with a course organized primarily around formal derivations and long sets of quantitative exercises.

What you will learn

• Describe forces and motion in an everyday object.
• Connect energy ideas with ramps and wheels.
• Use a physical model to explain a familiar observation.

Who this suits

Although the title is introductory, Coursera labels this intermediate. Review the sample lessons to judge whether its explanations match your prior experience and preferred style.

Before you enroll

Familiarity with an object does not make its explanation trivial. Identify the system and relevant interactions before relying on an intuitive account of what should happen.

Coursera lists paid enrollment or subscription access. Check the enrollment screen for included assessments, certificate terms, trials and any financial-aid options. University authorship does not by itself confer admission, academic credit or a professional license.

Put it into practice

Choose a playground seesaw and explain how moving a rider changes its behavior. Draw the forces and state which simplifications make your explanation manageable.

Source and review

This overview is based on the provider's published information, checked on 12 October 2026. It is an editorial assessment, not a claim that we completed the resource. Time filters are approximate study ranges; projects and exercises can take longer.

View the curriculum and current access options at Coursera.

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