Physics at Central

Physics at Burlington Central High School

Our core team of Mr. Neal and Mr. Ray-Zarate have spent years refining our physics program here at Central and teach with several guiding principles:

• Physics is for EVERYONE. All are welcome and will benefit from learning physics. We will not tolerate those who try to define what a physics student looks like. Discrimination has no place in a physics classroom. In our ideal world every student regardless or gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, race, culture, language, creed or religion would study physics, to learn about our shared journey through the cosmos.

• Understanding central concepts must come before you can apply these concepts to mathematical problems. This means that we strive to help students learn what accleration truly is before we calculate how to find an objects' acceleration. As such students will be tested on their conceptual understanding in depth as well as their problem solving.

• Physics is best learned through exploration and inquiry. There are many times in the course when students will need to develop and intuit their own understanding through guided and open inquiry. Students are required to learn more than just what is directly instructed in lectures or written in a textbook.

• Completing practicing problems is necessary to further think through a wider breadth of physical situations.

• Help is not only available but students are encouraged to seek it as often as they can. Physics can challenge your pre-existing notions of how the universe works and you need to break these misconceptions in order to move forward. Come and see us and ask questions about the key concepts, practice problems. See us for more demos or just to talk physics.