Coursera

Physics 102 - Electric Charges and Fields (Coursera)

Offered by Rice University,

This course serves as an introduction to the physics of electricity and magnetism. Upon completion, learners will have an understanding of how the forces between electric charges are described by fields, and how these fields are related to electrical circuits. They will gain experience in solving physics problems with tools such as graphical analysis, algebra, vector analysis, and calculus. The course follows the typical progression of topics of a first-semester university physics course: charges, electric forces, electric fields potential, magnetic fields, currents, magnetic moments, electromagnetic induction, and circuits.

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see Coursera's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

Each module contains reading links to a free textbook, complete video lectures, conceptual quizzes, and a set of homework problems. Once the modules are completed, the course ends with an exam. This comprehensive course series is similar in detail and rigor to what is taught on-campus. It will thoroughly prepare learners for their upcoming introductory physics courses, or more advanced courses in physics.

Course 1 of 4 in the Introduction to Electricity and Magnetism Specialization

Syllabus

WEEK 1: Charge!
WEEK 2: Electric Field
WEEK 3: Gauss's Law
WEEK 4: EXAM

Go to Class

MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

Coursera

École Polytechnique

Quantum Optics 1 : Single Photons (Coursera)

Sci: Physics

This course gives you access to basic tools and concepts to understand research articles and books on modern quantum optics. You will learn about quantization of light, formalism to describe quantum states of light without any classical analogue, and observables allowing one to demonstrate typical quantum properties of these states. These tools will be applied to the emblematic case of a one-photon wave packet, which behaves both as a particle and a wave.

Nov 2nd 2026

5-12 Weeks

Astronomy Physics Electromagnetism

Coursera

University of Chicago

Global Warming I: The Science and Modeling of Climate Change (Coursera)

Sci: Energy & Earth Sciences Sci: Physical & Earth Sciences

This class describes the science of global warming and the forecast for humans’ impact on Earth’s climate. Intended for an audience without much scientific background but a healthy sense of curiosity, the class brings together insights and perspectives from physics, chemistry, biology, earth and atmospheric sciences, and even some economics—all based on a foundation of simple mathematics (algebra).

Oct 19th 2026

5-12 Weeks

Science Global Warming Earth

Coursera

Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology - KAIST

Electrodynamics: An Introduction (Coursera)

Engineering Sci: Physical & Earth Sciences

The depth and breadth of electromagnetism, the foundation for many fields including materials science, electrical engineering, and physical chemistry, requires a long, steep, and steady learning curve. This course aims to bridge the gap between the fundamental principles taught in electromagnetism and its practical application to specific fields such as materials, physics, and chemistry related to energy storage and harvesting.

Oct 26th 2026

5-12 Weeks

Physics Energy Electromagnetism

Coursera

Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology - KAIST

Introduction to Semiconductor Devices 2 (Coursera)

Engineering Eng: Electronics

This course aims to provide a general understanding of semiconductor devices. This coures covers the Metal-Semiconductor Contact, Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (MOS) capapcitor, Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field Effect Transistors(MOSFETs), CMOS, Metal-Semiconductor Field Effect Transistors(MESFETs), Memory and Bipolar Junction Transistor (BJT) to improve the overall knowledge of semiconductor industry.

Oct 19th 2026

5-12 Weeks

Semiconductors Memory Electrical Engineering

Coursera

Rutgers University

Analyzing the Universe (Coursera)

Sci: Physics

Using publicly available data from NASA of actual satellite observations of astronomical x-ray sources, we explore some of the mysteries of the cosmos, including neutron stars, black holes, quasars and supernovae. We will analyze energy spectra and time series data to understand how these incredible objects work. We utilize an imaging tool called DS9 to explore the amazing diversity of astronomical observations that have made x-ray astronomy one of the most active and exciting fields of scientific investigation in the past 50 years.

Oct 26th 2026

5-12 Weeks

Science Astronomy Cosmology

Coursera

École Polytechnique

Physics of silicon solar cells (Coursera)

Sci: Physics

The first MOOC “Photovoltaic solar energy” is a general presentation of the solar photovoltaics technologies in the global energetic context, without extensive details. In particular the description of the solar cell operation is restricted to the ideal case. In contrast this second MOOC allows a deep understanding of the properties of solar cells based on crystalline semiconductors.

Oct 26th 2026

5-12 Weeks

Physics Semiconductors Solar Cells

Coursera

University of Virginia

How Things Work: An Introduction to Physics (Coursera)

Engineering Sci: Physical & Earth Sciences

An introduction to physics in the context of everyday objects.

Oct 12th 2026

5-12 Weeks

Physics Energy Physical

Coursera

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology - HKUST

Understanding Modern Physics I: Relativity and Cosmology (Coursera)

Sci: Physics

The 20th century was known as the century of physics. In the past 120 years, concepts such as space, time, energy, entropy and particles were understood to much deeper levels. New paradigms of thinking such as relativity and quantum mechanics emerged. This course is the first course in the Understanding Modern Physics series, which covers an introduction to special relativity, general relativity and cosmology.

Oct 26th 2026

5-12 Weeks

Cosmology Physics Relativity

Coursera

University of Colorado Boulder

The Sun and the Total Eclipse of August 2017 (Coursera)

Sci: Physical & Earth Sciences Sci: Physics

A total eclipse is one of the most spectacular sights you can ever see! It looks like the end of the world may be at hand. There is a black hole in the sky where the sun should be. Pink flames of solar prominences and long silver streamers of the sun's corona stretch across the sky. It gets cold, and animals do strange things. People scream and shout and cheer, and remember the experience their whole life. But total eclipses are important scientifically as well.

Oct 26th 2026

5-12 Weeks

Astronomy Physics Sun

Coursera

Universidad de los Andes

Tesoros de la Física y sus Descubridores I (Coursera)

Sci: Physical & Earth Sciences Sci: Physics

¿Sabes cómo vuelan los aviones, tan pesados y no se caen mientras vuelan? ¿Sabes que viajamos por el espacio sobre el planeta Tierra que se traslada y gira muy rápido y no lo percibimos? ¿O acaso, notas efectos de su movimiento? ¿Cuál es nuestro lugar en el universo? ¿Podemos viajar en el tiempo? ¡Preguntas, muchas preguntas! Con espíritu de descubridores nuestra curiosidad nos motiva a buscar respuestas, a explorar nuestro entorno, a entrar a lo desconocido y hallar nuevo conocimiento.

Oct 26th 2026

5-12 Weeks

Universe Physics Industrial Revolution

Coursera

Lund University

Introduction to Particle Accelerators (NPAP MOOC) (Coursera)

Engineering Science

Welcome to the Nordic Particle Accelerator Program's (NPAP) Massive Open Online Courses and to the fascinating world of particle accelerators! Did you know that in the year of 2000 there were more than 15 000 particle accelerators in the world? Yet, today it has grown to more than 30 000 of them! A third of the particle accelerators are dedicated to medical applications, such as radio therapy, and a half are used for ion implantation in semiconductor devices.

Oct 26th 2026

5-12 Weeks

Physics Photon Accelerators

Coursera

École Polytechnique

Outsmarting intermittency (Coursera)

Engineering Sci: Physics

Solar and wind offer clean and renewable ways to produce large amounts of electricity. They have boomed over the last few years, evolving from an eco-daydream to a major market and showing unprecedented growth rates. Yet, installing solar panels and wind turbines is by no means the end of the story. The electrical grid, which connects production means to the end-users’ sockets, is not a simple electron pipe. It is the beating heart of our electricity system and ensures its stability. Solar and wind raise specific challenges for the grid, and these challenges will have to be tackled if we want to deploy larger amounts of renewable sources.

Oct 26th 2026

4 Weeks

Electricity Renewable Energy Solar Energy