Why choose Physics?

Physics will satisfy your curiosity if you are interested in the fundamental behavior of matter and energy. The subject ranges from the very small (subatomic particles) to the very large (the entire universe).

What will you learn?

• Why the world around you behaves the way it does
• Laws of energy, gravity, and momentum
• Applications of the principles of physics to work, energy, and power
• Structure of matter, heat, energy, sound, and light
• Physics of fluids, oscillations, waves, thermodynamics, electricity, and magnetism
• The fundamentals of astronomy including planets, stellar evolution, and cosmology
• Practical problem solving skills and critical thinking

Where can you learn?

We teach in-person and hybrid classes at both the Salem and Woodburn campuses along with some fully online classes. The community is welcome at our planetarium shows most Friday nights while school groups can schedule shows during the day

Becoming a professional physicist almost always requires a bachelor's degree or more from a university. So transferring to a university after studying at Chemeketa is necessary for a career in the field. Please contact us if you are interested in majoring in physics.

What will you do?

After several years of study, professional physicists develop and refine many useful devices such as –

• Computers
• Lasers
• Cell phones
• MRI machines
• Electron microscopes
• Rockets

Physicists also study interesting concepts such as –

• The age of the universe
• Gravitational waves
• Bose-Einstein condensates
• Gamma ray bursts
• Black holes