Online courses directory (273)

Learn some basic principles of physics that help you understand how the world around you works.

Explore the many moons of our Solar System. Find out what makes them special. Should we send humans to our Moon again?

Should we be excited about the Higgs boson? Find out more about particle physics and understanding the universe.

There is something out there in space, something invisible we have a hard time to understand. But we can be certain of one thing: It played a major role in the formation of our and any other galaxy!

Get a sense of the universe's enormity and discover the infinitesimal portion of history occupied by human existence with this astronomy course. Instructors show you how scientists go about studying such a vast expanse of time and space by explaining topics like wave-particle duality and spectra sequence. They can also help you take on an in-depth examination of astronomical objects that include protostellar disks, black holes, neutron stars, the Jovian planets and more with lessons on the following topics:

This course is designed for anyone who is interested in learning more about modern astronomy. We will help you get up to date on the most recent astronomical discoveries while also providing support at an introductory level for those who have no background in science.

This course will introduce you to the field of mechanical engineering and the relationships between physics, mathematics, communications, and sciences which inform the study, design, and manufacture of mechanical products and systems.  The course is divided into four units.  In the first unit, you will learn how mechanical engineering is broadly defined, what mechanical engineers do, and what technical capabilities they have.  We will also review some basic principles from mathematics and physics that you will apply in any discipline of engineering.  In the second unit, you will learn about the ethical considerations and technical communication skills necessary for engineering work.  You will revisit these issues in more detail in several courses within the Mechanical Engineering curriculum.  The third unit focuses on computational tools for engineering problems.  In Unit 3 you will learn about a specific open source computational environment (Scilab) and the application of that environment to some com…

CAD, or computer-aided design, is a powerful modeling tool that technical professionals use.  With CAD, architects can draw up building plans and engineers can develop component and system designs.  Some CAD programs even allow users to perform stress analysis, demonstrating how well a proposed structure will fare when put to use.  For example, when does a load become too big?  How much weight can be put onto a bridge before it becomes structurally unsound?  Using CAD, professionals can create precise engineering drawings in both 2- and 3-D, complete with dimensions and specifications, in a neat and readable format.  This modeling method has taken design to a whole new level of efficiency and accuracy. We are fortunate to be engineers working in the current eraone of computers, technology, and ease of precision.  Without CAD, we would have to draft (or draw up) design blueprints by hand, which can be tedious and time-consuming.  With CAD, however, we can generate accurate 2-D and 3-D drawings, scale…

This aerodynamics course focuses on the study of the flow of air about a body, and the “body” will be an airplane, but many of the concepts explored are relevant to a wide variety of applications from sailboats to automobiles to birds. Learners completing this aerodynamics course will gain a fundamental understanding of concepts and models used to aerodynamically analyze and design subsonic, transonic, and supersonic aircraft.

While the course is an introduction to aerodynamics, it is an advanced subject typically taken as a third or fourth year undergraduate subject in aerospace engineering.

This course covers the physics, concepts, theories, and models underlying the discipline of aerodynamics. A general theme is the technique of velocity field representation and modeling via source and vorticity fields, and via their sheet, filament, or point-singularity idealizations.

The intent is to instill an intuitive feel for aerodynamic flowfield behavior, and to provide the basis of aerodynamic force analysis, drag decomposition, flow interference estimation, and many other important applications. A few computational methods are covered, primarily to give additional insight into flow behavior, and to identify the primary aerodynamic forces on maneuvering aircraft. A short overview of flight dynamics is also presented.

Before your course starts, try the new edX Demo where you can explore the fun, interactive learning environment and virtual labs. Learn more.

FAQ

Is there a required textbook?
You do not need to buy a textbook. All material is included in the edX course and is viewable online. This includes a full textbook in PDF form. If you would like to buy a print copy of the textbook, a mail-order service will be provided.

Can I still register after the start date?
You can register at any time, but you will not get credit for any assignments that are past due.

How are grades assigned?
Grades are made out of four parts: simple, multiple-choice "Concept Questions " completed during lectures; weekly homework assignments; and two exams, one at the midpoint and one at the end of the course.

How does this course use video? Do I need to watch the lectures live?
Video lectures as well as worked problems will be available and you can watch these at your leisure. Homework assignments and exams, however, will have due dates.

Will the text of the lectures be available?
Yes, transcripts of the course will be made available.

Will the material be made available to anyone registered for this course?
Yes, all the material will be made available to all students.

What are the prerequisites?
The student is expected to be well-versed in basic mechanics, vector calculus, and basic differential equations. Good familiarity with basic fluid mechanics concepts (pressure, density, velocity, stress, etc.) is expected, similar to the content in 16.101x (however, 16.101x is not a requirement). If you do not know these subjects beforehand, following the class material will be extremely difficult. We do not check students for prerequisites, so you are certainly allowed to try.

Who can register for this course?
Unfortunately, learners from Iran, Sudan, Cuba and the Crimea region of Ukraine will not be able to register for this course at the present time. While edX has received a license from the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) to offer courses to learners from Iran and Sudan our license does not cover this course. Separately, EdX has applied for a license to offer courses to learners in the Crimea region of Ukraine, but we are awaiting a determination from OFAC on that application. We are deeply sorry the U.S. government has determined that we have to block these learners, and we are working diligently to rectify this situation as soon as possible.

This course provides an overview of and introduction to the fundamentals of aeronautics, using the history of aviation as a story line. The course uses examples from the very beginning of aviation (the Montgolfier brothers’ balloon flight in 1783 and the Wright brothers’ heavier-than-air flight in 1903) and continues all the way through to the current Airbus A380 and future aircraft. During this trajectory three major topics are discussed: aeronautics, aerodynamics and flight mechanics.

Lectures are frequently accompanied by related exercises and demonstrations. The course also incorporates (design) challenges/competitions, based on the knowledge obtained through the lectures.

LICENSE
The course materials of this course are Copyright Delft University of Technology and are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (CC-BY-NC-SA) 4.0 International License.

Week 1: A first simple neuron model

Week 2:  Hodgkin-Huxley models and biophysical modeling

Week 3: Two-dimensional models and phase plane analysis

Week 4: Two-dimensional models (cont.)/ Dendrites

Week 5: Variability of spike trains and the neural code

Week 6: Noise models, noisy neurons and coding

Week 7: Estimating neuron models for coding and decoding

Before your course starts, try the new edX Demo where you can explore the fun, interactive learning environment and virtual labs. Learn more.

The study of the night sky instilled wonder in our ancestors. Modern astronomy extends the human view to previously unexplored regions of space and time. In this course, you will gain an understanding of these discoveries through a focus on relativity—Einstein's fascinating and non-intuitive description of the physical world. By studying relativity and astronomy together, you will develop physical insight and quantitative skills, and you’ll regain a profound sense of wonder for the universe we call home.

FAQ

• What topics will the course cover?
  • Section One—Introduction
  • Section Two—3, 2, 1 … Launching the journey into spacetime
  • Section Three—Special relativity: from light to dark
  • Section Four—General relativity: from flat to curved

• Is there a required textbook?

  • No textbook is required. Notes will be posted weekly. A list of supplemental resources, including textbooks, will be provided.​​

• What are the learning outcomes of this course?

  • Explain the meaning and significance of the postulates of special and general relativity.

  • Discuss significant experimental tests of both special and general relativity.

  • Analyze paradoxes in special relativity.

  • Apply appropriate tools for problem solving in special relativity.

  • Describe astrophysical situations where the consequences of relativity qualitatively impact predictions and/or observations.

  • Describe daily situations where relativity makes a difference.

Despite spectacular recent progress, there is still a lot we don't know about our universe. We don't know why the Big Bang happened. We don't know what most of the universe is made of. We don't know whether there is life in space. We don't know how planets form, how black holes get so big, or where the first stars have gone. This course will take you through nine of the greatest unsolved problems of modern astrophysics. We can't promise you the answers, but we will explain what we do and don't know, and give you an up-to-date understanding of current research. This course is designed for people who would like to get a deeper understanding of these mysteries than that offered by popular science articles and shows. 

This is the first of four ANUx courses which together make up the Australian National University's first year astrophysics program. It is followed by courses on exoplanets, on the violent universe, and on cosmology. These courses compromise the Astrophysics XSeries. Learn more about the XSeries program and register for all the courses in the series today!

The discovery of exoplanets is one of the greatest revolutions in modern astrophysics. Twenty years ago, we had no idea whether any of the countless stars out there beyond our solar system had planets or not.

Today, things are totally different. Over 1,000 planetary systems have been discovered. The universe is teeming with planets. And what strange planets they are - hot Jupiter-like planets skimming the surfaces of their stars, cold and lonely free-floating planets far from any star, planets made of diamond, planets with rain made of glass, super-Earths and even planets orbiting neutron stars. In this course, we’ll bring you up-to-date with the latest research on exoplanets, and how this research has revolutionised our understanding of the formation of solar systems like our own.

This course is designed for people who would like to get a deeper understanding of these mysteries than that offered by popular science articles and shows. You will need reasonable high-school level mathematics and physics to get the most out of this course.

This is the second of four ANUx courses which together make up the Australian National University's first year astrophysics program. It follows on from the introductory course on the Greatest Unsolved Mysteries of the Universe, and is followed by courses on the violent universe and on cosmology. These courses compromise the Astrophysics XSeries. Learn more about the XSeries program and register for all the courses in the series today!

A flow is called hypersonic if the Mach number is greater than 5. This means that the flow speed is more than five times the speed of sound. In air at room temperature, the speed of sound is around 340 m/s, so a Mach 5 flow would have a flow speed of 1.7 km/s or just over 6,000 km/h. When a rocket launches a satellite into earth orbit, when a probe enters the atmosphere of another planet or when an aircraft is propelled by a supersonic combustion ramjet engine (a scramjet), hypersonic flows are encountered. Hypersonics – from Shock Waves to Scramjets introduces the basic concepts associated with flight at speeds greater than Mach 5 and takes students to the stage where they can analyse the performance of a scramjet engine that might be used in a future access-to-space system.

Preparing for the AP Physics 2 exam requires a deep understanding of many different topics in physics as well as an understanding of the AP exam and the types of questions it asks. This course is Part 1 of our AP Physics 2 series designed to prepare you for the AP exam. 

In Part 1, you will learn about fluids and thermodynamics. You will explore pressure, buoyant forces and concepts that involve conservation of mass and energy. You will also be learning about heat, its transfer and how we have taken advantage of its behavior in different types of technology.

As you work through this course, you will find lecture videos taught by expert AP physics teachers, practice multiple choice questions and free response questions that are similar to what you will encounter on the AP exam and tutorial videos that show you step-by-step how to solve problems. By the end of the course, you will be prepared to take on the AP exam!

This course is authorized as an Advanced Placement® (AP®) course by the AP Course Audit. The AP Course Audit was created by the College Board to give schools and students the confidence that all AP courses meet or exceed the same clearly articulated curricular expectations of colleges and universities.

By taking an AP course and scoring successfully on the related AP Exam, students can:

• Stand Out in College Admissions
• Earn College Credits
• Skip Introductory Classes
• Build College Skills

Advanced Placement® and AP® are trademarks registered and/or owned by the College Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse, these offerings.

Ce cours est une première introduction à la mécanique des fluides. Nous allons aborder tout d'abord les propriétés physiques des fluides : les états de la matière et la notion de viscosité. Un chapitre sera dédié à la tension de surface et à la capillarité. Nous introduirons ensuite le concept de similitude et l’utilisation des nombres adimensionnels. Nous allons alors considérer la statique des fluides à travers la loi de l'hydrostatique. La dynamique des fluides sera abordée en premier lieu par la cinématique. Ensuite, nous traiterons des équations de bilan avec notamment une application du théorème de conservation de l’énergie cinétique : le théorème de Bernoulli. Dans le dernier, nous montrerons que ce théorème relativement simple permet d’expliquer et de calculer des écoulements tels que ceux observés dans les rivières. Les vidéos du cours seront enrichies de vidéos d’expériences qui illustreront les concepts clés et par des quiz pour tester votre intuition et vos connaissances. Le dernier module vous permettra de piloter à distance une expérience d'hydraulique qui a lieu dans les laboratoires de l'EPFL.

This course is presented in French. 

Here is your chance to change the course of history! In this eight-week experience, you will begin developing profitable social and technological innovations to tackle our pressing energy and climate obligations. Course content includes videos and short readings carefully selected and organized to be accessible to a wide audience regardless of nationality, educational background, professional interests, or academic focus. All of the assigned work in this course is designed to help you dream up and begin developing your own sustainable energy innovation. Your innovation may be a physical product, or a service. It may be a technical innovation, or a social one. It need not make you rich, but you will be challenged to at least make your project self-supporting. The course materials, my feedback, and, most importantly, interactions with your classmates, will all help as you try to make your ideas real. You can complete the coursework in two to four hours per week, and any additional time you spend will just improve the chances your project is successful. Students should have completed the Intro to Sustainable Energy course on Canvas Network, or something similar, prior to taking this course. The "Introduction" course is publicly viewable with a CC Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike license.

In this six-week course, you will learn the basics about our energy and climate obligations. You will also prepare yourself to continue learning as these issues evolve. You will evaluate demand-side (e.g. more efficient buildings and automobiles) and supply-side (e.g. solar and wind) strategies for more sustainable use of energy. The course will require fact-based analysis of our energy obligations and possible ways to meet them. Please also consider enrolling in Sustainable Energy Innovation which begins June 2.