Physics I or equivalent preparation and working knowledge of calculus are recommended.
Optional preparation: High School Physics: Free Course.
About this course
Electricity, light and quantum behavior require models that extend beyond everyday mechanical intuition. This free Yale Physics II course develops those models through explanations and quantitative reasoning. It continues the introductory physics sequence and is intended for learners with a sound mathematical foundation.
Course at a glance
| Provider | Yale |
|---|---|
| Instructor / Teaching team | Ramamurti Shankar |
| Platform | YouTube · YaleCourses |
| Access | Free Video |
| Level | Intermediate · WikiFree audience assessment |
| Language | English |
| Lessons | 25 |
| Video duration | 29h 48m · allow extra time for reading and practice |
| Format | Self-paced video learning |
| Certificate | No certificate included with free YouTube viewing |
What you’ll learn
- Set up quantitative questions about electric fields and circuits.
- Connect magnetic and electromagnetic phenomena with relevant models.
- Explain the role of wave ideas in the optics material.
- Describe the experimental motivation for introductory quantum mechanics.
Skills you’ll gain
- Electromagnetism
- Circuit reasoning
- Optics
- Quantitative problem solving
Course Overview
The lectures progress through electrostatics, fields, currents, circuits and magnetism before moving into optics and quantum mechanics. The later material examines experiments that motivate quantum ideas and the framework used to describe them. Working through the reasoning on paper is essential: familiarity with the vocabulary alone is not the same as being able to solve a problem.
How the course develops
- Electric and magnetic systems: connect physical descriptions with fields, potential and circuit behavior.
- Waves and optics: investigate how electromagnetic and optical ideas explain observed effects.
- Quantum foundations: examine key experiments, wave-particle ideas and the postulates introduced in the closing lectures.
The classroom contains all 25 videos in this official YaleCourses playlist. Use the lesson list to follow the course or search for a topic you want to revisit. Introductory segments, teaching examples and supplementary discussions remain available within this course.
Who is this for?
Physics and engineering students, and independent learners continuing a calculus-based physics education.
Before you start
Physics I or equivalent preparation and working knowledge of calculus are recommended.
Put the lessons into practice
Work through one example without looking at the lecturer's final steps. State the assumptions, check the units and explain whether the limiting behavior of your answer makes physical sense.
This optional study activity is provided by WikiFree for independent reflection. It is not a graded Yale assignment. Keep a short record of what you can explain confidently and what you need to revisit; use that record to plan your next study session.
Certificate / Assessment
The public videos can be watched free of charge. This WikiFree listing does not include a Yale certificate, academic credit, a degree, graded assessments or feedback from the instructors. A similarly named course on another platform may have different enrollment, assessment and payment conditions.
The classroom’s Mark complete control records your personal progress. It does not assess your understanding or award a credential. Course examples reflect the recordings; check current sources whenever you need up-to-date professional information.
Related courses for your next step
- Review a lower-level optionHigh School Physics: Free Course
Focus: Physics models · Motion analysis
Beginner - Compare another approachFree Yale Course: Fundamentals of Physics I
Focus: Mechanics · Mathematical modeling
Intermediate - Explore a higher-level optionFree MIT Course: Atomic and Optical Physics II
Focus: 1. Introduction to Atomic Physics · 5. Single photons, Part 1
Professional - Explore a higher-level optionFree MIT Course: Airborne Disease Transmission and Fluid Physics
Focus: Course overview of physics of COVID-19 transmission · Transfer of respiratory pathogens: Viral deactivation in aerosols (ASIDE)
Professional
Compare course focus, level and study time
| Course | Level | Focus | Study time |
|---|---|---|---|
| This course — Free Yale Course: Fundamentals of Physics II | Intermediate | Electromagnetism · Circuit reasoning · Optics | 29h 48m of video; practice time is additional |
| High School Physics: Free Course | Beginner | Physics models · Motion analysis · Forces and momentum | 7h 39m of video; practice time is additional |
| Free Yale Course: Fundamentals of Physics I | Intermediate | Mechanics · Mathematical modeling · Quantitative reasoning | 28h 44m of video; practice time is additional |
| Free MIT Course: Atomic and Optical Physics II | Professional | 1. Introduction to Atomic Physics · 5. Single photons, Part 1 · 10. van der Waals and Casimir interactions | 36h 15m of video; practice time is additional |
| Free MIT Course: Airborne Disease Transmission and Fluid Physics | Professional | Course overview of physics of COVID-19 transmission · Transfer of respiratory pathogens: Viral deactivation in aerosols (ASIDE) · Epidemiological models: Incubation-enhanced spreading | 8h 55m of video; practice time is additional |
Frequently asked questions
Is this Yale course free?
Yes. This listing provides the official YaleCourses YouTube videos for free viewing. Textbooks, optional materials and separately enrolled programs may have their own costs.
How long does the course take?
The playlist contains 25 videos totaling approximately 29h 48m. Reading, note-taking, revision and independent practice add to that viewing time.
What background do I need?
Physics I or equivalent preparation and working knowledge of calculus are recommended.
Will I receive a Yale certificate?
No. Watching these YouTube lessons or marking them complete on WikiFree does not earn a Yale certificate, degree or academic credit.
Can I watch on a phone?
Yes. Use the responsive lesson list and player on a phone, tablet or computer. A larger screen and a notebook may help with detailed examples, equations or software demonstrations.
What happens if a video becomes unavailable?
The lesson should remain visible in its place with its title and an availability notice. You can continue with the other lessons and report the problem through the correction link.
Provider: Yale. Videos play from the YaleCourses channel on YouTube.
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