Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Instructor Contact Info

Office: Poly Building, First floor, Room 102

Schedule: I teach periods B, F, G, and L3. I'm available for assistance during Extra Help times Monday-Friday, during periods A, C, D, and E, and during periods L1 and L6.
To assist in coordinating meetings, scheduling a meeting time by email is preferred (but not mandatory).

Email: rwhite@polytechnic.org

Phone: 626-396-6688. Email usually gets a more timely response, however.

My public key

I use these tools.

What will we be studying in this class?

From the Course of Study:

This course is designed to offer students a college-level, mostly non-calculus introduction to standard physics topics. Students will apply material covered in classroom lectures and discussions to real-life situations, both in weekly labs and in classroom demonstrations. The first semester offers a study of classical mechanics with a calculus-based analysis of selected topics. In the second semester, students will examine electricity and magnetism, including circuit analysis, electronics, and simple robotics applications. This course is for students who are relatively strong in math and want the challenge of a college-level physics course, but who are probably not planning on a career in engineering or the physical sciences.

How hard/fun/challenging is this course? Is it the right course for me?

The Honors Physics course at the Polytechnic School is an introductory, mostly algebra-based physics course. It includes a study of classical (Newtonian) mechanics the first semester, and an exploration of primarily practical applications of electricity and magnetism the second semester.

This is a hard class for some people, but it is intended to provide students with an robust, entertaining introduction to physics topics, developed through classroom presentations, demonstrations, labs, and (of course) homework.

While this course does occasionally touch on introductory calculus topics, they are typically "for recognition only," and intended to connect students with topics being covered in their math courses.

Who is the instructor for this course?

I'm Richard White, and I'll be teaching you during the first semester of this course!

I was born in 1960 and spent my formative years growing up in the deserts of Arizona, playing in the dirt with scorpions. I moved to Southern California with my family when I was in high school, and have been here pretty much ever since.

cert_teacher I've attended UC Irvine, CSU Humboldt, CSU Dominguez Hills, and CSU San Bernardino, and picked up some paperwork along the way: a Bachelor's in Geology, a California Teaching Credential, a Master's in Education... I'm a Google Certified Teacher/Innovator, and believe in the power of technology to enhance learning. I've been teaching for 38 years at independent, public, and Catholic schools in Pasadena, Berkeley, Yucca Valley, and Redondo Beach, respectively. I love my job. I like helping people figure out "that whole physics thing," as well as teaching computer science, and figuring out ways to use technology to make life and learning better.

In my spare time, I have a real life: reading, hanging out with friends, going to France, traveling, hiking with my son, visiting with relatives, seeing famous scientists, going climbing, playing with my dog, having adventures, listening to music... and doing physics problems and coding, of course!