Continuation of PHYSICS 103 covering electricity, magnetism, light, optics, and modern physics with cross-field applications; not recommended for physical science or engineering majors.
Past student reviews · Daniel Thurs
Students reported spending a couple of hours each week on pre-lectures, homework, and quizzes, and found Thurs’s exams difficult.
Calculate electrostatic force vectors between individual electric charges. Calculate the resulting position, distribution, and motion of the charges.
Calculate the electric field vectors created by systems of electric charges and the forces resulting from these fields.
Determine how electric potential energy of and work done on an electric charge changes as it moves through an electric field using electric potential (voltage).
Determine voltage changes across components and flow of electric currents through circuits of conducting wires, resistors, and capacitors.
Calculate magnetic field vectors created by moving electric charges. Calculate the effects of magnetic fields on external moving charges. Calculate inductive effects due to the relationship between magnetic fields and electric forces.
Calculate the effects of reflection and refraction, of interference and diffraction, and of mirrors and lenses.
Calculate atomic and nuclear phenomena (e.g. atomic spectra, radioactivity) using the basic concepts of quantum mechanics.
Design and analyze laboratory experiments using concepts from this course.
Source: UW Guide
All recorded terms · compare terms & instructors
PHYSICS 103, 201, 207, 247,E M A 201 or special student standing. Not open to students with credit forPHYSICS 202, 208, or 248.
“Used by” includes alternatives; linked courses may have other requirements. This is a best-effort interpretation; check the catalog requirements above.
Raw average: 2.30/5 from 10 quality ratings. The adjusted rating blends this with the UW review average (3.66/5), weighted as 20 additional ratings. Smaller samples stay closer to that average. Each captured review is counted once in the prior; this does not correct who chooses to leave a review.
For this course: 4.0/5 raw quality · 2.7/5 difficulty · 3 reviews
RMP profile ↗ · All captured review dates; profile matched by name.
Past student reviews · Ke Fang
Opinions on Ke Fang’s teaching varied significantly. One student found her lectures boring and noted technical difficulties, while others described her explanations as clear, logical, and effective for problem-solving. Students also mentioned she was pleasant and helpful after class.
Recent recorded grades — Fall 2025: 3.16 GPA, 50.0% A/AB (n=366 letter grades); Spring 2026: 3.10 GPA, 44.2% A/AB (n=566 letter grades). Includes jointly taught sections.
Raw average: 2.51/5 from 59 quality ratings. The adjusted rating blends this with the UW review average (3.66/5), weighted as 20 additional ratings. Smaller samples stay closer to that average. Each captured review is counted once in the prior; this does not correct who chooses to leave a review.
For this course: 1.8/5 raw quality · 4.1/5 difficulty · 9 reviews
RMP profile ↗ · All captured review dates; profile matched by name.
Past student reviews · Daniel Thurs
Feedback on Daniel Thurs is divided; some students found his lectures clear and supportive, while others criticized the flipped format and exams for being excessively difficult and disconnected from course material. Several reviewers reported frustration with the lack of provided solutions and instances of grade management errors, such as multiple grade releases. Despite these concerns, others noted that TA office hours were helpful for understanding concepts.
Recent recorded grades — Spring 2024: 3.09 GPA, 45.0% A/AB (n=606 letter grades); Spring 2025: 3.07 GPA, 43.3% A/AB (n=577 letter grades); Spring 2026: 3.10 GPA, 44.2% A/AB (n=566 letter grades). Includes jointly taught sections.
Past student reviews · Benjamin Spike
Benjamin Spike, who taught the course multiple times, was described as knowledgeable but sometimes dry and monotone in lecture. One student noted that exams had no notes allowed, with each question worth eight points, and that mistakes significantly impacted grades. Another student reported heavy busy work and found it difficult to reach the professor beyond office hours, even during emergencies.
BENJAMIN SPIKE is recorded teaching in Fall 2018, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Fall 2024, Fall 2025. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.
CARRIE FRANCIS is recorded teaching in Fall 2023. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.
DANIEL THURS is recorded teaching in Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Spring 2024, Spring 2025, Spring 2026. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.
DON REEDER is recorded teaching in Fall 2009. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.
KE FANG is recorded teaching in Fall 2025, Spring 2026. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.
PAUL TERRY is recorded teaching in Fall 2008, Spring 2010. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.
PETER TIMBIE is recorded teaching in Fall 2017, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2025. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.
WESLEY SMITH is recorded teaching in Spring 2007, Spring 2008, Spring 2010, Spring 2011, Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.
Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.
Schedule loads here as you scroll.
| Section | Mode | Enrolled / capacity | Waitlist |
|---|---|---|---|
| LEC 001 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 240 | 0 |
| LEC 002 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 240 | 0 |
| DIS 301 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 24 | 0 |
| DIS 302 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 24 | 0 |
| DIS 305 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 24 | 0 |
| DIS 306 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 24 | 0 |
| DIS 307 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 24 | 0 |
| DIS 309 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 24 | 0 |
| DIS 310 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 24 | 0 |
| DIS 313 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 24 | 0 |
| DIS 320 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 24 | 0 |
| LAB 601 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 24 | 0 |
| LAB 602 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 24 | 0 |
| LAB 605 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 24 | 0 |
| LAB 606 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 24 | 0 |
| LAB 609 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 24 | 0 |
| LAB 610 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 24 | 0 |
| LAB 613 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 24 | 0 |
| LAB 620 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 24 | 0 |
| DIS 314 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 24 | 0 |
| DIS 315 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 24 | 0 |
| DIS 316 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 24 | 0 |
| DIS 317 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 24 | 0 |
| LAB 614 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 24 | 0 |
| LAB 615 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 24 | 0 |
| LAB 616 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 24 | 0 |
| LAB 617 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 24 | 0 |
| LAB 607 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 24 | 0 |
| DIS 321 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 24 | 0 |
| LAB 621 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 24 | 0 |
| LAB 623 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 24 | 0 |
| DIS 323 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 24 | 0 |
| DIS 322 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 24 | 0 |
| LAB 622 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 24 | 0 |
| DIS 326 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 24 | 0 |
| LAB 626 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 24 | 0 |
| DIS 327 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 24 | 0 |
| LAB 627 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 24 | 0 |
| DIS 308 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 24 | 0 |
| DIS 318 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 24 | 0 |
| DIS 325 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 24 | 0 |
| DIS 329 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 24 | 0 |
| DIS 330 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 24 | 0 |
| LAB 608 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 24 | 0 |
| LAB 618 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 24 | 0 |
| LAB 625 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 24 | 0 |
| LAB 629 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 24 | 0 |
| LAB 630 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 24 | 0 |
| DIS 324 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 24 | 0 |
| LAB 624 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 24 | 0 |
| DIS 303 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 24 | 0 |
| LAB 603 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 24 | 0 |
| LAB 604 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 24 | 0 |
| DIS 304 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 24 | 0 |
| LAB 631 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 24 | 0 |
| DIS 331 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 24 | 0 |
| LEC 003 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 240 | 0 |
Times are Central. Select a meeting for details; export includes recorded dates for the selected sections. Enrollment reflects scan time.
Past student reviews · Daniel Thurs, Ke Fang
Reviews varied: one student praised Thurs’s clear examples, while another disliked his flipped format; Ke Fang’s lectures were clear and logical.
Recent recorded grades — Spring 2025: 3.07 GPA, 43.3% A/AB (n=577 letter grades); Fall 2025: 3.16 GPA, 50.0% A/AB (n=366 letter grades); Spring 2026: 3.10 GPA, 44.2% A/AB (n=566 letter grades).
Past student reviews · Daniel Thurs
Students reported spending a couple of hours each week on pre-lectures, homework, and quizzes, and found Thurs’s exams difficult.
Past student reviews · Daniel Thurs, Ke Fang
Students found the lack of solutions after exams and quizzes unhelpful in Thurs’s section; Ke Fang was described as pleasant and good at walking through problems step by step.
Approximate 80% prediction interval
The course’s semester-average GPA, not an individual student’s grade. The center uses 5 same-season terms, weighted toward recent results.
The range uses the finite-sample 80th-percentile rank of absolute errors from earlier same-season forecasts. Each forecast uses only records from earlier terms. At least four forecasts are required; bounds are rounded outward and limited to 0–4. This is an empirical estimate: changing instructors or grading policies can reduce its coverage.
8 earlier forecasts · 0.06 GPA average error.
Through Spring 2027
Latest available grades · Spring 2026 · all course levels
Higher than
Course GPAs · red marks this course’s range
More recorded grades than
Typical course in this group:
1280 courses over the same term, each with at least 30 recorded letter grades. Cross-listed courses count once. GPA is not a measure of difficulty or teaching quality. The typical course is the median by recorded grade count; tied values are not counted as lower. Grade counts describe course scale, not unique students or typical section size.
Descriptions compare GPA with this group’s average: at least 0.20 higher or lower; otherwise close to average. Section size uses median recorded enrollment: small up to 30, mid-sized 31–99, large 100+. Lectures and discussion/lab sections are described separately.
Descriptions, prerequisites, and recorded course offerings.
Observations at scan time; dates do not imply when a catalog change took effect.
General Physics
Recorded 2026-10-14[
{
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"semester": "1274",
"observed_at": "2026-10-14 17:50:09.728220+00:00",
"offering_id": "1274:754:015590",
"course_id": "PHYSICS 104",
"course_uid": "course_0a6dafcdaeb7c047d94f694f",
"term_id": "1274",
"source_course_id": "015590",
"source_subject_id": "754",
"title": "General Physics",
"credits_min": 4,
"credits_max": 4,
"typically_offered": "Fall, Spring, Summer"
}
]Original comments behind the course and instructor summaries.
Recorded grade distributions by term, section, and instructor.
Explore recorded gradesRecorded 2026-10-14
Recorded model configuration, reasoning, and tool conversations.
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}