Spring 2027

General Physics

Calculus-based General Physics for engineering students covering electricity, magnetism, light, and sound.

offering recorded5 credits
Recorded instructors · Spring 2027 Josh Weber4.4/5Peter Timbie2.9/5

Summary

1 / 6

Past student reviews · Josh Weber

The course content was inherently difficult, though one student found the workload manageable. Another noted that Weber often rushed at the end of lectures and did not finish his notes, which affected the pace of instruction.

What you’ll be able to do

  • Calculate electrostatic force vectors between individual electric charges. Predict 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, capacitors, and inductors.

  • 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.

  • Describe the periodic phenomena of electromagnetic waves using amplitude, frequency, period, and wavelength to predict system behavior.

  • Perform measurements and analyze results in laboratory experiments using concepts from this course.

Source: UW Guide

Grade history

↗
average GPA
letter grades
A
AB
B
BC
C
D
F

All recorded terms · compare terms & instructors

Prerequisites

Course map

(PHYSICS 103, 201, 207, 247, orE M A 201) and (MATH 217 or 221). Not open to students with credit forPHYSICS 208 or 248.

PHYSICS 202 used by

“Used by” includes alternatives; linked courses may have other requirements. This is a best-effort interpretation; check the catalog requirements above.

Prerequisite text tree

Professors

Spring 2027

Josh Weber

Adjusted rating
RMP difficulty
captured reviews
About this rating

Raw average: 4.70/5 from 43 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: 4.6/5 raw quality · 3.9/5 difficulty · 23 reviews

RMP profile ↗ · All captured review dates; profile matched by name.

Past student reviews · Josh Weber

Students praised Josh Weber for explaining complex physics concepts clearly and making lectures engaging, with one noting he often rushed or skipped examples. Workload was described as manageable, though the material itself remained inherently difficult.

Midterms focused on lecture material, while finals required combining multiple concepts. One student noted Weber did not curve grades despite low test averages, allowing a significant portion of the class to earn C's.

Recent recorded grades — Fall 2024: 3.02 GPA, 33.8% A/AB (n=532 letter grades); Fall 2025: 2.82 GPA, 27.8% A/AB (n=558 letter grades); Spring 2026: 2.88 GPA, 28.9% A/AB (n=488 letter grades). Includes jointly taught sections.

Peter Timbie

Adjusted rating
RMP difficulty
captured reviews
About this rating

Raw average: 2.71/5 from 73 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: 3.7/5 raw quality · 2.9/5 difficulty · 9 reviews

RMP profile ↗ · All captured review dates; profile matched by name.

Past student reviews · Peter Timbie

Peter Timbie taught PHYSICS 202 in an entertaining style, though students noted he expected independent textbook study and sometimes failed to cover all material in lecture. Exams were described as difficult, tricky, or tough.

Feedback on Timbie's teaching varied; one student found exams similar to homework problems, while another criticized the lack of lecture instruction. One student also noted that despite difficult exams, the grading scale was easy.

Recent recorded grades — Spring 2024: 2.83 GPA, 36.9% A/AB (n=445 letter grades). Includes jointly taught sections.

Historical instructors & teaching patterns

Past student reviews · Jeffrey Schmidt, Gary Shiu

Students described PHYS202 as demanding, requiring daily work and extensive practice problems. Jeffrey Schmidt's lectures focused on example problems, which were considered the best exam resource, though exams were hard. Gary Shiu was praised as a good lecturer, but his labs were long and frustrating due to bad equipment. Grading was described as fair in both accounts.

ALBRECHT KARLE is recorded teaching in Fall 2006, Fall 2007, Fall 2018. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

DON REEDER is recorded teaching in Spring 2007. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

GARY SHIU is recorded teaching in Fall 2011, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Fall 2023. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

JEFFREY SCHMIDT is recorded teaching in Spring 2014, Spring 2016. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

JOSHUA WEBER is recorded teaching in Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Fall 2023, Spring 2024, Fall 2024, Fall 2025, Spring 2026. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

MARSHALL ONELLION is recorded teaching in Fall 2020. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

MATTHEW F HERNDON is recorded teaching in Fall 2011, Spring 2017, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2024, Spring 2025, Fall 2025. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

PETER TIMBIE is recorded teaching in Spring 2024. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

RALF WEHLITZ is recorded teaching in Spring 2015, Fall 2016. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

SAMUEL HOKIN is recorded teaching in Spring 2013. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

STANISLAV BOLDYREV is recorded teaching in Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2017, Spring 2026. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

YIBIN PAN is recorded teaching in Fall 2006, Fall 2008, Spring 2009, Fall 2009, Fall 2010, Spring 2011, Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Spring 2018, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2023. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

Calendar & sections

Spring 2027

Schedule loads here as you scroll.

SectionModeEnrolled / capacityWaitlist
LEC 001Classroom Instruction0 / 2700
LEC 002Classroom Instruction0 / 2700
DIS 302Classroom Instruction0 / 240
DIS 305Classroom Instruction0 / 240
DIS 309Classroom Instruction0 / 240
DIS 322Classroom Instruction0 / 240
DIS 323Classroom Instruction0 / 240
LAB 602Classroom Instruction0 / 240
LAB 605Classroom Instruction0 / 240
LAB 609Classroom Instruction0 / 240
LAB 622Classroom Instruction0 / 240
LAB 623Classroom Instruction0 / 240
DIS 308Classroom Instruction0 / 240
LAB 608Classroom Instruction0 / 240
DIS 310Classroom Instruction0 / 240
LAB 610Classroom Instruction0 / 240
DIS 326Classroom Instruction0 / 240
LAB 626Classroom Instruction0 / 240
DIS 301Classroom Instruction0 / 240
LAB 601Classroom Instruction0 / 240
DIS 328Classroom Instruction0 / 240
LAB 628Classroom Instruction0 / 240
LAB 621Classroom Instruction0 / 240
DIS 321Classroom Instruction0 / 240
DIS 311Classroom Instruction0 / 240
DIS 318Classroom Instruction0 / 240
DIS 319Classroom Instruction0 / 240
DIS 320Classroom Instruction0 / 240
LAB 611Classroom Instruction0 / 240
LAB 618Classroom Instruction0 / 240
LAB 619Classroom Instruction0 / 240
LAB 620Classroom Instruction0 / 240
LAB 606Classroom Instruction0 / 240
DIS 306Classroom Instruction0 / 240
DIS 303Classroom Instruction0 / 240
LAB 603Classroom Instruction0 / 240
DIS 325Classroom Instruction0 / 240
LAB 625Classroom Instruction0 / 240
DIS 329Classroom Instruction0 / 240
LAB 629Classroom Instruction0 / 240
DIS 313Classroom Instruction0 / 240
LAB 613Classroom Instruction0 / 240
LAB 627Classroom Instruction0 / 240
DIS 330Classroom Instruction0 / 240
LAB 630Classroom Instruction0 / 240
DIS 327Classroom Instruction0 / 240

Times are Central. Select a meeting for details; export includes recorded dates for the selected sections. Enrollment reflects scan time.

Meeting source records
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Student experience

the class

Past student reviews · Josh Weber

Josh Weber’s lectures were described as clear and engaging, with one student noting he explains complex topics in simple terms. Another found his teaching style made the difficult material more approachable and enjoyable.

Recent recorded grades — Spring 2025: 3.04 GPA, 39.0% A/AB (n=418 letter grades); Fall 2025: 2.82 GPA, 27.8% A/AB (n=558 letter grades); Spring 2026: 2.88 GPA, 28.9% A/AB (n=488 letter grades).

difficulty & workload

Past student reviews · Josh Weber

The course content was inherently difficult, though one student found the workload manageable. Another noted that Weber often rushed at the end of lectures and did not finish his notes, which affected the pace of instruction.

Past student reviews · Josh Weber

One student appreciated the lecture quality but was frustrated with the grading, stating that Weber did not curve exams despite low class averages, which resulted in many students receiving C grades.

Topics

  • Electricity and Magnetism
  • Optics (Light)
  • Waves and Sound

Skills

  • Calculating electric field vectors and forces from charge systems
  • Analyzing DC and AC circuits with resistors, capacitors, and inductors
  • Computing magnetic fields and inductive effects from moving charges
  • Solving problems involving optical reflection, refraction, and wave interference

Grades

Historical instructor

Spring 2027 · Projected

Before grades are released

– average GPA

Approximate 80% prediction interval

About this estimate

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 · 0.20 GPA average error.

Grades over time

Through Spring 2027

More grade details Grade mix, volume & source data

Where this course fits relative to

Latest available grades · Spring 2026 · all course levels

GPA

Higher than % of other courses in this group.

Course GPAs · red marks this course’s range

letter grades

More recorded grades than % of other courses in this group.

Typical course in this group: letter grades.

About this comparison

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.

Sources & history

UW–Madison

Catalog & offerings

Descriptions, prerequisites, and recorded course offerings.

Catalog observation history

Observations at scan time; dates do not imply when a catalog change took effect.

Download part 1
Selected offering source records
PHYSICS 202 · Spring 2027

General Physics

Recorded 2026-10-14
Raw records 
[
  {
    "run_id": "20261014T203208-0851c9a1",
    "semester": "1274",
    "observed_at": "2026-10-14 17:50:09.728220+00:00",
    "offering_id": "1274:754:015600",
    "course_id": "PHYSICS 202",
    "course_uid": "course_8117ebeaf2f3accae0bb5cb6",
    "term_id": "1274",
    "source_course_id": "015600",
    "source_subject_id": "754",
    "title": "General Physics",
    "credits_min": 5,
    "credits_max": 5,
    "typically_offered": "Fall, Spring, Summer"
  }
]
Rate My Professors

Student reviews

Original comments behind the course and instructor summaries.

Read original reviews
Download part 1
Madgrades

Grade history

Recorded grade distributions by term, section, and instructor.

Explore recorded grades
Dataset & model

Recorded 2026-10-14

View the dataset on Hugging Face
Model outputs & technical records
Qwen/Qwen3.8-27B
LLM outputs across runs
Download part 1
Full model traces

Recorded model configuration, reasoning, and tool conversations.

Download part 1Download part 2Download part 3Download part 4Download part 5
Model & dataset provenance 
{
  "model": "Qwen/Qwen3.8-27B",
  "model_revision": "1d4bf0f2ff6012fd82039f2fa52739d0dd7c60c0",
  "task_version": "17",
  "output_id": "41f328d4709ccbee7f65bab028ebf02e0e849fb4c06ba829e7f9f13ce1e329b8",
  "requirements_status": "needs_review",
  "dataset_revision": "fc1811fa52e581ea57a35c0cf3343f8740a8ffbf",
  "observed_at": "2026-10-14 17:50:09.728220+00:00"
}