Science Courses Updates in July 2021
We are excited to share that we've made significant enhancements to our Science domain. Some of our formerly science “beta” courses are now ready to go and we have added new content to the following courses:
- High school biology (formerly 'beta')
- High school physics (formerly 'beta')
- AP Environmental sciences (formerly 'beta')
- AP Physics 1 (formerly 'beta')
That said, it is worth noting that, for high school biology, high school physics, and AP physics 1, we completely replaced the old content for the new one. If you had progress saved in the older versions of these courses, however, it doesn't mean you lost access to your work. You can still access the old versions of these courses through the direct links:
- https://www.khanacademy.org/science/high-school-biology
- https://www.khanacademy.org/science/high-school-physics
- https://www.khanacademy.org/science/ap-physics-1
We make these kinds of updates in service of providing free, world-class education, and we truly appreciate your understanding. You can see exactly what content items we’ve added in the new courses below. Happy learning!
High school biology
Articles
Humans and biodiversity |
Exercises
Understand: cell specialization |
Understand: genes, proteins, and cells |
Apply: organization of multicellular organisms |
Understand: organization of multicellular organisms |
Understand: cell division and organism growth |
Apply: cell division and organism growth |
Understand: feedback in living systems |
Apply: feedback in living systems |
Understand: photosynthesis |
Apply: formation of biomolecules |
Understand: formation of biomolecules |
Understand: cellular respiration |
Understand: gene expression and regulation |
Understand: sources of genetic variation |
Apply: sources of genetic variation |
Understand: genes, traits, and the environment |
Apply: genes, traits, and the environment |
Apply: evidence of common ancestry |
Understand: evidence of common ancestry |
Understand: natural selection |
Apply: natural selection |
Understand: natural selection and evolution |
Understand: evolution of group behavior |
Apply: natural selection and adaptation |
Understand: natural selection and adaptation |
Apply: adaption and environmental change |
Understand: species and the environment |
Understand: extinction |
Understand: biodiversity |
Understand: humans and biodiversity |
Understand: sustainability and natural resource management |
Apply: science, technology, and the environment |
Topic
Cell specialization |
Genes, proteins, and cells |
Organization of multicellular organisms |
Cell division and organism growth |
Feedback in living systems |
Photosynthesis |
Formation of biomolecules |
Cellular respiration |
Gene expression and regulation |
Sources of genetic variation |
Genes, traits, and the environment |
Evidence of common ancestry |
Natural selection |
Natural selection and evolution |
Evolution of group behavior |
Natural selection and adaptation |
Adaptation and environmental change |
Species and the environment |
Extinction |
Biodiversity |
Humans and biodiversity |
Sustainability and natural resource management |
Science, technology, and the environment |
Videos
Cell specialization |
Genes, proteins, and cells |
Organization of multicellular organisms |
Cell division and organism growth |
Feedback in living systems |
Photosynthesis |
Formation of biomolecules |
Cellular respiration |
Gene expression and regulation |
Sources of genetic variation |
Mendelian inheritance and Punnett squares |
Dihybrid cross and the law of independent assortment |
Genes, traits, and the environment |
Evidence for evolution |
Understanding and building phylogenetic trees |
Natural selection and the owl butterfly |
Natural selection and evolution |
Evolution of group behavior |
Natural selection and adaptation |
Adaptation and environmental change |
Species and the environment |
Extinction |
Biodiversity |
Ecosystem services |
How does climate change affect biodiversity? |
Conservation and the race to save biodiversity |
Science, technology, and the environment |
High school physics
Articles
Newton's second law review |
Exercises
Understand: force, mass, and acceleration |
Understand: energy in systems |
Understand: mechanical waves |
Understand: electromagnetic waves |
Understand: wave interference |
Apply: wave interference |
Understand: wave particle duality |
Understand: electromagnetic radiation and matter |
Apply: electromagnetic radiation and matter |
Understand: information in waves |
Understand: technology and waves |
Apply: technology and waves |
Apply: force, mass, and acceleration |
Understand: introduction to energy |
Understand: forms of energy |
Understand: energy and fields |
Understand: energy at the microscopic level |
Apply: energy at the microscopic scale |
Understand: calculating energy |
Apply: energy in systems |
Apply: predictions using energy |
Understand: thermodynamics |
Apply: thermodynamics |
Understand: emission of electromagnetic radiation |
Understand: predictions using energy |
Topic
Force, mass, and acceleration |
What is energy? |
Forms of energy |
Energy and fields |
Energy at the microscopic scale |
Calculating energy |
Energy in systems |
Predictions using energy |
Thermodynamics |
Waves |
Wave interference |
Wave particle duality |
Electromagnetic radiation and matter |
Emission of electromagnetic radiation |
Information in waves |
Technology and waves |
Videos
Newton's second law of motion |
Introduction to energy |
LOL diagrams |
Specific heat and latent heat of fusion and vaporization |
Wave interference |
Introduction to light |
What is energy? |
Law of energy conservation |
Gravitational potential energy at large distances |
Energy and fields |
Potential energy and position |
Energy at the microscopic scale |
Calculating kinetic energy |
Calculating gravitational potential energy |
Wave properties |
Electromagnetic radiation emission |
AP Environmental sciences
Exercises
Species growth |
Population growth |
Human populations |
Plate tectonics |
Earth's soil |
Earth's air and water |
Earth's seasons |
Earth's climate |
Intro to land and water use |
Effects of land and water use I |
Effect of land and water use II |
Intro to sustainable practices |
Types of sustainable practices |
Intro to energy resources and consumption |
Fuel types and uses I |
Fuel types and uses II |
Energy conservation |
Air pollution |
Reducing air pollution |
Other atmospheric pollution |
Sources of pollution |
Types of aquatic and terrestrial pollution |
Waste disposal, reduction, and treatment |
Pollution and health |
Pathogens |
Ozone |
Greenhouse effect |
Climate change |
Human impact on species |
Topics
Species growth |
Population growth |
Human populations |
Plate tectonics |
Earth's soil |
Earth's air and water |
Earth's seasons |
Earth's climate |
Intro to land and water use |
Effects of land and water use I |
Effect of land and water use II |
Intro to sustainable practices |
Types of sustainable practices |
Intro to energy resources and consumption |
Fuel types and uses I |
Fuel types and uses II |
Energy conservation |
Air pollution |
Reducing air pollution |
Other atmospheric pollution |
Sources of pollution |
Types of aquatic and terrestrial pollution |
Waste disposal, reduction, and treatment |
Pollution and health |
Pathogens |
Ozone |
Greenhouse effect |
Climate change |
Human impact on species |
Videos
Introduced species and biodiversity |
K selected and r selected population growth strategies |
Exponential and logistic growth in populations |
Population regulation |
Human population dynamics |
Rule of 70 to approximate population doubling time |
Demographic transition model |
Plate tectonics: Geological features of convergent plate boundaries |
Plate tectonics: Geological features of divergent plate boundaries |
Global wind patterns |
Are southern hemisphere seasons more severe? |
El Niño and La Niña |
Tragedy of the commons |
Impacts of Agricultural Practices |
Impacts of Urbanization |
Introduction to Sustainability |
Integrated Pest Management |
Nonrenewable Energy Resources |
Nuclear Power Generation |
Solar Energy |
Energy Conservation Methods |
Indoor Air Pollutants |
Reduction of Air Pollutants |
Acid Rain |
Human Impacts on aquatic environments |
Eutrophication and dead zones |
Solid waste disposal |
Pathogens and Infectious diseases |
Stratospheric Ozone Depletion |
The greenhouse effect |
The Atmosphere and Climate |
Ocean acidification |
Human activities that threaten biodiversity |
Pollution and human health |
Soil texture triangle |
AP Physics 1
Exercises
Newton's third law and free-body diagrams |
Newton's second law |
Applications of Newton's second law |
Vector fields |
Fundamental forces |
Gravitational forces |
Gravitational fields and acceleration on different planets |
Centripetal acceleration and centripetal force |
Free-body diagrams for objects in uniform circular motion |
Applications of circular motion and gravitation |
Work and mechanical energy |
Conservation of energy |
Momentum and impulse |
Representations of changes in momentum |
Conservation of linear momentum |
Period of simple harmonic oscillators |
Energy of a simple harmonic oscillator |
Rotational kinetmatics |
Torque and angular acceleration |
Angular momentum and torque |
Conservation of angular momentum |
Free-body diagrams for objects in uniform circular motion |
Topics
Newton's third law and free body-diagrams |
Newton's second law |
Applications of Newton's second law |
Vector fields |
Fundamental forces |
Gravitational forces |
Gravitational field/acceleration due to gravity on different planets |
Centripetal acceleration and centripetal force |
Free-body diagrams for objects in uniform circular motion |
Applications of circular motion and gravitation |
Work and mechanical energy |
Conservation of energy |
Momentum and impluse |
Representation of changes in momentum |
Conservation of linear momentum |
Period of simple harmonic oscillators |
Energy of a simple harmonic oscillator |
Rotational kinematics |
Torque and angular acceleration |
Angular momentum and torque |
Conservation of angular momentum |
Conservation of energy |
Videos
Newton's third law of motion |
More on Newton's third law |
Breaking down forces for free body diagrams |
Newton's second law of motion |
Inclined plane force components |
More on newton's second law |
Ice accelerating downhill |
Visualizing vectors in 2 dimensions |
Four fundamental forces |
Introduction to gravity |
Acceleration due to gravity at the space station |
Viewing g as the value of Earth's gravitational field near the surface |
Inertial Mass vs. Gravitational Mass |
Change in centripetal acceleration from change in linear velocity and radius: Worked examples |
Identifying centripetal force for ball on string |
Identifying centripetal force for cars and satellites |
Identifying force vectors for pendulum: Worked example |
Space station speed in orbit |
Impact of mass on orbital speed |
Work and the work-energy principle |
Conservative forces |
Law of conservation of energy |
Introduction to momentum |
Force vs. time graphs |
Elastic and inelastic collisions |
Changes in momentum worked examples |
Bouncing fruit example |
Ice skater throws a ball |
Definition of amplitude and period |
Period dependence for mass on spring |
Equation for simple harmonic oscillators |
Period of a pendulum |
Energy graphs for simple harmonic motion |
Angular motion variables |
Relating angular and regular motion variables |
Rotating kinematic formulas |
Torque basics |
Finding torque for angles forces |
Rotational version of Newton's second law |
Angular momentum |
Angular momentum of an extended object |
Conservation of angular momentum |
Ball hits rod angular momentum example |
Change in centripetal acceleration from change in linear velocity and radius: Worked examples |
Work-Energy Principle Example |
Introduction to momentum |