Humans are a curious bunch, always eager to ask and learn about the world around them and to pass what they learn to further generations. Out of this natural curiosity has grown all of science, a discipline based upon confronting conjecture with observation and measurement. Physics is a so-called "hard science" in that typically its conjectures are mathematical and its observations are quantitative and numerical.
The science of physics provides insight into nature's forces. The study of physics requires each student to master a style of reasoning in which only a few mathematical conjectures can be shown to have precise, provable, and calculable consequences. The acquisition of this skill is the highest goal of the course.