WGU C739: Space, Time and Motion

What C739 Space, Time and Motion Really Asks of You

WGU C739: Space, Time and Motion is a physics course associated with WGU's physics and science-teaching coursework in the School of Education. Rather than opening with a page of equations, it opens with a story: how our picture of the universe traveled from the ancient Greek philosophers, through Galileo and Newton, and on to Einstein, whose theory of relativity sits at the center of the course. Around that core you can expect to work through special and general relativity, spacetime, reference frames, and the way motion is described once you leave everyday intuitions behind. Depending on the current version of the course, the material may extend into related modern-physics and cosmology ideas as well. If you are training to teach physics, this is where the "why" behind modern physics gets built into your own understanding. Confirm the exact scope and its place in your program against your official course of study, since WGU periodically updates and revises its courses.

Direct answer: To pass C739, treat it as a conceptual-reasoning course, not a plug-and-chug one. Read the assigned material and watch the videos actively, keep a running glossary of terms like reference frame, time dilation, and spacetime, and quiz yourself on why each idea follows from the last. When you can explain relativity in plain English and connect it back to Newtonian motion, you are ready for the OA.

The course is built around structured readings, videos, and online resources that walk you along the historical path of discovery. That structure matters: this is a course that rewards patient reading and reflection more than speed. You are not only learning what relativity says, you are learning how physicists came to believe it, which is exactly the kind of narrative a future teacher will one day retell to a classroom.

Topic Areas the Assessment Tends to Emphasize

For a course centered on space, time, and motion, the objective assessment tends to reward reasoning about concepts and relationships rather than pure calculation. Treat the list below as the concept areas such a course typically emphasizes, and verify the current learning outcomes in your official course of study, since WGU updates course materials over time:

• Mechanics of motion — how momentum, gravity, and motion were understood classically, and how those ideas set the stage for modern physics.
• The classical-to-modern transition — how the Newtonian view was extended and, in places, overturned by twentieth-century discoveries.
• Time and special relativity — reference frames, the constancy of the speed of light, time dilation, length contraction, and simultaneity.
• Space, spacetime, and general relativity — how mass and energy relate to the curvature of spacetime, and what that implies for gravity.
• Modern physics ideas — the broader twentieth-century shift in physics, which courses at this level often connect to wave-particle duality and the nature of light.
• Cosmology and astrophysics — how relativity connects to large-scale phenomena such as black holes and the Big Bang.

Because the source materials lean on readings and videos, the exam favors interpretation, comparison, and cause-and-effect reasoning. Verify current topic weightings against your official course of study in the WGU portal, since course content changes over time.

How Demanding Is It, and How Long Should You Plan?

Many students describe a course like this as more conceptual and reading-heavy than mathematically punishing, which is a relief if algebra-heavy physics has intimidated you before. The challenge is not brute calculation; it is holding several counterintuitive ideas in your head at once and keeping them straight. Relativity genuinely bends common sense, so the difficulty tends to come from unlearning everyday intuitions rather than from arithmetic.

A realistic timeline depends heavily on your comfort with physics reasoning. Students who already have some physics background often move through material like this in a few focused weeks, while those newer to it report needing longer to let the concepts settle. Rather than chasing anyone else's pace, budget steady daily sessions and let your practice performance, not the calendar, tell you when you are ready. If you are also working through related teaching content such as our C615 Physics Content Knowledge guide, spacing the two out helps the ideas reinforce each other instead of blurring together.

A Study Plan That Fits This Material

The conceptual nature of C739 makes a few evidence-based study habits especially effective. Build your plan around them rather than around passive rereading.

• Active recall over rereading. After each reading or video, close the material and write, from memory, what special relativity claims or why spacetime curves near mass. Struggling to retrieve it is the signal that learning is happening.
• Spaced repetition for vocabulary and principles. This course is full of precise terms. Make flashcards for reference frame, time dilation, length contraction, and the like, and revisit them on a spreading schedule so they stick for the exam and beyond.
• Explain it aloud. Teaching the idea to an imaginary student, or a patient family member, exposes the gaps instantly. Since you are training to teach, this doubles as professional practice.
• Practice testing under realistic conditions. Use any pre-assessment and course quizzes as diagnostic tools, not as a final check. Treat wrong answers as a map of what to restudy.
• Anchor the history. Build a simple timeline from the Greeks to Einstein. Understanding who solved which problem and why makes the concepts far easier to recall in order.

Because so much rides on connecting ideas across eras, consider drawing concept maps that link Newtonian motion to relativistic motion. The habit of tracing how one discovery forced the next is the same reasoning the OA tends to reward.

Where Students Trip Up

A handful of predictable mistakes cost students time in this course. Watching for them early saves you a retake.

• Skimming the readings. The assigned readings carry much of the conceptual load. Skipping them for a quick video summary leaves you unable to reason through scenario questions.
• Memorizing without understanding. You can recite "time dilation" and still miss questions if you cannot explain why moving clocks run slow. Aim for the reasoning, not the label.
• Confusing special and general relativity. Keep them distinct: special relativity concerns uniform motion and the constancy of light speed, while general relativity concerns gravity as curved spacetime.
• Underestimating the broader material. If your version of the course reaches into cosmology or modern physics, treat those sections as part of the course, not optional extras.
• Cramming a conceptual course. Ideas that fight intuition need time to sink in. Short daily sessions beat one long panic before the OA.

C739 Readiness Checklist

Before you schedule the objective assessment, work through these self-checks. If you can honestly answer yes to most, you are in good shape:

• Can you explain, in plain language, what changed in our understanding of motion from Newton to Einstein?
• Can you describe special relativity's core postulates and give an example of time dilation or length contraction?
• Can you distinguish special relativity from general relativity and say what each one addresses?
• Can you explain how mass and energy relate to the curvature of spacetime?
• Can you place the major figures and discoveries on a rough historical timeline?
• Can you connect these ideas to any cosmology topics, such as black holes or the Big Bang, that your course of study includes?
• Are you consistently scoring well on practice questions without looking back at the material?

C739 FAQ

Is C739 assessed by an objective assessment or a performance task?

C739 is assessed by an objective assessment (OA), a proctored exam rather than a submitted project. Always confirm the current format in your official course of study, since WGU can revise assessments.

Is C739 a math-heavy course?

Many students find a course like this more conceptual and reading-driven than calculation-driven. The harder part is usually grasping counterintuitive ideas like relativity, not performing heavy algebra. A comfort with basic physics reasoning still helps.

How long does it take to finish?

It varies widely. Students with a physics background often complete material like this in a few focused weeks, while others take longer. Let your practice performance decide your readiness rather than a fixed deadline.

What should I study first?

Start with the assigned readings and videos in order, since the course is built as a historical narrative. Grounding yourself in classical motion first makes the relativity material land far more easily.

Do I need to memorize a lot of formulas?

The emphasis is on understanding concepts and relationships. Focus on being able to explain and reason about ideas like time dilation and spacetime curvature rather than on rote formula recall.

How does this course fit my physics teaching program?

It builds conceptual foundations in modern physics you may eventually teach. Pairing it with related coursework, such as our DPT1 Electricity and Magnetism guide and the broader School of Education hub, gives you a fuller picture of the physics you will bring into a classroom.

For more course-by-course preparation, browse the full library of WGU study guides. You can also review the official program details on the WGU Secondary Physics Education program page.