New Visions Engineering Physics

College Physics

2014-2015

Mrs. Ashley

914-621-8337

Office hours: Before school at 7:45 in room 206. Wednesday from 10-2. Other times may be arranged by emailing me.

Resources:

Text for this course: Giancoli, D. C. (2005). Physics (6th ed.) Upper Saddle River: Pearson/Prentice Hall.

Teacher Website: pnwboces.schoolwires.net

Online physics text:

Khan Academy Physics:

Grading: Unit Tests, quizzes, and projects 40%

Homework and Problem Sets: 20%

Labs including written labs: 30%

Class participation, professionalism: 10%

Final grade is an average of 4 quarters and final exam.

UNIT 1- Measurement, Kinematics in one Dimension

Gioncoli Chapter 1 and 2

  1. Methods of Measurement and Calculation: units and conversions, estimating, scientific notation, reading scientific instruments, accuracy and precision.(Chapter 1)
  2. Kinematics (one dimension, or linear motion): How we describe moving objects; distance and position, speed and velocity, and acceleration. Concepts of vectors vs. scalars and their representations in one dimension. (Chapter 2)

Unit 2- Kinematics in Two Dimensions/ Newtons Laws of Motion

Gioncoli Chapter 3 and 4

  1. Kinematics (two dimensional): Introduction of vectors and how to represent them graphically and algebraically. Addition of vectors through graphical and algebraic methods. Extension of kinematical concepts to two and three dimensions. Example of projectile motion. (Chapter 3).
  2. Dynamics: Treating objects as particles, introducing forces and studying how such objects act under them. Concept of mass and its role in dynamics. Newton's three laws of motion and the free body diagram. Examples involving the weight of an object, friction, pulleys and inclines. (Chapter 4)

Unit 3 - Work, Energy and Linear Momentum

Gioncoli Chapter 6 and 7

  1. Energy: Work, Potential Energy, Kinetic Energy. Work as a mode of energy transfer, conservative and nonconservative processes, conservation of energy. Power as the rate at which work is done. (Chapter 6)
  2. Linear Momentum: physical meaning, relationship to forces (impulses), conservation law, elastic and inelastic collisions, center of mass. (Chapter 7)

Unit 4- Circular Motion; Gravitation

Giancoli Chapter 5 and 8

  1. Circular Motion: Polar Coordinates and the centripetal (inward radial) and tangential (angular) coordinates of an object’s motion. Kinematics and dynamics of uniform circular motion. (Chapter 5)
  2. Gravitation: Newton’s Law of Gravitation and its applications to satellite and planetary orbits. Relationship between “g” and “G”. (Chapter 5)
  3. Rotational Dynamics: Angular units and kinematical quantities, direct vs. rotational vectors, rolling motion. Torque, Rotational Inertia (Moment of Inertia), Rotational kinetic energy, angular momentum and its conservation law. (Chapter 8)

Unit 5 -Static Equilibrium; Elasticity; Vibrations and Waves; Sound; Fluids

Gioncoli Chapter 9, 11, 12, 10

  1. Elasticity of Materials: Hooke’s Law, Stress and Strain, Deformation and Fracture. (Chapter 9)
  2. Vibrations and Waves: Simple Harmonic Motion, simple pendulum, damped and forced harmonic oscillators. Wave motion, transverse and longitudinal Waves. Reflection, interference, and resonance. (Chapter 11)
  3. Sound: Sound waves: speed, pitch, loudness. The Doppler effect and applications. (Chapter 12)
  4. Fluids: Concepts of density and specific gravity, pressure (absolute and gauge), buoyancy and Archimedes’ Principle. Fluids in motion; continuity and Bernoulli’s equation. (Chapter 10)

Unit 6 -Kinetic Theory, Heat Transfer, and Thermodynamics

Giocoli chapter 13, 14, 15

  1. Temperature and Kinetic Theory: Temperature scales, gas laws, relationship between temperature and the kinetic energy associated with atomic and molecular motion. (Chapter 13)
  2. Heat: a form of energy transfer, specific heat of substances, energetics of phase changes, modes of heat transfer. (Chapter 14)
  3. Thermodynamics: Systems and processes of energy transfer, applications to ideal gas, first and second laws of thermodynamics, macroscopic and microscopic views of entropy. Applications to engines and heat pumps. (Chapter 15)

UNIT 7 – Electricity and Magnetism

Gioncoli chapter 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22

  1. Electrostatics (I): electric charge and forces, Coulomb’s Law, electric fields, graphical representation and calculations of electrical fields. Electrical behavior of insulators, conductors, and semiconductors. (Chapter 16)
  2. Electrostatics (II): electric potential energy and work, electric potential, and their gravitational analogs, capacitance, and behavior of dielectrics. (Chapter 17)
  3. Electric Current: Charge in motion. Current, resistance, voltage, Ohm’s Law, and their hydraulic analogs. Electrical power. (Chapter 18)
  4. Electrical Circuits: Series and parallel circuits of resistances, Kirchoff’s Rules. DC-circuits, RC circuits, ammeters, voltmeters. (Chapter 19)
  1. Magnetism: Cause of magnetism,magnets, magnetic poles, and fields. Microscopic study of magnetic materials. Magnetic forces on current carrying wires and on moving charged particles. (Chapter 20)
  2. Electromagnetic Induction and E&M Waves: electromagnetic force and how it is induced (Faraday’s and Lenz’s laws), electric generators, transformers. Electrical power generation and transmission. Electromagnetic waves. (Chapter 21 and 22).

UNIT 8 – Geometrical and Physical Optics

Gioncoli Chapter 23, 24, 25

  1. Geometric Optics (I): Model of waves as rays, reflection and refraction, total internal reflection and applications. Dispersion,Plane and spherical mirrors, thin lenses, lens aberrations, Snell's Law(Chapter 23)
  2. The Wave Nature of Light: waves versus particles, law of refraction,Huygens wave model, interference, Young’s double slit experiment, diffraction and diffraction gratings, polarization. (Chapter 24)
  3. Optical Instruments:The eye, microscopes, telescopes, diffraction and resolution. (Chapter 25)

UNIT 5 – Modern Physics

Gioncoli- Chapter 26, 27, 28, 30, 31, 32, 33

  1. Quantum Physics: Discovery of the electron and plum pudding model of the atom.Planck’s quantum hypothesis and the probabilistic universe. Photons and the photoelectric effect, the Compton effect. Modern physical view of interaction of light with matter. Rutherford’s gold foil experiment and his model of the atom. Atomic spectra and the Bohr atom. (Chapter 27)
  2. Quantum Mechanics: DeBroglie’s hypothesis and the probabilistic universe, the wave function and Schroedinger’s equation. The Heisenberg uncertainty principle. (Chapter 28)
  3. Nuclear Physics and Radioactivity: Binding energy, nuclear forces, and nuclear reactions using mass-energy equivalence and conservation laws.. Radioactivity: Alpha, Beta, and Gamma decay, decay rates, half life, and radioactive dating. (Chapter 30)
  4. Nuclear Energy: Practical nuclear reactions, fission in nuclear reactors, fusion in stars, comparison with coal fired power plants. (Chapter 31)
  5. Relativity: Speed of light, Michelson-Morley experiment, interferometry, inertial reference frames, simultaneity, time dilation, length contraction, concepts of proper time and length. Relativistic kinetic energy and momentum, and the mass-energy equivalence. Relatvistic velocity addition. General Relativity. (Chapter 26)
  6. High Energy Physics and Cosmology: Elementary particles, particle accelerators, standard model of particle physics, quarks, early universe. (Chapter 32 and 33)
  7. Student Projects (PowerPoint Presentations)