Introduces the principles of physics, including units on mechanics, heat, and sound. Partially fulfills the physics requirement in pre-medicine, pre-dentistry, teaching, and law. Three hours of lecture and three hours of laboratory per week.
Goals, Topics, and Objectives
The goal of this course is to develop and strengthen critical thinking skills and scientific literacy through the study and application of physical principles.
- Kinematics in one and two dimensions
- Newton’s laws
- Circular motion
- Work and energy
- Impulse and momentum
- Torque and equilibrium
- Elasticity and simple harmonic motion
- Fluids
- Waves and sound
- Heat and thermodynamics
Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:
- Apply kinematic equations in one and two dimensions correctly.
- Apply Newton’s laws correctly to conceptual and numerical problems.
- Determine velocity and acceleration for uniform circular motion.
- Describe the motion of an object using work, kinetic energy, and potential energy.
- Determine the changes in motion in terms of impulse and momentum.
- Determine torque on a body and quantify its effects for a static system.
- Describe simple harmonic motion using kinematics, dynamics, and energy.
- Explain Pascal’s principle, Archimede’s principle, and Bernoulli’s principle.
- Demonstrate how different properties of a medium affect the speed of a wave.
- Describe a wave using the terms wavelength, frequency, amplitude, and speed.
- Explain heat and its relationship to temperature and phase changes.
- Manipulate equipment safely and effectively to collect and analyze data.
Assessment and Requirements
Student learning will be assessed through classroom examinations including a cumulative final exam. Students will submit a written lab report for each experiment performed which will be used to assess if the student followed instructions, collected the data correctly, analyzed the data, and was able to draw an appropriate conclusion from the analysis. Conceptual understanding and problem-solving skills will be evaluated using homework, collaborative activities or projects, and exams.
Standard General (Algebra-based) Physics Textbook
Outcomes
- Natural Sciences
- Category 6: Natural Sciences (Lecture and Lab)