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At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to:
1. Articulate the process of science as an iterative inquiry process including: observation; developing, testing, and improving models; collaboration and peer review; and generalizing and theory building.
2. Describe how physics is related to and interacts with other disciplines as well as how interdisciplinary collaborations have led to modern achievements and advances.
3. Explain how physics influences and is influenced by society via policy, ethics, and technology.
4. Communicate their knowledge using prose and mathematics.
5. Apply physics to solve problems and predict outcomes in the everyday world.
Laboratory objective:
1. Apply scientific skills such as making measurements, finding patterns, devising models, and testing those models on physical phenomena.
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I. Physics as a Scientific Endeavor
A. Scientific process
B. Physics and other disciplines: relationship of physics to other disciplines, interdisciplinary collaborations, and achievements
C. Physics and society: technology, ethics, and public policy
II. Foundational Mechanics
A. Motion: time, position, velocity, acceleration
B. Interactions: forces, Newton's laws of motion
C. Energy: types of energy and conservation of energy
III. Laboratory Skills
A. Using the metric system to express measurements
B. Using computerized (motion detectors, force probes, etc.) and non-computerized (stopwatches, meter sticks, etc.) tools to make measurements of physical phenomena
C. Recording and displaying data using tables and graphs
D. Analyzing and interpreting results, including the role of measurement uncertainty
Instructor will select at least two (2) topics from below to form a coherent storyline for the course:
IV. Mechanics
A. Universal gravitation: circular motion, satellites, and astronomical bodies
B. Momentum: conservation of momentum
C. Rotational motion: conservation of angular momentum, and torque
V. Electricity and Magnetism
A. Electrostatics: conservation of charge, electric fields and forces, and electric potential
B. Electric current: direct current (DC) circuits, Ohm's law
C. Magnetism: magnetic fields and forces, and ferromagnetic materials
D. Induction: electromagnetic induction, generators, and motors
VI. Thermodynamics
A. Heat and temperature
B. First law of thermodynamics: conservation of energy, specific heat, heat transfer, and phase changes
C. Second law of thermodynamics: entropy
VII. Waves
A. Wave phenomena: oscillations, standing waves, reflection, refraction, interference, and diffraction
B. Sound: Doppler effect and musical sounds
C. Light: mirrors and lenses, and color
VIII. Structure of Matter
A. Phases of matter: solids, liquids, and gases
B. Atomic nature of matter: periodic table and the structure of the atom
C. Atomic physics: radioactivity, nuclear processes
IX. Special and General Relativity
A. Special relativity: Newton and Einstein time, relativistic effects, and the correspondence principle
B. General relativity: the equivalence principle, perspective on gravity, and applications to cosmology
C. Experimental evidence
X. Quantum Mechanics
A. Foundational experiments and observations: the photoelectric effect and the double-slit experiment
B. Wave-particle duality
C. Uncertainty principle
D. Quantum model of the atom
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Conceptual Physics. 12th ed. Hewitt, Paul. Addison Wesley. 2014 (classic).
Conceptual Physics Fundamentals. Hewitt, Paul. Addison Wesley. 2008 (classic).
Conceptual Physics Laboratory Manual. Hewitt, Paul. Addison Wesley. 2008 (classic).