General Physics 1 PHYS 1301

Course offerings

Learning Outcomes

At the end of this course, the student will be able to:

• Work correctly with both Engineering and SI units.
• Analyze the motions of objects.
• Compute forces on objects in equilibrium.
• Use the concepts of work, energy and power to analyze simple systems.
• Demonstrate an understanding of properties of fluids at rest and in motion.
• Write laboratory reports, complete with the analysis of data and the prediction of mathematical relationships.

Specific Objectives

You will be able to:

Introduction and Review

• Use exponents and scientific notation.
• Describe a measurement process and sources of error.
• Manipulate equations to solve for specific terms.
• Describe a measurement process and systems of units.
• State the base SI and Engineering units.
• Describe derived units and supplementary units.
• State the values of the important prefixes.
• Use SI properly.
• Unit conversions.
• Use trigonometry to solve simple problems.
• Determine the probable uncertainties and discrepancies in measurement.
• Describe the states of matter and their energy properties.
• Use a rigorous problem-solving process.
• Calculate total uncertainties.

Vectors

• Solve problems involving collinear motion for distance and displacement.
• Define distance, displacement, speed and velocity.
• Use definitions to solve for average speeds and velocities and distinguish between them.
• Define acceleration.
• Add and subtract vectors using the parallelogram method and the polygon method.
• Resolve vectors into perpendicular components.
• Use the component method to add and subtract vectors, expressing answers in coordinate or standard position.
• Solve problems involving non-collinear vectors.
• Solve problems involving vector resolution.
• Use the polygon and component methods to add and subtract vector quantities.
• Use the component method to add and subtract vector quantities, leaving the answer in either component or polar form..

Kinematics

• Use the equations of uniformly accelerated motion to solve problems in kinematics.
• Apply the concepts of uniformly accelerated motion to freely falling bodies and solve problems involving acceleration under gravity.
• Draw graphs and analyze data from the graphs.
• Convert complex units.

Dynamics

• Describe the nature of a force and inertia.
• Use Newton's Second Law and the equations of uniformly accelerated motion to solve problems.
• Describe the difference between mass and weight.
• Discuss the meaning of Newton's Third Law.
• Analyze systems of forces and draw free body diagrams.
• Describe the nature of friction forces and solve problems involving static and kinetic friction.
• Solve problems involving Newton's Second Law.
• Solve problems involving Newton's Law and friction.
• Define impulse and linear momentum and use conservation of momentum to solve problems.
• Describe the effects of position on weight.
• Discuss the relative strengths of gravitational, electric and nuclear forces.

Equilibrium

• Define equilibrium, static and dynamic.
• Provide examples of dynamic and static equilibrium.
• State the first equilibrium condition for concurrent forces and use the definition to solve problems involving systems of concurrent forces in equilibrium.
• Define moment of force and torque and calculate resultants.
• State the second equilibrium condition and use it to solve problems using a sign convention.
• Define resultant and equilibrant of non-concurrent systems.
• Describe applications of moments of force and torque including centroids, moments of area.
• Define density and weight density.
• Solve problems involving density.
• Define stress and strain.
• Describe tensile, compressive and shearing stresses and strains.
• Solve problems involving stress and strain.
• Draw a typical diagram (of stress and strain).
• Use Young's modulus, bulk modulus and shear modulus to solve problems.
• Understand and use the concepts of factor of safety, ultimate strength and stress-strain relationships to solve problems and analyze materials.

Work, Energy and Power

• Define work done by an applied force and solve related problems.
• Define power and solve related problems.
• Define energy and describe the types of energy.
• Define kinetic energy and solve problems using kinetic energy.
• Define change in gravitational energy near the earth's surface.
• Solve problems using gravitational energy.
• Solve problems using elastic potential energy.
• Use the conservation of energy to solve problems.

Circular and Rotary Motion

• Describe uniform circular motion and periodic motions.
• Solve problems involving uniform circular motion and centripetal forces.
• Describe Newton's universal law of gravitation.
• Define angular displacement, velocity and acceleration.
• Use the equations of uniform rotary motion to solve problems.
• Calculate torques and moments of inertia.
• Determine rotational work, energy, and power.
• Solve problems involving the conservation of mechanical energy.
• Define and compute angular momentum.

Simple Machines

• Define mechanical advantage and efficiency.
• Describe the functions and importance of machines.
• Describe qualitatively and quantitatively, the effects of friction on machines and mechanical advantage.
• Solve problems involving levers, pulleys, and inclined planes.
• State the types of simple machines.
• Describe power transmission in machines.

Fluids

• Use the definition of hydrostatic pressure to solve problems.
• Describe devices used to measure pressures in fluids.
• State Pascal's principle and use it to solve problems.
• Describe the operation of a hydraulic press and use the pressure relationships to solve problems.
• State Archimedes' principle and use it to solve problems of buoyancy.
• Use the Equation of Continuity to solve problems.
• State Bernoulli's theorem and use it to solve problems.
• Describe applications of Bernoulli's theorem.
• Use the coefficient of viscosity to solve problems involving laminar flow.

Effective as of Fall 2003

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