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Course Info for PHY111 - General Physics I

This is the first of a two-semester sequence which covers: mechanics, which includes the study of linear, circular and rotational motion and how Newton's laws, and the concepts of energy and momentum can be applied, thermodynamics including temperature, heat transfer, and changes in state, and analysis of the sinusoidal nature of simple harmonic motion. There are three hours of lecture and one two-hour laboratory per week. Students who have received credit for PHY 111 or PHY 112 cannot subsequently receive credit for PHY 100. In the case that a student completes PHY 100 prior to completing PHY 111 or PHY 112, then PHY 100 will count as free elective credit only.

This course meets the SUNY General Education course requirements for natural sciences.

PREREQUISITE:

MAT104 or MAT 105.

COREQUISITE:

ENG101 - English composition or equivalent.  

REQUIRED TEXTBOOK:

This course uses an Open Educational Resource (OER) which is free. You can access the textbook at the following URL: http://cnx.org/content/col11406/latest 

ISBN: 978-938168-00-0

Optional text in addition to OER:

Physics, 7th Edition; Giancoli. Prentice Hall.

ISBN#: 0-13-060620-0

REQUIRED MATERIALS:  

Safety glasses are required for all on-campus sections.

As the result of instructional activities, students will be able to:

  1. Analyze the motion of objects moving in a straight line.
    1. Describe and apply the concepts of displacement, average velocity and instantaneous velocity to the solution of problems
    2. Describe uniformly accelerated motion and apply the equations of motion to the solution of problems.
    3. Analyze the motion of free falling objects
  2. Perform vector arithmetic
    1. Resolve a vector into its components
    2. Add and subtract any number of vectors both graphically and mathematically
  3. Apply vector arithmetic to the analysis of two dimensional motion.
  4. State and apply Newton's Laws
    1. State Newton's three laws
    2. Calculate the net force on a body
    3. Construct and analyze free body diagrams.
    4. Define Friction and the Normal force, and apply these concepts to determine the net force and acceleration of a body  
  5. Calculate centripetal acceleration and centripetal force, and apply these concepts to the solution of problems.
  6. State and apply Newton's Law of gravitation.
    1. Apply centripetal motion and gravitation to explain and solve problems involving the motion of satellites.
  7. Define work and energy and apply these concepts to the solution of problems
    1. Define and apply the work energy theorem to the solution of problems.
    2. Define and calculate gravitational potential energy
    3. Define and calculate potential energy of objects on a spring.
    4. Apply the conservation of mechanical energy to the solution of problems.
    5. Define and calculate power. Explain the difference between power and energy.
  8. Explain impulse and momentum and apply these concepts to the solution of problems.
    1. Calculate impulse and momentum.
    2. Describe, explain and apply the concepts of the conservation of momentum.
    3. Distinguish between elastic and inelastic collisions
    4. Solve problems involving conservation of momentum where collisions are elastic.
    5. Define and calculate center of mass.
  9. Analyze the motion of rotational object by applying the equations of rotational kinematics and dynamics.
    1. Analyze the motion of objects moving with rotational motion.
    2. Describe and apply the rotational equivalent of Newton's second law.
    3. Define and calculate angular acceleration.
  10. State and apply the first and second conditions of equilibrium to objects that are at rest.
  11. Describe the thermal properties of objects
    1. Calculate expansions of solids and liquids when they undergo a change in temperature.
    2. Describe the state of gases as it undergoes changes in temperature, pressure and volume
    3. Describe specific heat, heat of fusion and heat of vaporization, and apply those concepts to the solution of problems
  12. Analyze simple harmonic motion
    1. Describe the energy transformations for an object vibrating with simple harmonic motion.
    2. Use the relationship between circular motion and simple harmonic motion to explain how velocity and period can be determined.
    3. Apply concepts of simple harmonic motion to be able to calculate period and frequency for a mass vibrating on a spring and for a simple pendulum.

 Laboratory Objective 

  1. Be able to record, organize, graph and perform computations upon the data collected in the laboratory.
  2. Be able to prepare a written laboratory report that effectively interprets and communicates their results.
  3. Be able to effectively use computers as a tool for communication, data collection, data analysis.
  4. Perform at least 14 laboratory activities where students collect, organize and analyze data demonstrating concepts from the 12 major objectives listed above.

SUNY GENERAL EDUCATION KNOWLEDGE AREA LEARNING OUTCOMES:

Students will demonstrate the ability to:

  1. understand the methods scientists use to explore natural phenomena, including:
    • observation
    • hypothesis development
    • measurement and data collection
    • experimentation
    • evaluation of evidence
    • employment of mathematical analysis
  1. apply scientific data, concepts and models in one of the natural sciences

GENERAL TOPICS OUTLINE:

  1. Introduction
    1. What is physics and how it relates to other fields
    2. Models and theories
    3. Orders of magnitude
  2. Kinematics in one dimension
    1. Speed, velocity and displacement
    2. Frames of reference
    3. Acceleration
    4. Free falling motion
  3. Kinematics in two dimensions
    1. Adding vectors using graphical techniques
    2. Using analytical methods for adding vectors
    3. projectile motion
  4. Dynamics
    1. Force
    2. Newton's Laws of motion
    3. Weight
    4. Friction and Inclines
  5. Circular Motion
    1. Kinematics of circular motion
    2. Dynamics of circular motion
    3. Gravitation
    4. Satellites and weightlessness
    5. Fundamental forces
  6. Work and Energy
    1. Work
    2. Kinetic energy
    3. Potential energy
    4. Conservation of energy
    5. Power
  7. Linear Momentum
    1. Momentum and Force
    2. Conservation of Momentum
    3. Collision and impulse
    4. Center of mass
  8. Rotational Motion
    1. Angular quantities
    2. Kinematics for uniformly accelerated rotational motion
    3. Torque
    4. Rotational Dynamics
    5. Rotational Kinetic Energy
    6. Angular momentum
  9. Bodies in Equilibrium
    1. Statics and equilibrium
    2. Statics problems
  10. Temperature and kinetic energy
    1. Temperature
    2. Expansion
    3. The gas laws and Absolute temperature
    4. Kinetic theory
  11. Heat
    1. Heat and Energy
    2. Specific Heat and Calorimetry
    3. Latent Heat
    4. Heat Transfer
  12. Vibrations and waves
    1. Simple Harmonic Motion
    2. The pendulum
    3. Resonance
Feel free to contact a member of the Science Department or the Science Department Chair.



 

 

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