PHYS 241 Outline

COURSE NUMBER:

PHYS 241

COURSE TITLE:

Mechanics

NAME OF INSTRUCTOR:

Dr Brian Martin

CREDIT WEIGHT AND WEEKLY TIME DISTRIBUTION:

credits 3(hrs lect 3 - hrs sem 0 - hrs lab 3)

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

Kinematics, particle dynamics, work and energy, linear momentum, rotational kinematics, rotational dynamics, equilibrium of rigid bodies.

Prerequisites: Mathematics 30-1 and either Physics 30 or Science 30 (Students who intend to use Science 30 as a prerequisite must consult with and have the consent of the instructor.) Corequisite: MATH 200

REQUIRED TEXTS:

Thomas A. Moore, Six Ideas That Shaped Physics 3rd edition. McGraw-Hill 2003. Units C and N

MARK DISTRIBUTION IN PERCENT:

Midterm exams (2)	30%
Assignments	25%
Final Exam	20%
Lab reports/exercises	25%
	100%

LABORATORY OBJECTIVES:

The goals of the laboratory component are:

increased understanding of the role of experiment in gaining knowledge.
the design of experimental procedures.
introduction to the use of computer interfaces in data collection.
use of the spreadsheet in the analysis of data.
introduction to the principles of error analysis.
experience working in collaborative settings.
enhanced problem solving skills.

COURSE OUTLINE:

Physics 241 will serve as a general level entry to college physics. Some calculus will be introduced as needed. The principal focus of the course will be the application of Newton's laws to diverse situations. Major topics considered will be:

Conservation laws: The laws of conservation of energy and momentum will be developed. These laws will be introduced as fundamental concepts in modern physics.
Rotational Motion: the rotational analog of Newton's laws will be developed. This will lead to a discussion of the physics of extended bodies.
Vectors: the idea of directed quantities (vectors) will be introduced with applications involving kinematics in two and three dimensions. This will include a treatment of trajectories in a uniform gravitational field.
Work and Energy: the work-energy relations will be explored and lead to the concepts of kinetic and potential energy in conservative systems.
Newton's Laws: Newton's laws will be developed as unifying principles relating kinematics and dynamics to the physical world. The concept of force will be developed with applications to motion, circular motion and friction.
Gravitation: Newton's laws will be applied to circular motion and lead to the development of Newton's formulation of the Universal Law of Gravitation. Applications will include Kepler's laws of planetary motion and simple orbital motion.

In addition to the topics discussed above, the historical and cultural dimension of the ideas of physics will, where appropriate, be explored. This will lead to discussions relating one's worldview to one's physics (i.e. relating the Newtonian world view to modern determinism).

Modular Approach to Physics (MAP)
Throughout Physics 241 you will make use of materials from the MAP project. These consist of applets, animations, videolabs, tutorials and worked problems. You can access these materialson-line from either S201 or home.

LAB OUTLINE:

Physics 241 consists of both lecture and laboratory activities. Laboratories will be based upon
context-rich, collaborative learning situations. Lab activities will consist of:

numerical investigations conducted on the spreadsheet or using VPython modeling language
instructor initiated labs
student collaborative group initiated labs
tutorial sessions in S210

Required texts, assignments, and grade distributions may vary from one offering of this course to the next. Please consult the course instructor for up to date details.