Introductory General Physics I

Upon completion of this course, successful students will be able to:

• determine the correct SI units for physical quantities through dimensional analysis.
• use vector components to solve problems that involve forces or motion in 2D.
• apply vector scaling, addition, and/or subtraction to determine the direction and magnitude of vector quantities associated with motion (for example, displacement, velocity, and acceleration).
• interpret graphs of position, velocity, and acceleration as functions of time.
• solve 1D kinematics problems with a constant acceleration.
• solve 2D kinematics problems with a constant acceleration and projectile motion problems by applying the principle of independence of motion along two perpendicular directions.
• define normal force, static friction force, kinetic friction force, tension force, spring force, and gravitational force.
• summarize the forces acting on an object by drawing a free body diagram.
• apply Newton’s laws to solve problems in 1D and 2D that involve forces acting on objects.
• define and determine the centripetal force acting on an object moving along a curved path.
• solve problems that involve objects undergoing uniform circular motion.
• define and calculate the torque due to a force and the net torque on an object.
• calculate the work done by conservative and non-conservative forces.
• apply the law of conservation of energy and/or the work-energy theorem to solve problems that involve forces acting on objects.
• distinguish between elastic collisions, inelastic collisions, and completely inelastic collisions.
• apply the law of conservation of momentum to solve problems that involve inelastic collisions (or explosions) in 1D and 2D.
• solve elastic collision problems in 1D where one of the colliding objects is initially at rest.
• solve rotational kinematics problems for motion with a constant angular acceleration.
• define moment of inertia and explain how the moment of inertia depends on the mass distribution within an object.
• solve problems that involve forces and torques acting on objects that can translate and rotate (for example, rolling objects or massive pulleys) using the rotational analogue of Newton’s second law and/or conservation of energy.
• define simple harmonic motion (SHM) and explain why a mass-spring system undergoes SHM.
• apply the motion equations for SHM and/or conservation of energy to solve problems that involve SHM.
• use the mathematical equation for a traveling wave to determine the wave speed and direction of the wave’s propagation.
• solve problems that involve the interference of traveling waves (for example, standing waves and beats).
• calculate the frequency or wavelength of sound heard by an observer due to the Doppler effect.
• state and discuss the precision and accuracy of measurements.
• determine the uncertainty on a quantity calculated from measured values by propagating uncertainty through a calculation.
• present data using computer generated plots and determine physical quantities using a linear regression.
• discuss and analyze the results of an experiment to provide appropriate context for the outcome.
• communicate details of an experiment (for example, the objective, data, calculations, discussion, and conclusion) in a written report.