PHY 101  - Meeting #1


Topic(s)
  • Introduction to course.
  • Course web site.
  • What is physics? 
  • Describing motion: position, velocity, acceleration and time
  • Graphs as an alternate description of motion
Reading List Pages 1-32
Objectives
  • Understand what is meant by "world view"
  • Be able to explain why Bode's Law is not a physical law.
  • *Be familar with the range of distances and times encountered in physics
  • Learn the metric prefixes: kilo, centi, milli
  • Define and apply mathematically the concept of average speed
  • Understand the difference between average and instantaneous speed
  • Be able to define what is meant by velocity
  • Understand the relationship between speed and velocity
  • Define and apply mathematically the concept of average acceleration
  • Be able to describe and compare the world views of Aristotle and Galileo
  • Be able to analyze "strobe photo" diagrams of motion
  • Be able to state Galileo's "Odd-Integer Rule"
  • Understand and apply what is meant by "freely falling objects"
  • Understand the significance of "g"
  • *Sketch graphs of position versus time, velocity versus time and acceleration versus time for a constant acceleration
  • *Understand the connection between velocity and the position-time graph
  • *Understand the connection between acceleration and the velocity-time graph

*  Material that is presented in class, but may not be in the readings.

Homework
  • Chapter 1 Questions:  4, 8, 11, 19 
  • Chapter 1  Exercises:  2, 8, 11
  • Chapter 2  Questions:  2, 4, 8, 9, 14, 19, 25, 27, 30, 31, 38, 51
  • Chapter 2  Exercises:  2, 14, 16, 23
  • Topical Computer Assignment 1  -- Due Before Start of Next Class