Department of Physics, University of
Utah
Course Number: 2210 (4)
Course Title: Physics for Scientists and
Engineers
- REPRESENTATIVE TEXTBOOK
- Fundamentals of Physics, Extended, Halliday, Resnick and Walker (Wiley, 1997)
- COURSE DESCRIPTION
- Classical mechanics for pre-professional scientists and engineers (including physics majors).
This is the first of a two-semester sequence for first-year physics. Includes kinematics in 3
dimensions, Newtonian dynamics, energy, momentum, angular momentum, gravitation,
oscillations, and waves.
- CO-REQUISITE
- Math 1210 (Calculus I)
- OTHER COMMENTS
- Instead of the traditional discussion section, each week the students participate in a
"collaborative learning session." (See "Collaborative Learning Sessions" on Physics Syllabus web
page.)
- The question-and-answer opportunities of the traditional discussion section are now
supplied by a "Course Help Center," which should be staffed with TAs anywhere from 10 to 20
hrs/wk. (See "Course Help Centers" on Physics syllabus web page.)
- Because Math 1210 is a co-requisite and not a pre-requisite, the use of differential calculus
should be gently introduced during the first few weeks of class. Integral calculus should not be
heavily employed until Phys 2220.
- MANDATORY TOPICS
- Topic 1:
- Units; Vectors; Kinematics in 1, 2, and 3 Dimensions (2 wks).
- Topic 2:
- force and Motion: Newton's Laws; Force Diagrams (2 wks).
- Topic 3:
- work; KE; conservative forces and pe; conservation of energy (2 wks). The concept of
integration, when defining work, should be reviewed, since many students will not have been
exposed to this in math yet.
- Topic 4:
- Momentum; Systems of Particles; Center-of-mass; Rigid Bodies and Internal, External
Forces; Elastic and Inelastic Collisions; Conservation of Momentum (2 wks).
- Topic 5:
- Rotation Kinematics; Rotational Inertia, Torque, Angular Momentum (2 wks). Note:
Statics
and elasticity is usually skipped due to a lack of time.
- Topic 6:
- Gravitation: Force; Potential, Orbits (1-2 wks). Note: Fluids (Archimedes, Bernoulli's
principles, etc.) are usually skipped due to a lack of time, although if one lecture can be spared
this is a worthwhile topic to cover briefly.
- Topic 7:
- Oscillations and Harmonic Motion (1 wk).
- Topic 8:
- Waves: Transverse, Longitudinal; Derivation of Wave Equation; Sound Waves, Doppler
Effect
(2 wks).
- Links to exisiting web page for this course:
-
2210/2210
- This web page contains PDF files of 150 pages of lecture notes, all HW assignments, and
other useful information. This page can also be used as a template for future Phys2210 web
pages.
Prepared by Michael Salamon (2/4/99)