PHY101 Physics

 
Name:        Dr. Pervez Hoodbhoy                                     
Email:         phy101@vu.edu.pk

Instructor's Biography 

Dr. Pervez Hoodbhoy received his bachelor's degrees in electrical engineering and mathematics, master's in solid state physics, and Ph.D in nuclear physics, all from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He has been working as a Professor and Chairman at the Department of Physics, Quaid-e-Azam University. In 1984 he received the Abdus Salam Prize for mathematics and, earlier, the Baker Award for Electronics. He is chairman of Mashal, a non-profit organization that publishes books in Urdu on women's rights, education, environmental issues, philosophy, and modern thought.
Dr. Hoodbhoy has written and spoken extensively on topics ranging from science in Islam to education issues in Pakistan and nuclear disarmament. He produced a 13-part documentary series in Urdu for Pakistan Television on critical issues in education, and two other major television series aimed at popularizing science. He is author of ? Islam and Science: Religious Orthodoxy and the Battle for Rationality?, now in 5 languages. His writings have appeared in Dawn, The News, Frontier Post, Muslim, Newsline, Herald, Jang, and overseas in Le Monde, Japan Times, Washington Post, Asahi, Seattle Times, Post-Intelligencer, Frontline, The Hindu, and Chowk Magazine. He has been an engaged speaker at more than twenty US campuses including MIT, Princeton, Univ. of Maryland, and Johns Hopkins University. He has appeared on several TV and radio networks (BBC, CNN, ABC, NBC, PBS, NPR, Fox.) to analyze political developments in South Asia. Dr Pervez Hoodbhoy recorded this series of 45 lectures for Virtual University Television Network.


Contents








Overview

PHYSICS (PHY101)

The purposes of this course are (1) to provide the student with a basic knowledge of mechanics, wave motion  and thermodynamics, (2) to provide the student with a sufficient background in these areas so that the student will then be ready to take advanced courses in these areas, (3) to provide the student with the knowledge of these areas  necessary to the pursuit of his/her major course of study in science or engineering, (4) to develop in the student an analytic approach to problem solving, both in science and "everyday life", and (5) to develop in the student an appreciation of the role of science in our current society, as well as in the past, and towards the future.

COURSE OVERVIEW

·        Course Synopsis

Classical Mechanics, which deals with the motion of bodies under the action of forces. This is often called Newtonian mechanics as well. Electromagnetism, whose objective is to study how charges behave under the influence of electric and magnetic fields as well as understand how charges can create these fields. Thermal Physics, in which one studies the nature of heat and the changes that the addition of heat brings about in matter. Quantum Mechanics, which primarily deals with the physics of small objects such as atoms, nuclei, quarks, etc. However, Quantum Mechanics will be treated only briefly for lack of time.

·        Course Learning Outcomes

At the end of the course, you should be able to:

Ø     Describe the Systeme Internationale (SI) system of units.

Ø     Describe the concepts of mass, length and time

Ø     Use the common mathematical notation utilized in physics calculations.

Ø     Describe the concept of frames of reference.

Ø     Use basic trigonometry in physics calculations.

Ø     State the definitions of displacement, velocity and acceleration.

Ø     State and use the equations of kinematics for motion with constant acceleration.

Ø     Describe the nature of free-fall motion, both linear and in two dimensions.

Ø     State the definitions and properties of vectors and scalars

Ø     Solve physics problems using the techniques for resolution and addition of vectors, including

Ø     the component method, and the law of sines and the law of cosines.

Ø     Describe projectile motion

Ø     Describe the relative nature of velocity measurement.

Ø     Describe the distinction between polar vectors and axial vectors

Ø     Describe the concept of force.

Ø     To decompose a vector into its components and to reassemble vector components into a magnitude and a direction

Ø     To recognize and use the basic unit vectors

Ø     State Newton's three laws of motion.

Ø     To recognize what does and does not constitute a force

Ø     Describe the characters of friction, air resistance, tensions and normal forces.

Ø     State the definitions of work, kinetic energy and potential energy.

Ø     State the distinction between conservative and dissipative forces.

Ø     State the law of conservation of energy.

Ø     State the definition of power.

Ø     State the definitions of impulse and linear momentum.

Ø     State the law of conservation of linear momentum.

Ø     To begin developing a concept of energy- what is it, how it is transformed and transfer.

Ø     To learn about work, kinetic energy, and their relationship through the work-energy theorem

Ø     Define angular velocity and angular acceleration.

Ø     To learn Hooke’s law for springs and the new idea of  a restoring force

Ø     To learn and to use the gravitational potential energy and the elastic potential energy

Ø     To understand the law of conservation of energy

Ø     To recognize transformation between kinetic, potential, and thermal energy.

Ø     To understand  the interaction of impulse and momentum

Ø     State the equations of kinematics of rotational motion with constant angular acceleration.

Ø     State the definitions of centripetal force and centripetal acceleration.

Ø     To understand the basic idea of inelastic collisions, explosion , and recoil.

Ø     To recognize and use the state variables-temperature, pressure, volume, moles that characterize macroscopic phenomena

Ø     To understand pressure in static fluids and gases

Ø     To understand the ideal gas law

Ø     To begin to understand heat and the process of heat transfer

Ø     To understand two important consequences of heat transfer-temperature change and phase change

Ø     To understand energy conservation as expressed in the first law of thermodynamics

Ø     To continue to develop the concept of heat

Ø     To understand the thermodynamics of the four process of an ideal gas

Ø     To begin to understand heat and the process of heat transfer To visualize motion and develop intuition about waves

Ø     To become familiar with the properties of sinusoidal waves, such as wavelength, wave number, and frequency

Ø     To understand and use the principle of superposition

Ø     To understand that standing waves are the superposition of two traveling waves

Ø     To understand the basic properties of standing waves

Ø     To study the properties of common waves-wave on strings, sound waves, and light, Do calculations using SI units.

Ø      Use algebra, trigonometry, basic calculus, and rules of vector analysis in solving problems.

Ø     Solve basic problems in kinematics and dynamics.

Ø     Convert temperature measurements from one scale to another.

Ø     Solve basic problems on temperature, heat and thermodynamics.

Ø     Solve basic problems on simple harmonic motion, wave motion and sound. Draw diagrams necessary to solve problems.

Ø     Display data on graphs.

Ø     Set up and solve basic problems in mechanics, thermal physics and wave motion.

Ø     Distinguish sense from nonsense.

Ø     Analyze situations and develop rational courses of action.

Ø     Determine the appropriate physical laws to apply to a situation.

Ø     Develop an approach to the world around oneself based on the laws of nature and informed

Ø     Common sense.

Ø     Distinguish between reality and superstition, and between science and pseudo science.

Introduction to Physics, Kinematics Force and Newton’s Laws, Application of Newton’s Laws, Work and Energy, Conservation of Energy, Momentum, Collisions, Rotational Kinematics, Physics of Many Particles, Angular momentum, Equilibrium of Rigid Bodies, Oscillations, Physics of Materials, Physics of Fluids, Physics of Sound, Wave Motion, Gravitation, Electrostatics, Electric Potential, Capacitors and Currents, Currents and Circuits, The Magnetic Field, Electromagnetic Induction, Alternating Current, Electromagnetic Waves, Physics of Light, Interaction of Light with Matter, Interference and Diffraction, The Particle Nature of Light, Geometrical Optics , Heat, Special Relativity, Matter as Waves Quantum Mechanics, Introduction to Atomic Physics, Introduction to Nuclear Physics, Physics of the Sun.