The first semester of a two-semester introductory course in physics. A knowledge of algebra and trigonometry is assumed. Mechanics (forces, Newton's laws of motion), wave phenomena, and thermodynamics.
Athena Title
Introductory Physics Mechanics
Prerequisite
MATH 1113 or MATH 1113E
Semester Course Offered
Offered fall, spring and summer
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Student Learning Outcomes
Students should be able to analyze text, diagrams, and graphs representing basic problems in classical mechanics to identify the physics principles and concepts needed to solve the problem.
Students should be able to derive relevant mathematical relationships from the physical principles and concepts.
Students should be able to apply those mathematical relationships to solve quantitative problems and reason abstractly with regard to dimensional and scaling arguments.
Students should be able to explain their reasoning and describe their problem-solving process when approaching classical mechanics problems.
Students should be able to evaluate the reasonableness of any solution through such methods as dimensional analysis, limiting/special cases, and order of magnitude estimates.
Students should be able to generate diagrams, graphs, and other visual representations of classical mechanics data and measurements.
Topical Outline
Vectors and coordinate systems
Kinematics: describing motion
Dynamics: interactions of objects and Newton’s Laws
