Preface

The intention of this course is to cover all of the major topics one would learn in a typical college physics course. Physics is the study of the physical attributes of matter and energy. Matter can consist of small particles and large objects—as small as subatomic particles or as large as planetary bodies and other celestial bodies. Regardless of size, everything must follow specific physical laws and principles, which will be uncovered by you as you study the material in this course. There are also mathematical aspects of the nature, applicable forces, and seemingly invisible energies involved in physical structures that will be clearly explained as part of this course. While there is mathematics involved in the study of physics, the topics we will cover can be understood in both mathematical and nonmathematical ways.

Chapter one in the course introduces the subject of kinematics, which is the study of the motion of objects without regard to the objects’ masses and without the consideration of the particular forces that may have caused the movement of the objects. Objects are always in motion—even if they do not appear to move as there is the continuous vibrations of molecules and atoms that make up the object. In this chapter, we will look at the basics of movement, including velocity, acceleration, and the acceleration of a body that is free-falling on earth.

The focus of chapter two is the motion of an object in two dimensions. Many things do not simply go in a straight line or in an up-and- down fashion. These include celestial objects in orbit, automobiles that travel around a curve, and the arcing of a ball. There are different equations and different vectors that apply to these types of movements, which need to be studied and memorized. Three-dimensional kinematics is very similar to two-dimensional kinematics, except that the x, y, and z axes are part of this discussion. All of the same physics principles you will learn in the course apply to motion in more than one direction, allowing for more types of situations involving the motion of objects to become solvable.

Chapter three looks into Newton’s Laws of Motion as well as applications of these laws. It goes further in the discussion of motion to outline things like friction, drag, and elasticity when it comes to motion. Chapters one and two will involve just a discussion of motion in its purest form without an understanding of the forces behind the motion. What necessarily follows in chapter three is a discussion of “dynamics”, which are the forces that affect the movement of the different objects and systems. It turns out that Newton’s Laws are the foundation of the study of dynamics. The laws were uncovered in 17th Century but still apply today on earth as well as in space. They apply to the study of classical mechanics, meaning that they apply to speeds less than light and sizes of objects greater than molecules.

Chapter four in the course deals with uniform circular motion, which is defined as motion in a circular path at a constant speed. It involves things like pure rotational motion, which occurs when an object is traveling a path that is centered around a single point. This is different from pure translational motion, which is motion that has no rotation associated with it. There is mixed motion as well, with circular and rotational components. In addition, related components discussed in the chapter are the Coriolis effect and Kepler’s laws of planetary motion, which also apply to circular motion.

The topics of chapter five are the concepts of work, energy, and power. Work involves the process of getting something done using forces or the transfer of energy from one state to another. Energy, as you may know, cannot be created or destroyed; it can only be transferred from one form to another. The chapter also introduces the topic of power, which is a closely related term that is the rate (energy amount per time period) at which work is done or energy converted. The relationship between energy, work, and power will be covered as part of this chapter.

Chapter six in the course deals with the subjects of linear momentum and collisions. It involves first the topic of linear momentum, which is the velocity of something and the product of its mass. Impulse is also covered, which is the change in momentum of an object in a system. Momentum leads an object toward collisions with other objects. There are elastic collisions and inelastic collisions that differ in their apparent conservation of momentum. Each of these topics builds upon things that will have

already been learned in the previous chapters on force, velocity, and mass, as well as Newton’s laws.

Chapter seven opens up the topics of statics, torque, and rotational motion. While motion is primarily covered in the beginning of the course, there is an entire branch of physics associated with nonmoving forces, which are collectively referred to as statics. Torque involves forces that act in a twisting fashion in order to cause motion or the potential for motion. This leads to the issue of rotational motion, along the lines of rotational acceleration and motion that is not necessarily uniform as will be discussed chapter four of the course.

Chapter eight in the course gets into the subjects of fluid statics and fluid dynamics. The liquid state represents a state of matter in which there is some cohesion of the molecules that is different from that of solids and gases. There are characteristics of fluids, such as density, pressure, and other factors that will be explained as part of the chapter. In addition, there are aspects of this state of matter that specifically touch on the dynamics or flow properties of liquids in physics and biology. The flow of fluid can be relatively laminar or turbulent, depending on a variety of factors, including the viscosity of a particular liquid, which will be discussed as part of this chapter.

The focus of chapter nine is temperature and the properties of substances related to temperature, such as evaporation, humidity, and phase changes of a given substance. This leads to a discussion of kinetics and kinetic theory as it applies to gases. The ideal gas law is covered, with some attempt to link ideal gases with real gases. As it turns out, all substances are affected by their own temperature and the temperature of their surroundings, with expansion occurring in solids, liquids, and gases to varying degrees. This chapter combines theories and influences of both physics and physical chemistry as they apply to molecular systems and macroscopic substances.

Chapter ten in the course explores issues related to heat, which is itself a form of energy. Heat can be stored in a substance or transferred from one substance to another. Quite often, heat is not recognized until it is in transit from one thing to another. There are different types of heat transfer methods, including convection, conduction, and

radiation. There are fundamental issues in physics related to heat transfer and specific laws that apply to the transfer of heat energy, which are covered in this chapter.

Chapter eleven in the course is also concerned with temperature and heat transfer; however, it expands these topics further and goes into the laws of thermodynamics that apply to heat as it relates to energy and work. In earlier chapters, the topic will be on heat as a pure form of energy transfer, while this chapter is about the ability of heat transfer to perform work. Heat is like any other form of energy. In many systems you will become familiar with in this chapter, heat transfer has the ability to do things like run engines and allow machines to function. The laws of thermodynamics are not just laws of physics; they have practical applications that are seen in everyday life.

Chapter twelve delves into oscillatory motion, which is movement back and forth between two points. There are many systems that oscillate, some of which create waves. Waves can be visual, such as the waves in a swimming pool or ocean. Other waves that aren’t commonly seen as waves include sound waves and light waves. Waves create disturbances that carry energy, from small waves that carry light energy to large waves that create tsunamis and earthquakes. Waves, as it turns out, have the energy to augment each other or to interfere with one another, which is covered in this chapter.

Chapter thirteen in the course introduces the physics of electricity by covering electric charges and electric fields. Static electricity is just one aspect of electricity that is well understood by anyone who touches an object and gets an electric shock. Also covered is the topic of electromagnetic force, which is a type of energy that applies to electrical fields. A natural part of the discussion is that of conductors of electricity and insulators of electricity, which are also a part of this chapter.

The focus of chapter fourteen is to extend the understanding of electricity to include electric potential and electrical energy. It introduces aspects of electricity such as voltage and the storage of electrical energy by capacitors. In this chapter, you will find that electrical energy and voltage are not the same thing because small batteries can have the same voltage as large batteries but will not create the same amount of electrical energy. In this chapter, the actual use of electricity in everyday electrical situations is discussed as well.

Chapter fifteen in the course covers the topics of electric currents and circuits. Electric current is defined as the movement of a charge from one place to in another over a period of a certain time. Such a thing has the capacity to do work. This then gets into Ohm’s law as it applies to electrical resistance and to the subject of circuits. There are AC current situations and DC current situations, which are things that many have heard about but will now understand from the perspective of physics.

Chapter sixteen focuses first on magnetism and then on the relationship between magnetism and electricity. Magnetism is common in nature and explains many things related to what we see in nature, such as the magnetic poles on Earth. Magnetism can cause electrical currents to be generated, which is also discussed as part of this chapter. The chapter also brings into focus the topic of electromagnetism and electromagnetic waves. You will see that there is a vast range of these types of waves that go from those that heat food (which are microwaves) to waves that are much higher in frequency than those a person can see (which is the narrow spectrum of visually-seen electromagnetic waves).

Chapter seventeen in the course gets into electromagnetic waves in the spectrum of visible light and its properties. Light comes in rays from various sources and is subject to reflection, refraction, and diffraction—each being aspects of waves not unique to light waves; however, they are unique phenomena seen in everyday physics and in life. The properties of light as it relates to passing it through a lens and the properties of light as it strikes a mirror are discussed in this chapter as well as the physics of light optics.

Chapter eighteen in the course briefly introduces quantum physics, which is the physics that involves the behavior of very small things. While most properties of physics can be explained on a macroscopic scale, quantum physics describes physical principles in ways that could not have been understood in the early days of physics. As it turns out, when breaking matter down into its smallest states, the study of physics becomes very different from that which is understood on a macroscopic scale. Issues that come up when looking at matter at an atomic level are the basis of this chapter.