Courses

Mechanics

Course Description

Mechanics is a calculus-based introduction to classical mechanics, including topics ranging from measurement to gravitational forces and oscillations. This course is designed to provide students with a working knowledge of these elementary physics principles, as well as their applications, and to enhance their conceptual understanding of physical laws. The introduction of data acquisition and analysis methods will be stressed in a laboratory setting.

Lecture videos can be found on my YouTube page [link], or by clicking the links for each chapter below. In the past, I used the free text "University Physics Volume 1" by OpenStax, found here [link].

Lectures

Chapter 1 - Measurement PDF - videos: [sec1] [sec2] [sec3] [sec4]
Chapter 2 - Vectors PDF - videos: [sec1] [sec2] [sec3]
Chapter 3 - Motion in 1D PDF - videos: [sec1] [sec2] [sec3] [sec4]
Chapter 4 - Motion in 2D/3D PDF - videos: [sec1] [sec2] [sec3] [sec4]
Chapter 5 - Force and Motion PDF - videos: [sec1] [sec2] [sec3]
Chapter 6 - Friction PDF - videos: [sec1] [sec2] [sec3]
Chapter 7 - Work and Kinetic Energy PDF - videos: [sec1] [sec2] [sec3] [sec4]
Chapter 8 - Potential Energy PDF - videos: [sec1] [sec2] [sec3] [sec4]
Chapter 9 - Momentum PDF - videos: [sec1] [sec2] [sec3] [sec4]
Chapter 10 - Rotational motion PDF - videos: [sec1] [sec2] [sec3] [sec4]
Chapter 11 - Angular momentum PDF - videos: [sec1] [sec2] [sec3]
Chapter 12 - Equilibrium PDF - videos: [sec1] [sec2] [sec3]
Chapter 13 - Gravitation PDF - videos: [sec1] [sec2] [sec3]
Chapter 15 - Oscillations PDF - videos: [sec1] [sec2] [sec3] [sec4]
Chapter 16 - Waves PDF - videos: [sec1] [sec2] [sec3]

Homework Assignments

Ch 1 Assignment PDF
Ch 2 Assignment PDF
Ch 3 Assignment PDF
Ch 4 Assignment PDF
Ch 5 Assignment PDF
Ch 6 Assignment PDF
Ch 7 Assignment PDF
Ch 8 Assignment PDF
Ch 9 Assignment PDF
Ch 10 Assignment PDF
Ch 11 Assignment PDF
Ch 12 Assignment PDF
Ch 13 Assignment PDF
Ch 15 Assignment PDF
Ch 16 Assignment PDF

Practice Exams

Exam 1 (Ch 1-4) PDF
Exam 2 (Ch 5-8) PDF
Exam 3 (Ch 9-11) PDF
Exam 4 (Ch 12-13,15-16) PDF

Motion of a Pendulum

When a pendulum swings back and forth, its velocity and acceleration are constantly changing. Pay close attention to when (and where) the velocity goes to zero. Notice that the acceleration is maximum at this moment. Also, notice that the acceleration is not necessarily in the direction of motion!

Electricity and Magnetism

Course Description

Electricity and Magnetism is a calculus-based introduction to classical electricity and magnetism, including topics ranging from electric charge to electromagnetic oscillations. This course is designed to provide students with a working knowledge of these elementary physics principles, as well as their applications, and to enhance their conceptual understanding of physical laws. The introduction of data acquisition and analysis methods will be stressed in a laboratory setting.

Lecture videos can be found on my YouTube page [link], or by clicking the links for each chapter below. In the past, I used the free text "University Physics Volume 2" by OpenStax, found here [link].

Lectures

Chapter 5.1 - Electric Charge PDF - videos: [sec1] [sec2] [sec3]
Chapter 5.2 - Electric Fields PDF - videos: [sec1] [sec2] [sec3] [sec4]
Chapter 6 - Gauss's Law PDF - videos: [sec1] [sec2] [sec3]
Chapter 7 - Electric Potential PDF - videos: [sec1] [sec2] [sec3]
Chapter 8 - Capacitance PDF - videos: [sec1] [sec2] [sec3] [sec4] [sec5]
Chapter 9 - Current and Resistance PDF - videos: [sec1] [sec2] [sec3] [sec4]
Chapter 10 - Circuits PDF - videos: [sec1] [sec2] [sec3] [sec4]
Chapter 11 - Magnetic Fields PDF - videos: [sec1] [sec2] [sec3] [sec4]
Chapter 12 - Magnetic Fields from Currents PDF - videos: [sec1] [sec2] [sec3] [sec4]
Chapter 13 and 14 - Induction and Inductance PDF - videos: [sec1] [sec2] [sec3] [sec4]
Chapter 15 - Electromagnetic Oscillations PDF - videos: [sec1] [sec2] [sec3] [sec4] [sec5]
Chapter 16 - Maxwell's Equations PDF - videos: [sec1] [sec2] [sec3]

Homework Assignments

Ch 5.1 Assignment PDF
Ch 5.2 Assignment PDF
Ch 6 Assignment PDF
Ch 7 Assignment PDF
Ch 8 Assignment PDF
Ch 9 Assignment PDF
Ch 10 Assignment PDF
Ch 11 Assignment PDF
Ch 12 Assignment PDF
Ch 13 Assignment PDF
Ch 14 Assignment PDF
Ch 15 Assignment PDF
Ch 16 Assignment PDF

Practice Exams

Exam 1 (Ch 21-22) PDF
Exam 2 (Ch 23-25) PDF
Exam 3 (Ch 26-28) PDF
Exam 4 (Ch 29-31) PDF

Polarization of Water

When electrons are exchanged between the wool and plastic rod, they separate with equal but opposite net charge. When the rod is brought near a stream of neutral water, we see the water deflect toward the rod. In fact, this would happen even if we instead brought the wool close. The water seems to be attracted to all charged objects! This is due to polarization, i.e., the redistribution of charges in an object resulting in a net force.

Fluids and Thermal Physics

Course Description

Fluids and Thermal Physics is a calculus-based introduction to the basic concepts of fluids and sound, heat, kinetic theory, and entropy. This course is designed to provide students with a working knowledge of these elementary physics principles, as well as their applications, and to enhance their conceptual understanding of physical laws. The introduction of data acquisition and analysis methods will be stressed in a laboratory setting. The class meets for a one hour lecture and a two hour recitation/lab each week.

In the past, I used the free texts "University Physics Volume 1" [link] and "University Physics Volume 2" [link] by OpenStax. Note that the material below comes from two different volumes, as indicated.

Lectures

Chapter 14 (V1) - Fluids PDF
Chapter 16 (V1) - Waves I PDF
Chapter 17 (V1) - Waves II PDF
Chapter 1 (V2) - Temperature and Heat PDF
Chapter 2 (V2) - Kinetic Theory of Gases PDF
Chapter 3 (V2) - First Law of Thermodynamics PDF
Chapter 4 (V2) - Second Law of Thermodynamics PDF

Homework Assignments

Ch 14 Assignment PDF
Ch 16 Assignment PDF
Ch 17 Assignment PDF
Ch 1 Assignment PDF
Ch 2-3 Assignment PDF
Ch 4 Assignment PDF

Practice Exams

Exam 1 (Ch 14, 16, 17; V1) PDF
Exam 2 (Ch 1-4; V2) PDF

Buoyancy and Displacement

When an object is placed in a fluid, how do we know if it will float or not? And, if it floats, how high above the water will it float? To answer these questions, we must understand buoyancy and displacement. This demonstration seems to indicate that the amount of fluid displaced is related to the mass of the floating object.

Wave Motion and Quantum Physics

Course Description

Wave Motion and Quantum Physics is a calculus-based study of the basic concepts of wave motion, geometrical optics, interference phenomena, photons, wave mechanics, and the structure of matter. This course is designed to provide students with a working knowledge of these elementary physics principles, as well as their applications, and to enhance their conceptual understanding of physical laws. The introduction of data acquisition and analysis methods will be stressed in a laboratory setting. The class meets for a one hour lecture and a two hour recitation/lab each week.

Lecture videos can be found on my YouTube page, or by clicking the links for each chapter below. In the past, I used the free text "University Physics Volume 3" by OpenStax, found here [link].

Lectures

Chapter 1 - The Nature of Light PDF - videos: [sec1] [sec2] [sec3]
Chapter 2 - Geometric Optics PDF - videos: [sec1] [sec2] [sec3]
Chapter 3 - Interference PDF - videos: [sec1] [sec2]
Chapter 4 - Diffraction PDF - videos: [sec1] [sec2]
Chapter 6 - Photons/Matter Waves PDF - videos: [sec1] [sec2]
Chapter 7 - Quantum Mechanics PDF - videos: [sec1] [sec2] [sec3]
Chapter 8 - Atomic Structure PDF - videos: [sec1] [sec2]
Chapter 9 - Condensed Matter Physics PDF [sec1] [sec2] [sec3]
Chapter 10 - Nuclear Physics PDF [sec1] [sec2] [sec3] [sec4]

Homework Assignments

Homework assignments are taken from the book and are listed in the syllabus on Canvas.

Practice Exams

Exam 1 (Ch 32-36) PDF
Exam 2 (Ch 38,39,41-43) PDF

Double Slit Experiment

When individual electrons or photons are fired at two slits, we would expect them to make a pattern of two slits on the other side if they behave like marbles. However, what we find is an interference pattern, as if the "particles" behave like waves. But if they interfere like waves, and we only send a single particle at a time, this implies that the single particle went through both slits and interfered with itself! The explanation for this seemingly impossible demonstration is to realize that in quantum mechanics, electrons are described using a wave function that is not localized to a single point but instead spreads out to cover both slits.