Calendar

LEC # TOPICS KEY DATES
1 Powers of Ten - Units - Dimensions - Measurements - Uncertainties - Dimensional Analysis - Scaling Arguments
2 1D Kinematics - Speed - Velocity - Acceleration
3 Vectors - Dot Products - Cross Products - 3D Kinematics
4 3D Kinematics - Free Falling Reference Frames Assignment 1 due
5 Circular Motion - Centrifuges Moving - Reference Frames - Perceived Gravity
6 Newton's Laws
7 Weight - Perceived Gravity - Weightlessness Free Fall - Zero Gravity in Orbit (Misnomer)
8 Friction Assignment 2 due
9 Exam Review
Exam 1
10 Hooke's Law - Springs - Simple Harmonic Motion - Pendulum - Small Angle Approximation
11 Work - Kinetic Energy - Potential Energy - Conservative Forces - Conservation of Mechanical Energy - Newton's Universal Law of Gravitation
12 Non-Conservative Forces - Resistive Forces - Air Drag - Terminal Velocity Assignment 3 due
13 Potential Energy - Energy Considerations to Derive Simple Harmonic Motion
14 Escape Velocities - Bound and Unbound Orbits - Circular Orbits - Various Forms of Energy - Power
15 Momentum - Conservation of Momentum - Center of Mass Assignment 4 due
16 Collisions - Elastic and Inelastic - Center of Mass Frame of Reference
17 Impulse - Rockets
18 Exam Review Assignment 5 due
Exam 2
19 Rotating Rigid Bodies - Moment of Inertia - Parallel Axis and Perpendicular Axis Theorem - Rotational Kinetic Energy - Fly Wheels - Neutron Stars - Pulsars
20 Angular Momentum - Torques - Conservation of Angular Momentum - Spinning Neutron Stars - Stellar Collapse
21 Torques - Oscillating Bodies - Hoops Assignment 6 due
22 Kepler's Laws - Elliptical Orbits - Satellites - Change of Orbits - Ham Sandwich
23 Doppler Effect - Binary Stars - Neutron Stars and Black Holes
24 Rolling Motion - Gyroscopes - Very Non-intuitive Assignment 7 due
25 Static Equilibrium - Stability - Rope Walker
26 Elasticity - Young's Modulus
27 Fluid Mechanics - Pascal's Principle - Hydrostatics - Atmospheric Pressure - Over Pressure in Lungs and Tires
28 Hydrostatics - Archimedes' Principle - Fluid Dynamics - What Makes Your Boat Float? - Bernoulli's Equation Assignment 8 due
29 Exam Review
Exam 3
30 Simple Harmonic Oscillations - Energy Considerations - Torsional Pendulum
31 Forced Oscillations - Normal Modes - Resonance - Natural Frequencies - Musical Instruments
32 Heat - Thermal Expansion Assignment 9 due
33 Kinetic Gas Theory - Ideal Gas Law - Isothermal Atmosphere - Phase Diagrams - Phase Transitions
34 The Wonderful Quantum World - Breakdown of Classical Mechanics
35 Farewell Special - High-energy Astrophysics
Final Exam