This preview course focuses on mechanics, in preparation for the AP Physics 1 and Physics IB curriculum offered in the fall. Emphasis is on the most important topics which form a foundation for understanding the entire AP/IB Physics course, with concentration on the most troublesome aspects of mechanics for students new to college-level physics. Particular topics include, but are not limited to, what follows.
- Vector quantities (displacement, velocity, & acceleration) versus scalar quantities (distance, path length & speed), including their average and instantaneous value
- Graphs of physical quantities and their interpretations in terms of their slopes as rates of change & areas under the graphs. Consistency of graphs of displacement, velocity, and acceleration.
- Projectile (2-D) motion of point masses. Independence of horizontal and vertical motions. Effects of fluid resistance (air drag) and terminal velocity.
- Newton's 3 laws of motion and their applications. Forces and free body diagrams. Inclined plane and elevator problems. Static and dynamic equilibrium.
- Quantification of action of forces over displacements in space (work) & time (impulse). Kinetic & potential energy. Momentum, collisions, and explosions. Work-energy theorem. Conservation laws of momentum, mechanical energy, and total energy.
- Circular motion and universal gravitation. Centripetal acceleration and force. Rotor ride, banked turn, and vertical non-uniform circular motion problems. Torque and angular momentum. Newton's law of universal gravitation and circular orbits.
- Model-driven physics. Planetary model of the atom and its limitations. Brief description of quantum mechanical atomic theory.
Classes will be held from 6/7/2021 through 7/28/2021 (16 Total Classes).
Classes will be on Mondays and Wednesdays 2:00PM-4:00PM PST.