• Honors Physics: Course Syllabus

    1. One-Dimensional Kinematics

    •     Motion in one dimension
    •     Vectors vs. scalars
    •      Displacement vs. Distance
    •     Velocity vs. Speed
    •     Using the four kinematics equations to solve problems:
    •     x = xo +vot + ½ at2
    •     v = vo + at
    •      v2 = vo2 + 2aDx
    •     vavg = (v + vo)/2
    •     Graphical interpretation of motion

    3. Dynamics

    • Aristotelian World View
    • Galilean view
    • Newton’s Laws
    • Free body Diagrams
    • Gravity near the earth’s surface and “g”
    • Mass versus weight (W = mg)
    • Use ΣF = ma and free body diagrams to solve problems in one dimension
    • Surface Forces: Normal Force and Friction
    • Apparent weight

    4. Uniform Circular Motion (UCM)

    •     Net force required for circular motion (a = mv2/r)
    •     Application of Free Body diagrams and Newton’s Laws to circular motion problems
    •     Universal gravitation
    •     Solve problems with universal gravitation (F = GMm/r2)
    •     Satellites and ‘weightless”
    •     Kepler’s Laws and Newton’s Synthesis

    5. Work and Energy

    • Work done by a constant force (W = Fdparallel)
    • Conservation of Energy (Eo + W = Ef)
    • Kinetic Energy (KE = ½ mv2)
    • Gravitational Potential Energy (GPE = mgh)
    • Elastic Potential Energy (EPE = ½ kx2)
    • Internal Energy and Joule’s Principle
    • Conservative and non-conservative forces
    • Problem solving with the Principle of Conservation of Energy.

    6. Linear Momentum

    •     Momentum (p = mv)
    •     Impulse (I = FDt = Dp)
    •      Momentum and its relation to force (F = Dp/Dt)
    •     Conservation of momentum (Sp = Sp’)
    •     Collision and Impulse Problems
    •       Elastic collisions in one dimension (v1 – v2 = v2’ – v1’)
    •     Perfectly inelastic collisions in one dimension (m’ = m1 + m2)
    •     Inelastic collisions in one dimension

    7. Simple Harmonic Motion (SHM); Vibrations

    •     Period and frequency
    •     Mass-spring systems
    •      The simple pendulum

    8. Waves & Sound

    •     Wave Motion
    •     Wavelength, frequency and wave velocity
    •     Interference
    •     Standing Waves
    •     Open/Closed Tubes

    9. Electrical Circuits 

    •     Ohm's Law
    •     Power
    •     Resistance & Resistivity
    •     Resistors in series & parallel
    •     Electromotive force