Mechanics & Heat (5)

UM-StL Evening Physics 111 - Fall '96

An introduction to the phenomena, concepts, and laws of mechanics and heat for physics majors and students in other departments. Three hours of lecture, one hour of discussion, and two hours of laboratory per week.

This is material for an earlier version of the course. For the current version, try here.

Questions this course might help you answer...

  • How to determine the earth's diameter from a seashore sunset?
  • Where to run in order to catch the next fly ball coming your way.
  • What length to adjust the cord so that a bungee-jumper doesn't fall too far.
  • Why cats falling from skyscrapers may be hurt more if the fall is too short?
  • How much "arc" to put on the next jump shot you shoot.
  • When to try breaking a board with your hand, and when not.
  • Are bean soup cans faster than boullion cans when rolling downhill?
  • Why was 1.4km of the Nimitz Freeway most damaged in the 1989 quake?
  • How many push-ups are in an m&m (plain, not peanut)?
  • Why to give trailer-pulling drivers room, when they start to weave.
  • How to rest in a vertical fissure when climbing rocks.
  • Are information in bits, & work in joules, related to temperature, and how?
  • Why scorpions locate their prey so easily in the dark?
  • How to warm the air in an igloo, without increasing the air's total energy?

    Other resources of possible interest:
  • Browser-interactive solver for constant acceleration problems.
  • A question involving relativistic acceleration which contains what you need to solve it.
  • Try focussing a high-res electron microscope image on-line!
  • Does making a hotdog require 50 nanoseconds or more of life's power stream?
  • Is statistical physics a dead subject, or is there another paradigm change afoot?
  • deBroglie's electrons and some interesting TEM facts.
  • In preparation: assignment list, example tests, course calendar, homework/exam solutions...
  • What other resources might help you? E-mail suggestions to philf@newton.umsl.edu.
  • At UM-StLouis see also: a1toc, cme, i-fzx, phys&astr, programs, stei-lab, & wuzzlers.
  • Some current and previous courses: p111, p112, p231, p341, p400.
  • Cite/Link: http://newton.umsl.edu/~philf/p111f96s.html
  • This release dated 15 Sep 1996 (Copyright by Phil Fraundorf 1988-1996)

    Assumed Background:

    Prerequisite:
  • Math 80: Analytic Geom & Calc I (5) or Math 101: Survey of Calc (4)
    Recommended:
  • Physics 1: Foundations I (4) or Chem 12: Intro II (5)

    　

    Specifics:

    Prof: Phil Fraundorf 516-5933; Benton Hall 421 (office)
    Office Hours: after class and by appointment
    Text: Physics for Scientists and Engineers, Fourth Edition by Raymond A. Serway (Saunders College Publishing, Philadelphia PA 1995)
    Lectures: Section E0A: MW 5:30- 6:45pm Room B116
    Discussion Sections: Section 0A1: MW 5:05- 5:30pm Room B116
    Lab Sections: Section E01: M 6:55-10:45pm Room B331

    　

    Approximate Distribution for Grade:

  • (1) Collected HomeWork / Quizzes - 10%
  • (2) Laboratory - 20%
  • (3) Four 1-Hour Exams - 50%
  • (3) Comprehensive Final Exam - 20%

    Some Suggested Supplementary Reading

    ...on the subject matter of this course...
  • Galileo Galilei - Dialog Concerning the Two Chief World Systems (1632, translated by Stillman Drake, UC Press, 1962)
  • Newton's Principia (in the 1600's sometime).
  • Halliday, Resnick & Walker - Fundamentals of Physics - 4th Edition or later with "puzzlers" (John Wiley & Sons)
  • Roman Vinokur - The science of the jump shot: Kinematics on the basketball court, Quantum (Jan/Feb 1993) 46-50.
  • McBeath et. al. - How baseball outfielders determine where to run to catch fly balls, Science 268 (28 April 1995) 569-573.

    　...on subjects of related but more general interest...

  • Thomas Kuhn, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, 2nd edition (U. of Chicago Press, Chicago IL, 1970)
  • Jearl Walker - The Flying Circus of Physics (Wiley 1977)
  • Joel A. Barker, The Business of Paradigms (ILI Press, Lake Elmo MN, 1985)
  • R. P. Feynman - "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!" (Bantam 1986)
  • K. Eric Drexler, Engines of Creation (Anchor Doubleday, New York NY, 1986)
  • Stephen W. Hawking - A Brief History of Time

    　Drops: The University regulations regarding drops will be strictly enforced. You may drop without a grade prior to 12 February 1996. After that date you will receive the grade you have earned up to the point of the drop.

    　Symbols: Make sure that you know the Greek alphabet and special Mathematical Symbols, which will be constantly used in this course. Consult the back cover of the textbook.

    　MathReview: There is a very useful collection of trigonometry, and differential and integral calculus formulae in the back of the text for quick reference and review (Appendix B). Make sure that you know this material!