Courses Detail Information

PHYS1500J – Physics I

Instructors:

Mateusz Krzyzosiak;

Credits: 4

Pre-requisites: MATH1160J/MATH1560J/MATH1860J

Description:

Credits: No credits are counted towards graduation for those who have completed PHYS1401J or PHYS1600J.
Background and Goals: Physics PHYS1500J-PHYS2500J is a course sequence in university physics. The goal of the courses is to equip students with a basic understanding of nature that will allow them to formulate and solve engineering problems. The courses emphasize patterns and principles relating various phenomena observed in the nature.
Alternatives: PHYS1401J General Physics I is oriented towards examples and applications, while PHYS1600J Honors Physics I takes a more mathematical approach.

Course Topics:

Content: The present course covers classical mechanics, including elements of fluid mechanics, and gravitation. Topics include physical quantities; scalars and vectors; particle kinematics; particle dynamics and Newton’s equations of motion; harmonic oscillator and periodic motion; dynamics in non-inertial frames of reference; work and kinetic energy; potential energy and conservation of mechanical energy; linear momentum; torque; angular momentum of a particle and a rigid body; rigid body dynamics; rigid body equilibrium; basic concepts in elasticity; elements of fluid mechanics (pressure and density of fluids, Archimedes principle, Bernoulli’s equation); gravitation and planetary motion; mechanical waves.