The Art and Science of Measurement

How and why things move: Linear Motion and Newton's Laws of Motion

Quiz 1

Some things never change: Work, Energy, and the Conservation of Energy

Water, water everywhere: Buoyancy and Pressure in Fluids

Quiz 2

Can You Hear me Now?

Get charged: Electric Forces and Energy

Quiz 3

Harnessing nature: Simple Electric Circuits

Harnessing nature: Magnetic Forces

Quiz 4

The Atom

Nuclear Physics in Medicine

Quiz 5

Final Exam (50 Questions, comprehensive)

Textbooks: Kirkpatrick and Francis, Physics: a World View, 6^thedition, Thomson/Brooks Cole, 2004. Kirkpatrick and Francis, Problem Solving for Physics: a World View, 6^th edition, Thomson/Brooks Cole, 2004. Package ISBN: 0-495-15448-2 (Do as many of the problems in the work as necessary to understand the concepts.)

Course announcements, class cancellations, downloads and other information will be posted on Normandale Community College's Online Learning Site.

Note: The learning outcomes and consequently the key concepts, textbook readings, and suggested problems are all subject to change.

Preface each learning outcome with the phrase, "Upon successful completion of this course, you should be able to..."

The Art and Science of Measurement

Key Concepts: Mass, length, time, area, volume, density, units, SI.

Learning Outcomes:

Calculate an area.
Calculate a volume.
Explain the importance of units.
Convert from one unit to another within the SI system.
Convert between SI and US units.
Be able to use simple dimensional analysis to check the consistency of your work.

Textbook: pp. 6-12

Suggested Exercises: Chapter 1: 1,3,5,7,9.

Problem Solving for Physics: 1.1 to 1.4

Suggested Problems: Chap. 1: 7,9,13,17

Other Learning Resources:

Kirkpatrick and Francis, Physics: a World View, 6^thedition textbook web site

U.S.N.O. Time

Table of Units worksheet

Normandale Community College's Online Learning Site.

How and Why things move: Linear Motion & Newton's Laws of Motion

Key Concepts: Distance, position, velocity, acceleration, freefall, inertia, force, mass, weight, Newton's Laws, Gravitation. fundamental forces.

Learning Outcomes:

Define the relationship between position, velocity, and acceleration of an object in motion as averages over finite time
Define free fall and be able to solve simple free fall problems.
Use a computer to construct a graph of experimental free fall data.
List the four fundamental forces of nature.
State Newton's First, Second and Third laws
State and use Newton's Second Law to calculate forces or accelerations.
Explain weight, mass, and inertia.
State Newton's Universal Law of Gravitation.

Textbook: pp. 14-52, 74-83

Suggested Exercises: Chap. 2: 1,5,7,11,13,15,21. Chap. 3: 1,3,5,9,11,17. Chap. 5: 3,15

Problem Solving for Physics: 2.1 to 2.8. 3.2, 3.3, 3.7. 5.1 to 5.4

Suggested Problems: Chap. 2: 1,3,5,9,11,17,19,25,27. Chap. 3: 5,7,9,17. Chap. 5: 11,19.

Other Learning Resources:

Kirkpatrick and Francis, Physics: a World View, 6^thedition

Normandale Community College's Online Learning Site.

Some things never change: Work, Energy, and the Conservation of Energy

Key Concepts: Work, Energy, Work-Energy Theorem, Conservation of Energy, kinetic energy, potential energy, power, thermal energy, temperature, Stefan-Boltzmann Law, Wein's Law..

Learning Outcomes:

State the definitions of work and energy.
State the units of work and energy.
Define and explain kinetic energy.
Define and explain the work-energy theorem.
Define and explain power and the units associated with power.
Define and explain potential energy and give examples.
Calculate the work done by forces, including gravity.
Calculate a change in kinetic energy due to an applied force and the resulting change in velocity.
Define thermal energy and give examples of its use in imaging and therapy.
State the factors governing the radiation of energy and make qualitative comparisons.

Textbook: pp. 111-129; 248-252

Suggested Exercises: 1,7,9,13,14,17,21,23.

Problem Solving for Physics: 7.1, 7.3 to 7.6; 13.5

Suggested Problems: Chap. 7:1,3,11,13,15,21,23,25,27,29,31,33. Chap. 13: 31,32,33,34

Other Learning Resources:

Kirkpatrick and Francis, Physics: a World View, 6^thedition

Normandale Community College's Online Learning Site.

Water, water everywhere: Buoyancy and Pressure in Fluids

Key Concepts: Pressure, buoyant force, fluid flow, viscosity.

Learning Outcomes:

Calculate density given mass and volume, or vice versa.
Define buoyant force.
Define pressure.
Calculate the pressure at a depth in a fluid.
Convert between pressure units in the SI and US systems of measurement.
State the factors that influence fluids in motion.

Textbook: pp. 227-242.

Suggested Exercises: Chapter 12:1,3,5,9

Problem Solving for Physics: 12.1, 12.3 and 12.4.

Suggested Problems: Chap. 12: 1,3,5, 15,21.

Other Learning Resources:

Kirkpatrick and Francis, Physics: a World View, 6^thedition

Normandale Community College's Online Learning Site.

Can You Hear me Now?

Key Concepts: wave, sound, speed of sound, frequency, amplitude, period, decibel, intensity, sound level, beats, Doppler Effect, ultrasound.

Learning Outcomes:

Define the terms amplitude, period, frequency, and be able to calculate some of these quantities in problems.
Define the intensity of a wave and calculate an intensity.
Calculate an unknown frequency using the principle of beats.
Using decibels, solve problems related to sound level and sound level intensity.
Calculate a velocity from the Doppler shift.
Calculate the speed of sound for a given temperature.
Describe the use of diagnostic ultrasound and explain how the Doppler effect and the principle of beats are used.

Textbook: pp. 288-304, 313-318, 324-329..

Suggested Exercises: Chap. 15: 1,17,19,21. Chap. 16: 1,5,7,8,13,25

Problem Solving for Physics: 15.1, 15.4 to 15.5; 16.1, 16.2, 16.5, 16.6.

Suggested Problems: Chap. 15:21, Chap. 16:1,7,9,23,25,27.

Other Learning Resources:

Kirkpatrick and Francis, Physics: a World View, 6^thedition

Notes on Acoustics

How Ultrasound Works

Ultrasound (Mayo Clinic)

Get charged: Electric Forces and Energy

Key Concepts: Electric charge, electric force, electrical energy, proton, electron, electric field lines, electric potential, equipotential, electron volt, conductor, insulator

Learning Outcomes:

Describe the similarities and differences between the gravitational force and the electrostatic force.
State the properties of electric charge.
State the characteristics of conductors, insulators.
Calculate the force between two charged objects.
Define the volt.
Define and use the electron volt unit.
Calculate the change in energy and speed as a charged particle moves through a potential difference.
State the definition of potential difference (voltage) and its relation to the change in energy when an electric force acts on a charge.
Use a computer program to visualize the relationship between electric field and electric potential.

Textbook: pp. 402-425

Suggested Exercises: Chap. 20: 1,3,9,11,15,19,

Problem Solving for Physics: 20.1 to 20.4

Suggested Problems: Chap. 20: 3,5,9,13,27,29,31.

Other Learning Resources:

Kirkpatrick and Francis, Physics: a World View, 6^thedition

Normandale Community College's Online Learning Site.

Harnessing nature: Simple Electric Circuits

Key Concepts: Current, voltage, resistance. Ohm's Law, series circuit, electrical power, capacitor, resistor-capacitor (RC) circuit, exponential decay.

Learning Outcomes:

Define current.
Define resistance and resistivity.
Use Ohm's Law to calculate current, voltage, or resistance.
Calculate the power loss in a resistor.
State the convention for direction of current
Recognize simple circuit elements in a schematic diagram.
Recognize resistors in parallel or series.
Calculate or measure the voltage across resistors.
Given a circuit and voltage, calculate or measure the current.
Observe and describe the behavior of resistor-capacitor circuits.
Calculate a time constant and voltage at any time in an RC circuit.
Calculate the energy stored in a capacitor.
Connect an ammeter and a voltmeter to a circuit.

Textbook: pp. 426-445.

Suggested Exercises: Chap. 21: 1,3,5,15,19,23,25.

Problem Solving for Physics: 21.1 to 21.4

Suggested Problems: Chap. 21: 1,11,21,29,31,35.

Other Learning Resources:

Kirkpatrick and Francis, Physics: a World View, 6^thedition

Normandale Community College's Online Learning Site.

Harnessing nature: Magnetic Forces and Fields

Key Concepts: Magnetic force, magnet, magnetic pole, magnetic field, magnetic field of the Earth, solenoid, electric motor, electric generator,

Learning Outcomes:

Describe the magnetic force on a charge particle, a current carrying wire, and a current loop.
Describe how an electric motor works.
Describe the orientation and strength of magnetic field of the earth.
State the sources of magnetic fields.
Calculate the magnetic field due to a current carrying wire.
Describe how a transformer works.
Describe the magnetic field of a solenoid.
Calculate the magnetic field of a solenoid.
Describe how an MRI solenoid works to create a magnetic field.
Describe how an electric generator and an electric motor work.

Textbook: pp. 446-467

Suggested Exercises: 1,3,11,13,15,19,21.

Problem Solving for Physics: 22.1 to 22.4

Suggested Problems: Chap. 22:17,19,21,23,25

Other Learning Resources:

Kirkpatrick and Francis, Physics: a World View, 6^thedition

How strong are the magnets in an MRI machine?

How MRI Works

MRI: Viewing the body's hidden structure (Mayo Clinic)

Normandale Community College's Online Learning Site.

The Atom

Key Concepts: Atom, electron, proton, neutron, Bohr model, photon, photoelectric effect, atomic spectra, energy level, x-ray emission, bremstrahlung, wave-particle duality, EM spectrum.

Learning Outcomes:

Describe an atom and its components.
Describe the photoelectric effect and Einstein's explanation of it.
Describe atomic spectra and why you see discrete wavelengths.
State the principal features of the Bohr model of the atom.
Calculate a wavelength of light emitted by a transition in the hydrogen atom.
Calculate the energy of a photon from its wavelength or vice versa.
Define bremstrahlung and state how x-rays can be produced.
State the regions of the electromagnetic spectrum and indicate the imaging technology used to detect them.

Textbook: pp. 471-494

Suggested Exercises: Chap. 23: 3,7,9,11,17,19,23

Problem Solving for Physics: 23.1 to 23.5

Suggested Problems: Chap. 23: 1,3,5,25

Other Learning Resources:

Kirkpatrick and Francis, Physics: a World View, 6^theditiontextbook web site

Bohr's Atom

A Planetary Model of the Atom

The Photoelectric Effect

Wave-Particle Duality and the Photoelectric Effect

X-ray Imaging (Mayo Clinic)

Normandale Community College's Online Learning Site.

Nuclear Physics in Medicine

Key Concepts: Nucleus, atomic number, atomic mass, nucleon, half-life, alpha, beta and gamma decay, positron emission, mass-energy equivalence, exponential growth & decay, half-value thickness, curie & bequerel, rem & sievert, CT, PET, MRI, nuclear spin, fission, fusion.

Learning Outcomes:

Define radioactivity, give examples.
Describe how alpha, beta, and gamma decay or positron emission change a nucleus.
Describe how ionizing radiation and x-rays can be detected.
State what maintains nuclear stability and why the various types of decay occur.
Define half-life and activity.
State the effect of increasing the distance from a radioactive source on the intensity of the radiation.
Describe the effects of absorber materials on radiation
Calculate a half-value thickness.
Describe the biological effects of ionizing radiation and how to protect humans from the effects.
State the units used to measure radioactive decay activity and effective radiation dose.
State the most common sources of background radiation and know the typical annual dose for the average person..
Describe a use of nuclear physics in medicine such as CT, PET and MRI.
Calculate the energy released in a radioactive decay, fission or fusion.
Calculate the activity of a radioactive source after a given time has passed, or calculate the time from the activity.
Calculate a half-value thickness in both mg/cm² and cm units..