UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO

A) Course offered typically: Fall and Spring

B) Prerequisite - One year of high school algebra.

Corequisite or prerequisite - MATH 1000 or 1010 or 1030.

C) Representative Texts: Tippens - "Basic Technical Physics"

D) Weekly Schedule

Three lectures, 1 hour each. The course includes some half dozen experiments which are done during the lecture hour.

E) Description

This course develops quantitative reasoning and math skills (QRMS) serving also as an entry into the PHYS 1110-1120-1140 and 2010-2020 sequences. It can also be used to remove a MAPS deficiency in natural science.

F) Topics

1. Algebra Refresher

methods

"word problems"

graphs

proportions

2. Measurement and Units

calculator usage

angular measurement

scientific notation

3. One Dimensional Motion

graphs

equations

physical reasoning for real problems

4. Trigonometry

methods

applications

5. Static Balances

forces and torques

examples

6. Two-Dimensional Motion and Vectors

analytical methods

graphical methods

"two equations with two unknowns"

7. Laws of Motion as Tools

forces

momentum

energy

other conservation laws

8. Rotations

uniform

accelerated

planetary motion

Physics 1010-3, 1020-4: Physics of Everyday Life 1,2

A) Course offered typically: 1010-Fall, 1020-Spring

B) Prerequisite - High school algebra, PHYS 1010 prerequisite for PHYS 1020

C) Representative Texts

How Things Work: The Physics of Everyday Life

D) Weekly Schedule

Two lectures, 1.3 hours each

Physics 1020 will have an additional weekly two-hour laboratory period.

E) Description

Physics 1010 - Includes a range of topics including the physics of such things as balls, scales, balloons, stoves, insulation, light bulbs, clocks, musical instruments, nuclear weapons, and the basics of some electrical devices such as flashlights and microwave ovens.

Physics 1020 - Continuation of 1010. It explains the physics behind many elements of modern technology, including electrical power generation and distribution, electric motors, radio, television, computers, copiers, lasers, fluorescent lights, camera, and medical imaging.

F) Laboratory

Equipment and instructions for the laboratory have been adapted from the existing physics laboratories especially Physics 2020.

Physics 1110-4: General Physics 1 - (First Semester, Calculus-Based) - Note on the Use of Calculus in Physics 1110: It is expected that manipulative calculus will be introduced early in the first course in calculus, which is a corequisite for this course. Physics 1110 will develop and use calculus throughout the semester.

A) Course offered typically: Fall, Spring, Summer

B) Prerequisites - Knowledge of algebra, geometry and trigonometry.

Corequisites - APPM 1350 or Math 1300 or APPM 1370

The course introduces and uses calculus through derivatives, and indefinite and definite integrals of polynomials and trigonometric functions, as covered typically in Math 1300 or APPM 1370.

C) Representative Texts - (determined by Departmental Course Committee)

R. Resnick and D. Halliday, "Physics"

F. W. Sears & M. W. Zemansky, "University Physics"

P. A. Tipler, "Physics"

C. Zafiratos, "Physics"

D. Serway, "Physics"

D) Weekly Schedule - Three lectures and one recitation

E) Description - This is the first semester of an introductory physics course for science and engineering students. This course covers classical mechanics and an introduction to thermodynamics.

F) Topics

Time assignments are estimated on the basis of a fifteen-week semester.

1. Introduction (1 day)

Preview of the course

Units and dimensions of physical quantities

2. Mechanics (12 weeks)

Kinematics and dynamics

Fluids, statics and dynamics

Gravitation

Elasticity, simple harmonic motion

3. Introduction to Thermodynamics (3 weeks)

Temperature and ideal gas law

Calorimetry, First Law of Thermodynamics

Changes of phase; heat transport; conduction, radiation

Second Law of Thermodynamics

Heat engines, Carnot cycle

Physics 1120-4: General Physics 2 - (Second Semester, Calculus-Based)

A) Course offered typically: Fall, Spring, Summer

B) Prerequisites - Physics 1110 or equivalent

Corequisites - Math 2300 or APPM 1360 or APPM 1380. Normally to be taken concurrently with Physics 1140, but not required.

C) Representative Texts - (determined by Departmental Course Committee)

This course will use the second volume or part of the text used the preceding semester for

Physics 1110.

D) Weekly Schedule - Three lectures and one recitation

E) Description - This is the second semester of a calculus-based introductory physics course for science and engineering students, covering electricity and magnetism, wave motion, and geometrical and physical optics.

F) Topics

Time assignments are estimated on the basis of a fifteen-week semester.

1. Wave Motion (2 weeks)

Properties and types of waves

Sound, Doppler effect

Interference

2. Optics (2 weeks)

Nature and propagation of light

Reflection, plane and curved mirrors

Refraction, thin lenses

Interference and diffraction

Optical instruments

3. Electricity and Magnetism (11 weeks)

Coulomb's Law

Electric field and potential

Gauss' Law

Capacitance and dielectrics, electric energy density

Circuits, resistance, EMF

Magnetism

Ampere's and Faraday's Laws

Inductance, magnetic energy density

Circuits with L, R, and C

Alternating current circuits

Maxwell's equations (integral form)

Electromagnetic Radiation

Physics 1140-1 and 1150-1: Experimental Physics 1 and 2

For Plan 3 physics majors, Physics 1140 and 1150 must both be taken. Other plans require only Physics 1140.

A) Course offered typically: Fall, Spring, Summer

B) Prerequisite - Physics 1110

Corequisite - Normally to be taken concurrently with Physics 1120, but not required.

C) Representative Texts - (determined by Departmental Course Committee)

J. R. Taylor, "An Introduction to Error Analysis"

D) Weekly Schedule

One two-hour lab each week, plus a one-hour lecture-demonstration each week for approximately the first six weeks of the course.

E) Description

This is an introduction to experimental physics through laboratory observations of a wide range of phenomena. The course covers experiments on physical measurements, linear and rotational mechanics, harmonic motion, wave motion, sound and heat, all from Physics 1110. The second half of the course covers topics from Physics 1120, electricity and magnetism, optics, and electromagnetic waves. A wide variety of experiments is made available so that the student has considerable freedom of choice in the investigation of special topics. The material covered in the lecture includes the estimation of uncertainties, significant figures, mean values, the standard deviation, the standard deviation of the mean, comparison of measured and accepted values, random and systematic errors, propagation of errors, and the normal distribution.

Physics 1150-1: Students do another full set of Physics 1140 experiments (7 different labs from those previously completed).

Physics 1170-4 and 1180-4: Honors General Physics 1 and 2

A) Physics 1170 typically offered in the Fall, Physics 1180 typically offered in the Spring

B) Prerequisites - PHYS 1170 - one year High School physics; H.S. GPA higher than 3.5; Calculus 2 or AP Physics C-Mechanics with the minimum exam score of 3 points. Prerequisite for Physics 1180 is Physics 1170.