Description
The study of simple harmonic motion, waves, temperature and heat. Topics include the Ideal Gas Laws, the Laws of Thermodynamics, and thermodynamic systems. Electrostatics through Gauss' law covered. Laboratory included.
Grading Basis
Graded
Prerequisites
One year high school physics, PHYS&221, MATH&152 or concurrent enrollment.
Course Learning Outcomes
Core Topics
- Simple Harmonic Motion: basic concepts; equations of and relationship to frequency; physical systems which exhibit SHM.
- Wave motion; transverse waves; longitudinal waves; wave speed: group velocity.
- Temperature and temperature scales; thermal expansion; relation of temperature to heat.
- Heat capacity; change of phase; conduction and convection; radiation and the Stefan-Boltzmann law.
- Equations of state and the Ideal Gas; application of the Ideal Gas Laws; phase diagrams, triple point, critical point.
- The lst Law of Thermodynamics; work, heat, and internal energy; adiabatic and isothermal processes. Kinetic theory of an ideal gas.
- Application of the lst law to an Ideal Gas; engines: heat and internal-combustions; the Carnot Cycle, steam engines.
- Refrigerators; the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics, entropy.
- The Carnot cycle; energy conversion.
- Electrostatics, Couloumb’s law, Gauss’s law