Physics 207, University Physics I: AP-C Waves

This material can be found online at URL

http://spiff.rit.edu/classes/phys207/phys207.html

Outline for the course, class schedule, etc.

You might also find it useful to read material from my regular University Physics I workshop class.

Are you a physics major? If so, consider the advice from one of my fellow physics instructors.

Workshops

• Week 1, Day A: Introduction, review of diffeq, measurements of a spring
• Week 1, Day B: Theory of Simple Harmonic Motion (SHM); example with measurements
• Week 2, Day A: Dealing with uncertainties
• Week 2, Day B: The pendulum, in theory and practice
• Week 3, Day A: Damped SHM
• Week 3, Day B: SHM and waves
• Week 4, Day A: Wave equations, energy, power
• Tues, Feb 17, 6:30 - 7:45 PM: Test in 08-1305
  • Look at a practice problem or two if you wish.
• Week 4, Day B: When waves meet -- the simple version
• Week 5, Day A: Standing waves, part I
• Week 5, Day B: Standing waves, part II
• Week 6, Day A: When waves meet: interference via phasors
• Week 6, Day B: Sound waves
• Week 7, Day A: Waves and musical instruments; ring the rod expt
• Week 7, Day B: When waves of different frequencies meet (beats); the Doppler effect
• Tues, Mar 17, 6:30 PM: Final Exam, room 08-1305

Homework sets

In order to use the on-line homework system, you need to know your login name and your initial password. Your "login name" should be the same as your last name, but with lowercase letters only; something like richmond. Your initial password should be the final 4-digits of your student RIT student ID, so if your ID is 456781234, the initial password would be 1234. Include all zeroes: if your ID is 456780012, then your initial password will be 0012. You can change your password from the default after you log in for the first time.

0. Introduction to Webwork system due Thursday, Jan 29, at 2:00 PM.
   • Answers to Homework 0
1. Simple statistics, masses on a spring due Thursday, Feb 5, at 2:00 PM.
   • Answers to Homework 1
2. Harmonic motion due Thursday, Feb 12, at 2:00 PM.
   • Answers to Homework 2
3. Waves (I) due Thursday, Feb 26, at 2:00 PM.
   • Answers to Homework 3
4. Sound waves due Thursday, Mar 12, at 2:00 PM.
   • Answers to Homework 4
5. More waves due Monday, Mar 16, at 2:00 PM.
   • Answers to Homework 5

Extra Credit Projects

1. Estimate the density of a comet
2. The Pendulum
3. Record a Wave
4. Measure the Speed of Sound in Air
5. Detect the Doppler Effect

For more information:

• Both Professor Lindberg and I have tried to explain the rules for dealing with uncertainties in measurements.
  • Professor Lindberg's guide to measurements and uncertainties
  • My tutorial on uncertainties adopts the "simple" version of error propagation
  • Ultra-condensed description of propagation of errors again using the "simple" version of error propagation
• Know it all? Try solving some of the Duke Physics Challenges
• Solar sails can propel a spacecraft through the solar system without any fuel. How? It's just conservation of momentum .... If you want to get into the messy details of sending spacecraft to another planet, check out
  • Solar Sails: A Novel Approach To Interplanetary Travel is an electronic book in the Wallace Library
  • NASA's Basics of Space Flight
  • The Rocket and Space Technology version of Basics of Space Flight
  • Orbiter -- a space flight simulator a free program which runs under Windows
  • So You Wanna Build A Rocket? takes a somewhat speculative look into future rocketry.
• The Insultingly Stupid Movie Physics site tries (futilely, no doubt) to point out how Hollywood ignores Mr. Newton.
• A good place to look for information on the solar system is The Nine Planets.
• Information about the Earth's oceans can be found at the Argo Project's web page.
• The Physics Video Library has many movies of objects in motion, and suggestions for analyzing the films.

This page maintained by Michael Richmond. Last modified Jan 25, 2015.