Introduction to Physics

PHYS 101

This course is an introduction to physics. The main emphasis will be on the branch of physics known as mechanics. This is the study of motion and the causes of motion through the applications of fundamental principles of physics. We begin with kinematics, the quantitative description of the motion of particles. We then build on kinematics to learn how and why motion occurs, through the application of Newton's laws of dynamics. Many examples will be considered as we explore the properties of specific forces and the details of the motion they bring about. The next step will be to describe physical processes in terms of energy and momentum, quantities that are always "conserved." Conservation laws allow us to solve problems in mechanics that would be very difficult by other techniques and provide a powerful approach to the analysis of physical systems in general. We then will extend our understanding of motion to the kinematics and dynamics of rotation. Finally, we will briefly study some of the physical properties of solids and fluids. By the end of this session, you should have a deeper understanding of the phenomena occurring in your surrounding physical world. You should have a clearer picture of the behavior of the universe on the largest (cosmic) scale, and on the smallest (subnuclear) scale. You should also understand a bit more about the physics of biological systems, including your own body. In addition, you should be more competent at measurement and quantitative reasoning concerning physical processes.