PS 160 - Physics II for Engineers
Embry-Riddle University
Fall 2007
M. Anthony Reynolds

Understanding means seeing that the same thing said different ways is the same thing
- Ludwig Wittgenstein

I shot an arrow into the air,
It fell to earth, I knew not where

- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

INFORMATION

This is the second semester of a three-semester, calculus-based physics sequence.  A required prerequisite is PS 150 - Physics I for Engineers, and the following course is PS 250 - Physics III for Engineers.  We will cover  gravity, simple harmonic motion, waves, fluids, heat, kinetic theory, thermodynamics, and geometrical optics. Prerequisite: PS 150, Co-requisite: MA 242.

Text: Principles of Physics, 4th edition, by Serway & Jewett.
Chapters 11-18, 25, 26.

Recommended Text: University Physics, 11th edition, by Young and Freedman. 
Recommended Hypertext: 
Hyperphysics 
Recommended Print Texts:  Physics by Tipler (ERAU library QC 21.2 .T548),  Light and Matter  by Crowell (online),  The Physics of Waves  by Howard Georgi (Harvard)

See the syllabus for more detailed information.
Recommendations for study,  test-taking strategies, and problem solving techniques.   Also, How to Read Textbooks 
Here are some challenge problems
Example solution - Problem #76, Serway Chapter 10


WELCOME!

The skill to do math on a page
Has declined to the point of outrage
Equations quadratica
Are solved on Math'matica,
And on birthdays we don't know our age


LINKS

  Moore's Law 

  Gliese 581c 

  Lunar Laser Ranging 
  Apache Point 

"Near-Earth object"  NASA orbital simulations  

  Your surface area 
  Solar images from SOHO  
 calorie vs Calorie 
   Water boiling in space 

 Plaskett's Star:  here  and  here 
   Binary Stars   
Alexander Calder 

Stress and Strain:
  Elastic modulus  - Young - Shear - Bulk 
  Ancient Lake Bonneville 
  Earth's crust  
  Post Glacial Rebound of the Earth's Crust

    Earthquake effects 
  Tsunami observations

  Aurora 

Boyle's Law  (Boyle)
Charles' Law (Charles)
Avogadro's Law
  (Avogadro)

Gas Laws
more Guided Tours


Aristotle's PHYSICS
(or here)
Philosophy of Nature, by Ian Thompson
Thomas Aquinas
(or here)
The Galileo Project

Tutorials

Hyperphysics

The Physics Hypertext
Active Physics
ThinkQuest

 


Listening to lectures is not enough.  All processes of learning are somehow connected to active participation, and the learning of physics is no exception.  Therefore, it is imperative that you work diligently at your own desk.  However, this does not mean that you should only work alone.  I encourage you to form study groups and collaborate with your classmates.


LIBRARY

Available at the Jack R. Hunt Library are the following items:

Understanding Physics, by Isaac Asimov - a great science fiction writer explains physics.
Cartoon Guide to Physics, by Gonick and Huffman - physical principles in a visual format.
3000 Physics Problems - lots and lots of practice quantitative problems.


HOMEWORK

Practice at problem solving is an important part of learning physics, especially for engineers.  I suggest that you work as many problems as possible. 


Last modified - 27 Aug 2007