PS 160 - Physics II for Engineers
Embry-Riddle University
  Spring 2009
M. Anthony Reynolds


  The energy of the universe is constant. 

   The entropy of the universe tends to a maximum. 
 - Rudolf Clausius, 1865


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 Simple harmonic motion, waves, fluids, heat, kinetic theory, thermodynamics, and geometrical and physical optics.
Prerequisite: PS 150, Co-requisite: MA 242.

Required Text: Principles of Physics, 4th edition, by Serway and Jewett.
Recommended Hypertext: 
Hyperphysics 
Recommended online text: 
Simple Nature  by Crowell (online)
                                              
The Physics of Waves  by Howard Georgi (Harvard)
Recommended Print Texts:  Physics by Tipler (ERAU library QC 21.2 .T548),
                                                
Lectures on Physics by Feynman (ERAU library QC 23 .F47)            
                                                
Understanding Physics, by Isaac Asimov - a great science fiction writer explains physics.  (ERAU library QC 23 .A8)
                                                 Cartoon Guide to Physics, by Gonick and Huffman - physical principles in a visual format.  (ERAU library QC 24.5 .G66)
                                                 3000 Physics Problems - lots and lots of practice quantitative problems. (ERAU library QC 32 .H325 1988b)
See the syllabus for more detailed information.


HELPFUL HINTS


What is physics?
What is required to succeed in physics?
What should you be able to do after this course?

How to study - by students, by Carl Wieman, Nobelist

How to read textbooks - LangSivjee 

How to solve problems - Hubsch, Reynolds  - see Sample Solution below

How to take tests 

How to get a good grade  - Wiesenfeld


LINKS

  STOPWATCH 

  pendulum acceleration vector 

  Tacoma Narrows bridge collapse 

  moment of inertia of sphere  (Hyperphysics)

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

    Earthquake effects 
  Tsunami observations

  wave demonstrations 
  Young's double-slit experiment 
  multiple slit interference  and    multiple slit diffraction 

  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 

  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

The Physics Hypertext
Active Physics
ThinkQuest

 


QUOTES TO THINK ABOUT


The thinking of a scientist differs from that of a student.  The student wants to know facts: numbers, dates, results, things which might appear on the final exam.  How old is the universe? How distant is the Moon? How hot is the Sun's visible face? All these can be dug out of textbooks and encyclopedias, but they alone tell next to nothing about the science.  A scientist instead asks, What is the evidence?

- David Stern


Problems are the cutting edge that distinguishes between success and failure. Problems call forth our courage and our wisdom; indeed, they create our courage and our wisdom. It is only because of our problems that we grow mentally and spiritually. When we desire to encourage the growth of the human spirit, we challenge and encourage the human capacity to solve problems, just as in school we deliberately set problems for our children to solve. It is through the pain of confronting problems that we learn.
 - Morgan Scott Peck