Syllabus

Textbook: Ohanian, Physics, Vol. 1, 2nd edition, (Norton, New York, 1989). The first eighteen chapters of the text book will be covered in the same order and approximately three chapters every two weeks. The last three chapters will be covered according to the availability of time.

• Foundations. The foundations of mechanics; measurements and units of time, length, mass; order of magnitude; validity of expressions.

• Kinematics. Motion along a straight line; vectors; addition of vectors; scalar product; vector product; motions in two and three dimensions; velocity and acceleration; motion in constant acceleration; projectile motion; reference frames; Galilean transfermation; special relativity; Lorentz transformation.

• Dynamics. Force and motion; Newton’s laws of motion; free body diagram; friction; kinetic energy and work; potential energy and conservation of energy.

• Gravitation. Newton’s law of gravitation; orbits and satellites; Kepler’s laws of planetary motion; gravitational potential; shell theorem; escape speed and black holes; Bohr's model of atoms.

• Particle systems. System of particles; center of mass; conservation of momentum; elastic and inelastic collisions.

• Rotational motion. Kinetics of rotational motion; rolling and torque; conservation of angular momentum; moment of inertia.

• Statics. Equilibrium and elasticity; the requirement of equilibrium; stress and strain.

• Fluids dynamics. Density and pressure; continuity; Pascal’s principle; Archimedes’ principle; Bernoulli’s equation.

• Oscillations and Waves. Oscillations; simple harmonic motion; amplitude and phase; pendulums; duality of waves and particles; wavelength and frequency; standing waves; propagation of waves; interference of waves; beating of waves; Doppler effect.

• Thermal Physics. Temperature and heat; heat capacity; thermodynamics laws; thermal expansion; heat transfer; kinetic theory of gasses; entropy; Carnot engine.