Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

This is a pre-calculus introductory physics course for pre-medical, pre-dental, pre-chiropractic  and pre-physical therapy students and students working toward a degree.  Study topics include mechanical properties of matter, heat, waves, sound and light.  This course meets college transfer, Oregon Block Transfer and program requirements as listed above.

After completion of this course, students will
1) Apply knowledge of thermodynamics, sound waves, and light waves to explain natural physical processes and related technological advances.
2) Use an understanding of algebraic mathematics along with physical principles to effectively solve problems encountered in everyday life, further study in science, and in the professional world.
3) Design experiments and acquire data in order to explore physical principles, effectively communicate results, and critically evaluate related scientific studies.
4) Assess the contributions of physics to our evolving understanding of global change and sustainability while placing the development of physics in its historical and cultural context.

Principles and techniques are presented through lectures and class demonstrations.  Students must register for lecture and one laboratory.  Laboratory work will be performed in order to clarify certain facts in the lecture materials.

At the beginning of the course, the instructor will provide a syllabus that details the methods used to evaluate student progress and the criteria for assigning a course grade.  The methods may include one or more of the following tools:  examinations, quizzes, homework assignments, laboratory write-ups, research papers, small group problem solving of questions arising from application of course concepts and concerns to actual experience, oral presentations, or maintenance of a personal lab manual.

Specific evaluation procedures will be given in class.  In general, grading will be based on accumulated points from homework assignments, tests, a final exam, and labs.

1.0 MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF MATTER

The goal is to develop knowledge and understanding of the mechanical properties of matter.

Objectives:

1.1  Define the states of matter.
1.2  Develop the following concepts and solve problems involving them:
          a. Density and specific gravity
          b. Hooke's Law and other stress-strain laws
          c. Pressure in liquids and gases
          d. Archimedes principle
1.3  Understand the principles of and the workings of a mercurial barometer.
1.4   Study the motion of fluids by developing understanding of viscosity,  Poiseville's Law, Bernoulli's Equation and Torricelli's theorem.

2.0  TEMPERATURE, MOTION AND THE GAS LAWS

The goal is to gain knowledge and skills in the understanding and use of temperature, motion, and gas laws.

Objectives: 

2.1  Understand the workings of various types of thermometers and the various temperature scales they employ.
2.2  Develop skill in solving gas law problems.  This involves understanding the general gas law, the gas-law constant, avogadros number, etc., as well as Boyles' Law, Charles Law and Guy-Lussac's Law.
2.3  Clarify the relationship of molecular motion to temperature.

3.0   THERMAL PROPERTIES OF MATTER

The goal is to develop knowledge of the thermal properties of matter, and skills in problem solving using these concepts.

Objectives: 

3.1  Understand heat as a form energy transfer.
3.2  Distinguish and define several heat units such as calories, kilocalories, British thermal units and to relate them to other energy units.
3.3  Discuss the specific heats of various materials.
3.4  Develop a knowledge of the latent heats of fusion and boiling/evaporation and develop skills in problem solving using these concepts.
3.5  Define calorimetry.
3.6  Explain expansion and contraction of various materials.
3.7  Study convection, conduction and radiation.

4.0  THERMODYNAMICS

The goal is to develop knowledge and skills in the laws of thermodynamics. 

Objectives: 

4.1  State the first Law of Thermodynamics and understand its implications.
4.2  Explain cyclic processes and apply this to heat engines.
4.3  State the Second Law of Thermodynamics and understand its implications.
4.4  Develop an appreciation of the concepts of order, disorder and entropy.

5.0   VIBRATORY MOTION

The goal is to develop knowledge and an understanding of vibratory motion. 

Objectives: 

5.1  Develop an understanding of vibrating systems such as springs.
5.2  Study the special case known as simple harmonic motion, and relate it to sinusoidal variations.
5.3  Solve problems involving pendulums and many other vibrating bodies.
5.4  Consider forced vibrations.

6.0  WAVE MOTION

The goal is to develop an awareness and understanding of wave motion. 

Objectives: 

6.1  Study waves on strings and other transverse waves.
6.2  Delineate what happens when a wave motion reflects.
6.3  Develop an understanding of resonance and standing waves, on a string for example.
6.4  Explain longitudinal waves.
6.5  Solve many types of problems involving wave motion. 

7.0   SOUND

The goal is to gain knowledge and skills in the understanding of sound. 

Objectives:

7.1  Explain the origin, speed and intensity of sounds.
7.2  Delineate pitch and quality of sounds.
7.3  Learn to recognize interference of sound waves including the phenomenon of beats.
7.4  Explain the resonance of air columns.
7.5  Apply Doppler Effects to sound.

8.0   PROPERTIES OF LIGHT

The goal is to develop knowledge and an understanding of the properties of light.

Objectives: 

8.1    Explain light as energy.
8.2    State the speed of light and describe how it can be measured
8.3    Define reflection.
8.4    Discuss plane, concave and convex mirrors.
8.5    Explain how images both real and virtual are formed.
8.6    Explain refraction and how to apply Snell's Law.
8.7    Discuss total internal reflection and apply it to fiber optics.
8.8    Explain the thin-lens formula and how to apply it.
8.9    Learn about combinations of lenses.

9.0  OPTICAL DEVICES

The goal is to gain knowledge and skills in the use of optical devices. 

Objectives: 

9.1    Study the eye and compare it to a simple camera.
9.2    Define diopter units.
9.3    Explain a simple magnifier.
9.4    Explain the operation of a microscope.
9.5    Explain the operation of astronomical telescopes.
9.6    Explain the operation of binoculars.
9.7    Explain the operation of a prism spectroscope. 

10.0 INTERFERENCE AND DIFFRACTION

The goal is to develop an understanding of interference and diffraction.

Objectives:

10.1 Define diffraction and gain an understanding of its occurrences.
10.2 Explain the Michelson Interferometer.
10.3 Explain thin film interference.
10.4 Explain and employ diffraction gratings.

EACH WEEK, LABS WILL BE PERFORMED THAT CORRESPOND TO THE MATERIAL COVERED IN THE LECTURE SESSION.