Physics 2049 - Prerequisite Knowledge & Skills from Physics 1

Things to know from Physics 2048 - Physics I

This page is a list of what you need to know from Physics 2048 to do well in Physics 2049. Chapters are references to Halliday, Resnick, and Walker, Fundamentals of Physics (John Wiley & Sons Inc., 2003). Some content such as motion diagrams and pictorial models can be found in Knight, Physics: A Contemporary Perspective (Addison Wesley).

Chapter 1 Measurement

Use base SI units and various conversion factors. For example, compute the number of seconds in an hour, day, or year.
Analyze the units and dimensions of equations; use units in numerical calculations.
Make order of magnitude calculations.

Chapter 2 Motion Along a Straight Line

Be able to state, use, and differentiate the definitions of position, distance, displacement, speed, velocity, and acceleration.
To learn to analyze the motion of an object by using motion diagrams as a tool.
To learn to identify velocity and acceleration vectors (both direction and relative magnitude) at different points in an objects motion.
To recognize the relationship between the velocity and acceleration vectors when an object is speeding up, slowing down, curving, or at a turning point.
To understand and use the basic ideas of the particle model.
To gain experience with vectors and graphical vector addition and subtraction.
To begin the process of learning to analyze problem statements and to translate the information into other representations.
To obtain a clear understanding of the concepts of position, velocity, and acceleration in one dimension and the relationships between them.
To learn to translate kinematic information between verbal, pictorial, graphical, and algebraic representations.
To learn the basic ideas of calculus (differentiation and integration) and to utilize these ideas both symbolically and graphically.
To solve kinematic problems and to interpret the results

Chapter 3 Vectors

Explain the difference between vectors and scalars, giving examples of each
To add and subtract vectors both graphically and using components.
To be able to decompose a vector into it's components and to reassemble vector components into a magnitude and direction. .
To recognize and be able to use the basic unit vectors..
be able to express vectors in two and three dimensions in terms of Cartesian unit vectors i,j,k.
To be able to work with tilted coordinate systems.
To understand and use proper significant figures

Chapter 4 Motion is 2 and 3 Dimensions

To identify the acceleration vector for curvilinear motion

To compute two-dimensional trajectories

To understand projectile motion

To understand circular motion

Chapters 5 &6 Force and Motion

To recognize what does and does not constitute a force
To identify the specific forces acting on an object
To draw an accurate free-body diagram of an object
To begin the process of understanding the connection between force and motion
To begin learning how to explain an observation on the basis of physical principles
To distinguish mass, weight, and apparent weight
To learn and use a sipme model of friction
To draw and make free body diagrams
To recognize and solve simple equilibrium problems
(time permitting) To learn the full strategy for force and motion problems and apply it to the successful solution of problems in single particle dynamics
To learn how two systems interact
To identify Newton 3rd law pairs
To understand and use Newton's 3rd law
To understand how to use propulsion and tension forces

Chapter 7 & 8 Concepts of Energy

To begin developing a concept of energy - what it is, how it's tranformed, and how it is transferred

To learn about work, kinetic energy, and their relationship through the work-kinetic energy theorem

To learn the vector dot product

To learn Hooke's law for springs and the new idea of a restoring force

To learn and develop the concept of potential energy

To learn and to use the gravitational potential energy and the elastic potential energy

To introduce and use the law of conservation of energy

To understand the tramsformation of kinetic energy to and from potential energy

To use and interpret energy bar graphs and energy diagrams

Chapter 9 & 10 Momentum, Collisions, and Systems of Particles

To understand iteractions from the new perspective of momentum and impulse.
To begin the process of understanding conservation laws
To learn what is meant by an isolated system
To apply conservation of momentum in simple one-dimensional situations
To understand the basic ideas of inelastic collisions, and recoil