How Things Work: The Physics of Everyday Life by Louis A. Bloomfield. John Wiley and Sons. ISBN: 0-471-38151-9.
Promod Pratap
103, Petty Science Building
Phone: 334-3214
Email: pratapp@uncg.edu
FAX: 334-5865
Physics Department Secretary: 334-5844Course Web site:
This course is meant to provide students (and that means you!) with an introduction to Physics. I know that all of you approach this subject with some degree of trepidation. I agree that Physics has the reputation of being difficult and highly mathematical. Both can be true. I believe the difficulty arises from the mathematics. This course is designed to reduce the amount of mathematics to a bare minimum. (Some observers might think that the amount of mathematics in this course is less than the minimum!)
Physics is important because it governs the world around you (and within you). It is the study of nature &endash; physical principles govern everything you use to make life easier. The textbook used for this course focuses on this aspect of the subject. We (the author and I) figure that you would not be interested in esoteric subjects such as string theory and quarks, but that you would be interested in how your microwave oven or automobile works. In addition this course will (hopefully!) provides you with knowledge that you can use &endash; as the wag said, if you don't care to learn how your car works, prepare to make a lot of money to pay the mechanic to fix things that really aren't broken!
This year, I have designed this course around a central theme. This theme forms the basis of the paper you have to write and the presentation that you will have to make. The scenario is that an object has been observed on a collision course with the earth. You must decide on things like the size of the object, its nature (what is it, a comet or an asteroid?), how much time we have before the collision, etc., etc. You then use physical principles to figure out what we need to do to avoid the collision, or if we can't that, what the consequences of the collision will be.
Now, on to the nitty-gritty:
The grade you receive in this course will depend on several things (the weight for each of these things is given at the end of this section in a table):
Tests: The course will have two tests and a final exam. The tests will be one hour each, though you can take the whole class (100 minutes) for it. The final exam will be for three hours, and will be comprehensive.
Homework: The table on the next page gives you assignments for each section in the book. These assignments consist of exercises and problems (if there are any in the section). The exercises and problems in bold must be turned in at the beginning of class on the Tuesday of the following week. Also, try to do the other exercises and problems! The tests and exams will either be from these or will be closely related.
Project: You will have to research some aspect of the problem I outlined in the Introduction. This will be a team project, done in groups of three. Each member of the group will write a paper (independently!) to be submitted by to me by email, and these will be published on the web. As a group, you will also have to prepare a poster presentation that will be displayed in the hallway (day or days to be determined). Format for the posters will be posted on the website.
Weightages:
|
Test I |
15% |
|
Test II |
15% |
|
Final Exam |
30% |
|
Project |
30% |
|
Homework |
10% |
Instructor: P. Pratap
Date of Class |
Content |
Assignments (due on next Tuesday) |
|---|---|---|
|
15-Jan-02 |
Introduction, Chap. 1.1 |
|
|
17-Jan-02 |
Chapter 1.1, 1.2 |
E2*,E6,E8,E14,E18,E22,P2*,P4,P6,P10,P14, |
|
Problem based on the Chesterton story | ||
|
22-Jan-02 |
Chapter 1.3, Cases |
E24,E28,E30,E34,E38,P16,P20,P22 |
|
24-Jan-02 |
Chapter 2.1, 2.2 |
E2,E6,E8,E12,E18,P2,P4,P6 |
|
29-Jan-02 |
Chapter 2.2, 2.3 |
E22,E26,E29,E32,E37,E40,P8,P10,P12 |
|
31-Jan-02 |
Chapter 2, Cases |
|
|
5-Feb-02 |
Chapter 3.1, 3.2 |
E3,E6,E8,E10,P2,P4 |
|
7-Feb-02 |
Chapter 3.2, 3.3 |
E14,E18,E22,E26,P6,P8 |
|
12-Feb-02 |
Chapter 3.4, 3.5 |
E46,E52, E54, E58 Section 3.5 is on the Web |
|
14-Feb-02 |
Chapter 3.5, Cases |
|
|
19-Feb-02 |
Chapter 4.1, 4.2 |
E2, E4, E8, E14, E18, P2, P6, P10 |
|
21-Feb-02 |
Review for TEST I |
Chapters 1, 2 and 3 |
|
26-Feb-02 |
TEST I |
|
|
28-Feb-02 |
Chapter 4.2, 4.3 |
E24, E26, E30, E32, P12, P14 |
|
5-Mar-02 |
Chapter 4 Cases |
|
|
7-Mar-02 |
Chapter 5.1, 5.2 |
E2, E4, E8, E10, P2, P6, P8 |
|
Mar 12-14, 2002 |
SPRING BREAK |
NO CLASSES - ENJOY! |
|
19-Mar-02 |
Chapter 5.2, 5.3 |
E18, E24, E26, E30, E34 |
|
21-Mar-02 |
Chapter 5.3, Cases |
E36, E40, E46, E48, E54, E56, P10, P14 |
|
26-Mar-02 |
Chapter 7.1, 7.2 |
E2, E4, E8, E10, E14 |
|
28-Mar-02 |
Chapter 7.2, Cases |
E18, E20, E24, E30, E34, E38 |
|
2-Apr-02 |
Review for TEST II |
Chapters 4, 5, and 7 |
|
4-Apr-02 |
TEST II |
|
|
9-Apr-02 |
Chapter 8.1, 9.1 |
Chapter 8: E2, E4, E8, E10, P2, P4 |
|
Chapter 9: E2, E4, E8, E10, P1 | ||
|
11-Apr-02 |
Chapter 11.1, 12.1 |
Chapter 11 : E2, E6, E8, E10, E12, P2, P4 |
|
Chapter 12 : E2, E4, E8, E14, E18, E22, P2 | ||
|
16-Apr-02 |
Chapter 12.2, Cases |
E26, E30, E32, P3, P4 |
|
18-Apr-02 |
Chapter 13.1, 13.2 |
E2, E6, E10, E14, E16, P2, P4 |
|
23-Apr-02 |
Chapter 13.3, Cases |
13.3 is on the Web |
|
25-Apr-02 |
Chapter 14.1, 14.2 |
E4, E8, E10, E14, E18, E24, E30, E34 |
|
30-Apr-02 |
Cases |
|
|
2-May-02 |
Poster Presentations |
|
|
5-May-02 |
Review for Final |
Time to be decided |
|
9-May-02 |
FINAL EXAM |
8:00 - 11:00 |
This project is based on recent reports that identified (mistakenly, as it turned out) an object that would collide with the earth in the year 2028. We also recently witnessed the spectacular collision of Comet Shoemaker-Levy with Jupiter. How likely is it that such a collision can occur on earth? Can we do something to prevent this from happening?
There is a project (run by NASA and based at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California) that seeks to catalogue such objects (called Near-Earth Objects, or NEO's). The proponents of this project think it is very underfunded. Is it? This project should give you some insight into this question. In order to answer this question, you need to ask yourself: a) what the chances are of such a collision; b) what would happen if you do have such a collision. The first part deals with the risk of such a collision, and the second deals with the cost (in terms of survival of humans and other organisms on the planet). Your decision on funding would depend on the analysis of risk versus cost.
In doing this, try to be realistic, not dramatic. You are writing a scientific analysis, not a movie script!! Wherever possible, talk about the Physics of the issue.
So here goes:
1. An extraterrestrial object has been discovered on a collision course with the Earth. (It is natural, not an alien spacecraft!)
a. What is it (comet or asteroid)? Decide on one. Describe what it is made of.
b. How big is it? Size matters here. Decide how big you want your object to be. Remember, the bigger the object, the easier it would be to spot it, but the harder it will be to move it around.
c. What is its speed? You'll need to look up (in books or in the web) the average speed of a comet or an asteroid. You'll need this information in order to discuss the effects of the collision.
d. How long do we have before it hits? This will depend on b) and c). It will also depend on the technology available (telescopes, etc.) Assume today's technology, not some fancy futuristic stuff!
2. What can we do about it?
a. Can we intercept it? Again this will depend on 1b, 1c, 1d, and on technology (rockets and such). Assume today's technology!
b. Can we push it off its current course? If so, how do we do this? How much do we need to push it off course? Remember, it's not enough for it to graze the surface of the earth!
c. Can we destroy it? What happens if we do this? Can we blow it up into little pieces? How can we do this? How little should the pieces be if we are to escape annihilation?
3. If the object hits, what are the consequences?
a. There have been other collisions. What were the effects of these? See if you can find stuff about the consequences of such a collision (from big and small objects).
b. If this particular object hits, where will it hit? (Land or sea? Populated or unpopulated area? Try to make this realistic, not to edify your desire for the dramatic!) Does it make any difference where it hits?
c. Once you have decided where it will hit, what are the consequences?
This goes back to the answer to 3b.