PHYSICS 41: Mechanics
How are motions of objects in the physical world determined by the laws of physics? Students learn to describe the motion of objects (kinematics) and then understand why motions have the form they do (dynamics). Emphasis on how the important physical principles in mechanics, such as conservation of momentum and energy for translational and rotational motion, follow from just three laws of nature: Newton's laws of motion. The distinction made between fundamental laws of nature and empirical rules that are useful approximations for more complex physics. Problems are drawn from examples of mechanics in everyday life. Skills developed in verifying that derived results satisfy criteria for correctness, such as dimensional consistency and expected behavior in limiting cases. Discussions based on the language of mathematics, particularly vector representations and operations, and calculus. Physical understanding is fostered by peer interaction and demonstrations in lecture, and discussion sec
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How are motions of objects in the physical world determined by the laws of physics? Students learn to describe the motion of objects (kinematics) and then understand why motions have the form they do (dynamics). Emphasis on how the important physical principles in mechanics, such as conservation of momentum and energy for translational and rotational motion, follow from just three laws of nature: Newton's laws of motion. The distinction made between fundamental laws of nature and empirical rules that are useful approximations for more complex physics. Problems are drawn from examples of mechanics in everyday life. Skills developed in verifying that derived results satisfy criteria for correctness, such as dimensional consistency and expected behavior in limiting cases. Discussions based on the language of mathematics, particularly vector representations and operations, and calculus. Physical understanding is fostered by peer interaction and demonstrations in lecture, and discussion sections based on interactive group problem-solving. Please enroll in a section that you can attend regularly. In order to register for this class students who have never taken an introductory Physics course at Stanford must complete the Physics Placement Diagnostic at
https://physics.stanford.edu/academics/undergraduate-students/placement-diagnostic. Students who complete the Physics Placement Diagnostic by 3 PM (Pacific) on Friday will have their hold lifted over the weekend. Minimum prerequisites: High school physics and
MATH 19 (or equivalent high school calculus if sufficiently rigorous). Minimum co-requisite:
MATH 20 or equivalent (if possible, taking
Math 20 as a prerequisite and
Math 21 as a co-requisite is recommended). Since high school math classes vary widely, it is recommended that you take at least one math class at Stanford before or concurrently with
Physics 41. In addition, it is recommended that you take
Math 51 or
CME 100 before taking the next course in the
Physics 40 series,
Physics 43.
Terms: Aut, Win
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: GER: DB-NatSci, WAY-SMA
Instructors:
Graham, P. (PI)
;
Naji, A. (PI)
;
Nanni, E. (PI)
;
Tompkins, L. (PI)
;
Acharya, A. (TA)
;
Braganca, D. (TA)
;
Brubaker, M. (TA)
;
Cirelli, C. (TA)
;
Gaiser, S. (TA)
;
Hernandez, A. (TA)
;
Kim, K. (TA)
;
Kulkarni, A. (TA)
;
Liu, F. (TA)
;
Lozano, M. (TA)
;
Mahadevan, A. (TA)
;
Martin, W. (TA)
;
Mueller, E. (TA)
;
Saboo, M. (TA)
;
Salah-Eddine, S. (TA)
;
Stutz, R. (TA)
;
Trbalic, B. (TA)
;
Wong, J. (TA)
;
Zerger, C. (TA)
PHYSICS 41E: Mechanics, Concepts, Calculations, and Context
Physics 41E (
Physics 41 Extended) is an 5-unit version of
Physics 41 (4 units) for students with little or no high school physics or calculus. Course topics and mathematical complexity are identical to
Physics 41, but the extra classroom time allows students to engage with concepts, develop problem solving skills, and become fluent in mathematical tools that include vector representations and operations, and calculus. The course will use problems drawn from everyday life to explore important physical principles in mechanics, such as Newton's Laws of motion, equations of kinematics, and conservation of energy and momentum. Prerequisite:
Math 19 or equivalent; Co-requisite:
Math 20 or equivalent. In order to register for this class students must EITHER have already taken an introductory Physics class (20, 40, or 60 sequence) or have taken the Physics Placement Diagnostic at
https://physics.stanford.edu/academics/undergraduate-students/placement-diagnostic. Enrollment is via permission number which can be obtained by filling in the application at
https://stanforduniversity.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2fNzeSIjoYtKiln.
Last offered: Winter 2020
| UG Reqs: WAY-SMA
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