Apologia Advanced Physics Contents

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Advanced Physics in Creation

Table of Contents
Module #1: Units and Vectors Revisited
Introduction 1
Units Revisited 1
A Review of Vectors 5
Unit Vectors 12
The Dot Product 15
The Physical Significance of the Dot Product 18
The Cross Product 20
The Physical Significance of the Cross Product 26
Summing Up 28

Module #2: Kinematics
Introduction 39
Position Versus Time Graphs 39
Velocity Versus Time Graphs 44
The Major One-Dimensional Motion Equations 49
Experiment 2.1: Measuring Your Vertical Pitching Speed 53
Air Resistance and Terminal Velocity 55
Experiment 2.2: The Effect of Cross Section on Air Resistance 56
Kinematics in Two Dimensions 59

Module #3: Newton's Laws
Introduction 83
Newton's Three Laws of Motion 84
Inertial Reference Frames and Inertial Mass 85
Newton's Second Law: A Few Reminders 89
Experiment 3.1: Building and Using Atwood's Machine 96
Newton's Second Law: Some Detailed Applications 98
Experiment 3.2: Measuring the Coefficient of Kinetic Friction 107
A Few Words About Newton's Third Law 109

Module #4: Energy and Momentum
Introduction 125
Review of Energy Concepts and Equations 125
Experiment 4.1: Ping Pong Pendulums 127
More Applications of Energy Concepts 130
Power 139
Momentum and Impulse 141
Experiment 4.2: Conservation of Momentum and Energy 142
Collisions in Two Dimensions 148

Module #5: Rotational Motion
Introduction 169
The Center of Mass 169
Experiment 5.1: The Center of Mass 173
Torque and Static Rotational Equilibrium 174
Experiment 5.2: Static Rotational Equilibrium 175
A Few Terms in Rotational Motion 180
Rotational Dynamics 185
Rotational Energy 192
Angular Momentum 194
Experiment 5.3: The Direction of the Angular Momentum Vector 195

Module #6: Oscillations and Waves
Introduction 209
The Mass/Spring System 210
A Detailed Description of the Mass/Spring System 213
The Pendulum 219
Experiment 6.1: The Simple Pendulum and the Physical Pendulum 220
Transverse and Longitudinal Waves 224
Experiment 6.2: Wave motion and Standing Waves 225
The Propagation of Waves 227
A Mathematical Description of a Harmonic Wave 230
Reflection and Superposition of Waves 233
Standing Waves 237

Module #7: Sound and Light
Introduction 249
Sound Waves 249
Experiment 7.1: Sound Waves in a Bottle and the "Bottle Paradox" 252
Standing Sound Waves 254
Beats 258
The Doppler Effect 260
Light: Electromagnetic Waves 262
Experiment 7.2: Interference of Light Waves 262
A Quick Review of Reflection and Refraction 267
Flat Mirrors 270
Curved Mirrors and the Mirror Equation 271
Lenses 275

Module #8: Gravity and Relativity
Introduction 289
Kepler's Laws and Gravity 289
Gravity and Extended Bodies 293
True Weight and Measured Weight 295
Gravitational Potential Energy 297
Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity 301
Time Dilation and Length Contraction 305
The Twin Paradox 311
The Famous Equation 312
Einstein's General Theory of Relativity 314
Experiment 8.1: Simulating Curved Spacetime 317

Module #9: Heat
Introduction 329
Temperature Scales 330
Temperature Changes Due to Heat 331
Phase Changes Due to Heat 335
Experiment 9.1: The Energy Associated With a Phase Change 335
Volume and Length Changes as a Result of Heat 339
Experiment 9.2: Measuring the Coefficient of Volume Expansion for a Gas 340
The Behavior of Gases 342
The Speed of Gas Molecules 346
Heat Transfer in Gases 353

Module #10: Thermodynamics
Introduction 363
The First Three Laws of Thermodynamics 363
A More Detailed Look at the First Law of Thermodynamics 367
A More General Way to Calculate Work 371
A Few Terms Related To The First Law of Thermodynamics 373
Experiment 10.1: Adiabatic Compression and Expansion 374
Cyclic Processes and The First Law of Thermodynamics 378
The Second Law of Thermodynamics 383
Heat Engines and the Carnot Cycle 386
The Third Law of Thermodynamics 392

Module #11: Electrostatics
Introduction 401
Coulomb's Law 402
Experiment 11.1: A Repulsive Application of Coulomb's Law 406
Electric Fields 407
A Quantitative Description of the Electric Field 410
Insulators, Conductors, Semiconductors, and Superconductors 416
Experiment 11.2: Conductors and Insulators 417
The Electric Field of a Conductor 422
Experiment 11.3: There Is No Electric Field Inside a Conductor 423

Module #12: Electrical Potential Energy and Electric Potential
Introduction 439
Electrical Potential Energy 439
Electric Potential 444
Capacitors and Uniform Electric Fields 448
Experiment 12.1: Making a Leyden Jar 449
The Electric Field and Energy of a Capacitor 455
Capacitors with Dielectrics 458

Module #13: DC Electric Circuits
Introduction 469
Resistance 469
Experiment 13.1: The Factors Which Influence Resistivity 471
A Review of Circuits, Ohm's Law, and Other Equations 475
Combinations of Resistors 479
Experiment 13.2: Resistors in Series and Parallel 479
Kirchhoff's Rules 483
Batteries, Electromotive Force, and Internal Resistance 491
Resistance-Capacitance (RC) Circuits 494
One Final Note 498

Module #14: Magnetism and Electromagnetic Induction
Introduction 513
A Review of Magnetic Fields and Their Source 513
Charged Particles Moving in Magnetic Fields 516
Cyclotrons 521
Magnetic Fields and Current-Carrying Wires 523
Motional EMF 526
Electromagnetic Induction 530
Alternating Current 536

Module #15: Atomic Physics
Introduction 549
The Photoelectric Effect: Light as a Particle 549
The Bohr Model of the Atom 554
A Detailed Look at the Bohr Model 556
The Bohr Model and Atomic Spectra 561
The Size of an Atom 566
Moving From the Bohr Model to the Quantum Mechanical Model 567

Module #16: Nuclear Physics
Introduction 581
Binding Energy 581
The Strong Nuclear Force 584
The Stability of a Nucleus 585
Radioactivity 587
Artificial Radioactivity 592
The Rate of Radioactive Decay 593
The Dangers of Radioactivity 595
Radioactive Dating 597
Other uses of Radioactivity and Ionizing Radiation 600
Nuclear Reactions 601
Using Nuclear Reactions to Make Energy 605