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General Information

Course ID (CB01A and CB01B)
PHYSD004C
Course Title (CB02)
Physics for Scientists and Engineers: Fluids, Waves, Optics and Thermodynamics
Course Credit Status
Credit - Degree Applicable
Effective Term
Fall 2023
Course Description
This is an introductory studies course in static and dynamic fluids, mechanical and non-mechanical waves, geometrical and physical optics, heat, and the laws of thermodynamics.
Faculty Requirements
Course Family
Not Applicable

Course Justification

This course satisfies the major requirements for physics, engineering, and chemistry majors and is UC and CSU transferable. This course satisfies the Liberal Arts A.A. Degree, Science, Math, and Engineering Emphasis. This course is the third in a four-sequence set introducing the students to the fundamental principles of waves, fluids, optics, and thermodynamics in order to prepare them for upper-division coursework in the related fields.

Foothill Equivalency

Does the course have a Foothill equivalent?
No
Foothill Course ID

Course Philosophy

Formerly Statement

Course Development Options

Basic Skill Status (CB08)
Course is not a basic skills course.
Grade Options
  • Letter Grade
  • Pass/No Pass
Repeat Limit
0

Transferability & Gen. Ed. Options

Transferability
Transferable to both UC and CSU
C-IDArea(s)StatusDetails
PHYSPhysicsApprovedPHYS D004A & PHYS D004B & PHYS D004C & PHYS D004D required for C-ID PHYS 200 S PHYS D004C & PHYS D004D required for C-ID PHYS 215

Units and Hours

Summary

Minimum Credit Units
6.0
Maximum Credit Units
6.0

Weekly Student Hours

TypeIn ClassOut of Class
Lecture Hours5.010.0
Laboratory Hours3.00.0

Course Student Hours

Course Duration (Weeks)
12.0
Hours per unit divisor
36.0
Course In-Class (Contact) Hours
Lecture
60.0
Laboratory
36.0
Total
96.0
Course Out-of-Class Hours
Lecture
120.0
Laboratory
0.0
NA
0.0
Total
120.0

Prerequisite(s)

PHYS D004B; and MATH D001D or MATH D01DH (may be taken concurrently)

Corequisite(s)

Advisory(ies)

ESL D272. and ESL D273., or ESL D472. and ESL D473., or eligibility for EWRT D001A or EWRT D01AH or ESL D005.

Limitation(s) on Enrollment

Entrance Skill(s)

General Course Statement(s)

Methods of Instruction

Lecture and visual aids

Discussion and problem solving performed in class

Quiz and examination review performed in class

Laboratory experience which involve students in formal exercises of data collection and analysis

Laboratory discussion sessions and quizzes that evaluate the proceedings weekly laboratory exercises

Assignments

  1. Daily and weekly readings from the text, articles, and class handouts.
  2. Weekly readings from the laboratory manual.
  3. Weekly written assignments from the text and lectures.
  4. Written laboratory reports during each week of lab.

Methods of Evaluation

  1. The required readings will be evaluated through homework, quizzes, group discussions, projects, and exams. These evaluation methods will be evaluated for completeness, understanding, and accuracy to determine the student's level of understanding.
  2. Exams are objective written tests to demonstrate the student's understanding of the course material. They will be evaluated for completeness, understanding, and accuracy to determine the student's level of understanding.
  3. The laboratory performance will be evaluated by quizzes and written lab reports. The quizzes will be evaluated for accuracy of responses and lab reports will be evaluated based on an established rubric.
  4. A laboratory-based final examination involving "hands-on" practical evaluations demonstrating the understanding of the learning outcomes listed in the student learning outcomes sections.
  5. A two-hour comprehensive lecture final that includes the testing of verbal and conceptual understanding as well as mathematical and computational competency with respect to the theoretical basis and problem solving aspects of the class. The comprehensive final will test the overall understanding of the learning outcomes listed in the learning outcomes section by evaluating the problem-solving process and the accuracy of the responses to the problems.

Essential Student Materials/Essential College Facilities

Essential Student Materials: 
  • None.
Essential College Facilities:
  • None.

Examples of Primary Texts and References

AuthorTitlePublisherDate/EditionISBN
Serway/Jewett, "Physics for Scientists and Engineers", 10th edition, Cengage, 2019.

Examples of Supporting Texts and References

AuthorTitlePublisher
Freedman and Young, "University Physics", 12th edition, Pearson, 2014.

Learning Outcomes and Objectives

Course Objectives

  • Examine the Zeroth, First and Second Law of Thermodynamics and solve related problems.
  • Analyze the properties of fluids and solve related problems.
  • Analyze the properties of mechanical waves and solve related problems.
  • Analyze and solve problems in physical and geometric optics.
  • Analyze data using graphical, statistical, and computer based techniques.

CSLOs

  • Critically examine new, previously un-encountered problems, analyzing and evaluating their constituent parts, to construct and explain a logical solution utilizing, and based upon, the fundamental laws of waves, fluids, optics, and thermodynamics.

  • Acquire confidence in taking precise and accurate scientific measurements, with their uncertainties, and then with calculations from them, analyze their meaning as relative, in an experimental context, to the verification and support of physics theories.

Outline

  1. Examine the Zeroth, First and Second Law of Thermodynamics and solve related problems.
    1. Understand the concept of temperature
      1. Thermometers
      2. Zeroth Law of Thermodymanics
    2. Analyze thermal expansion
    3. Analyze the concept of heat
      1. Definition of heat
      2. Calorimetry and phase changes
        1. Specific heat
        2. Heat of vaporization
        3. Heat of fusion
    4. Analyze the The First Law of Thermodynamcis
      1. Definition of work
      2. Relationship between work and heat
      3. Definition of internal energy
      4. Adiabats
      5. Isotherms
    5. Analyze heat transfer processes
      1. Conduction
      2. Convection
      3. Radiation
    6. Examine the kinetic theory of gases and the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution function
      1. Molecular model of gas
        1. Temperature
        2. Molar specific heat of an ideal gas
        3. Ideal gas treatment of an adiabatic process
      2. Equipartition Theorem of energy
      3. Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution
        1. Derivation of Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution
        2. RMS velocity
    7. Analyze entropy, heat engines, and the Second Law of Thermodynamics
      1. Definition of heat engine
        1. Work done by engines
        2. Efficiency
        3. Kelvin-Plank formulation of the Second Law
      2. Definition of a refrigerator
        1. Coefficient of Performance
        2. Clausius formulation of the Second Law
      3. Reversible and Irreversible Processes
      4. The Carnot Cycle
        1. Efficiency
        2. Applications to the Second Law
      5. Other engines
        1. Gasoline
        2. Diesel
      6. Entropy
        1. Macroscopic definition
        2. Entropy and irreversibility
        3. Microscopic probabilistic definition
  2. Analyze the properties of fluids and solve related problems.
    1. Discuss pressure and density in fluids
    2. Analyze pressure as a function of depth in a fluid
    3. Examine Archimede's Principle
    4. Analyze Bernoulli's Equation
    5. Fluid dynamics
  3. Analyze the properties of mechanical waves and solve related problems.
    1. Derive and analyze the wave equation
      1. Simple harmonic motion and traveling waves
      2. Speed of waves
      3. Transverse vs. longitudinal waves
      4. Energy transfer
    2. Examine the properties of reflection, transmission, and superposition of waves
    3. Analyze the properties of sound waves
      1. Sound as a pressure wave
      2. Speed of sound
      3. Intensity
      4. Doppler Effect
    4. Examine the properties of standing waves
      1. Superposition of standing waves
      2. Interference
      3. Resonance
      4. Beats
  4. Analyze and solve problems in physical and geometric optics.
    1. Understand the properties of reflection and refraction of light
    2. Examine the properties of geometric optics, mirrors, lenses, and optical instruments
    3. Study the properties of optical interference, diffraction, and polarization
  5. Analyze data using graphical, statistical, and computer based techniques.
    1. Understand how to make accurate measurements with confidence and understand the uncertainties, using partial differentiation, associated with them.
    2. Analyze data to induce scientific conclusions
    3. Collaborate with others as a team to produce collective results
    4. Analyze data using different apparatuses relevant to the discipline of of thermodynamics, fluids, optics, and waves.

Lab Topics

  1. Density, the Buoyant Force, and Archimedes Principle
  2. Fluid Flow
  3. Heat Capacity
  4. Thermal Conductivity
  5. The Clement Desorme's experiment
  6. Sonometer
  7. Refraction and reflection
  8. Thin Lenses
  9. Interference and diffraction
  10. Real world data collection
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