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__NOTOC__
__NOTOC__
Welcome to the Georgia Tech Wiki for Introductory Physics. This resource was created so that students can contribute and curate content to help those with limited or no access to a textbook.  When reading this website, please correct any errors you may come across. If you read something that isn't clear, please consider revising it for future students!
= '''Georgia Tech Student Wiki for Introductory Physics.''' =
 
This resource was created so that students can contribute and curate content to help those with limited or no access to a textbook.  When reading this website, please correct any errors you may come across. If you read something that isn't clear, please consider revising it for future students!


Looking to make a contribution?
Looking to make a contribution?
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* A wiki written for students by a physics expert [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes MSU Physics Wiki]
* A wiki written for students by a physics expert [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes MSU Physics Wiki]
* A wiki book on modern physics [https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Modern_Physics Modern Physics Wiki]
* A wiki book on modern physics [https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Modern_Physics Modern Physics Wiki]
* A collection of 26 volumes of lecture notes by Prof. Wheeler of Reed College [https://rdc.reed.edu/c/wheeler/home/]
* The MIT open courseware for intro physics [http://ocw.mit.edu/resources/res-8-002-a-wikitextbook-for-introductory-mechanics-fall-2009/index.htm MITOCW Wiki]
* The MIT open courseware for intro physics [http://ocw.mit.edu/resources/res-8-002-a-wikitextbook-for-introductory-mechanics-fall-2009/index.htm MITOCW Wiki]
* An online concept map of intro physics [http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/hph.html HyperPhysics]
* An online concept map of intro physics [http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/hph.html HyperPhysics]
* Interactive physics simulations [https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulations/category/physics PhET]
* Interactive physics simulations [https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulations/category/physics PhET]
* OpenStax algebra based intro physics textbook [https://openstaxcollege.org/textbooks/college-physics College Physics]
* OpenStax intro physics textbooks: [https://openstax.org/details/books/university-physics-volume-1  Vol1], [https://openstax.org/details/books/university-physics-volume-2  Vol2], [https://openstax.org/details/books/university-physics-volume-3  Vol3]
* The Open Source Physics project is a collection of online physics resources [http://www.opensourcephysics.org/ OSP]
* The Open Source Physics project is a collection of online physics resources [http://www.opensourcephysics.org/ OSP]
* A resource guide compiled by the [http://www.aapt.org/ AAPT] for educators [http://www.compadre.org/ ComPADRE]
* A resource guide compiled by the [http://www.aapt.org/ AAPT] for educators [http://www.compadre.org/ ComPADRE]
 
* The Feynman lectures on physics are free to read [http://www.feynmanlectures.caltech.edu/ Feynman]
== Organizing Categories ==
* Final Study Guide for Modern Physics II created by a lab TA [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_6GktDPq5tiNFFYs_ZjgjxBAWVQYaXp_2Imha4_nSyc/edit?usp=sharing Modern Physics II Final Study Guide]
These are the broad, overarching categories, that we cover in three semester of introductory physics. You can add subcategories as needed but a single topic should direct readers to a page in one of these categories.


== Resources ==
== Resources ==
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* A guide to representing equations in math mode [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Displaying_a_formula Wiki Math Mode]
* A guide to representing equations in math mode [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Displaying_a_formula Wiki Math Mode]
* A page to keep track of all the physics [[Constants]]
* A page to keep track of all the physics [[Constants]]
* A page for review of [[Vectors]] and vector operations
* A listing of [[Notable Scientist]] with links to their individual pages  
* A listing of [[Notable Scientist]] with links to their individual pages  


<div style="float:left; width:30%; padding:1%;">
<div style="float:left; width:30%; padding:1%;">
==Physics 1==
==Physics 1==
===Week 1===
===Week 1===
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
====GlowScript 101====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
*[[Python Syntax]]
*[[GlowScript]]
</div>
</div>


<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">


====VPython====


====Student Content====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class=“toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed”>
=====Help with VPython=====
<div class=“mw-collapsible-content”>
*[[VPython]]
*[[VPython]]
*[[VPython basics]]
*[[VPython basics]]
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</div>
</div>


<div class=“toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed”>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
=====Vectors and Units=====
 
<div class=“mw-collapsible-content”>
====Vectors and Units====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
*[[Vectors]]
*[[Vectors]]
*[[SI units]]
*[[SI Units]]
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>


<div class=“toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed”>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">


=====Interactions=====
====Interactions====
<div class=“mw-collapsible-content”>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
*[[Types of Interactions and How to Detect Them]]
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
*[[Types of Interactions and How to Detect Them]]


<div class=“toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed”>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
 
====Velocity and Momentum====
=====Velocity and Momentum=====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class=“mw-collapsible-content”>
*[[Newton's First Law of Motion]]
*[[Newton’s First Law of Motion]]
*[[Mass]]
*[[Velocity]]
*[[Velocity]]
*[[Mass]]
*[[Speed]]
*[[Speed and Velocity]]
*[[Speed vs Velocity]]
*[[Relative Velocity]]
*[[Relative Velocity]]
*[[Derivation of Average Velocity]]
*[[Derivation of Average Velocity]]
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*[[3-Dimensional Position and Motion]]
*[[3-Dimensional Position and Motion]]
</div>
</div>
</div>
====Expert Content====
<div class=“toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed”>
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:vpython_resources Software for Projects]
</div>
</div>


===Week 2===
===Week 2===
====Student Content====
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
<div class=“toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed”>
====Momentum and the Momentum Principle====
=====Momentum and the Momentum Principle=====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class=“mw-collapsible-content”>
*[[Linear Momentum]]
*[[Momentum Principle]]
*[[Newton's Second Law: the Momentum Principle]]
*[[Impulse and Momentum]]
*[[Net Force]]
*[[Inertia]]
*[[Inertia]]
*[[Net Force]]
*[[Derivation of the Momentum Principle]]
*[[Impulse Momentum]]
*[[Acceleration]]
*[[Acceleration]]
*[[Momentum with respect to external Forces]]
*[[Relativistic Momentum]]
<!-- Kinematics and Projectile Motion relocated to Week 3 per advice of Dr. Greco -->
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>


<div class=“toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed”>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
=====Iterative Prediction with a Constant Force=====
 
<div class=“mw-collapsible-content”>
====Iterative Prediction with a Constant Force====
*[[Newton’s Second Law of Motion]]
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
*[[Iterative Prediction]]
*[[Iterative Prediction]]
*[[Kinematics]]
*[[Newton’s Laws and Linear Momentum]]
*[[Projectile Motion]]
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>


====Expert Content====
===Week 3===
<div class=“toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed”>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
 
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:scalars_and_vectors Scalars and Vectors]
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:displacement_and_velocity Displacement and Velocity]
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:modeling_with_vpython Modeling Motion with VPython]
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:relative_motion Relative Motion]
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:graphing_motion Graphing Motion]
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:momentum Momentum]
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:momentum_principle The Momentum Principle]
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:acceleration Acceleration & The Change in Momentum]
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:motionPredict Applying the Momentum Principle]
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:constantF Constant Force Motion]
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:iterativePredict Iterative Prediction of Motion]
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:mp_multi The Momentum Principle in Multi-particle Systems]
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:angular_motivation Why Angular Momentum?]
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:ang_momentum Angular Momentum]
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:L_principle Net Torque & The Angular Momentum Principle]
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:L_conservation Angular Momentum Conservation]


====Analytic Prediction with a Constant Force====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<!-- *[[Analytical Prediction]] Deprecated -->
*[[Kinematics]]
*[[Projectile Motion]]
</div>
</div>
</div>


<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">


 
====Iterative Prediction with a Varying Force====
===Week 3===
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
====Student Content====
*[[Fundamentals of Iterative Prediction with Varying Force]]
<div class=“toccolours \
*[[Spring_Force]]
mw-collapsible mw-collapsed”>
=====Analytic Prediction with a Constant Force=====
<div \
class=“mw-collapsible-content”>
*[[Analytical Prediction]]
</div>
</div>
 
<div class=“toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed”>
=====Iterative Prediction with a Varying Force=====
<div \
class=“mw-collapsible-content”>
*[[Predicting Change in multiple dimensions]]
*[[Spring Force]]
*[[Hooke’s Law]]
*[[Simple Harmonic Motion]]
*[[Simple Harmonic Motion]]
<!--*[[Hooke's Law]] folded into simple harmonic motion-->
<!--*[[Spring Force]] folded into simple harmonic motion-->
*[[Iterative Prediction of Spring-Mass System]]
*[[Iterative Prediction of Spring-Mass System]]
*[[Terminal Speed]]
*[[Terminal Speed]]
*[[Predicting Change in multiple dimensions]]
*[[Two Dimensional Harmonic Motion]]
*[[Determinism]]
*[[Determinism]]
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
====Expert Content====
<div class=“toccolours mw-collapsible \
mw-collapsed”>
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:drag Drag]
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:gravitation Non-constant Force: Newtonian Gravitation]
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:ucm Uniform Circular Motion]
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:impulseGraphs Impulse Graphs]
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:springMotion Non-constant Force: Springs & Spring-like Interactions]
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:friction Contact Interactions: The Normal Force & Friction]
</div>


===Week 4===
===Week 4===
====Student Content====
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
<div class=“toccolours \
====Fundamental Interactions====
mw-collapsible mw-collapsed”>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
=====Fundamental Interactions=====
<div class=“mw-collapsible-content”>
*[[Gravitational Force]]
*[[Gravitational Force]]
*[[Gravitational Force Near Earth]]
*[[Gravitational Force in Space and Other Applications]]
*[[3 or More Body Interactions]]
<!--[[Fluid Mechanics]]-->
*[[Electric Force]]
*[[Electric Force]]
*[[Introduction to Magnetic Force]]
*[[Strong and Weak Force]]
*[[Reciprocity]]
*[[Reciprocity]]
*[[Conservation of Momentum]]
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
====Expert Content====
<div class=“toccolours mw-collapsible \
mw-collapsed”>
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:gravitation Non-constant Force: Newtonian Gravitation]
</div>


===Week 5===
===Week 5===
====Student Content====
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
<div class=“toccolours \
====Properties of Matter====
mw-collapsible mw-collapsed”>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
=====Conservation of Momentum=====
<div class=“mw-collapsible-content”>
*[[Conservation of Momentum]]
</div>
</div>
<div class=“toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed”>
 
=====Properties of Matter=====
<div class=“mw-collapsible-content”>
*[[Kinds of Matter]]
*[[Kinds of Matter]]
**[[Ball and Spring Model of Matter]]
*[[Ball and Spring Model of Matter]]
*[[Density]]
*[[Density]]
*[[Length and Stiffness of an Interatomic Bond]]
*[[Length and Stiffness of an Interatomic Bond]]
*[[Young’s Modulus]]
*[[Young's Modulus]]
*[[Speed of Sound in Solids]]
*[[Speed of Sound in Solids]]
*[[Malleability]]
*[[Malleability]]
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*[[Boiling Point]]
*[[Boiling Point]]
*[[Melting Point]]
*[[Melting Point]]
*[[Change of State]]
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
====Expert Content====
<div class=“toccolours mw-collapsible \
mw-collapsed”>
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:model_of_a_wire Modeling a Solid Wire: springs in series and parallel]
</div>


===Week 6===
===Week 6===
====Student Content====
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
<div class=“toccolours \
====Identifying Forces====
mw-collapsible mw-collapsed”>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
=====Identifying Forces=====
<div class=“mw-collapsible-content”>
*[[Free Body Diagram]]
*[[Free Body Diagram]]
*[[Inclined Plane]]
*[[Compression or Normal Force]]
*[[Compression or Normal Force]]
*[[Tension]]
*[[Tension]]
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class=“toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed”>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
=====Curving Motion=====
 
<div class=“mw-collapsible-content”>
====Curving Motion====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
*[[Curving Motion]]
*[[Curving Motion]]
*[[Centripetal Force and Curving Motion]]
*[[Centripetal Force and Curving Motion]]
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</div>
</div>


====Expert Content====
===Week 7===
<div class=“toccolours mw-collapsible \
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
mw-collapsed”>
====Jeet Bhatkar====


* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:gravitation Non-constant Force: Newtonian Gravitation]
====Energy Principle====
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:grav_accel Gravitational Acceleration]
The Energy Principle is a fundamental concept in physics that describes the relationship between different forms of energy and their conservation within a system. Understanding the Energy Principle is crucial for analyzing the motion and interactions of objects in various physical scenarios.
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:ucm Uniform Circular Motion]
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:freebodydiagrams Free Body Diagrams]
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:curving_motion Curved Motion]


</div>
*[[Kinetic Energy]]
 
Kinetic energy is the energy an object possesses due to its motion.
 
*[[Work/Energy]]
===Week 7===
Potential energy arises from the position of an object relative to its surroundings. Common forms of potential energy include gravitational potential energy and elastic potential energy.
====Student Content====
<div class=“toccolours \
mw-collapsible mw-collapsed”>
=====Energy Principle=====
<div class=“mw-collapsible-content”>
*[[The Energy Principle]]
*[[The Energy Principle]]
Work and energy are closely related concepts. Work (
𝑊) done on an object is defined as the force (
𝐹) applied to the object multiplied by the displacement (
𝑑) of the object in the direction of the force:
The Energy Principle states that the total mechanical energy of a system remains constant if only conservative forces (forces that depend only on the positions of the objects) are acting on the system.
*[[Conservation of Energy]]
*[[Conservation of Energy]]
*[[Kinetic Energy]]
The principle of conservation of energy states that the total energy of an isolated system remains constant over time. In other words, energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed from one form to another. This principle is a fundamental concept in physics and has wide-ranging applications in mechanics, thermodynamics, and other branches of science.
*[[Work]]
*[[Power (Mechanical)]]
</div>
</div>
</div>
====Expert Content====
<div class=“toccolours mw-collapsible \
mw-collapsed”>
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:define_energy What is Energy?]
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:point_particle The Simplest System: A Single Particle]
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:work Work: Mechanical Energy Transfer]
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:energy_cons Conservation of Energy]
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:potential_energy Potential Energy]
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:grav_and_spring_PE (Near Earth) Gravitational and Spring Potential Energy]
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:force_and_PE Force and Potential Energy]
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:newton_grav_pe Newtonian Gravitational Potential Energy]
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:spring_PE Spring Potential Energy]
</div>
</div>


===Week 8===
===Week 8===
====Student Content====
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
<div class=“toccolours \
====Work by Non-Constant Forces====
mw-collapsible mw-collapsed”>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
=====Work by Non-Constant Forces=====
<div \
class=“mw-collapsible-content”>
*[[Work Done By A Nonconstant Force]]
*[[Work Done By A Nonconstant Force]]
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class=“toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed”>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
=====Potential Energy=====
====Potential Energy====
<div class=“mw-collapsible-content”>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
*[[Potential Energy]]
*[[Potential Energy]]
*[[Potential Energy of Macroscopic Springs]]
*[[Potential Energy of Macroscopic Springs]]
*[[Spring Potential Energy]]
*[[Spring Potential Energy]]
**[[Ball and Spring Model]]
*[[Ball and Spring Model]]
*[[Gravitational Potential Energy]]
*[[Gravitational Potential Energy]]
*[[Energy Graphs]]
*[[Energy Graphs]]
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</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
====Expert Content====
<div class=“toccolours mw-collapsible \
mw-collapsed”>
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:work_by_nc_forces Work Done by Non-Constant Forces]
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:potential_energy Potential Energy]
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:grav_and_spring_PE (Near Earth) Gravitational and Spring Potential Energy]
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:rest_mass Changes of Rest Mass Energy]
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:force_and_PE Force and Potential Energy]
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:newton_grav_pe Newtonian Gravitational Potential Energy]
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:grav_pe_graphs Graphing Energy for Gravitationally Interacting Systems]
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:spring_PE Spring Potential Energy]
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:power Power: The Rate of Energy Change]
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:energy_dissipation Dissipation of Energy]
</div>


===Week 9===
===Week 9===
====Student Content====
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
<div class=“toccolours \
====Multiparticle Systems====
mw-collapsible mw-collapsed”>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
=====Multiparticle Systems=====
<div class=“mw-collapsible-content”>
*[[Center of Mass]]
*[[Center of Mass]]
*[[Multi-particle analysis of Momentum]]
*[[Multi-particle analysis of Momentum]]
*[[Momentum with respect to external Forces]]
*[[Potential Energy of a Multiparticle System]]
*[[Potential Energy of a Multiparticle System]]
*[[Work and Energy for an Extended System]]
*[[Work and Energy for an Extended System]]
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</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
====Expert Content====
<div class=“toccolours mw-collapsible \
mw-collapsed”>
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:mp_multi The Momentum Principle in Multi-particle Systems]
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:center_of_mass Center of Mass Motion]
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:center_of_mass Center of Mass Motion]
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:energy_sep Separating Energy in Multi-Particle Systems]
</div>


===Week 10===
===Week 10===
====Student Content====
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
<div class=“toccolours \
====Choice of System====
mw-collapsible mw-collapsed”>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
=====Choice of System=====
<div class=“mw-collapsible-content”>
*[[System & Surroundings]]
*[[System & Surroundings]]
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class=“toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed”>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
=====Thermal Energy, Dissipation and Transfer of Energy=====
====Thermal Energy, Dissipation, and Transfer of Energy====
<div \
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
class=“mw-collapsible-content”>
*[[Thermal Energy]]
*[[Thermal Energy]]
*[[Specific Heat]]
*[[Specific Heat]]
*[[Heat Capacity]]
*[[Calorific Value(Heat of combustion)]]
*[[Specific Heat Capacity]]
*[[First Law of Thermodynamics]]
*[[First Law of Thermodynamics]]
*[[Second Law of Thermodynamics and Entropy]]
*[[Second Law of Thermodynamics and Entropy]]
*[[Temperature]]
*[[Temperature]]
*[[Predicting Change]]
*[[Energy Transfer due to a Temperature Difference]]
*[[Transformation of Energy]]
*[[Transformation of Energy]]
*[[The Maxwell-Boltzmann Distribution]]
*[[The Maxwell-Boltzmann Distribution]]
*[[Air Resistance]]
*[[Air Resistance]]
*[[The Third Law of Thermodynamics]]
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class=“toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed”>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
=====Rotational and Vibrational Energy=====
 
<div \
====Rotational and Vibrational Energy====
class=“mw-collapsible-content”>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
*[[Translational, Rotational and Vibrational Energy]]
*[[Translational, Rotational and Vibrational Energy]]
*[[Rolling Motion]]
</div>
</div>
</div>
====Expert Content====
<div class=“toccolours mw-collapsible \
mw-collapsed”>
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:grav_and_spring_PE (Near Earth) Gravitational and Spring Potential Energy]
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:rest_mass Changes of Rest Mass Energy]
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:newton_grav_pe Newtonian Gravitational Potential Energy]
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:grav_pe_graphs Graphing Energy for Gravitationally Interacting Systems]
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:escape_speed Escape Speed]
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:spring_PE Spring Potential Energy]
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:internal_energy Internal Energy]
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:system_choice Choosing a System Matters]
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:energy_dissipation Dissipation of Energy]
</div>
</div>


===Week 11===
===Week 11===
====Student Content====
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
<div class=“toccolours \
====Different Models of a System====
mw-collapsible mw-collapsed”>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
=====Different Models of a System=====
*[[Point Particle Systems]]
<div \
class=“mw-collapsible-content”>
*[[Real Systems]]
*[[Real Systems]]
*[[Point Particle Systems]]
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class=“toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed”>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
 
====Friction====
=====Models of Friction=====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class=“mw-collapsible-content”>
*[[Friction]]
*[[Friction]]
*[[Static Friction]]
*[[Static Friction]]
*[[Kinetic Friction]]
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>


====Expert Content====
===Week 12===
<div class=“toccolours mw-collapsible \
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
mw-collapsed”>
====Conservation of Momentum====
 
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:system_choice Choosing a System Matters]
*[[Conservation of Momentum]]
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:energy_dissipation Dissipation of Energy]
</div>
 
</div>
</div>
 
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
 
====Collisions====
===Week 12===
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
====Student Content====
*[[Newton's Third Law of Motion]]
<div class=“toccolours \
mw-collapsible mw-collapsed”>
=====Collisions=====
<div class=“mw-collapsible-content”>
*[[Newton’s Third Law of Motion]]
*[[Collisions]]
*[[Collisions]]
*[[Elastic Collisions]]
*[[Elastic Collisions]]
Line 473: Line 333:
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
====Expert Content====
<div class=“toccolours mw-collapsible \
mw-collapsed”>
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:collisions Colliding Objects]
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:center_of_mass Center of Mass Motion]
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:center_of_mass Center of Mass Motion]
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:rot_KE Rotational Kinetic Energy]
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:pp_vs_real Point Particle and Real Systems]
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:colliding_systems Collisions]
</div>


===Week 13===
===Week 13===
====Student Content====
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
<div class=“toccolours \
====Rotations====
mw-collapsible mw-collapsed”>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
=====Rotations=====
*[[Rotational Kinematics]]
<div class=“mw-collapsible-content”>
*[[Rotation]]
*[[Angular Velocity]]
*[[Eulerian Angles]]
*[[Eulerian Angles]]
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class=“toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed”>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
=====Angular Momentum=====
 
<div class=“mw-collapsible-content”>
====Angular Momentum====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
*[[Total Angular Momentum]]
*[[Total Angular Momentum]]
*[[Translational Angular Momentum]]
*[[Translational Angular Momentum]]
*[[Rotational Angular Momentum]]
*[[Rotational Angular Momentum]]
*[[The Angular Momentum Principle]]
*[[The Angular Momentum Principle]]
*[[Angular Momentum Compared to Linear Momentum]]
*[[Angular Impulse]]
*[[Angular Impulse]]
*[[Predicting the Position of a Rotating System]]
*[[Predicting the Position of a Rotating System]]
*[[Angular Momentum of Multiparticle Systems]]
*[[The Moments of Inertia]]
*[[The Moments of Inertia]]
*[[Moment of Inertia for a cylinder]]
*[[Right Hand Rule]]
*[[Right Hand Rule]]
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>


====Expert Content====
<div class=“toccolours mw-collapsible \
mw-collapsed”>
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:rot_KE Rotational Kinetic Energy]
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:angular_motivation Why Angular Momentum?]
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:ang_momentum Angular Momentum]
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:L_principle Net Torque & The Angular Momentum Principle]
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:L_conservation Angular Momentum Conservation]
</div>
===Week 14===
===Week 14===
 
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
 
====Analyzing Motion with and without Torque====
====Student Content====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class=“toccolours mw-collapsible \
mw-collapsed”>
=====Analyzing Motion with and without Torque=====
<div \
class=“mw-collapsible-content”>
*[[Torque]]
*[[Torque]]
*[[Torque 2]]
*[[Torque 2]]
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*[[Gyroscopes]]
*[[Gyroscopes]]
</div>
</div>
</div>
====Expert Content====
<div class=“toccolours mw-collapsible \
mw-collapsed”>
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:discovery_of_the_nucleus Discovery of the Nucleus]
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:torque Torques Cause Changes in Rotation]
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:L_principle Net Torque & The Angular Momentum Principle]
</div>
</div>


===Week 15===
===Week 15===
 
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
 
====Introduction to Quantum Concepts====
====Student Content====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class=“toccolours mw-collapsible \
mw-collapsed”>
=====Introduction to Quantum Concepts=====
<div \class=“mw-collapsible-content”>
*[[Bohr Model]]
*[[Bohr Model]]
*[[Energy graphs and the Bohr model]]
*[[Energy graphs and the Bohr model]]
*[[Quantized energy levels]]
*[[Quantized energy levels]]
*[[Electron transitions]]
*[[Entropy]]
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
====Expert Content====
<div class=“toccolours mw-collapsible \
mw-collapsed”>
* [http://p3server.pa.msu.edu/coursewiki/doku.php?id=183_notes:discovery_of_the_nucleus Discovery of the Nucleus]
</div>
</div>


 
<div style="float:left; width:30%; padding:1%;">
<div style=“float:left; width:30%; padding:1%;>


==Physics 2==
==Physics 2==
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<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
====3D Vectors====
====3D Vectors====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
*[[Page claimed by Laura Winalski]]*
*[[Vectors]]
*[[Vectors]]
*[[Right-Hand Rule]]
*[[Right-Hand Rule]]
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<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">


'''CLAIMED BY DIPRO CHAKRABORTY'''
'''CLAIMED BY DIPRO CHAKRABORTY'''
'''CLAIMED BY DIPRO CHAKRABORTY'''
'''CLAIMED BY DIPRO CHAKRABORTY'''
'''CLAIMED BY DIPRO CHAKRABORTY'''
====Electric field====
====Electric field====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
*[[Electric Field]]
*[[Electric Field and Electric Potential]]
</div>
</div>


[[Electric field]]
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
 
The electric field created by a charge is present throughout space at all times, whether or not there is another charge around to feel its effects. The electric field created by a charge penetrates through matter. The field permeates the neighboring space, biding its time until it can affect anything brought into its space of interaction. 
 
==The Main Idea==
To be exact, the definition of the Electric Field is as follows:
The electric field is a region around a charged particle or object within which a force would be exerted on other objects.
If we put a charged particle at a location and it experiences a force, it would be logical to assume that there is something present that
is interacting with the particle. This "virtual force" is in essence the electric field.
===A Mathematical Model===
 
The electric field can be expressed mathematically as follows:
 
<math>{\vec{F_{net}} = 0 \Leftrightarrow \frac{d\vec{v}}{dt}} = 0</math>
 
<math>{\vec{F_{2}} = {q_{1}}{\vec{E_{1}}} \Leftrightarrow \frac{d\vec{v}}{dt}} </math>
 
which can be translated to postulate that the force on particle 2 is determined by the charge of particle 2 and the electric
field.
 
 
==Examples==
 
The following examples are to test your basic understanding of the Electric Field. For more examples that test your knowledge of all three of the laws, peruse the class textbook.
 
===Simple===
Which way is the electric field going for a negatively charged particle?
 
[[File:Simple111.png]]
 
It's easy to see that the electric field is pointing toward the negatively charged particle. The electric field is tending
toward the negatively charged particle.
 
===Middling===
Does the object in the following image have a net force of zero? Does it have a constant velocity?
 
 
This example is slightly more difficult, but is still quite trivial. If we sum the forces in the x direction, we see that the net force is 2 newtons in the -x direction. Therefore, the object does not have a constant velocity, and will be accelerating in the -x direction.
 
===Difficult===
Does the object in the following image have a net force of zero? Does it have a constant velocity?
 
 
This final example tests your knowledge and understanding of Newton's First Law. We're able to see that the box will accelerate in the -x direction because the net force in the x direction is 5 newtons to the left. However, the box itself has a velocity of 5m/s upwards, which would indeed stay constant. This is because forces (and motion) in perpendicular directions are  of each other.
 
==Connectedness==
 
Newton's laws of motion tie into almost everything that we see or do. The first law, in particular, explains why we suddenly lurch forward when a car suddenly stops (our bodies are in a state of motion and thus resist the sudden stop), why it's much harder to stop when ice skating than walking (there's less friction, thus less net force to decelerate), and much, much, more. The importance of Newton's first law (and by extension, the other laws of motion) is not readily apparent, but serves as a basis to explain much of our daily interactions with our surroundings.
 
It can also apply to things outside of our daily interactions - space, for example. Newton's first law describes why an astronaut in space will continuously float in a direction forever if they are not pulled in by an asteroid or a planet's gravitational force. There is a lack of a net force opposing the astronaut's motion (due to the fact that there is no air in space) which results in the astronaut having a constant velocity. Floating off into space is probably an astronaut's worst nightmare, a scenario that a recent movie, ''Gravity'', explored. The entire premise of the movie (Sandra Bullock becomes untethered from her space station) relies on Newton's first law of motion.
==History==
 
While Galileo is the one credited with the idea of inertia motion, it was René Descartes, a French philosopher, who would expand upon Galileo's ideas. Descartes went on to propose three fundamental laws of nature in his book, ''Principles of Philosophy'', the first of which stated that "each thing, as far as is in its power, always remains in the same state; and that consequently, when it is once moved, it always continues to move." Thus, while the concept of inertia is often referred to as Newton's First Law, it was first described by Galileo and then perfected by Descartes decades before Newton published his findings.
 
As for Newton, he first described his three laws of motion in ''The Mathematical Principle of Natural Philosophy'', for the Principia, which was published in 1687. These laws described the relationship between an object and the forces acting upon it and laid the foundation for classical mechanics. While Newton's first law came from the work of Descartes and Galileo, his other laws are the work of himself.
 
==The Main Idea==
To be exact, the definition of the Electric Field is as follows:
The electric field is a region around a charged particle or object within which a force would be exerted on other objects.
If we put a charged particle at a location and it experiences a force, it would be logical to assume that there is something present that
is interacting with the particle. This "virtual force" is in essence the electric field.
===A Mathematical Model===
 
The electric field can be expressed mathematically as follows:
 
<math>{\vec{F_{net}} = 0 \Leftrightarrow \frac{d\vec{v}}{dt}} = 0</math>
 
<math>{\vec{F_{2}} = {q_{1}}{\vec{E_{1}}} \Leftrightarrow \frac{d\vec{v}}{dt}} </math>
 
which can be translated to postulate that the force on particle 2 is determined by the charge of particle 2 and the electric
field.
 
 
==Examples==
 
The following examples are to test your basic understanding of the Electric Field. For more examples that test your knowledge of all three of the laws, peruse the class textbook.
 
===Simple===
Which way is the electric field going for a negatively charged particle?
 
[[File:Simple111.png]]
 
It's easy to see that the electric field is pointing toward the negatively charged particle. The electric field is tending
toward the negatively charged particle.
 
===Middling===
Does the object in the following image have a net force of zero? Does it have a constant velocity?
 
 
This example is slightly more difficult, but is still quite trivial. If we sum the forces in the x direction, we see that the net force is 2 newtons in the -x direction. Therefore, the object does not have a constant velocity, and will be accelerating in the -x direction.
 
===Difficult===
Does the object in the following image have a net force of zero? Does it have a constant velocity?
 
 
This final example tests your knowledge and understanding of Newton's First Law. We're able to see that the box will accelerate in the -x direction because the net force in the x direction is 5 newtons to the left. However, the box itself has a velocity of 5m/s upwards, which would indeed stay constant. This is because forces (and motion) in perpendicular directions are  of each other.
 
==Connectedness==
 
Newton's laws of motion tie into almost everything that we see or do. The first law, in particular, explains why we suddenly lurch forward when a car suddenly stops (our bodies are in a state of motion and thus resist the sudden stop), why it's much harder to stop when ice skating than walking (there's less friction, thus less net force to decelerate), and much, much, more. The importance of Newton's first law (and by extension, the other laws of motion) is not readily apparent, but serves as a basis to explain much of our daily interactions with our surroundings.
 
It can also apply to things outside of our daily interactions - space, for example. Newton's first law describes why an astronaut in space will continuously float in a direction forever if they are not pulled in by an asteroid or a planet's gravitational force. There is a lack of a net force opposing the astronaut's motion (due to the fact that there is no air in space) which results in the astronaut having a constant velocity. Floating off into space is probably an astronaut's worst nightmare, a scenario that a recent movie, ''Gravity'', explored. The entire premise of the movie (Sandra Bullock becomes untethered from her space station) relies on Newton's first law of motion.
==History==
 
While Galileo is the one credited with the idea of inertia motion, it was René Descartes, a French philosopher, who would expand upon Galileo's ideas. Descartes went on to propose three fundamental laws of nature in his book, ''Principles of Philosophy'', the first of which stated that "each thing, as far as is in its power, always remains in the same state; and that consequently, when it is once moved, it always continues to move." Thus, while the concept of inertia is often referred to as Newton's First Law, it was first described by Galileo and then perfected by Descartes decades before Newton published his findings.
 
As for Newton, he first described his three laws of motion in ''The Mathematical Principle of Natural Philosophy'', for the Principia, which was published in 1687. These laws described the relationship between an object and the forces acting upon it and laid the foundation for classical mechanics. While Newton's first law came from the work of Descartes and Galileo, his other laws are the work of himself.
 
==The Main Idea==
To be exact, the definition of the Electric Field is as follows:
The electric field is a region around a charged particle or object within which a force would be exerted on other objects.
If we put a charged particle at a location and it experiences a force, it would be logical to assume that there is something present that
is interacting with the particle. This "virtual force" is in essence the electric field.
===A Mathematical Model===
 
The electric field can be expressed mathematically as follows:
 
<math>{\vec{F_{net}} = 0 \Leftrightarrow \frac{d\vec{v}}{dt}} = 0</math>
 
<math>{\vec{F_{2}} = {q_{1}}{\vec{E_{1}}} \Leftrightarrow \frac{d\vec{v}}{dt}} </math>
 
which can be translated to postulate that the force on particle 2 is determined by the charge of particle 2 and the electric
field.
 
 
==Examples==
 
The following examples are to test your basic understanding of the Electric Field. For more examples that test your knowledge of all three of the laws, peruse the class textbook.
 
===Simple===
Which way is the electric field going for a negatively charged particle?
 
[[File:Simple111.png]]
 
It's easy to see that the electric field is pointing toward the negatively charged particle. The electric field is tending
toward the negatively charged particle.
 
===Middling===
Does the object in the following image have a net force of zero? Does it have a constant velocity?
 
 
This example is slightly more difficult, but is still quite trivial. If we sum the forces in the x direction, we see that the net force is 2 newtons in the -x direction. Therefore, the object does not have a constant velocity, and will be accelerating in the -x direction.
 
===Difficult===
Does the object in the following image have a net force of zero? Does it have a constant velocity?
 
 
This final example tests your knowledge and understanding of Newton's First Law. We're able to see that the box will accelerate in the -x direction because the net force in the x direction is 5 newtons to the left. However, the box itself has a velocity of 5m/s upwards, which would indeed stay constant. This is because forces (and motion) in perpendicular directions are  of each other.
 
==Connectedness==
 
Newton's laws of motion tie into almost everything that we see or do. The first law, in particular, explains why we suddenly lurch forward when a car suddenly stops (our bodies are in a state of motion and thus resist the sudden stop), why it's much harder to stop when ice skating than walking (there's less friction, thus less net force to decelerate), and much, much, more. The importance of Newton's first law (and by extension, the other laws of motion) is not readily apparent, but serves as a basis to explain much of our daily interactions with our surroundings.
 
It can also apply to things outside of our daily interactions - space, for example. Newton's first law describes why an astronaut in space will continuously float in a direction forever if they are not pulled in by an asteroid or a planet's gravitational force. There is a lack of a net force opposing the astronaut's motion (due to the fact that there is no air in space) which results in the astronaut having a constant velocity. Floating off into space is probably an astronaut's worst nightmare, a scenario that a recent movie, ''Gravity'', explored. The entire premise of the movie (Sandra Bullock becomes untethered from her space station) relies on Newton's first law of motion.
==History==
 
While Galileo is the one credited with the idea of inertia motion, it was René Descartes, a French philosopher, who would expand upon Galileo's ideas. Descartes went on to propose three fundamental laws of nature in his book, ''Principles of Philosophy'', the first of which stated that "each thing, as far as is in its power, always remains in the same state; and that consequently, when it is once moved, it always continues to move." Thus, while the concept of inertia is often referred to as Newton's First Law, it was first described by Galileo and then perfected by Descartes decades before Newton published his findings.
 
As for Newton, he first described his three laws of motion in ''The Mathematical Principle of Natural Philosophy'', for the Principia, which was published in 1687. These laws described the relationship between an object and the forces acting upon it and laid the foundation for classical mechanics. While Newton's first law came from the work of Descartes and Galileo, his other laws are the work of himself.
 
==The Main Idea==
To be exact, the definition of the Electric Field is as follows:
The electric field is a region around a charged particle or object within which a force would be exerted on other objects.
If we put a charged particle at a location and it experiences a force, it would be logical to assume that there is something present that
is interacting with the particle. This "virtual force" is in essence the electric field.
===A Mathematical Model===
 
The electric field can be expressed mathematically as follows:
 
<math>{\vec{F_{net}} = 0 \Leftrightarrow \frac{d\vec{v}}{dt}} = 0</math>
 
<math>{\vec{F_{2}} = {q_{1}}{\vec{E_{1}}} \Leftrightarrow \frac{d\vec{v}}{dt}} </math>
 
which can be translated to postulate that the force on particle 2 is determined by the charge of particle 2 and the electric
field.
 
 
==Examples==
 
The following examples are to test your basic understanding of the Electric Field. For more examples that test your knowledge of all three of the laws, peruse the class textbook.
 
===Simple===
Which way is the electric field going for a negatively charged particle?
 
[[File:Simple111.png]]
 
It's easy to see that the electric field is pointing toward the negatively charged particle. The electric field is tending
toward the negatively charged particle.
 
===Middling===
Does the object in the following image have a net force of zero? Does it have a constant velocity?
 
 
This example is slightly more difficult, but is still quite trivial. If we sum the forces in the x direction, we see that the net force is 2 newtons in the -x direction. Therefore, the object does not have a constant velocity, and will be accelerating in the -x direction.
 
===Difficult===
Does the object in the following image have a net force of zero? Does it have a constant velocity?
 
 
This final example tests your knowledge and understanding of Newton's First Law. We're able to see that the box will accelerate in the -x direction because the net force in the x direction is 5 newtons to the left. However, the box itself has a velocity of 5m/s upwards, which would indeed stay constant. This is because forces (and motion) in perpendicular directions are  of each other.
 
==Connectedness==
 
Newton's laws of motion tie into almost everything that we see or do. The first law, in particular, explains why we suddenly lurch forward when a car suddenly stops (our bodies are in a state of motion and thus resist the sudden stop), why it's much harder to stop when ice skating than walking (there's less friction, thus less net force to decelerate), and much, much, more. The importance of Newton's first law (and by extension, the other laws of motion) is not readily apparent, but serves as a basis to explain much of our daily interactions with our surroundings.
 
It can also apply to things outside of our daily interactions - space, for example. Newton's first law describes why an astronaut in space will continuously float in a direction forever if they are not pulled in by an asteroid or a planet's gravitational force. There is a lack of a net force opposing the astronaut's motion (due to the fact that there is no air in space) which results in the astronaut having a constant velocity. Floating off into space is probably an astronaut's worst nightmare, a scenario that a recent movie, ''Gravity'', explored. The entire premise of the movie (Sandra Bullock becomes untethered from her space station) relies on Newton's first law of motion.
==History==
 
While Galileo is the one credited with the idea of inertia motion, it was René Descartes, a French philosopher, who would expand upon Galileo's ideas. Descartes went on to propose three fundamental laws of nature in his book, ''Principles of Philosophy'', the first of which stated that "each thing, as far as is in its power, always remains in the same state; and that consequently, when it is once moved, it always continues to move." Thus, while the concept of inertia is often referred to as Newton's First Law, it was first described by Galileo and then perfected by Descartes decades before Newton published his findings.
 
As for Newton, he first described his three laws of motion in ''The Mathematical Principle of Natural Philosophy'', for the Principia, which was published in 1687. These laws described the relationship between an object and the forces acting upon it and laid the foundation for classical mechanics. While Newton's first law came from the work of Descartes and Galileo, his other laws are the work of himself.
 
==The Main Idea==
To be exact, the definition of the Electric Field is as follows:
The electric field is a region around a charged particle or object within which a force would be exerted on other objects.
If we put a charged particle at a location and it experiences a force, it would be logical to assume that there is something present that
is interacting with the particle. This "virtual force" is in essence the electric field.
===A Mathematical Model===
 
The electric field can be expressed mathematically as follows:
 
<math>{\vec{F_{net}} = 0 \Leftrightarrow \frac{d\vec{v}}{dt}} = 0</math>
 
<math>{\vec{F_{2}} = {q_{1}}{\vec{E_{1}}} \Leftrightarrow \frac{d\vec{v}}{dt}} = 0</math>
 
which can be translated to postulate that the force on particle 2 is determined by the charge of particle 2 and the electric
field.
 
 
==Examples==
 
The following examples are to test your basic understanding of the Electric Field. For more examples that test your knowledge of all three of the laws, peruse the class textbook.
 
===Simple===
Which way is the electric field going for a negatively charged particle?
 
[[File:Example.jpg]]
 
It's easy to see that the electric field is pointing toward the negatively charged particle. The electric field is tending
toward the negatively charged particle.
 
===Middling===
Does the object in the following image have a net force of zero? Does it have a constant velocity?
 
 
This example is slightly more difficult, but is still quite trivial. If we sum the forces in the x direction, we see that the net force is 2 newtons in the -x direction. Therefore, the object does not have a constant velocity, and will be accelerating in the -x direction.
 
===Difficult===
Does the object in the following image have a net force of zero? Does it have a constant velocity?
 


This final example tests your knowledge and understanding of Newton's First Law. We're able to see that the box will accelerate in the -x direction because the net force in the x direction is 5 newtons to the left. However, the box itself has a velocity of 5m/s upwards, which would indeed stay constant. This is because forces (and motion) in perpendicular directions are  of each other.
== Electric force ==
'''Jeet Bhatkar – Fall 2025'''


==Connectedness==
== Big Idea ==
Electric force is the interaction between objects that have electric charge. It is:


Newton's laws of motion tie into almost everything that we see or do. The first law, in particular, explains why we suddenly lurch forward when a car suddenly stops (our bodies are in a state of motion and thus resist the sudden stop), why it's much harder to stop when ice skating than walking (there's less friction, thus less net force to decelerate), and much, much, more. The importance of Newton's first law (and by extension, the other laws of motion) is not readily apparent, but serves as a basis to explain much of our daily interactions with our surroundings.
* '''Long-range''': acts even when charges do not touch 
* '''Vector-valued''': has magnitude and direction 
* '''Superposable''': forces from many charges add as vectors 


It can also apply to things outside of our daily interactions - space, for example. Newton's first law describes why an astronaut in space will continuously float in a direction forever if they are not pulled in by an asteroid or a planet's gravitational force. There is a lack of a net force opposing the astronaut's motion (due to the fact that there is no air in space) which results in the astronaut having a constant velocity. Floating off into space is probably an astronaut's worst nightmare, a scenario that a recent movie, ''Gravity'', explored. The entire premise of the movie (Sandra Bullock becomes untethered from her space station) relies on Newton's first law of motion.
At the intro level, the electric force between two point charges is described by Coulomb’s law, the electrostatic analog of the gravitational force between masses.
==History==


While Galileo is the one credited with the idea of inertia motion, it was René Descartes, a French philosopher, who would expand upon Galileo's ideas. Descartes went on to propose three fundamental laws of nature in his book, ''Principles of Philosophy'', the first of which stated that "each thing, as far as is in its power, always remains in the same state; and that consequently, when it is once moved, it always continues to move." Thus, while the concept of inertia is often referred to as Newton's First Law, it was first described by Galileo and then perfected by Descartes decades before Newton published his findings.
== Key Equations ==


As for Newton, he first described his three laws of motion in ''The Mathematical Principle of Natural Philosophy'', for the Principia, which was published in 1687. These laws described the relationship between an object and the forces acting upon it and laid the foundation for classical mechanics. While Newton's first law came from the work of Descartes and Galileo, his other laws are the work of himself.
'''Coulomb’s Law (magnitude)'''
:[math]\displaystyle{ F = k \dfrac{|q_1 q_2|}{r^2} }[/math]


==The Main Idea==
* [math]\displaystyle{F}[/math] = magnitude of the electric force
To be exact, the definition of the Electric Field is as follows:
* [math]\displaystyle{k \approx 8.99 \times 10^9\ \text{N·m}^2/\text{C}^2}[/math] 
The electric field is a region around a charged particle or object within which a force would be exerted on other charged particles or objects.
* [math]\displaystyle{q_1, q_2}[/math] = charges (C) 
If we put a charged particle at a location and it experiences a force, it would be logical to assume that there is something present that
* [math]\displaystyle{r}[/math] = separation between the charges (m)
is interacting with the particle. This "virtual force" is in essence the electric field.
===A Mathematical Model===


The electric field can be expressed mathematically as follows:
'''Coulomb’s Law (vector form)'''
:[math]\displaystyle{ \vec{F}_{2 \leftarrow 1} = k \dfrac{q_1 q_2}{r^2} \,\hat{r}_{2 \leftarrow 1} }[/math]


<math>{\vec{F_{net}} = 0 \Leftrightarrow \frac{d\vec{v}}{dt}} = 0</math>
* [math]\displaystyle{\vec{F}_{2 \leftarrow 1}}[/math] = force on charge 2 due to charge 1 
* [math]\displaystyle{\hat{r}_{2 \leftarrow 1}}[/math] = unit vector from 1 to 2 


<math>{\vec{F_{2}} = {q_{1}}{\vec{E_{1}}} \Leftrightarrow \frac{d\vec{v}}{dt}} = 0</math>
'''Relation to Electric Field'''
:[math]\displaystyle{ \vec{F} = q \vec{E} }[/math]


which can be translated to postulate that the force on particle 2 is determined by the charge of particle 2 and the electric
Once you know [math]\displaystyle{\vec{E}}[/math] at a point, you can find the force on any charge [math]\displaystyle{q}[/math] placed there.
field.


== Conceptual Picture ==


==Examples==
'''Sign of charges'''
* Like charges (both positive or both negative) → '''repel''' 
* Unlike charges (one positive, one negative) → '''attract'''


The following examples are to test your basic understanding of Newton's First Law. For more examples that test your knowledge of all three of the laws, click .
'''Distance dependence'''
* Force falls off as [math]\displaystyle{1/r^2}[/math], so doubling the distance makes the force 4 times smaller.


===Simple===
'''Superposition principle'''
Does the object in the following image have a net force of zero? Does it have a constant velocity?
If there are many charges, the net force on a given charge is the vector sum of the forces from each individual charge:
[math]\displaystyle{ \vec{F}_\text{net} = \sum_i \vec{F}_i }[/math].


'''Electric vs. gravitational force'''
* Both follow inverse-square laws 
* Gravity is always attractive; electric force can be attractive or repulsive 
* Electric forces are usually much stronger at the particle scale 


== Worked Example 1: Two Point Charges on a Line ==


It's easy to see that the only force on the object is acting in the +x direction, with a magnitude of 5 newtons. Therefore, the object does not have a net force of zero or a constant velocity. It will be accelerating in the +x direction.
'''Problem.''' 
Two charges are placed on the x-axis:


===Middling===
* [math]\displaystyle{q_1 = +3.0\ \mu\text{C}}[/math] at [math]\displaystyle{x = 0.00\ \text{m}}[/math] 
Does the object in the following image have a net force of zero? Does it have a constant velocity?
* [math]\displaystyle{q_2 = -2.0\ \mu\text{C}}[/math] at [math]\displaystyle{x = 0.40\ \text{m}}[/math] 


What is the magnitude and direction of the force on [math]\displaystyle{q_2}[/math]?


This example is slightly more difficult, but is still quite trivial. If we sum the forces in the x direction, we see that the net force is 2 newtons in the -x direction. Therefore, the object does not have a constant velocity, and will be accelerating in the -x direction.
'''Solution (outline).'''


===Difficult===
# Distance between charges: 
Does the object in the following image have a net force of zero? Does it have a constant velocity?
[math]\displaystyle{ r = 0.40\ \text{m} }[/math].


# Magnitude using Coulomb’s law: 
[math]\displaystyle{
F = k \dfrac{|q_1 q_2|}{r^2}
= (8.99 \times 10^9)\,\dfrac{(3.0 \times 10^{-6})(2.0 \times 10^{-6})}{(0.40)^2}
}[/math]


This final example tests your knowledge and understanding of Newton's First Law. We're able to see that the box will accelerate in the -x direction because the net force in the x direction is 5 newtons to the left. However, the box itself has a velocity of 5m/s upwards, which would indeed stay constant. This is because forces (and motion) in perpendicular directions are of each other.
# Sign and direction: 
* [math]\displaystyle{q_1}[/math] is positive, [math]\displaystyle{q_2}[/math] is negative → force is '''attractive''' 
* On [math]\displaystyle{q_2}[/math], the force points toward [math]\displaystyle{q_1}[/math] 
* Since [math]\displaystyle{q_1}[/math] is at smaller x, the force on [math]\displaystyle{q_2}[/math] points in the '''−x''' direction   


==Connectedness==
You can finish by computing the numerical value and writing it as a vector, e.g. [math]\displaystyle{\vec{F}_{2 \leftarrow 1} = -F\,\hat{x}}[/math].


Newton's laws of motion tie into almost everything that we see or do. The first law, in particular, explains why we suddenly lurch forward when a car suddenly stops (our bodies are in a state of motion and thus resist the sudden stop), why it's much harder to stop when ice skating than walking (there's less friction, thus less net force to decelerate), and much, much, more. The importance of Newton's first law (and by extension, the other laws of motion) is not readily apparent, but serves as a basis to explain much of our daily interactions with our surroundings.
== Worked Example 2: Superposition with Three Charges ==


It can also apply to things outside of our daily interactions - space, for example. Newton's first law describes why an astronaut in space will continuously float in a direction forever if they are not pulled in by an asteroid or a planet's gravitational force. There is a lack of a net force opposing the astronaut's motion (due to the fact that there is no air in space) which results in the astronaut having a constant velocity. Floating off into space is probably an astronaut's worst nightmare, a scenario that a recent movie, ''Gravity'', explored. The entire premise of the movie (Sandra Bullock becomes untethered from her space station) relies on Newton's first law of motion.
'''Problem.''' 
==History==
Three equal charges [math]\displaystyle{q}[/math] are at the corners of an equilateral triangle of side [math]\displaystyle{a}[/math]. What is the net force on one of the charges?


While Galileo is the one credited with the idea of inertia motion, it was René Descartes, a French philosopher, who would expand upon Galileo's ideas. Descartes went on to propose three fundamental laws of nature in his book, ''Principles of Philosophy'', the first of which stated that "each thing, as far as is in its power, always remains in the same state; and that consequently, when it is once moved, it always continues to move." Thus, while the concept of inertia is often referred to as Newton's First Law, it was first described by Galileo and then perfected by Descartes decades before Newton published his findings.
'''Idea (no full algebra).'''


As for Newton, he first described his three laws of motion in ''The Mathematical Principle of Natural Philosophy'', for the Principia, which was published in 1687. These laws described the relationship between an object and the forces acting upon it and laid the foundation for classical mechanics. While Newton's first law came from the work of Descartes and Galileo, his other laws are the work of himself.
* Each of the other two charges exerts a force of magnitude 
  [math]\displaystyle{ F = k \dfrac{q^2}{a^2} }[/math] 
* The angle between these two forces is [math]\displaystyle{60^\circ}[/math] 
* Use vector addition: 
  * Add components along the symmetry axis 
  * Perpendicular components cancel by symmetry 


==The Main Idea==
This shows how symmetry plus superposition simplify the vector addition.
To be exact, the definition of the First Law of Motion is as follows:
The electric field is a region around a charged particle or object within which a force would be exerted on other charged particles or objects.
In other (and much simpler) terms, it means that an object at rest stays at rest and an object in in motion stays in motion at a constant velocity unless acted on by an unbalanced net force. It's important to keep in mind that only a difference in affect the velocity of an object. The amount of change in velocity is determined by
===A Mathematical Model===


Newton's first law can be stated mathematically as follows:
== Computational Model (GlowScript) ==


<math>{\vec{F_{net}} = 0 \Leftrightarrow \frac{d\vec{v}}{dt}} = 0</math>
Below is a simple GlowScript (VPython) model that computes and visualizes the electric force between two point charges in 3D.


Where...
You can:
* Paste this into a new GlowScript Trinket (Python / VPython),
* Get the embed code from Trinket,
* Embed that code into this page so it runs directly here.


<math>\vec{F_{net}}</math> is the net force from the surroundings.
<syntaxhighlight lang="python">
from vpython import *


<math>d\vec{v}</math> is the change in velocity of the system.
# constant
k = 8.99e9  # N·m^2/C^2


<math>dt</math> is the change in time of the system
# scene setup
scene.caption = "Drag the red charge to see how the force on the blue charge changes.\n"


If we trace this formula from the left to the right, we can see that if the net force on an object is zero, then the change in velocity of an object is also zero. Conversely, if we were given an object and told that its change in momentum is zero, then we can deduce that the net force acting on the object is also zero. Keep in mind, however, that this formula simple deals with the '''change''' in velocity. It does '''not''' mean that the object is at rest, only that its velocity remains constant.
# charges (positions in meters, charges in coulombs)
q1 = 2e-6  # C (blue, fixed)
q2 = -3e-6  # C (red, movable)


==Examples==
charge1 = sphere(pos=vector(-0.5, 0, 0), radius=0.05, color=color.blue)
charge2 = sphere(pos=vector(0.5, 0, 0), radius=0.05, color=color.red, make_trail=True)


The following examples are to test your basic understanding of Newton's First Law. For more examples that test your knowledge of all three of the laws, click .
# arrow to show force on q2 due to q1
F_arrow = arrow(pos=charge2.pos, axis=vector(0.2, 0, 0))


===Simple===
def electric_force(q1, q2, r1, r2):
Does the object in the following image have a net force of zero? Does it have a constant velocity?
    r_vec = r2 - r1
    r = mag(r_vec)
    if r == 0:
        return vector(0, 0, 0)
    F_mag = k * q1 * q2 / r**2
    return F_mag * norm(r_vec)


dragging = False


def down():
    global dragging
    if scene.mouse.pick is charge2:
        dragging = True


It's easy to see that the only force on the object is acting in the +x direction, with a magnitude of 5 newtons. Therefore, the object does not have a net force of zero or a constant velocity. It will be accelerating in the +x direction.
def up():
    global dragging
    dragging = False


===Middling===
scene.bind("mousedown", lambda evt: down())
Does the object in the following image have a net force of zero? Does it have a constant velocity?
scene.bind("mouseup",  lambda evt: up())


while True:
    rate(60)


This example is slightly more difficult, but is still quite trivial. If we sum the forces in the x direction, we see that the net force is 2 newtons in the -x direction. Therefore, the object does not have a constant velocity, and will be accelerating in the -x direction.
    if dragging:
        # move the red charge with the mouse in the x-y plane
        m = scene.mouse.pos
        charge2.pos = vector(m.x, m.y, 0)


===Difficult===
    F = electric_force(q1, q2, charge1.pos, charge2.pos)
Does the object in the following image have a net force of zero? Does it have a constant velocity?


    # update arrow to show force on q2
    F_arrow.pos = charge2.pos
    # scale arrow length for visibility (purely visual)
    F_arrow.axis = F * 1e7
</syntaxhighlight>


This final example tests your knowledge and understanding of Newton's First Law. We're able to see that the box will accelerate in the -x direction because the net force in the x direction is 5 newtons to the left. However, the box itself has a velocity of 5m/s upwards, which would indeed stay constant. This is because forces (and motion) in perpendicular directions are  of each other.
You can extend this model to include more charges or show the net force on a test charge at different locations.


==Connectedness==
== Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them ==


Newton's laws of motion tie into almost everything that we see or do. The first law, in particular, explains why we suddenly lurch forward when a car suddenly stops (our bodies are in a state of motion and thus resist the sudden stop), why it's much harder to stop when ice skating than walking (there's less friction, thus less net force to decelerate), and much, much, more. The importance of Newton's first law (and by extension, the other laws of motion) is not readily apparent, but serves as a basis to explain much of our daily interactions with our surroundings.
* '''Forgetting that force is a vector.''' 
  Always draw a diagram and keep track of directions. Use components in 2D/3D.
* '''Dropping the absolute value in the magnitude formula.''' 
  [math]\displaystyle{ F = k \dfrac{|q_1 q_2|}{r^2} }[/math] is a positive magnitude. Decide direction separately.
* '''Mixing up [math]\displaystyle{r}[/math] and [math]\displaystyle{r^2}[/math].''' 
  The force goes like [math]\displaystyle{1/r^2}[/math], not [math]\displaystyle{1/r}[/math].
* '''Using wrong units.''' 
  Convert microcoulombs to coulombs, centimeters to meters, etc. 
  [math]\displaystyle{1\ \mu\text{C} = 1 \times 10^{-6}\ \text{C}}[/math].
* '''Trying to memorize instead of understand.''
  Focus on inverse-square behavior, sign of charges, and superposition.


It can also apply to things outside of our daily interactions - space, for example. Newton's first law describes why an astronaut in space will continuously float in a direction forever if they are not pulled in by an asteroid or a planet's gravitational force. There is a lack of a net force opposing the astronaut's motion (due to the fact that there is no air in space) which results in the astronaut having a constant velocity. Floating off into space is probably an astronaut's worst nightmare, a scenario that a recent movie, ''Gravity'', explored. The entire premise of the movie (Sandra Bullock becomes untethered from her space station) relies on Newton's first law of motion.
== Connections to Other Topics ==
==History==


While Galileo is the one credited with the idea of inertia motion, it was René Descartes, a French philosopher, who would expand upon Galileo's ideas. Descartes went on to propose three fundamental laws of nature in his book, ''Principles of Philosophy'', the first of which stated that "each thing, as far as is in its power, always remains in the same state; and that consequently, when it is once moved, it always continues to move." Thus, while the concept of inertia is often referred to as Newton's First Law, it was first described by Galileo and then perfected by Descartes decades before Newton published his findings.
* '''Electric Field''' – Electric force per unit charge is the electric field: 
  [math]\displaystyle{ \vec{E} = \dfrac{\vec{F}}{q} }[/math].
* '''Potential Energy and Electric Potential''' – Work done by electric forces leads to electric potential energy and voltage.
* '''Lorentz Force''' – The full force on a moving charge also includes magnetic fields: 
  [math]\displaystyle{ \vec{F} = q(\vec{E} + \vec{v} \times \vec{B}) }[/math]. 
  This page focuses on the electric part.


As for Newton, he first described his three laws of motion in ''The Mathematical Principle of Natural Philosophy'', for the Principia, which was published in 1687. These laws described the relationship between an object and the forces acting upon it and laid the foundation for classical mechanics. While Newton's first law came from the work of Descartes and Galileo, his other laws are the work of himself.
== Practice Problems ==


==The Main Idea==
You can add your own numerical values and solve them. Consider including full solutions in a collapsible section.
To be exact, the definition of the First Law of Motion is as follows:
The electric field is a region around a charged particle or object within which a force would be exerted on other charged particles or objects.
In other (and much simpler) terms, it means that an object at rest stays at rest and an object in in motion stays in motion at a constant velocity unless acted on by an unbalanced net force. It's important to keep in mind that only a difference in affect the velocity of an object. The amount of change in velocity is determined by
===A Mathematical Model===


Newton's first law can be stated mathematically as follows:
# Two charges of [math]\displaystyle{+2.0\ \mu\text{C}}[/math] and [math]\displaystyle{+5.0\ \mu\text{C}}[/math] are 0.30 m apart. 
  * (a) Find the magnitude of the force on each charge. 
  * (b) Is the force attractive or repulsive? Explain.


<math>{\vec{F_{net}} = 0 \Leftrightarrow \frac{d\vec{v}}{dt}} = 0</math>
# A charge [math]\displaystyle{q_1 = +4.0\ \mu\text{C}}[/math] is at the origin and [math]\displaystyle{q_2 = -1.0\ \mu\text{C}}[/math] is at [math]\displaystyle{x = 0.20\ \text{m}}[/math]. 
  * Find the electric force on [math]\displaystyle{q_1}[/math] (magnitude and direction). 
  * Verify that Newton’s third law holds (forces are equal and opposite).


Where...
# Three equal positive charges are placed at the corners of a square of side [math]\displaystyle{a}[/math].
  * Find the net force on one of the corner charges.
  * Use symmetry to simplify the vector addition.


<math>\vec{F_{net}}</math> is the net force from the surroundings.
# A particle with charge [math]\displaystyle{q = -1.6 \times 10^{-19}\ \text{C}}[/math] experiences an electric force of [math]\displaystyle{3.2 \times 10^{-14}\ \text{N}}[/math] in the +y direction.
 
  * (a) What is the electric field at that point (magnitude and direction)?
<math>d\vec{v}</math> is the change in velocity of the system.
  * (b) If the charge were positive instead, what would the force direction be?
 
<math>dt</math> is the change in time of the system
 
If we trace this formula from the left to the right, we can see that if the net force on an object is zero, then the change in velocity of an object is also zero. Conversely, if we were given an object and told that its change in momentum is zero, then we can deduce that the net force acting on the object is also zero. Keep in mind, however, that this formula simple deals with the '''change''' in velocity. It does '''not''' mean that the object is at rest, only that its velocity remains constant.
 
==Examples==
 
The following examples are to test your basic understanding of Newton's First Law. For more examples that test your knowledge of all three of the laws, click .
 
===Simple===
Does the object in the following image have a net force of zero? Does it have a constant velocity?
 
 
 
It's easy to see that the only force on the object is acting in the +x direction, with a magnitude of 5 newtons. Therefore, the object does not have a net force of zero or a constant velocity. It will be accelerating in the +x direction.
 
===Middling===
Does the object in the following image have a net force of zero? Does it have a constant velocity?
 
 
This example is slightly more difficult, but is still quite trivial. If we sum the forces in the x direction, we see that the net force is 2 newtons in the -x direction. Therefore, the object does not have a constant velocity, and will be accelerating in the -x direction.
 
===Difficult===
Does the object in the following image have a net force of zero? Does it have a constant velocity?
 
 
This final example tests your knowledge and understanding of Newton's First Law. We're able to see that the box will accelerate in the -x direction because the net force in the x direction is 5 newtons to the left. However, the box itself has a velocity of 5m/s upwards, which would indeed stay constant. This is because forces (and motion) in perpendicular directions are  of each other.
 
==Connectedness==
 
Newton's laws of motion tie into almost everything that we see or do. The first law, in particular, explains why we suddenly lurch forward when a car suddenly stops (our bodies are in a state of motion and thus resist the sudden stop), why it's much harder to stop when ice skating than walking (there's less friction, thus less net force to decelerate), and much, much, more. The importance of Newton's first law (and by extension, the other laws of motion) is not readily apparent, but serves as a basis to explain much of our daily interactions with our surroundings.
 
It can also apply to things outside of our daily interactions - space, for example. Newton's first law describes why an astronaut in space will continuously float in a direction forever if they are not pulled in by an asteroid or a planet's gravitational force. There is a lack of a net force opposing the astronaut's motion (due to the fact that there is no air in space) which results in the astronaut having a constant velocity. Floating off into space is probably an astronaut's worst nightmare, a scenario that a recent movie, ''Gravity'', explored. The entire premise of the movie (Sandra Bullock becomes untethered from her space station) relies on Newton's first law of motion.
==History==
 
While Galileo is the one credited with the idea of inertia motion, it was René Descartes, a French philosopher, who would expand upon Galileo's ideas. Descartes went on to propose three fundamental laws of nature in his book, ''Principles of Philosophy'', the first of which stated that "each thing, as far as is in its power, always remains in the same state; and that consequently, when it is once moved, it always continues to move." Thus, while the concept of inertia is often referred to as Newton's First Law, it was first described by Galileo and then perfected by Descartes decades before Newton published his findings.
 
As for Newton, he first described his three laws of motion in ''The Mathematical Principle of Natural Philosophy'', for the Principia, which was published in 1687. These laws described the relationship between an object and the forces acting upon it and laid the foundation for classical mechanics. While Newton's first law came from the work of Descartes and Galileo, his other laws are the work of himself.
 
==The Main Idea==
To be exact, the definition of the First Law of Motion is as follows:
Every body persists in its state of rest or of moving with constant speed in a constant direction, except to the extent that it is compelled to change that state by forces acting on it.
In other (and much simpler) terms, it means that an object at rest stays at rest and an object in in motion stays in motion at a constant velocity unless acted on by an unbalanced net force. It's important to keep in mind that only a difference in [http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/newtlaws/Lesson-2/Determining-the-Net-Force net force] can affect the velocity of an object. The amount of change in velocity is determined by [http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/newtlaws/Lesson-3/Newton-s-Second-Law Newton's Second Law of Motion].
 
===A Mathematical Model===
 
Newton's first law can be stated mathematically as follows:
 
<math>{\vec{F_{net}} = 0 \Leftrightarrow \frac{d\vec{v}}{dt}} = 0</math>
 
Where...
 
<math>\vec{F_{net}}</math> is the net force from the surroundings.
 
<math>d\vec{v}</math> is the change in velocity of the system.
 
<math>dt</math> is the change in time of the system
 
If we trace this formula from the left to the right, we can see that if the net force on an object is zero, then the change in velocity of an object is also zero. Conversely, if we were given an object and told that its change in momentum is zero, then we can deduce that the net force acting on the object is also zero. Keep in mind, however, that this formula simple deals with the '''change''' in velocity. It does '''not''' mean that the object is at rest, only that its velocity remains constant.
 
==Examples==
 
The following examples are to test your basic understanding of Newton's First Law. For more examples that test your knowledge of all three of the laws, click [http://www.physicsclassroom.com/calcpad/newtlaws/problems here].
 
===Simple===
Does the object in the following image have a net force of zero? Does it have a constant velocity?
 
[[File:Newtonfirstlawsimple.png|400px]]
 
It's easy to see that the only force on the object is acting in the +x direction, with a magnitude of 5 newtons. Therefore, the object does not have a net force of zero or a constant velocity. It will be accelerating in the +x direction.
 
===Middling===
Does the object in the following image have a net force of zero? Does it have a constant velocity?
 
[[File:Newtonfirstlawmedium.png|400px]]
 
This example is slightly more difficult, but is still quite trivial. If we sum the forces in the x direction, we see that the net force is 2 newtons in the -x direction. Therefore, the object does not have a constant velocity, and will be accelerating in the -x direction.
 
===Difficult===
Does the object in the following image have a net force of zero? Does it have a constant velocity?
 
[[File:Newtonsfirstlawhard.png|400px]]
 
This final example tests your knowledge and understanding of Newton's First Law. We're able to see that the box will accelerate in the -x direction because the net force in the x direction is 5 newtons to the left. However, the box itself has a velocity of 5m/s upwards, which would indeed stay constant. This is because forces (and motion) in perpendicular directions are [http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/vectors/Lesson-1/Independence-of-Perpendicular-Components-of-Motion independent] of each other.
 
==Connectedness==
 
[[File:Tablecloth.gif|left|300px|thumb|The "magic trick" of ripping off a table cloth without the plates on top moving is an example of Newton's First Law. The tableware is in a state of rest, and thus want to remain in such a state.]]
 
Newton's laws of motion tie into almost everything that we see or do. The first law, in particular, explains why we suddenly lurch forward when a car suddenly stops (our bodies are in a state of motion and thus resist the sudden stop), why it's much harder to stop when ice skating than walking (there's less friction, thus less net force to decelerate), and much, much, more. The importance of Newton's first law (and by extension, the other laws of motion) is not readily apparent, but serves as a basis to explain much of our daily interactions with our surroundings.
 
It can also apply to things outside of our daily interactions - space, for example. Newton's first law describes why an astronaut in space will continuously float in a direction forever if they are not pulled in by an asteroid or a planet's gravitational force. There is a lack of a net force opposing the astronaut's motion (due to the fact that there is no air in space) which results in the astronaut having a constant velocity. Floating off into space is probably an astronaut's worst nightmare, a scenario that a recent movie, ''Gravity'', explored. The entire premise of the movie (Sandra Bullock becomes untethered from her space station) relies on Newton's first law of motion.
==History==
 
While Galileo is the one credited with the idea of inertia motion, it was René Descartes, a French philosopher, who would expand upon Galileo's ideas. Descartes went on to propose three fundamental laws of nature in his book, ''Principles of Philosophy'', the first of which stated that "each thing, as far as is in its power, always remains in the same state; and that consequently, when it is once moved, it always continues to move." Thus, while the concept of inertia is often referred to as Newton's First Law, it was first described by Galileo and then perfected by Descartes decades before Newton published his findings.
 
As for Newton, he first described his three laws of motion in ''The Mathematical Principle of Natural Philosophy'', for the Principia, which was published in 1687. These laws described the relationship between an object and the forces acting upon it and laid the foundation for classical mechanics. While Newton's first law came from the work of Descartes and Galileo, his other laws are the work of himself.
 
==Electric Field==
The electric field created by a charge is present throughout space at all times, whether or not there is another charge around to feel its effects. The electric field created by a charge penetrates through matter. The field permeates the neighboring space, biding its time until it can affect anything brought into its space of interaction.
*[[Vectors]]
*[[Right-Hand Rule]]
*[[Right Hand Rule]]
</div>
</div>
 
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
 
====Electric force====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
 
*[[Electric Force]] Claimed by Amarachi Eze
*[[Lorentz Force]]
</div>
</div>
 
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">


== What to Review Before an Exam ==


* Determine force direction from a diagram, not just from algebra 
* Practice vector addition of multiple forces 
* Do quick estimates: “If I double the distance, what happens to the force?” 
* Know the difference between:
  * Force between charges (Coulomb’s law) 
  * Electric field 
  * Electric potential energy


====Electric field of a point particle====
====Electric field of a point particle====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
*[[Point Charge]]
*[[Point Charge]]
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<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">


'''Bold text'''====Superposition====
====Superposition====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
*[[Superposition Principle]]
*[[Superposition Principle]]
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===Week 3===
===Week 3===
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
====Insulators====
====Conductors and Insulators====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
*[[Conductivity and Resistivity]]
*[[Insulators]]
*[[Insulators]]
*[[Potential Difference in an Insulator]]
*[[Potential Difference in an Insulator]]
*[[Charged Conductor and Charged Insulator]]
*[[Conductors]]
*[[Charged conductor and charged insulator]]
*[[Polarization of a conductor]]
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>


<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
====Conductors====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
*[[Conductivity]]
*[[Charge Transfer]]
*[[Resistivity]]
*[[Polarization of a conductor]]
*[[Charged Conductor and Charged Insulator]]
*[[Charged conductor and charged insulator]]
</div>
</div>


<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
====Charging and Discharging====
====Charging and discharging====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
*[[Charge Transfer]]
*[[Charge Transfer]]
*[[Electrostatic Discharge]]
*[[Electrostatic Discharge]]
*[[Charged Conductor and Charged Insulator]]
*[[Charged Conductor and Charged Insulator]]
*[[Charged conductor and charged insulator]]
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Line 1,200: Line 702:
====Field of a charged rod====
====Field of a charged rod====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
*[[Charged Rod]]
*[[Field of a Charged Rod|Charged Rod]]
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Line 1,215: Line 717:


<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
====Field of a charged sphere====
====Field of a charged sphere====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
Line 1,232: Line 733:


<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
====Electric potential====
====Electric potential====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
Line 1,242: Line 744:
</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
====Sign of a potential difference====
====Sign of a potential difference====
Claimed by Tyler Quill
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
*[[Overview]]
*[[Sign of a Potential Difference]]
*[[Determining the Sign of Potential Difference]]
</div>
*[[Understanding the Sign of Potential Difference]]
</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
====Potential at a single location====
====Potential at a single location====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
Line 1,281: Line 775:
</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
====Moving charges in a magnetic field====
====Moving charges in a magnetic field====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
Line 1,290: Line 783:
</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
====Biot-Savart Law====
====Biot-Savart Law====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
Line 1,300: Line 792:


====Moving charges, electron current, and conventional current====
====Moving charges, electron current, and conventional current====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
*[[Moving Point Charge]]
*[[Moving Point Charge]]
A moving point charge creates both electric and magnetic fields. As the charge accelerates or changes position, it alters the surrounding electromagnetic field, which can influence other charges nearby. This is the fundamental concept behind electromagnetic radiation and wave propagation. When many charges move collectively—such as electrons in a wire—this flow is referred to as electric current. This perfectly segues us into the next section of this page.
*[[Current]]
*[[Current]]
Current is typically measured in amperes and represents the rate at which charge flows through a surface. Although electrons carry the charge and move from negative to positive, conventional current is defined in the opposite direction: from positive to negative. This convention dates back to early scientific assumptions and remains standard in circuit diagrams and equations today.
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>


===Week 7=== Claimed by Diem Tran
===Week 7===
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
====Magnetic field of a wire====
====Magnetic field of a wire====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
*[[Magnetic Field of a Long Straight Wire]]
*[[Magnetic Field of a Long Straight Wire]]
*[[Magnetic Field of a Curved Wire]]
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>


<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
====Magnetic field of a current-carrying loop====
====Magnetic field of a current-carrying loop====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
*[[Magnetic Field of a Loop]]
*[[Magnetic Field of a Loop]]
</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
====Magnetic field of a Charged Disk====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
*[[Magnetic Field of a Disk]]
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Line 1,338: Line 846:
===Week 8===
===Week 8===
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
====Circuitry Basics====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
*[[Understanding Fundamentals of Current, Voltage, and Resistance]]
</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
====Steady state current====
====Steady state current====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
Line 1,346: Line 863:


<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
====Node rule====
====Kirchoff's Laws====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
*[[Loop Rule]]
*[[Node Rule]]
*[[Node Rule]]
</div>
</div>
Line 1,353: Line 871:


<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
====Electric fields and energy in circuits====
====Electric fields and energy in circuits====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
*[[Series circuit]] claimed by Hannah Jang
*[[Node Rule]]
*[[Loop Rule]]
*[[Electric Potential Difference]]
*[[Electric Potential Difference]]
</div>
</div>
Line 1,367: Line 883:
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
*[[Series Circuits]]
*[[Series Circuits]]
*[[Parallel CIrcuits]]
*[[Parallel Circuits]]
*[[Parallel Circuits vs. Series Circuits*]]
*[[Parallel Circuits vs. Series Circuits*]]
*[[Loop Rule]]
*[[Loop Rule]]
*[[Node Rule]]
*[[Node Rule]]
*[[Resistors*]]
*[[Fundamentals of Resistance]]
*[[Problem Solving]]
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Line 1,380: Line 897:
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
*[[Charging and Discharging a Capacitor]]
*[[Charging and Discharging a Capacitor]]
*[[RC Circuit]]
*[[RC Circuit]]  
*[[R Circuit]]
*[[R Circuit]]
*[[AC and DC]]
*[[AC and DC]]
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>


<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
====Magnetic forces on charges and currents====
====Magnetic forces on charges and currents====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
*[[Magnetic Force]]
*[[Magnetic Force]]
*[[Lorentz Force]]
*[[Lorentz Force]]
*[[Motors and Generators]]
*[[Applying Magnetic Force to Currents]]
*[[Applying Magnetic Force to Currents]]
*[[Magnetic Force in a Moving Reference Frame]]
*[[Magnetic Force in a Moving Reference Frame]]
Line 1,401: Line 917:


<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
====Electric and magnetic forces====
====Electric and magnetic forces====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
Line 1,411: Line 928:


<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
====Velocity selector====
====Velocity selector====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
Line 1,419: Line 937:


===Week 10===
===Week 10===
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">


====Student Content====
====Hall Effect====
 
<div class=“toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed”>
==== Hall Effect ====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
*[[Hall Effect]]
*[[Hall Effect]]
*[[Right-Hand Rule]]
*[[Motional Emf]]
*[[Motional Emf]]
*[[Magnetic Force]]
*[[Magnetic Force]]
*[[Magnetic Torque]]
*[[Magnetic Torque]]
</div>


====Magnetic force====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
*[[Magnetic Force]]
*[[Lorentz Force]]
</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
====Magnetic torque====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
*[[Magnetic Torque]]
*[[Right-Hand Rule]]
</div>
</div>
===Week 12===
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
====Gauss's Law====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
*[[Gauss's Flux Theorem]]
*[[Gauss's Law]]
*[[Magnetic Flux]]
</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
====Ampere's Law====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
*[[Ampere's Law]]
*[[Ampere-Maxwell Law]]
*[[Magnetic Field of Coaxial Cable Using Ampere's Law]]
*[[Magnetic Field of a Long Thick Wire Using Ampere's Law]]
*[[Magnetic Field of a Toroid Using Ampere's Law]]
*[[Magnetic Field of a Solenoid Using Ampere's Law]]
*[[The Differential Form of Ampere's Law]]
</div>
</div>
===Week 13===
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
====Semiconductors====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
*[[Semiconductor Devices]]
</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
====Faraday's Law====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
*[[Faraday's Law]]
*[[Motional Emf using Faraday's Law]]
*[[Lenz's Law]]
</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
====Maxwell's equations====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
*[[Gauss's Law]]
*[[Magnetic Flux]]
*[[Ampere's Law]]
*[[Faraday's Law]]
*[[Maxwell's Electromagnetic Theory]]
</div>
</div>
===Week 14===
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
====Circuits revisited====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
====Inductors====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
*[[Inductors]]
*[[Current in an LC Circuit]]
*[[Current in an RL Circuit]]
</div>
</div>
===Week 15===
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
==== Electromagnetic Radiation ====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
*[[Electromagnetic Radiation]]
</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
====Sparks in the air====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
*[[Sparks in Air]]
*[[Spark Plugs]]
</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
====Superconductors====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
*[[Superconducters]]
*[[Superconductors]]
*[[Meissner effect]]
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="float:left; width:30%; padding:1%;">


==Physics 3==
==Physics 3==
Line 1,439: Line 1,069:
====Classical Physics====
====Classical Physics====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
*[[Classical Physics]]
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>


===Week 2===
[[Category:Which Category did you place this in?]]
 
===Weeks 2 and 3===
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
====Special Relativity====
====Special Relativity and the Lorentz Transformation====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
*[[Frame of Reference]]
*[[Frame of Reference]]
*[[Einstein's Theory of Special Relativity]]
*[[Einstein's Theory of Special Relativity]]
*[[Time Dilation]]
*[[Time Dilation]]
*[[Twin Paradox]]
*[[Lorentz Transformations]]
*[[Relativistic Doppler Effect]]
*[[Einstein's Theory of General Relativity]]
*[[Einstein's Theory of General Relativity]]
*[[Albert A. Micheleson & Edward W. Morley]]
*[[Albert A. Micheleson & Edward W. Morley]]
Line 1,455: Line 1,092:
</div>
</div>


===Week 3===
===Week 4===
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
====Photons====
====Photons and the Photoelectric Effect====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
*[[Spontaneous Photon Emission]]
*[[Spontaneous Photon Emission]]
*[[Light Scattering: Why is the Sky Blue]]
*[[Light Scattering]]
*[[Lasers]]
*[[Lasers]]
*[[Electronic Energy Levels and Photons]]
*[[Electronic Energy Levels and Photons]]
*[[Quantum Properties of Light]]
*[[Quantum Properties of Light]]
*[[The Photoelectric Effect]]
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>


===Week 4===
===Weeks 5 and 6===
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
====Matter Waves====
====Matter Waves and Wave-Particle Duality====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
*[[Wave-Particle Duality]]
*[[Wave-Particle Duality]]
*[[Particle in a 1-Dimensional box]]
*[[Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle]]
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>


===Week 5===
===Week 7===
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
====Wave Mechanics====
====Wave Mechanics====
Line 1,484: Line 1,124:
*[[Mechanical Waves]]
*[[Mechanical Waves]]
*[[Transverse and Longitudinal Waves]]
*[[Transverse and Longitudinal Waves]]
*[[Fourier Series and Transform]]
</div>
</div>
===Week 8===
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
====Schrödinger Equation====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
*[[The Born Rule]]
*[[Solution for a Single Free Particle]]
*[[Solution for a Single Particle in an Infinite Quantum Well - Darin]]
*[[Solution for a Single Particle in a Semi-Infinite Quantum Well]]
*[[Quantum Harmonic Oscillator]]
*[[Solution for Simple Harmonic Oscillator]]
</div>
</div>
===Week 9===
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
====Quantum Mechanics====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
*[[Quantum Tunneling through Potential Barriers]]
</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
====The Hydrogen Atom====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
*[[Quantum Theory]]
*[[Atomic Theory]]
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>


===Week 6===
===Week 10===
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
====Rutherford-Bohr Model====
====Rutherford-Bohr Model====
Line 1,498: Line 1,168:
</div>
</div>


===Week 7===
===Week 11===
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
====The Hydrogen Atom====
====Many-Electron Atoms====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
*[[Quantum Theory]]
*[[Quantum Theory]]
*[[Atomic Theory]]
*[[Atomic Theory]]
*[[Pauli exclusion principle]]
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>


===Week 8===
===Week 12===
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
====Many-Electron Atoms====
====The Nucleus====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
*[[Quantum Theory]]
*[[Nucleus]]
*[[Atomic Theory]]
*[[Pauli exclusion principle]]
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>


===Week 9===
===Week 13===
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
====Molecules====
====Molecules====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
*[[Molecules]]
*[[Covalent Bonds]]
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>


===Week 10===
===Week 14===
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
====Statistical Physics====
====Statistical Physics====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
*[[Application of Statistics in Physics]]
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>


===Week 11===
===Week 15===
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
====Condensed Matter Physics====
====Statistical Physics====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
*[[Temperature & Entropy]]
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>


===Week 12===
===Additional Topics===
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
====The Nucleus====
====Thermodynamics====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
*[[Maxwell Relations]]
*[[Brownian Motion]]
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">


===Week 13===
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
====Nuclear Physics====
====Nuclear Physics====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
*[[Nuclear Fission]]
*[[Nuclear Fission]]
*[[Nuclear Energy from Fission and Fusion]]
*[[Nuclear Energy from Fission and Fusion]]
*[[Radioactive Decay Processes]]
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
===Week 14===
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
====Particle Physics====
====Particle Physics====
Line 1,560: Line 1,233:
*[[Elementary Particles and Particle Physics Theory]]
*[[Elementary Particles and Particle Physics Theory]]
*[[String Theory]]
*[[String Theory]]
</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
====Solid-State/Condensed Matter Physics====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
*[[What is Condensed Matter]]
*[[Crystalline Structures]]
*[[Electric-Band Structure]]
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>

Latest revision as of 23:21, 30 November 2025


Georgia Tech Student Wiki for Introductory Physics.

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  • A physics resource written by experts for an expert audience Physics Portal
  • A wiki written for students by a physics expert MSU Physics Wiki
  • A wiki book on modern physics Modern Physics Wiki
  • A collection of 26 volumes of lecture notes by Prof. Wheeler of Reed College [1]
  • The MIT open courseware for intro physics MITOCW Wiki
  • An online concept map of intro physics HyperPhysics
  • Interactive physics simulations PhET
  • OpenStax intro physics textbooks: Vol1, Vol2, Vol3
  • The Open Source Physics project is a collection of online physics resources OSP
  • A resource guide compiled by the AAPT for educators ComPADRE
  • The Feynman lectures on physics are free to read Feynman
  • Final Study Guide for Modern Physics II created by a lab TA Modern Physics II Final Study Guide

Resources


Physics 1

Week 1

GlowScript 101

Vectors and Units

Week 2

Iterative Prediction with a Constant Force

Week 3

Analytic Prediction with a Constant Force

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6

Week 7

Jeet Bhatkar

Energy Principle

The Energy Principle is a fundamental concept in physics that describes the relationship between different forms of energy and their conservation within a system. Understanding the Energy Principle is crucial for analyzing the motion and interactions of objects in various physical scenarios.

Week 8

Work by Non-Constant Forces

Week 9

Week 10

Choice of System

Rotational and Vibrational Energy

Week 11

Different Models of a System

Week 12

Conservation of Momentum

Week 13

Week 14

Week 15

Physics 2

Week 1

Electric force

Jeet Bhatkar – Fall 2025

Big Idea

Electric force is the interaction between objects that have electric charge. It is:

  • Long-range: acts even when charges do not touch
  • Vector-valued: has magnitude and direction
  • Superposable: forces from many charges add as vectors

At the intro level, the electric force between two point charges is described by Coulomb’s law, the electrostatic analog of the gravitational force between masses.

Key Equations

Coulomb’s Law (magnitude)

[math]\displaystyle{ F = k \dfrac{|q_1 q_2|}{r^2} }[/math]
  • [math]\displaystyle{F}[/math] = magnitude of the electric force
  • [math]\displaystyle{k \approx 8.99 \times 10^9\ \text{N·m}^2/\text{C}^2}[/math]
  • [math]\displaystyle{q_1, q_2}[/math] = charges (C)
  • [math]\displaystyle{r}[/math] = separation between the charges (m)

Coulomb’s Law (vector form)

[math]\displaystyle{ \vec{F}_{2 \leftarrow 1} = k \dfrac{q_1 q_2}{r^2} \,\hat{r}_{2 \leftarrow 1} }[/math]
  • [math]\displaystyle{\vec{F}_{2 \leftarrow 1}}[/math] = force on charge 2 due to charge 1
  • [math]\displaystyle{\hat{r}_{2 \leftarrow 1}}[/math] = unit vector from 1 to 2

Relation to Electric Field

[math]\displaystyle{ \vec{F} = q \vec{E} }[/math]

Once you know [math]\displaystyle{\vec{E}}[/math] at a point, you can find the force on any charge [math]\displaystyle{q}[/math] placed there.

Conceptual Picture

Sign of charges

  • Like charges (both positive or both negative) → repel
  • Unlike charges (one positive, one negative) → attract

Distance dependence

  • Force falls off as [math]\displaystyle{1/r^2}[/math], so doubling the distance makes the force 4 times smaller.

Superposition principle If there are many charges, the net force on a given charge is the vector sum of the forces from each individual charge: [math]\displaystyle{ \vec{F}_\text{net} = \sum_i \vec{F}_i }[/math].

Electric vs. gravitational force

  • Both follow inverse-square laws
  • Gravity is always attractive; electric force can be attractive or repulsive
  • Electric forces are usually much stronger at the particle scale

Worked Example 1: Two Point Charges on a Line

Problem. Two charges are placed on the x-axis:

  • [math]\displaystyle{q_1 = +3.0\ \mu\text{C}}[/math] at [math]\displaystyle{x = 0.00\ \text{m}}[/math]
  • [math]\displaystyle{q_2 = -2.0\ \mu\text{C}}[/math] at [math]\displaystyle{x = 0.40\ \text{m}}[/math]

What is the magnitude and direction of the force on [math]\displaystyle{q_2}[/math]?

Solution (outline).

  1. Distance between charges:

[math]\displaystyle{ r = 0.40\ \text{m} }[/math].

  1. Magnitude using Coulomb’s law:

[math]\displaystyle{ F = k \dfrac{|q_1 q_2|}{r^2} = (8.99 \times 10^9)\,\dfrac{(3.0 \times 10^{-6})(2.0 \times 10^{-6})}{(0.40)^2} }[/math]

  1. Sign and direction:
  • [math]\displaystyle{q_1}[/math] is positive, [math]\displaystyle{q_2}[/math] is negative → force is attractive
  • On [math]\displaystyle{q_2}[/math], the force points toward [math]\displaystyle{q_1}[/math]
  • Since [math]\displaystyle{q_1}[/math] is at smaller x, the force on [math]\displaystyle{q_2}[/math] points in the −x direction

You can finish by computing the numerical value and writing it as a vector, e.g. [math]\displaystyle{\vec{F}_{2 \leftarrow 1} = -F\,\hat{x}}[/math].

Worked Example 2: Superposition with Three Charges

Problem. Three equal charges [math]\displaystyle{q}[/math] are at the corners of an equilateral triangle of side [math]\displaystyle{a}[/math]. What is the net force on one of the charges?

Idea (no full algebra).

  • Each of the other two charges exerts a force of magnitude
 [math]\displaystyle{ F = k \dfrac{q^2}{a^2} }[/math]  
  • The angle between these two forces is [math]\displaystyle{60^\circ}[/math]
  • Use vector addition:
 * Add components along the symmetry axis  
 * Perpendicular components cancel by symmetry  

This shows how symmetry plus superposition simplify the vector addition.

Computational Model (GlowScript)

Below is a simple GlowScript (VPython) model that computes and visualizes the electric force between two point charges in 3D.

You can:

  • Paste this into a new GlowScript Trinket (Python / VPython),
  • Get the embed code from Trinket,
  • Embed that code into this page so it runs directly here.

<syntaxhighlight lang="python"> from vpython import *

  1. constant

k = 8.99e9 # N·m^2/C^2

  1. scene setup

scene.caption = "Drag the red charge to see how the force on the blue charge changes.\n"

  1. charges (positions in meters, charges in coulombs)

q1 = 2e-6 # C (blue, fixed) q2 = -3e-6 # C (red, movable)

charge1 = sphere(pos=vector(-0.5, 0, 0), radius=0.05, color=color.blue) charge2 = sphere(pos=vector(0.5, 0, 0), radius=0.05, color=color.red, make_trail=True)

  1. arrow to show force on q2 due to q1

F_arrow = arrow(pos=charge2.pos, axis=vector(0.2, 0, 0))

def electric_force(q1, q2, r1, r2):

   r_vec = r2 - r1
   r = mag(r_vec)
   if r == 0:
       return vector(0, 0, 0)
   F_mag = k * q1 * q2 / r**2
   return F_mag * norm(r_vec)

dragging = False

def down():

   global dragging
   if scene.mouse.pick is charge2:
       dragging = True

def up():

   global dragging
   dragging = False

scene.bind("mousedown", lambda evt: down()) scene.bind("mouseup", lambda evt: up())

while True:

   rate(60)
   if dragging:
       # move the red charge with the mouse in the x-y plane
       m = scene.mouse.pos
       charge2.pos = vector(m.x, m.y, 0)
   F = electric_force(q1, q2, charge1.pos, charge2.pos)
   # update arrow to show force on q2
   F_arrow.pos = charge2.pos
   # scale arrow length for visibility (purely visual)
   F_arrow.axis = F * 1e7

</syntaxhighlight>

You can extend this model to include more charges or show the net force on a test charge at different locations.

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

  • Forgetting that force is a vector.
 Always draw a diagram and keep track of directions. Use components in 2D/3D.
  • Dropping the absolute value in the magnitude formula.
 [math]\displaystyle{ F = k \dfrac{|q_1 q_2|}{r^2} }[/math] is a positive magnitude. Decide direction separately.
  • Mixing up [math]\displaystyle{r}[/math] and [math]\displaystyle{r^2}[/math].
 The force goes like [math]\displaystyle{1/r^2}[/math], not [math]\displaystyle{1/r}[/math].
  • Using wrong units.
 Convert microcoulombs to coulombs, centimeters to meters, etc.  
 [math]\displaystyle{1\ \mu\text{C} = 1 \times 10^{-6}\ \text{C}}[/math].
  • Trying to memorize instead of understand.
 Focus on inverse-square behavior, sign of charges, and superposition.

Connections to Other Topics

  • Electric Field – Electric force per unit charge is the electric field:
 [math]\displaystyle{ \vec{E} = \dfrac{\vec{F}}{q} }[/math].
  • Potential Energy and Electric Potential – Work done by electric forces leads to electric potential energy and voltage.
  • Lorentz Force – The full force on a moving charge also includes magnetic fields:
 [math]\displaystyle{ \vec{F} = q(\vec{E} + \vec{v} \times \vec{B}) }[/math].  
 This page focuses on the electric part.

Practice Problems

You can add your own numerical values and solve them. Consider including full solutions in a collapsible section.

  1. Two charges of [math]\displaystyle{+2.0\ \mu\text{C}}[/math] and [math]\displaystyle{+5.0\ \mu\text{C}}[/math] are 0.30 m apart.
  * (a) Find the magnitude of the force on each charge.  
  * (b) Is the force attractive or repulsive? Explain.
  1. A charge [math]\displaystyle{q_1 = +4.0\ \mu\text{C}}[/math] is at the origin and [math]\displaystyle{q_2 = -1.0\ \mu\text{C}}[/math] is at [math]\displaystyle{x = 0.20\ \text{m}}[/math].
  * Find the electric force on [math]\displaystyle{q_1}[/math] (magnitude and direction).  
  * Verify that Newton’s third law holds (forces are equal and opposite).
  1. Three equal positive charges are placed at the corners of a square of side [math]\displaystyle{a}[/math].
  * Find the net force on one of the corner charges.  
  * Use symmetry to simplify the vector addition.
  1. A particle with charge [math]\displaystyle{q = -1.6 \times 10^{-19}\ \text{C}}[/math] experiences an electric force of [math]\displaystyle{3.2 \times 10^{-14}\ \text{N}}[/math] in the +y direction.
  * (a) What is the electric field at that point (magnitude and direction)?  
  * (b) If the charge were positive instead, what would the force direction be?

What to Review Before an Exam

  • Determine force direction from a diagram, not just from algebra
  • Practice vector addition of multiple forces
  • Do quick estimates: “If I double the distance, what happens to the force?”
  • Know the difference between:
 * Force between charges (Coulomb’s law)  
 * Electric field  
 * Electric potential energy

Electric field of a point particle

Week 2

Interactions of charged objects

Tape experiments

Week 3

Week 4

Field of a charged rod

Field of a charged ring/disk/capacitor

Field of a charged sphere

Week 5

Potential energy

Sign of a potential difference

Potential at a single location

Week 6

Electric field and potential in an insulator

Moving charges in a magnetic field

Moving charges, electron current, and conventional current

Week 7

Magnetic field of a current-carrying loop

Magnetic field of a Charged Disk

Magnetic dipoles

Atomic structure of magnets

Week 8

Steady state current

Kirchoff's Laws

Electric fields and energy in circuits

Week 9

Electric field and potential in circuits with capacitors

Week 10

Magnetic torque

Week 12

Week 13

Semiconductors

Week 14

Circuits revisited

Week 15

Electromagnetic Radiation

Sparks in the air

Physics 3

Week 1

Classical Physics

Weeks 2 and 3

Week 4

Weeks 5 and 6

Week 7

Week 8

Week 9

The Hydrogen Atom

Week 10

Week 11

Week 12

The Nucleus

Week 13

Molecules

Week 14

Statistical Physics

Week 15

Statistical Physics

Additional Topics

Thermodynamics

Solid-State/Condensed Matter Physics