PHY-121 is the first part of a three-semester sequence in introductory
physics offered to engineering and other science and pre-professional
majors. The prerequisite for PHY-121 is MAT-270. A working
familiarity with basic differential and integral calculus will be assumed.
PHY-121 covers the subject of Newtonian mechanics including kinematics (the
description of motion), and dynamics (the relation of motion to force and mass).
Among the most important topics are Newton's Laws of Motion and the
conservation of momentum and energy. Other topics are rotational kinematics
and dynamics, Newtonian gravitation, and simple harmonic motion. A detailed
list of topics can be found on the
Homework and Lecture Schedule which accompanies
this syllabus.
The textbook is Fundamentals of Physics, by Halliday, Resnick, and
Walker, Sixth Edition, (John Wiley & Sons, 2001.) Reading assignments
and homework problems are keyed to this textbook. The Problem
Supplement #1 is optional; any problems assigned from that book
will also be made available on the web.
The full text of the syllabus is also available as a pdf file.