PHYS 181 - General Physics 1

Credits: 4
Lecture Contact Hours: 4
Lab Contact Hours: 2
Description: This first semester course in general physics is designed for pre-professional students. Using algebra and trigonometry, the traditional topics of mechanics, fluids, energy, heat and sound are explored through lecture demonstrations, interactive activities and laboratory work. This course is not for engineering students or physics majors.

Prerequisites: MATH 113 or higher.
Corequisites: None.
Recommended: PHYS 123 or one year of high school physics.

Course Category: Liberal Arts | Science with Lab
This course counts toward Schoolcraft’s General Education Requirements.
This course counts toward a Michigan Transfer Agreement General Education Requirement.

This Course is Typically Offered: Fall, Winter
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Course Competencies

Analyze the motion of an object in terms of its position, velocity and acceleration.
Analyze a system’s mechanics using Newton’s Laws of Motion.
Organize forces using a free body diagram.
Analyze a system’s mechanics using conservation of energy.
Analyze collisions using both conservation of energy and conservation of momentum.
Analyze simple harmonic motion.
Analyze orbital motion of satellites using Newton’s Law of Universal Gravitation.
Explain various wave phenomena using the principle of superposition.
Integrate concepts across the chapters of the text.
Assign the appropriate SI unit to a physical characteristic.
Use significant figures when reporting calculated values.
Classify a physical quantity either as a scalar or a vector.
Change between polar and Cartesian vector notation.
Add two vectors graphically and algebraically.
Use computer simulation to model motion.
Use DataStudio for data acquisition.
Develop data tables and graphs to portray the results of experimental data collection.
Compare measured results from an experiment with calculated values derived from a mathematical model.