Tentative PHYS 1220 Standards

1.  Temperature. Define temperature. Define the Celsius, Fahrenheit, and Kelvin temperature scales.  Convert temperatures and temperature differences between the Celsius and Kelvin scales.

2.  Expansion. Calculate the response of an object’s length or volume to a temperature change.  Correctly use coefficients of thermal expansion.  Distinguish and relate linear and volume coefficients.

3.  Heat. Relate energy input to phase and temperature changes.  Mechanical equivalent of heat.  Recognize and convert between different heat units.  Apply the specific heat capacity formula; define and apply the concept of latent heat.

4.  Heat transfer. Define and identify the heat transfer mechanisms conduction, convection, and radiation.  Recognize which mechanisms operate in different situations.

5.  Heat conduction. Relate heat current, thermal conductivity, temperature gradient, and cross-sectional area.  Apply Fourier’s law of thermal conduction.

6.  nRT. Describe the ideal gas model.  Relate pressure, volume, amount, and temperature of an ideal gas.  Identify the characteristics of ideal gas molecules and their interactions.  Includes the relationship between temperature and energy.  Does not include the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution, but does include relating rms speed to temperature.

7.  C. Calculate theoretical heat capacities of ideal gases and solids.    Includes the relationship and distinction between constant pressure and constant volume.  Incliudes law of Dulong and Petit.

8.  Phases. Describe the behavior of molecules in solids, liquids, and gases. Interpret phase diagrams and explain behvior at phase boundaries, triple point, and critical point.   Identify and explain trends in pressure, density, state, and temperature along pathways in phase diagerams.

9.  1^st law. Identify and distinguish thermodynamic state and path variables. Correctly define and relate heat, work, and internal energy.   Define internal energy.  Understand the mechanical equivalent of heat and conservation of energy in heating.

10.  Processes. Calculate heat and work for thermodynamic processes.  Select and apply the formulas for isothermal, isobaric, isochoric, and adiabatic processes applied to ideal gases and more general cases.  Includes multi-step and cyclic processes.

11.  2^nd law. Describe, explain, and give examples of the tendency of matter and energy to spread out.  This is the second law of thermodynamics, subsuming the direction of heat flow.

12.  Entropy. Calculate entropy changes of simple processes.  dS=dq_rev/T.  Pertinent processes include free expansion of an ideal gas and heating a substance with a known specific heat capacity.

13.  COP. Determine and use the formulas for the thermodynamic limits to performance of a heat engine or refrigerator.  Identify and justify the performance metrics.  Calculate performance from hest and work values.  Use the first and second laws of thermodynamics to find the maximum values.

14.  Coulomb. Explain and calculate the force on an electric charge from another charge, groups of charges, or electric field.  Coulomb’s law qualitatively and quantitatively.  Includes F = kq₁q₂/r₁₂², F = qE, and finding the field from a charge distribution.

15.  Field depictions. Create and interpret vector, potential, and field line depictions of fields.  This applies to gravitational, electric, and magnetic fields.  Interpretation includes the relations between field line and force directions, between field lines and force magnitude, and between field lines and equipotential surfaces.

16.  Electric Flux. Describe electric flux and use electric flux to detemine electric field for high-symmetry situations.  This is Gauss’s law.  High-symmetry situations include but are not limited to point charges, infinite charge

17.  Potential. Define electric potential, find potential from a charge distribution, and relate potential to electric field.  Includes quantitative calculations including adding potentials, relating field to gradient of potential, and identifying a conservative field.

18.  Capacitance. Relate charge separation, voltage, and capacitance of a capacitor.  Determine the work done to charge a capacitor.  Q = VC.  This includes finding the potential energy ½QV of a charged capacitor.

19.  Plates. Relate the construction of a capacitor to its capacitance and breakdown voltage.  This includes the effects of plate area, plate separation, plate geometry, and of filling a capacitor with a dielectric C = κε₀A/d.

20.  Dielectric. Explain the behavior and properties of a dielectric in an electric field qualitatively and quantitatively.  Includes using Gauss’s law with a dielectric and calculating the electric field inside a dielectric.

21.  Current. Relate current through, voltage across, resistance of, and power dissipated by an ohmic resistor.  I = V/R, P = VI, and combinations thereof.  Includes defining and determining current and resistance.

22.  Resistivity. Relate the resistance of a component to its composition and dimensions.  R = ρL/A.

23.  DC. Analyze current, voltage, and power in DC circuits containing single, series, and parallel resistors.  Give examples of and reasons for series and parallel connections of components, including meters, in real circuits,

24.  Kirchoff. Analyze current, voltage, and power in more complex DC circuits.  It is necessary to set up the independent simultaneous equations by hand, but not necessary to solve them by hand.

25.  RC. Describe and calculate the time-dependent values of the charge, current, and voltage of the components of an RC circuit.  Exponential decay to equilibrium after throwing a switch.  Includes calculating and using the time constantant.

26.  Magnetism. Describe the interaction between dipole magnets and the effect of a magnetic field on a magnetic pole or dipole.  Unlike poles attract and like poles repel; field direction is force direction on a north pole.  Dipoles receive a torque to align them with the field.

27.  Lorentz. Describe and calculate the force a magnetic field exerts on an electric charge and its effect on the charge’s motion.  Lorentz force F = qv×B; F⊥v so acceleration is centripetal.

28.  Laplace. Describe the interaction between an electric current and a magnetic field.  Includes the Laplace formula F = ILB sinθ for a linear current in a uniform field, the torque on a loop τ = μB sinθ, and the force between parallel currents.

29.  Magnetic fields. Describe and calculate the magnetic fields created by permanent magnets, linear currents, current loops, and solenoids.  Includes finding the magnetic moment of a current loop.

30.  Ampère. Relate electric current to the magnetic field it creates.  Qualitatively in general; use Ampère’s law quantitatively for high-symmetry situations.

31.  Faraday. Explain the electric potential created by a changing magnetic flux.  Includes using Faraday’s and Lenz’s laws.  Also includes defining and calculating magnetic flux.

32.  Maxwell. State and explain Maxwell’s equations.  Integral form.  Describe how they explain electrical phenomena.

33.  Field energy. Calculate and apply the energy density of electric and magnetic fields.

34.  Inductance. Relate rate of current change, voltage, and inductance of an inductor.  Determine and explain the work needed to change the current through an inductor.  This includes relating the work to the energy in the magnetic field.

35.  RL. Describe and calculate the time-dependency of the current and voltage of an inductor.  Exponential decay to equilibrium after throwing a switch.  Includes calculating and using the time constant.

36.  LC. Model the evolution of voltage, current, and energy with time in an LC circuit.  Compare to a simple harmonic oscillator.  Includes calculating the resonant frequency.

37.  Transformers. Explain and apply the relationship between primary and secondary windings, magnetic flux, current, and voltage in AC transformers.  V₁/V₂ = N₁/N₂ and V₁I₁ = V₂I₂.