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PHY2048 and PHY2048C
  • Lecture: TR 8:00 – 9:15.


  • Instructor: Dr Bernd A. Berg.


  • Office hours (Berg): Keen 615 TR 9:30 – 11:00 and by appointment. Phone numbers: 644-6246 (during office hours). Otherwise also 644-6217 (at CSIT).


  • Recitations and Labs: See syllabus.
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"Labs:"
  • Labs: Students, who did not register for a Lab need their previous Lab credit approved. See me at my office hour, this week!


  • Book:


  • Physics for Scientists and Engineers A


  • By Paul A. Tipler, 4th edition.


  • Credits: See syllabus.
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Recommended Working Style
  • Try to solve CAPA problems before the recitation, so that you can ask focused questions.
  • Try to understand the Lab assignment before you go there.
  • At least: Print CAPA and Lab instructions out before the corresponding sessions.
  • Read the core parts of Tipler after the corresponding lecture. Come to class!
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Mini Exams
  • They take place almost every Thursday.
  • Nothing gets you more credit for this course!
  • Prepare them Wednesday afternoons (evenings if it has to be). Focus on what was said in the preceding Tuesday lecture and Wednesday recitation.
  • Midterm and Final are similar to the Minis, just longer.
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Physics
  •  is the science of the fundamental laws of nature and their applications. Analytical method and experimental confirmations.
  • Classical physics: Mechanics, electromagnetism and thermodynamics (Galilei, Newton, Maxwell and others).


  • Modern physics: special and general relativity; quantum theory (Einstein, Heisenberg and others).
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Physics is Simple
(in contrast to widespread believes)
  • If you understand physics you can derive everything from few principle and there is little to memorize.
  • If you try to learn physics by  memorizing all the formulas, you may still pass, but you will have a hard time.
  • The ability to understand distinguishes human intelligence from nowadays artificial intelligence of computers (computers are very good in memorizing). However, nobody really understands human intelligence.
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Système International
  • Seven Units: second (s), meter (m), kilogram (kg), ampere (A), kelvin (K), mole (mol), and (not used in this course) candela (cd).
  • Second (s): Frequency of a certain cesium transition 9,192,631,770 cycles per second.
  • Meter (m): Distance traveled by light in vacuum in 1/299,792,458 second.
  • Kilogram (kg): Standard body kept at the International Bureau of weights and measures in Sèvre (France).
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More on Units
  • Conversion of units: Conversion factor, e.g.
  •       1 mi / 1,610 m = 1 mi / 1.61 km = 1 .
  •       240 km = (240/1.61) mi = 149 mi etc.
  • Checking calculations: In physical equations like   A = B +C   the quantities A, B, and C must have the same dimensions or units. For instance length in m or area in m^2.
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Scientific Notation
  • Exponents (examples in CAPA notation):
  •  1.0E7 = 10^7 = 10,000,000
  •  1.0E-7 = 10^{-7} = 0.000 000 01
  • Care is required when adding or subtracting numbers. E.g.
  • 1.200 x 10^2 + 8 x 10^{-1} =
  • 120.0 + 0.8 = 120.8
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Significant Figures
  • The uncertainty in experimental results can often only be estimated. An indication of it is implied by the number of digits used. For instance,


  •   2.50 m measured means:
  •    2.495  ≤ measurement result < 2.505 .
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Order of Magnitude
  • The nearest power of ten of a number is called its  Order of Magnitude. Examples from Tipler’s table 1-3:


  •  Size (m)            Mass (kg)           Time (s)


  • Proton 10E-15   Electron 10E-30  Period of visible                                                                                                                         light 10E-13
  • Sun      10E9      Sun 10E30          Age of earth       10E17