1.  Course Objectives

The objectives of this course are to:

  1. Introduce students to fundamental principles of mechanics.
  2. Provide an understanding of physical quantities, their units, and measurements.
  3. Explore the concepts of motion, forces, energy, and momentum.
  4. Discuss the laws governing rotational motion and gravitation.
  5. Equip students with analytical skills to solve practical physics problems.

2.  Overall Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

  1. Identify and deduce physical quantities and their respective units.
  2. Differentiate between vectors and scalars and apply them to solve problems.
  3. Describe and evaluate the motion of systems using fundamental laws of mechanics.
  4. Apply Newton's laws to describe and solve problems involving forces and motion.
  5. Evaluate work, energy, momentum, acceleration, and torque for moving and rotating objects.
  6. Explain and apply conservation principles (energy, linear and angular momentum).
  7. Describe laws governing motion under gravity and solve related problems.
  8. Quantitatively analyze the behavior of objects moving under gravity.

3.  Detailed Course Content

Module 1: Fundamentals of Mechanics

  • Space and time.
  • Units and dimensions.
  • Introduction to vectors and scalars.
  • Differentiation of vectors: displacement, velocity, and acceleration.

Module 2: Kinematics and Newtonian Mechanics

  • Kinematics of motion.
  • Newton's laws of motion:
  • Inertial frames.
  • Impulse and force.
  • Momentum conservation.
  • Applications of Newtonian mechanics.

Module 3: Work, Energy, and Momentum

  • Work and kinetic energy.
  • Potential energy.
  • Conservation of energy.
  • Momentum: linear and angular momentum.
  • Systems of particles and center of mass.

Module 4: Rotational Motion and Dynamics

  • Torque and angular momentum.
  • Rotational motion and polar coordinates.
  • Conservation of angular momentum.
  • Moments of inertia.
  • Gyroscopes and precession.

Module 5: Gravitation

  • Newton's Law of Gravitation.
  • Kepler's Laws of Planetary Motion.
  • Gravitational potential energy.
  • Escape velocity.
  • Satellite motion and orbits.

11. Teaching/Learning Methods

1. Lectures: Face-to-face and online instructional delivery.

2. Problem-solving sessions to build analytical and quantitative skills.

3. Practical demonstrations and simulations to reinforce concepts.

4. Group discussions and collaborative learning activities.

12. Modes of Assessment

1.  Class Attendance and Participation: 10%

2.  Assignments and Quizzes: 20%

3.  Mid-Semester Test: 20%

4.  Final Examination: 50%

13. Reading List/References

Required Texts

1. Halliday, D., Resnick, R., & Walker, J. (2020). Fundamentals of Physics (11th ed.). Wiley.

2. Young, H. D., & Freedman, R. A. (2020). University Physics with Modern Physics (15th ed.). Pearson.

Additional Resources

1. Serway, R. A., & Jewett, J. W. (2021). Physics for Scientists and Engineers (10th ed.). Cengage Learning.

2. Kleppner, D., & Kolenkow, R. J. (2019). An Introduction to Mechanics (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press.

3. Tipler, P. A., & Mosca, G. (2019). Physics for Scientists and Engineers: Mechanics, Oscillations, and Waves (7th ed.). Macmillan.

4. Shankar, R. (2019). Principles of Physics. Yale University Press.