Physics content: The universal law of gravitation, uniform circular motion, rotational motion.

Philosophy and History of Physics: Historical development of the experimental method.

Physics Education Research: Introduction to novice and expert problem-solving strategies, concept-mapping for physics, and misconceptions about gravity.

Course Schedule (.pdf)

Course Link

NS 541 Concepts in Physics II: Rotation and Gravitation
Course Schedule

N.B.: The schedule below has not yet been adapted to the blended schedule of online and in-class meetings. Course readings may vary between course offerings.

Session 1: Uniform circular motion
            Sections from Cutnell & Johnson: 5.1 – 5.4, 5.8,

Web assignment 1

Reading:

• Copernicus, N. (1989). The commentariolus. & Dedication of the revolutions of the heavenly spheres. In Matthews, M.. (Ed.) The scientific background to modern philosophy. Selected readings. (pp 36 –44). Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Co.
• Newton, Principia, The Motion of Bodies, Proposition IV  (Handout)
• Review Newton’s Laws of Reasoning from Shamos, page 55.

Session 2: Vertical circular motion
Sections from Cutnell & Johnson: 5.7
Philosophy/History/Education Research:
Overview: Understanding the heliocentric model and its consequences for the development of Modern Physics
Newton’s account of centripetal forces
Web assignment 2

Session 3: Rotational Kinematics
Sections from Cutnell & Johnson: Chapter 8
Reading:
Cavendish, H. (1959). The law of gravitation. In Shamos (Ed.) Great experiments in physics. (pp. 75 – 92). New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.

Session 4: Torque and Rotational Inertia
Sections from Cutnell & Johnson: 9.1, 9.7

Session 5: Newton’s Second Law for Rotation
Sections from Cutnell & Johnson: 9.2, 9.3
   Philosophy/History/Education Research: Cavendish and the experimental       modeling of the law of gravitation
Web assignment 3
Reading:

• Novak, J. & Gowin, B. (1995). Learning how to learn. (pp. 14 – 34).New York: Cambridge Univ. Press
• Hesse, Mary. (1978) Action at a distance. In McMullin, E. (Ed.) The concept of

matter in modern philosophy. (pp. 119- 125). Notre Dame: Notre Dame Univ. Press.

Session 6: Rotational Dynamics
Sections from Cutnell & Johnson: 9.4
            Lab activity: Torque and Moments of Inertia

Session 7: Angular Momentum
Sections from Cutnell & Johnson: 9.6
            Lab activity: Conservation of Angular Momentum
Philosophy/History/Education Activity: Understanding and discussing ‘action at a  distance.’ Exploring and comparing models from Aristotle to Newton of curved motion and inertial frame through group concept-mapping.
Web assignment 4
Reading:

• Scherr, R.E. & Redish, E.F. (2005) Newton's Zeroth Law: Learning from Listening to Our Students. Phys. Teach. 43, 41-45.
• Trumper, R. (1996). Teaching about energy through a spiral curriculum: guiding principles. Journal of Curriculum and Supervision, 12, 66 –75.

Session 8: Rotational Kinetic Energy and Rolling
Sections from Cutnell & Johnson: 9.5
            Midterm test

Session 9: Gravitation; Superposition of Forces
Sections from Cutnell & Johnson: 4.7
Web assignment 5

Session 10: Gravitational Field
Readings: class notes
            Philosophy/History/Education Research: Misconceptions on gravitation and on      energy.

Session 11: Gravitational Potential Energy
Sections from Cutnell & Johnson: 5.5 – 5.6
Web assignment 6

Session 12: Gravitational potential; Kepler’s Laws

Readings: class notes
Philosophy/History/Education Research: Students’ presentations.

Session 13: Wrap-up
            Philosophy/History/Education Research: Students’ presentations.
            Take-home exam.
Course evaluation.

Bibliography

Selections from primary sources

Copernicus, N. (1989). The commentariolus. & Dedication of the revolutions of the heavenly spheres. In Matthews, M. (Ed.) The scientific background to modern philosophy. Selected readings. (pp 36 –44). Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Co.

Newton, I. (2002). Principia. (pp. 1-11). Philadelphia: Running Press.

Cavendish, H. (1959). The law of gravitation. In Shamos (Ed.) Great experiments in physics. (pp. 75 – 92). New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.

Selections from secondary sources

Hesse, Mary. (1978) Action at a distance. In McMullin, E. (Ed.) The concept of matter in modern philosophy. (pp. 119-125). Notre Dame: Notre Dame Univ. Press.

Selections from Physics and Science Education Research Literature

Novak, J. & Gowin, B. (1995). Learning how to learn. (pp. 14 – 34). New York: Cambridge Univ. Press.

Scherr, R.E. & Redish, E.F. (2005) Newton's Zeroth Law: Learning from Listening to Our Students. Phys. Teach. 43, 41-45.

Trumper, R. (1996). Teaching about energy through a spiral curriculum: guiding principles. Journal of Curriculum and Supervision, 12, 66 –75.