Physics content: Fluids, buoyancy, and the Laws of Thermodynamics

Philosophy and History of Physics: Comparison of historical models of heat.

Physics Education Research: Misconceptions about heat, temperature and kinetic energy.

Course Schedule (.pdf)

Course Link

NS 542 Concepts in Physics III: Fluids and Thermodynamics
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: Static Fluids
Sections from Cutnell & Johnson: 11.6, 11.1
Pretest on fluids, heat, and thermodynamics
Laboratory Activity: Fluids; atmospheric pressure.
Reading Assignment for online Discussion:

• Archimedes’ On Floating Bodies from Works of Archimedes.
• Drake, Stillman. Cause, Experiment & Science. Selections. (p. 21 – 42)
• Recommended: Galileo, G. Dialogues concerning two new sciences. (pp. 64 – 86). Selections to be specified. Text available online at books.google.com.

ONLINE     Session 2: Static Fluids and Pressure
Sections from Cutnell & Johnson: 11.2 – 11.5, 11.12

Web assignment 1

Fri. Jan. 11   Session 3: Fluid Demonstrations, and Fluid Dynamics I
Sections from Cutnell & Johnson: 11.7 – 11.10
Activity: Demonstrations related to atmospheric pressure and Bernoulli’s equation
Activity: Applying Bernoulli’s Equation
Reading Assignment for online Discussion:

• Loverude, M.E., Kautz, C.H., and Heron, P.R.L. (2003). Helping students develop an understanding of Archimedes’ principle. I. Research on student understanding. American Journal of Physics, 71, 1178 – 1187.
• Heron, P.R.L., Loverude, M.E., Shaffer, P.S., and McDermott, L.C. (2003). Helping students develop an understanding of Archimedes’ principle. II. Development of research-based instructional materials. American Journal of Physics, 71, 1188 – 1195.

ONLINE   Session 4: Fluid Dynamics II
Sections from Cutnell & Johnson: 11.7 – 11.10
Activity: More applications of Bernoulli’s Equation
            Web assignment 2

Session 5: History/Philosophy/Education Research
Philosophy/History/Education Research: In class discussion of Archimedes and Galileo readings, and discussion of student misconceptions about buoyancy and Archimedes’ principle.

ONLINE    Session 6: Temperature and Thermal Expansion
Sections from Cutnell & Johnson: 12.1 – 12.8, 12.11
Activities: Temperature scales, Absolute Zero. Why are bridges and railroads built with gaps?
Web assignment 3
Reading Assignment for online Discussion:

• Toulmin, S. and Goodfield, J. (1962). Lavoisier’s New System. In The Architecture of Matter (pp. 216-222). Chicago: Univ. Chicago Press.

Session 7: Heat and Heat transfer
Sections from Cutnell & Johnson: Chapter 13
Active Physics: Activity on conduction – “Home” Ch 1, Activity 5.
Laboratory Activity – Mechanical Equivalent of Heat (move to session 7)
Activity: Modes of heat transfer

ONLINE   Session 8: Calorimetry
Equivalence of heat and energy—Joule’s experiment; Specific heat; Latent Heat
            Web assignment 4      
Reading Assignment for online Discussion:

• Wiser, M. and Carey, S. (1983). When Heat and Temperature Were One. In Gentner, D. and Stevens, A.L. (Eds.) Mental Models. New York:Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers.

Session 9: Midterm exam
Laboratory Activity -- Specific heat

ONLINE    Session 10: Kinetic theory
Sections from Cutnell & Johnson: Chapter 14
Activities: Temperature and kinetic energy; Ideal Gas Law; Maxwell distribution
Web assignment 5
Reading Assignment for online Discussion:

• Maxwell, J.C. (1996) Document 16: Molecules. In Garber, E., Brush, S.G. and Everitt, C.W.F. (Eds.) Maxwell on Molecules. Cambridge: MIT Press.

Session 11: The First Law of Thermodynamics
Sections from Cutnell & Johnson: Chapter 15.1 – 15.4
Activities: Thermodynamic processes, or How We Gain or Lose Weight
Philosophy/History/Education Research: In class discussion of readings on the historical theory of heat.
Reading Assignment for online Discussion:

• Kautz, C.H., Heron, P.R.L., Loverude, M.E., and McDermott, L.C. (2005). Student understanding of the ideal gas law, Part I: A macroscopic perspective. American Journal of Physics, 73 (11), 1055 – 1063.
• Kautz, C.H., Heron, P.R.L., Shaffer, P.S., and McDermott, L.C. (2005). Student understanding of the ideal gas law, Part II: A microscopic perspective. American Journal of Physics, 73 (11), 1064 – 1071.

ONLINE    Session 12: The Second Law of Thermodynamics
Sections from Cutnell & Johnson: 15.5 – 15.7
Activities: More thermodynamic processes; Heat engines; Thermodynamic cycles
Web assignment 6
Reading Assignment for Session 12:

• Brush, S. (1983). VII. Statistical mechanics and the philosophy of science. In Statistical physics and the atomic theory of matter. Princeton: Princeton Univ. Press.

Session 13: The Ever-Increasing Entropy
Sections from Cutnell & Johnson: 15.8 – 15.10, 15.13
Activities: Statistical viewpoint of entropy—why does heat flow from hot to cold?
Philosophy/History/Education Research: Misconceptions in thermodynamics
            Take home exam handed out

Session 14: Wrap-up
            Take home exam due
Student’s presentations.
            Course evaluation.

Bibliography

Selections from primary sources

Drake, Stillman (1981). Cause, Experiment and Science. (Chicago). University of Chicago Press.
This is a recommended book. This book is available online for less than $1. Principal cost is shipping.

Einstein, A. (1915). Theoretical Atomism. In The Collected Papers of Albert Einstein, Volume 4.  Princeton University Press.

Heath, T.L. (1953). Works of Archimedes. (New York). Dover.
This is a recommended book. Available online for about $17 plus shipping.

Maxwell, J.C. (1996) Document 16: Molecules.  In Garber, E., Brush, S.G. and Everitt, C.W.F. (Eds.) Maxwell on Molecules. Cambridge: MIT Press.

Selections from secondary sources

Wiser, M. and Carey, S. (1983). When Heat and Temperature Were One. In Gentner, D. and Stevens, A.L. (Eds.) Mental Models. New York:Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers.

Toulmin, S. and Goodfield, J. (1962). Lavoisier’s New System. In The Architecture of Matter (pp. 216-222). Chicago: Univ. Chicago Press.
This is a required book for the course.

Brush, S. (1983). VII. Statistical mechanics and the philosophy of science. In Statistical physics and the atomic theory of matter. Princeton: Princeton Univ. Press.

Selections from Physics Education Research Literature

Loverude, M.E., Kautz, C.H., and Heron, P.R.L. (2003). Helping students develop an understanding of Archimedes’ principle. I. Research on student understanding. American Journal of Physics, 71 (11), 1178 – 1187.

Heron, P.R.L., Loverude, M.E., Shaffer, P.S., and McDermott, L.C. (2003). Helping students develop an understanding of Archimedes’ principle. II. Development of research-based instructional materials. American Journal of Physics, 71, 1188 – 1195.

Kautz, C.H., Heron, P.R.L., Loverude, M.E., and McDermott, L.C. (2005). Student understanding of the ideal gas law, Part I: A macroscopic perspective. American Journal of Physics, 73 (11), 1055 – 1063.

Kautz, C.H., Heron, P.R.L., Shaffer, P.S., and McDermott, L.C. (2005). Student understanding of the ideal gas law, Part II: A microscopic perspective. American Journal of Physics, 73 (11), 1064 – 1071.