| The following explorations are from all areas of physics. This area will be added to continually by Pingry faculty, students, and alumni. If you need help on your homework or if you have a physics problem that is bothering you, click here, and it just might become an exploration. If you are interested in contributing to an exploration, let us know. For now, here is the general framework: |
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Acoustics |
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Acoustics is the science that deals with all aspects of sound including production, transmission, reception, and control. Explorations here cover sound as well as standing waves. If you have a Macintosh, or a PC with a sound card, you can hear the many sounds included with the Explorations. |
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Updated 7/20/99
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Angular |
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This section covers everything from rotation of a body around a fixed axis to problems on angular momentum. These topics are usually covered towards the end of an introductory class, or the beginning of a second-year class. |
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Updated 7/20/99
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Electric Circuits |
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Topics covered in this section include the concept of an electric circuit, parallel vs. series, alternating current vs. direct current, resistance, capacitance, and inductance. This is another topic that will probably be covered towards the end of an introductory class. |
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Updated 8/2/99
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Circular/Gravitation |
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Here, we will deal with problems involving the gravitational forces and fields as well as circular problems with centripetal force. |
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Updated 7/20/99
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Dynamics |
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Once you have mastered statics, you begin to wonder what would happen if that block were accelerating down the inclined plane. Here we relate Force to mass and acceleration, hoping to learn why things move, and where they're going. |
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Updated 7/20/99
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Electrostatics |
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Electrostatics deals with the electrical effects of charges at rest. This subject covers the properties of charge, the difference between conductors and insulators, Coulomb's law, and the principle of superposition. |
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Updated 7/20/99
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Kinematics |
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The subject of Kinematics deals with how an object moves through space over time. It provides the tools to analyze speed, velocity, and acceleration. We will discuss the difference between average and instantaneous values, and analyze graphically what all of this means. |
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Updated 7/20/99
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Magnetism |
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From holding pictures on our refrigerator, to generating the electricity that runs our household appliances, magnetism is all around us. This section covers the definition of a magnetic field, its sources and applications, and its relation to electricity. |
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Updated 8/28/99
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Modern Physics |
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These are the things that you probably won't be hearing in your high school physics classes. Modern Physics covers such concepts as superstrings, ten dimensional theory, and black holes. While some of it sounds like science fiction, the potentials of applications here are very exciting. |
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Updated 7/20/99
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Momentum |
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Momentum deals with the laws of collisions and movement by relating mass and velocity into a meaningful form. Such topics within this group are conservation of momentum, elastic and inelastic collisions, and impulse. |
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Updated 7/20/99
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Optics |
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Optics is the study of light: how it travels, what behavior it exhibits, and how we can predict that behavior. Discussion includes reflection vs. refraction, real image vs. virtual image, and convex vs. concave. Lenses, prisms, and mirrors all live in the world of optics. |
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Updated 7/20/99
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Oscillations |
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This section deals with both simple harmonic motion, and standard periodic motion. Basically, this is how you describe the motion of setups such as a pendulum swinging, or a moving box attached with a spring to another object. |
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Updated 7/20/99
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Relativity |
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General Relativity and Special Relativity were postulated by Albert Einstein to resolve the discrepancies in scientific thought regarding the speed of light, and behavior of objects in different frames of reference. While we try to explain it conceptually, be prepared for the use of math in this topic. |
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Updated 7/20/99
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Statics |
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With a system of objects in equilibrium, how do all of the forces balance out? How can two children of different weights balance a seesaw? What keeps a heavy crate from sliding down a ramp? The statics section introduces torque, friction coefficients, and several problems to help you answer these questions. |
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Updated 7/28/99
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Thermodynamics |
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Thermodynamics is the study of heat and how it is transferred. You will learn the difference between heat and internal energy, the definition of specific heat, and the laws of thermodynamics that govern that way objects of various temperatures interact. |
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Updated 7/20/99
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Work & Energy |
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For many problems involving dynamics, there is a shortcut to calculating what you need to know. See how the concepts of work and energy can help you solve problems that would be too cumbersome with Newton's Laws as the only tool in your toolbox. |
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Updated 8/30/99
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