Course Syllabus for General Physics (Phys 1011)

1. Brief Information

[Name of the University]

College Of Natural and Computational Sciences
Department Of Physics
Course Title General Physics
Credit Hours: 3 = (2 + 1)
Course Credits
ECTS: 5
Code Phys 1011

Target Students’
Major Natural Science Target Year 1st Year
Prerequisite(s) for Capacity
enrollment None (Maximum Number)

Office Hour: Week, [Start time] – [End time]

Instructor
Mobile E-Mail:

TA Name E-Mail:

By the end of this course the student will able to:

 Develop knowledge and skills in basic measurement and uncertainty.

 Understand the basic concepts of physics and the relations between them (Laws).
Course Goal  Describe and explain natural phenomena using the basic concepts and laws.
(Learning outcome)
 Apply the basic concepts and laws to practical situations.
 Develop the algebraic skills needed to solve theoretical and practical problems.
 Appreciate the applicability of physics to a wide range of disciplines.

This algebra based course provides science students with the basic concepts of physics that
enable them to understand describe and explain natural phenomena. Emphasis is laid on
general principles and fundamental concepts in measurements, mechanical and thermal
interactions, fluid mechanics, electromagnetism, oscillations and waves with applications of
physics in various fields of science.

Course Description The course is organized into 7 chapters. The chapters on mechanics introduces the principles
and laws governing the motion of objects and the interaction between them as well as
conservation laws. The chapter on heat and temperature discusses the interaction between
systems through energy transfer and describes some basic thermal properties of such
systems. The chapters on oscillations, waves and optics provide basic concepts of periodic
motions, how waves transfer energy from one place to the other, and use the concepts of
light rays to explain image formation by mirrors and lenses. Electromagnetism and
1
 Course Syllabus for General Physics (Phys 1011)
electronics introduces the basic electric and magnetic phenomena using the concept of field
and treats elementary concepts of semiconductors. Cross-cutting applications of physics
explain the roles of physics in Agriculture, Industries, Medicine, Archeology, Power
Generation, Earth and Space Sciences.

Students must attend above 80% of the

Attendance and Class Participation lecture classes and 100% of
Lab/Demonstration.
Demonstration/Lab work 15%

Quizzes/Assignments 5%
Grade Distribution
Department academic council will
Mid Exam 30%
decide on missed Mid Exams.
Final Exam 50%
Neither late assignments nor late projects are allowed

Teaching Methods Lecture, Tutorial, Seminar /Demonstration …

2. Lesson Sequence Plan

Detailed Content
Chapter Title Week

 Physical Quantities and Units of Measurement 1

 Uncertainty in Measurement and Significant Digits
1 Preliminaries (2 hrs)  Vectors: composition and resolution
 Unit Vectors

 Kinematics in One and Two Dimensions (4 hrs)

o Displacement, Velocity and Acceleration in 1D and 2D 2-5
o Motion with Constant Acceleration
o Free Fall Motion
o Projectile motion
 Particle Dynamics and Planetary Motion (6hrs)
o The Concept of Force as a Measure of Interaction
o Types of forces
Kinematics and o Newton’s Laws of Motion and Applications
2 Dynamics of Particle (13 o Circular Motion
Hrs)
o Newton’s Law of Universal Gravitation and Examples
o Kepler’s laws, satellites motion and weightlessness
 Work, Energy and Linear Momentum (3 hrs)
o Work and Energy
o Linear Momentum
o Conservation of Energy and Linear Momentum / Collisions
o Power
o The Concept of Center of Mass

2
 Course Syllabus for General Physics (Phys 1011)
Fluids Mechanics  Properties of Bulk Matter /Stress, Strain/ 6-7
 Density and Pressure in Static Fluids
3 (4 hrs)  Buoyant Forces, Archimedes’ principle
 Moving Fluids and Bernoulli’s Equation

8
Mid Exam

 The Concept of Temperature: Zeroth Law of Thermodynamics 9-10

 The Concept Heat and Work
Heat and  Specific Heat and Latent Heat
4 Thermodynamics (5Hr)  Heat Transfer Mechanism
 Thermal Expansion
 Energy Conservation: First Law of Thermodynamics

 Simple Harmonic Motion 10-12

 The Simple Pendulum
Oscillations, Waves and  Wave and Its Characteristics
5 Optics (5 hrs)  Resonance
 Doppler Effect
 Image formation by thin lenses and mirrors

 Coulomb’s Law and Electric Fields 12-13

 Electric Potential
 Current, Resistance and Ohm’s Law
 Electrical Power
Electromagnetism and  Equivalent Resistance and Kirchhoff’s Law
6 Electronics (6 hrs)  Magnetic Field and Magnetic Flux
 Electromagnetic Induction
 Insulators, Conductors, Semiconductors
 Diodes / Characteristics Curve
 Transistors

 Application in Agriculture 14
o Energy balance concept, energy balance in soils, moisture
content, soil densities, soil moisture characteristics,
 Physics and Industries
o Principle of Motor and generator
Cross Cutting  Physics in Health Sciences and Medical Imaging
Applications of o Radiation and its biological effect, x-ray, MRI, Ultrasound
7 Physics (4 hrs)  Physics and Archeology
o Radioactive Dating
 Application in Earth and Space Sciences
o Geothermal Energy, Seismometer, Radio and TV
communications
 Application in Power Generation
o Solar and Wind Energy, Nuclear Power Plants,
Hydroelectric power

15-16
Final Exam

3
 Course Syllabus for General Physics (Phys 1011)
3. References

 Serway, R. A. and Vuille, C., 2018, College Physics, 11th ed., Cengage Learning, Boston, USA
 University Physics with Modern Physics by Young, freedman and Lewis Ford
 Physics for Scientists and Engineers with Modern Physics by Douglas C. Giancoli
 Fundamentals of physics by David Halliday, Robert Resnick and Gearl Walker
 College Physics by Hugh D. Young Sears Zemansky, 9th edition
 Herman Cember and Thomas A. Johnson, Introduction to Health Physics, 4th ed., (2008).
 William R. Hendee and E. Russell Ritenour, Medical Imaging Physics, 4th ed., (2002).
 Tayal D.C. Basic Electronics. 2nd ed. Himalaya Publishing House Mumbai, (1998).
 Theraja B.L., R.S. Sedha. Principles of Electronic Devices and Circuits, S.Chand and Company Ltd,
New Delhi, (2004).
 Introduction to Space Physics, M. G. Kivelson and C. T. Russell, Cambridge University Press, 1995.
 Stacey, Frank D.: Physics of the earth. 2nd Ed.,Wiley, 1977.
 https://sites.google.com/site/apphysics1online/home
 https://phys.libretexts.org/

Participant Universities
1. Dr Mesfin Tadesse (Addis Ababa University)
2. Assistant Prof Wondimagegn Anjulo (Arba Minch University)
3. Mr Tamirat Bekele (Addis Ababa Science and Technology University)
4. Mr Berhanu Mengistu (Haramaya University)
5. Mr Wondimeneh Leul (Hawassa University)