Physics 131 - Fundamentals of Physics for Biologists I

You can find an overview of the text readings for this class (plus readings I am not assigning) at: Working Content I

Notes:

This schedule is tentative and subject to change. Reading Assignments are online; commentary in WebAssign is due 9 PM the evening before the lecture. Assignments are due Friday at 5PM.
Attend recitation during the first week of class to do our survey and meet the prof.
Recitations and labs begin on September 7th.
The content column links to slides from the PowerPoint presentation used in class. They will be posted after the class takes place. Note that these slides only represent a skeleton of the presentation and do not include solutions to problems and questions posed, derivations, or representations of class discussions. If you miss a class, these notes do not suffice to fill you in on what happened! Be sure to check with someone who actually attended. The files are Adobe PDF files.

Date	Class	Reading	Content	Lab
Week 1			Recitation: Surveys	Lab 0: Intro and setup
8/31	1	1 Introduction to the class 1.1 The disciplines: Physics, Biology, Chemistry, and Math 1.1.1 Science as making models 1.1.4 What Physics can do for Biologists 1.2 Thinking about Thinking and Knowing 1.2.1 The nature of scientific knowledge 1.2.3 Knowing-how-we-know icons	Why is this class different?
9/2	2	2. Modeling with mathematics 2.1 Using math in science 2.1.1 How math in science is different from math in math 2.1.2 Measurement 2.1.3 Dimensions and units	Measurement and Math: Clicker question
9/4	3	2.1.3.1 Complex dimensions and dimensional analysis 2.1.3.2 Changing units 2.1.4 Estimation 2.1.4.1 Useful numbers 2.2.3 The idea of algebra: unknowns and relationships 2.2.3.1 Symbols in science	Coordinates, graphs, and vectors Clicker questions
Week 2			Recitation: How big is a worm?	Lab 1a: Quantifying motion from Images and Videos
9/7		LABOR DAY (no class)
9/9	4	3.1.1 Coordinates 3.1.2 Vectors 3.1.3 Time 3.1.4 Kinematics Graphs 2.2.5 Values, change, and rates of change 2.2.5.1 Derivatives	Rate of change and velocity	Quiz 1
9/11	5	2.2.5.1.1 What is a derivative, anyway? 3.2 Kinematic Variables 3.2.1 Velocity 3.2.1.1 Average velocity 3.2.1.2 Instantaneous velocity 3.2.1.3 Calculating with average velocity	Instantaneous and average velocity Clicker question
Week 3			Recitation: The cat and the antelope	Lab 1b: Quantifying motion from Images and Videos
9/14	6	3.2.2 Acceleration 3.2.2.1 Average acceleration 3.2.2.2 Instantaneous acceleration 3.2.2.3 Calculating with constant acceleration 3.2.3 Kinematics graphs and consistency 3.2.3.1 Reading the content in the kinematics equations	Graphs & consistency; acceleration Clicker questions
9/16	7	4.1 Newton's Laws 4.1.1 Physical content of Newton's Laws 4.1.1.1 Object egotism: 4.1.1.2 Inertia 4.1.1.3 Interactions 4.1.1.4 Superposition: 4.1.1.5 Mass 4.1.1.6 Reciprocity	Physical content of Newton's laws Clicker questions	Quiz 2
9/18	8	4.1.2 Formulation of Newton's laws as foothold principles 4.1.2.2 Newton 0 4.1.2.2.1 Free-body diagrams 4.1.2.2.2 System Schema Introduction	What's a force? Newton 0 & 1
Week 4			Recitation: Forces for objects & systems	Lab 2a: Inferring force characteristics from motion analysis
9/21	9	4.1.2.3 Newton's 1st law 4.1.2.4 Newton's 2nd law 4.1.2.4.1 Reading the content in Newton's 2nd law 4.1.2.4.2 Newton 2 as a stepping rule	Newton 2 Clicker questions
9/23	10	4.1.2.5 Newton's 3rd law 4.1.2.5.1 Using system schemas for Newton's 3rd law 4.1.2.5.1 Center of mass	Newton 3 Clicker questions	Quiz 3
9/25	11	4.1.2 Formulation of Newton's Laws as foothold principles 4.1.2.1 Quantifying impulse and force	The Impulse-Momentum Theorem Clicker questions
Week 5			Recitation: The spring constant of DNA	Lab 2b: Inferring force characteristics from motion analysis
9/28	12	4.2 Kinds of Forces 4.2.1 Springs 4.2.1.1 Realistic springs 4.2.1.2 Normal forces 4.2.1.2.1 A simple model of solid matter 4.2.1.3 Tension forces	Forces: Springs, tension, and normal forces Clicker questions
9/30	13	4.2.2 Resistive forces 4.2.2.1 Friction 4.2.2.2 Viscosity 4.2.2.3 Drag	Resistive forces: Viscosity & drag Clicker questions	Quiz 4
10/2	14	4.2.3 Gravitational forces 4.2.3.1 Flat-earth gravity 4.2.3.1.1 Free-fall in flat-earth gravity 4.2.3.3 The gravitational field	Gravity Clicker questions
Week 6			Recitation: Propelling a paramecium	Lab 3a: Observing Brownian motion
10/5	15	4.2.4 Electric forces 4.2.4.1 Charge and the structure of matter 4.2.4.2 Polarization 4.2.4.3 Coulomb's law	Electric force and polarization Clicker questions
10/7	16	3.1.2.1 Adding vectors 3.1.2.1.1 Vector addition 3.1.2.1.2 Vector subtraction	Vectors Clicker questions
10/9	17		MIDTERM 1
Week 7			Recitation: Electric force and Hydrogen bonding	Lab 3b: Observing Brownian motion
10/12	18	4.2.4.3 Coulomb's law 4.2.4.3.1 Coulomb's law -- vector character 4.2.4.3.2 Reading the content in Coulomb's law 4.2.4.4 The Electric field	Coulomb's law Clicker questions
10/14	19		Go over midterm
10/16	20	4.3 Coherent vs. random motion 4.3.1 Linear momentum 4.3.1.1 Restating Newton's 2nd law: momentum	Coherent motion: Momentum Clicker questions	Quiz 5
Week 8			Recitation: Electrophoresis	Lab 3c: Observing Brownian motion
10/19	21	4.3.1.2 Momentum conservation	Momentum conservation Clicker question
10/21	22	1.1.3 Reductionism and emergence 4.3.2 The role of randomness: Biological implications 4.3.3 Diffusion and random walks	Random motion and emergence Clicker questions	Quiz 6
10/23	23	4.3.3.1 Fick's law 4.3.3.1.1 Reading the content in Fick's fist law	Diffusion and Fick's law Clicker questions
Week 9			Recitation: Gas properties and pressure	Lab 4a: The competition between Brownian motion and directed forces
10/26	24	5. Macro models of matter 5.1.1 Density-solids 5.1.2 Young's modulus 5.1.6 Soft matter 5.1.6.1 Mechanical properties of cells	Solids and soft matter Clicker questions
10/28	25	5.2 Fluids 5.2.1 Pressure I-2 The micro-macro connection 7.1 Kinetic theory: the ideal gas law	Basics of fluids: Pressure Clicker questions	Quiz 7
10/30	26	5.2.2 Archimedes' Principle 5.2.3 Buoyancy 5.2.5.2.1 Surface tension	Fluid statics: The gas law Clicker questions
Week 10			Recitation: Cell polarization and activation	Lab 4b: The competition between Brownian motion and directed forces
11/2	27		Fluid statics: buoyancy Clicker questions
11/4	28	5.2.6 Fluid flow 5.2.6.1 Quantifying fluid flow 5.2.6.2 The continuity equation	Fluid flow Clicker questions	Quiz 8
11/6	29	5.2.6.3 Internal flow -- the HP equation	Fluid flow with resistance Clicker questions
Week 11			Recitation: Fluid flow Estimating capillaries Hold the mayo	Lab 5a: Motion and Work in living systems
11/9	30	6. Energy: The Quantity of Motion 6.1 Kinetic energy and the work-energy theorem 6.1.1 Reading the content in the Work-Energy theorem	Work and kinetic energy: Gravity Clicker questions
11/11	31	6.2 Energy of place -- potential energy 6.2.1 Gravitational potential energy	Potential energy: Gravity Clicker questions
11/13	32		MIDTERM 2
Week 12			Recitation: Energy skate park	Lab 5b: Motion and Work in living systems
11/16	33	6.2.2 Spring potential energy 6.2.3 Electric potential energy	Potential energy: Spring and electric Clicker question {Hints}
11/18	34		Go over midterm
11/20	35	6.3 The conservation of mechanical energy 6.3.1 Interpreting mechanical energy graphs	Mechanical energy: Conservation Clicker question {Hints}	Quiz 9
Week 13			No recitation	Monday lab only
11/23	36	6.3.2 Mechanical energy loss -- thermal energy 6.3.3 Forces from potential energy 3.1.2.3 The gradient: a vector derivative	Loss of mechanical energy Clicker question {Hints}
11/25	37	Guest lecture (A. Peel)
Week 14			Recitation: Protein folding	Makeup labs and surveys
11/30	38	6.4.1 Energy at the sub-molecular level 6.4.2 Atomic and Molecular forces 6.4.2.1 Interatomic forces 6.4.2.1.1 The Lennard-Jones potential 6.4.2.2 Chemical bonding	Electric PE and molecular forces Clicker questions {Hints}
12/2	39	5.3 Heat and temperature 5.3.2 Thermal properties of matter 5.3.2.1 Thermal energy and specific heat	Thermal Energy Clicker questions {Hints}	Quiz 10
12/4	40	5.3.2.2 Heat capacity 5.3.2.3 Heat transfer	Heat flow Clicker questions {Hints}
Week 15			Recitation: Temperature regulation
12/7	41	I-2: Interlude 2: The Micro to Macro Connection 7. Thermodynamics and Statistical Physics 7.3 The 1st law of thermodynamics	First law of thermodynamics Clicker questions	Quiz 11
12/9	42	7.3 The 2nd Law of Thermodynamics 7.3.1 The 2nd Law of Thermodynamics: A Probabilistic Law 7.3.2 Implications of the Second Law of Thermodynamics	Intro to the 2nd law of thermodynamics Clicker questions
12/10	43	No reading for the last day
Exam Week
12/16	Time:	6:30-8:30 PM	FINAL EXAM	Location: TBD

Physics 131 Physics for Biologists I

Schedule -- Redish

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6

Week 7

Week 8

Week 9

Week 10

Week 11

Week 12

Week 13

Week 14

Week 15

Exam Week

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