Physics 311 Course Syllabus: Fall 1997

• Dimensions, dimensional analysis, and scaling (4 lectures).
  1. Dimensions of physical quantities. The SI system of units.
  2. Dimensionless quantities, dimensional analysis and scaling.
  3. Examples: Period of a pendulum, stellar oscillations, gravity waves, nuclear explosions, diffusion.
  4. Modeling, scaling, and order of magnitude estimates.
• Fluid mechanics and aerodynamics (8 lectures).
  1. Properties of fluids. Phases of matter.
     1. How is a fluid different from a solid?
     2. Laminar vs. turbulent flow.
     3. Conservation of mass, momentum, and energy. Bernoulli's Law. Ideal flow.
     4. Viscosity, the Navier-Stokes equation, boundary layers, the Reynolds number.
     5. Poiseuille flow.
  2. Lift and drag.
     1. Drag on blunt bodies. Boundary layer separation. Skin friction.
     2. Lift. Circulation, the Magnus effect, vortices.
     3. Applications to the aerodynamics of golf balls and baseballs.
  3. Aerodynamics.
     1. Airfoils. Lift and drag. The Kutta-Joukowsky condition.
     2. Airplanes, helicopters, propellers. Modeling and scaling.
     3. Rockets.
• Environmental physics (7 lectures).
  1. Energy balances in the atmosphere.
  2. Conduction and convection.
  3. Fluid flow in the atmosphere and oceans. The Coriolis force. Winds and currents.
  4. Production of meteorological phenomena: storms, hurricanes, tornadoes.
  5. Optical phenomena on the atmosphere: rainbows, halos, glories.
  6. Global warming and the greenhouse effect.
  7. Uncertainties in forecasting. An introduction to chaotic dynamics.
• Mechanical properties of solids (8 lectures).
  1. Introduction to elasticity theory: stress and strain.
  2. Tensile and compressive stresses vs. shear stresses. Elastic moduli.
  3. Bending of beams (bridges, trees, bones).
  4. Waves in solids.
  5. Plastic deformations and dislocations. Strength of materials. Work hardening.
  6. Applications to geophysics: soil, rocks, structure of the earth, earthquakes, s and p waves.
  7. Applications to materials engineering. Steel, biological materials.