PHYS 2610 - General Physics 1
Fall 2026 Syllabus, Section 01, CRN 40383,
Credit hours: 4
Course Meeting Times
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Instructor
Donald Priour
Email: djpriour@ysu.edu
Course Description
2610. General Physics 1. A course in mechanics; the kinematics and dynamics of masses in translation and rotation; Newton's Laws; gravity; the conservation laws of energy and momentum; simple harmonic motion and introduction to wave motion and sound. Prereq.: High school physics or PHYS 1501. Prereq. or concurrent: MATH 1571. 4 s.h.
Course Readings
| Group | Title | Author | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Optional | Any edition of a Calculus based Physics text. |
Handwritten notes spanning the course as a whole will be provided at regular intervals. No external textbook is required though any previous version of the Calculus based general Physics text by Serway and Jewitt may be used), and homework sets will be sent to you via email and posted on the Blackboard site.
The course readings are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances, research developments, current events, and/or to ensure better learning.
Assignments/Assessments
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Schedule of Topics and Assignments
| Day | Date | Proposed Topic | Due/To Prepare for Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | 8/24 | Introductory comments; course expectations and broader comment on Newtonian Physics | |
| Tue | 8/25 | Segment 1: Dimensions and Units; we begin by discussing numbering systems and physical length scales. | |
| Wed | 8/26 | Segment 1: We continue by discussing dimensional analysis | |
| Fri | 8/28 | Segment 1: We discuss how quantities such as area and volume scale and continue discussing dimensional analysis. | |
| Mon | 8/31 | Segment 2: Motion and kinematics: We discuss coordinate systems and the notion of position.. | |
| Tue | 9/1 | Segment 2: We discuss average velocity and motivate instantaneous velocity as limit, the derivative. | |
| Wed | 9/2 | Segment 2: We discuss from a qualitative perspective the relationship among position, velocity, and acceleration. | |
| Fri | 9/4 | Segment 2: We discuss velocity, acceleration, and position in a rigorous quantitative manner. We review relevant Calculus related concepts. | |
| Mon | 9/7 | Labor day recess; class will not meet | |
| Tue | 9/8 | Segment 2: We consider the special case of uniform acceleration and we derive relevant relationships. | |
| Wed | 9/9 | Segment 2: We discuss real world (single stage) uniform acceleration scenarios. | |
| Fri | 9/11 | Segment 2: Real world multi-stage uniform acceleration situations are discussed. | |
| Mon | 9/14 | Segment 3: We review vector mathematics and trigonometric functions. | |
| Tue | 9/15 | Segment 3: Physical intuition is used to motivate projectile motion. | |
| Wed | 9/16 | Segment 3: Projectile motion is examined in the context of symmetric trajectories. | |
| Fri | 9/18 | Segment 3: Projectile motion is discussed for non-symmetric trajectories; we pause to review for the midterm exam. | |
| Mon | 9/21 | First midterm exam | |
| Tue | 9/22 | Segment 3: The concept of (Galilean) relative velocity is discussed, and real world examples are considered. | |
| Wed | 9/23 | Segment 4: Radian measure and angular velocity are considered. | |
| Fri | 9/25 | Segment 4: We obtain relationships for centripetal acceleration and we consider examples. | |
| Mon | 9/28 | Segment 5: We discuss and motivate Newton's Three Laws. | |
| Tue | 9/29 | Segment 5: We consider weight forces and normal forces. | |
| Wed | 9/30 | Segment 5: We consider motion down a frictionless ramp. | |
| Fri | 10/2 | Segment 5: Tension forces are discussed, and we begin to consider friction forces. | |
| Mon | 10/5 | Segment 5: We continue to discuss static and kinetic friction forces. | |
| Tue | 10/6 | Segment 5: We discuss Hooke's Law and spring forces. | |
| Wed | 10/7 | Segment 5: The Universal Law of Gravitation is discussed. | |
| Fri | 10/9 | Segment 6: The notion of work is introduced. | |
| Mon | 10/12 | Segment 6: Kinetic Energy and the Work Energy Theorem are discussed. | |
| Tue | 10/13 | Segment 6: Potential Energy and Conservation of Energy are discussed. | |
| Wed | 10/14 | Segment 6: Applications of conservation of energy are examined. | |
| Fri | 10/16 | Segment 6: We continue to discuss conservation of energy and pause to review for the second midterm exam. | |
| Mon | 10/19 | Second midterm exam | |
| Tue | 10/20 | Segment 7: Momentum (and why it is conserved) is introduced by reflecting on Newton's Third law | |
| Wed | 10/21 | Segment 7: Conservation of momentum for fully inelastic collisions is considered. | |
| Fri | 10/23 | Segment 7: Conservation of momentum is explored for fully elastic 1D collsions. | |
| Mon | 10/26 | Segment 7: The notion of impulse is introduced, and real world applications are considered. | |
| Tue | 10/27 | Segment 8: The notion of the moment of inertia is introduced. | |
| Wed | 10/28 | Segment 8: Further examples of moments of inertia are discussed, and we consider rotational kinetic energy. | |
| Fri | 10/30 | Segment 8: We discuss situations in which both translational and kinetic energy are present, most notably the case of rolling motion. | |
| Mon | 11/2 | Segment 9: We begin to consider non-equilibrium situations involving torque | |
| Tue | 11/3 | Segment 9: Torque is motivated with a qualitative discussion. | |
| Wed | 11/4 | Segment 9: Torque is defined in a rigorous quantitative manner. Vector dot and cross products are reviewed. The right hand rule is introduced. | |
| Fri | 11/6 | Segment 9: We begin to discuss equilibrium situations involving torque. | |
| Mon | 11/9 | Segment 9: We discuss non-equilibrium cases involving torque. | |
| Tue | 11/10 | Segment 10: We discuss angular momentum and the conservation of angular momentum. | |
| Wed | 11/11 | Veteren's Day observance; class will not meet |
|
| Fri | 11/13 | Segment 11: We introduce the notion of pressure and consider examples; we pause to review for the third midterm exam. | |
| Mon | 11/16 | Third midterm exam | |
| Tue | 11/17 | Segment 11: We consider applications of pressure, and we discuss buoyancy. | |
| Wed | 11/18 | Segment 11: We discuss continuity of flow and hydraulic systems. | |
| Fri | 11/20 | Segment 11: We derive the Bernoulli equation and apply it to real world situations. | |
| Mon | 11/23 | Segment 12: We discuss the harmonic oscillator. | |
| Tue | 11/24 | Segment 12: We consider the pendulum for the case in which the amplitudes are small. | |
| Wed | 11/25 | Thanksgiving recess begins, and class will not meet | |
| Fri | 11/27 | Segment 13: We discuss waves and wave physics in a qualitative sense. | |
| Mon | 11/30 | Segment 13: We begin discussing standing waves in strings and columns of air. | |
| Tue | 12/1 | Segment 13: We continue discussing standing waves. | |
| Wed | 12/2 | Segment 13: We discuss sound intensity and the Decibel measure. | |
| Fri | 12/4 | Segment 13: We discuss the Doppler shift in the case of sound. | |
| Mon | 12/7 | In class review for the final exam begins. | |
| Tue | 12/8 | We conclude reviewing for the final exam. | |
| Wed | 12/9 | Final exam from 10:30 am - 12:30 pm |
The course schedule, policies, procedures, and assignments in this course are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances, by mutual agreement, and/or to ensure better learning.