SFU PHYS 101: Learning Goals asSept 16, 2020

Learning Goals

By the end of this course, you will be able to

1) Apply steps in quantitative model development from a physics perspective that include

• make simplifying assumptions for order of magnitude estimates
• convert units and choose an appropriate scale for use in a problem (e.g. km for distances between cities, nm for biomolecular systems, etc.)
• apply a systematic process to set up and solve problems (diagrams, solving equations, dimensional analysis, numerical checks)
• demonstrate the ability to think critically and to use appropriate physics concepts and models to analyze problems or physical systems relevant to the life sciences

2) Apply physics to gain insight into the behaviour of living systems, using examples such as

•  apply Newton’s laws and equations of motion to simplify the description of a variety of human motion and physiology with application to sport and medicine.
• measuring forces in biomolecules using single molecule techniques
• apply the work-energy theorem to how the human body converts chemical energy into mechanical work
• describe how physics constrains animal body plans and apply allometric scaling laws to problems such as bone strength, life span and flight.
• calculate the Reynolds number for a moving object in a fluid and describe how this impacts how an organism swims.
• describe the physics of the human circulatory system and how blood flow and its viscosity play a role in determining blood pressure.
• describe the physics of hearing and the human ear.

3) Apply physics to gain insight into biological and medical techniques and instrumentation such as

• the physics behind the operation of a centrifuge to separate out particles
• applying static equilibrium to medical equipment such as traction devices
• use fluid dynamics to solve problems relevant to intravenous medical equipment
• the physics of ultrasonic imaging

4) Define and apply fundamental concepts of Newtonian Mechanics, including work and energy

• calculate the motion of an object given only graphical information of its trajectory.
• use vectors to solve problems in kinematics and dynamics
• define and identify the different types of forces acting on an object and construct free- body diagrams to solve problems in Newtonian mechanics
•  apply Newton’s laws to solve problems in Newtonian mechanics
•  define torque and use rotational kinematics to find the motion of a rotating rigid object, including angular acceleration
• define the difference between an open and closed system and how they relate to the conservation of energy.
• define the physics concept of work.
• define the different forms of mechanical energy and use the work-energy theorem to calculate the motion of objects (including dissipation).
• define momentum and use its conservation to analyze the motion of systems of interacting objects

5) Define and apply fundamental concepts of fluids

• apply definitions of density and pressure to analyze problems in hydrostatics.
• apply and calculate the flow of an incompressible, perfect fluid.
• define what is meant by viscosity and how it affects fluid flow

6) Define and apply fundamental concepts of waves and oscillations

• define what is meant by periodic motion.
• apply the concepts of simple harmonic motion to analyze vibrational motion in a variety of physical contexts.
• define the quantities that characterize a travelling wave
• calculate the frequencies of standing waves on a string describe the generation of sound and its intensity

7) Define and apply fundamental concepts of thermodynamics

• describe the microscopic definition of temperature and pressure and explain how these are related to statistical properties of a system of many particles.
• describe a random walk and how it relates to diffusion
• estimate the distance travelled by diffusing particles
• use Fick’s law to calculate particle fluxes due to concentration differences
• define heat conduction and use Fourier’s law of heat conduction to calculate heat flow