Physics 1A "Physics for Scientists and Engineers: Mechanics," 5 units
Lecture/demonstration, four hours; discussion, one hour. Enforced requisites: Mathematics 31A, 31B. Enforced corequisite: Mathematics 32A. Motion, Newton laws, work, energy, linear and angular momentum, rotation, equilibrium, gravitation. P/NP or letter grading.
The topics covered in this class and approximate schedules are listed below. Chapters listed under heading "Y&F Chapters" are from Young and Freedman (Sears and Zemansky's) University Physics, 15th edition, and listed under heading "OS Chapters" are corresponding free OpenStax equivalents from University Physics volumes 1-3.
If a course is taught using the online Kudu textbook, homework, and clicker system, the recommended Kudu course is "UCLA Physics 1A", which covers the same topics.
| Week | Y&F Chapters | OS Chapters | Topics covered | Optional sections |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1, 2 | Volume 1: 1, 2, 3 | Units, vectors, one-dimensional motion | 1.5 Uncertainty and significant figures, 1.6 Estimates and orders of magnitude |
| 2 | 3 | Volume 1: 4 | Motion in two or three dimensions, projectiles | |
| 3 | 4 | Volume 1: 5 | Newton's laws of motion | |
| 4 | 5 | Volume 1: 6 | Applying Newton's laws | |
| 5 | 6 | Volume 1: 7 | Work and kinetic energy | |
| 6 | 7 | Volume 1: 8 | Potential energy and energy conservation | |
| 7 | 8 | Volume 1: 9 | Momentum, impulse, and collisions | 8.6 Rocket propulsion |
| 8 | 9 | Volume 1: 10 | Rotation of rigid bodies | |
| 9 | 10, 11 | Volume 1: 11 | Dynamics of rotational motion, equilibrium | 10.7 Gyroscopes and precession，11.4 Stress, strain, 11.5 Elasticity |
| 10 | 13 | Volume 1: 13 | Gravitation | 13.7 Apparent weight, 13.8 Black holes, skip Ch. 12 Fluid Mechanics |
Physics 1B "Physics for Scientists and Engineers: Fluids, Oscillations, Waves, and Electricity," 5 units
Lecture/demonstration, four hours; discussion, one hour. Enforced requisites: Physics 1A, Mathematics 31B, 32A. Enforced corequisite: Mathematics 32B. Fluid m echanics, oscillation, mechanical waves, and sound. Electric charge, field and potential, capacitors, and dielectrics. Currents and resistance, direct-current circuits. P/NP or letter grading.
The topics covered in this class and approximate schedules are listed below. Chapters listed under heading "Y&F Chapters" are from Young and Freedman (Sears and Zemansky's) University Physics, 15th edition, and listed under heading "OS Chapters" are corresponding free OpenStax equivalents from University Physics volumes 1-3.
If a course is taught using the online Kudu textbook, homework, and clicker system, the recommended Kudu course is "UCLA Physics 1B", which covers the same topics.
| Week | Y&F Chapters | OS Chapters | Topics covered | Optional sections |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | Volume 1: 14 | Fluid mechanics | 11.4 Elastic moduli, 12.6 Viscosity and turbulence |
| 2 | 14 | Volume 1: 15 | Periodic motion | |
| 3 | 15 | Volume 1: 16 | Mechanical waves | |
| 4 | 16 | Volume 1: 17 | Sound | 16.9 Shock waves |
| 5 | 21 | Volume 2: 5 | Electric charge and electric field | |
| 6 | 22 | Volume 2: 6 | Gauss's law | 22.5 Charges on conductors |
| 7 | 23 | Volume 2: 7 | Electrical potential | |
| 8 | 24 | Volume 2: 8 | Capacitance and dielectrics | 24.5 Molecular model of induced charge and 24.6 Gauss's law in dielectrics |
| 9 | 25 | Volume 2: 9 | Current, resistance, and electromotive force | 25.6 Theory of metallic conduction |
| 10 | 26 | Volume 2: 10 | Direct-current (DC) circuits | 26.5 Power distribution systems |
Physics 1C "Physics for Scientists and Engineers: Magnetism, Electrodynamics, Optics, and Special Relativity," 5 units
Lecture/demonstration, four hours; discussion, one hour. Enforced requisites: courses 1A, 1B, Mathematics 32A, 32B. Enforced corequisite: Mathematics 33A. Magnetic fields, Ampere's law, Faraday's law, inductance, and alternating current circuits. Maxwell's equations, electromagnetic waves, light, geometrical optics, interference and diffraction. Special relativity. P/NP or letter grading.
The topics covered in this class and approximate schedules are listed below. Chapters listed under heading "Y&F Chapters" are from Young and Freedman (Sears and Zemansky's) University Physics, 15th edition, and listed under heading "OS Chapters" are corresponding free OpenStax equivalents from University Physics volumes 1-3.
If a course is taught using the online Kudu textbook, homework, and clicker system, the recommended Kudu course is "UCLA Physics 1C", which covers the same topics.
| Week | Y&F Chapters | OS Chapters | Topics covered | Optional sections |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 27 | Volume 2: 11 | Magnetic fields and magnetic forces | 27.9 Hall effect |
| 2 | 28 | Volume 2: 12 | Sources of magnetic fields | 28.8 Magnetic materials |
| 3 | 29 | Volume 2: 13 | Electromagnetic induction, Faraday's law | 29.8 Superconductivity |
| 4 | 30, 31 | Volume 2: 14-15 | Inductance, alternating current (AC) circuits | |
| 5 | 32 | Volume 2: 16 | Electromagnetic waves including Maxwell's equations | 32.5 Standing EM waves |
| 6 | 33 | Volume 3: 1 | The nature and propagation of light | 33.6 Scattering of light, 33.7 Huygens's principle |
| 7 | 34 | Volume 3: 2 | Geometrical optics | 34.3 Refraction at a Spherical Surface, 34.4 Thin lenses, 34.8 Microscopes and telescopes |
| 8 | 35, 36 | Volume 3: 3-4 | Interference, diffraction | 35.5 The Michelson interferometer, 36.3 Intensity for single slit, 36.5 (Grating spectrograph part), 36.6 X-ray diffraction, 36.7 Circular apertures and resolving power, 36.8 Holography |
| 9 | 37.1-37.5 | Volume 3: 5.1-5.5 | Special relativity up to the Lorentz transform | |
| 10 | Volume 3: 5.6-5.9 | Special topics (as time/interest of instructor permits), for example:
|
Physics 1AH “Physics for Scientists and Engineers: Mechanics (Honors)”, 5 units
Lecture/demonstration, four hours; discussion, one hour. Enforced requisites: Mathematics 31A, 31B. Enforced corequisite: Mathematics 32A. Recommended corequisite: Mathematics 32B. Enriched preparation for upper-division physics courses. Same material as course 1A but in greater depth; recommended for Physics majors and other students desiring such coverage. P/NP or letter grading.
Note: Enrollment into Physics 1AH is via PTE number only. If interested in enrolling in 1AH, please contact a physics counselor.
| Week | Topics | Chapters in Text | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Math review, kinematics | 1 | |
| 2 | Force, Newton’s laws, centripetal motion | 2, 3 | |
| 3 | Forces, examples | 3 | |
| 4 | Momentum | 4 | |
| 5 | Work-energy, examples | 5, 6 | |
| 6 | Angular momentum | 6, 7 | |
| 7 | Rigid bodies | 8 | |
| 8 | Central force motion | 10 | |
| 9 | Gravitation, oscillations | 10, 11 | |
| 10 | Oscillations, wrap-up | 11 | |
Physics 1BH “Physics for Scientists and Engineers: Oscillations, Waves, Electric and Magnetic Fields (Honors)”, 5 units
Lecture/demonstration, four hours; discussion, one hour. Enforced requisites: course 1AH or 1A, Mathematics 31B, 32A. Enforced corequisite: Mathematics 32B. Recommended corequisite: Mathematics 33A. Enriched preparation for upper-division physics courses. Same material as course 1B but in greater depth; recommended for Physics majors and other students desiring such coverage. P/NP or letter grading.
Note: Enrollment into Physics 1BH is via PTE number only. If interested in enrolling in 1BH, please contact a physics counselor.
| Week | Topics | Chapters in Text | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Electric charge/field, Gauss’ law | 1 | |
| 2 | Electric potential | 2 | |
| 3 | Conductors and capacitors | 3 | |
| 4 | Currents, circuits, and circuit elements | 4 | |
| 5 | Special relativity and fields of moving charges | Notes & 5 | |
| 6 | Magnetic field | 6 | |
| 7 | Faraday’s law of induction | 7 | |
| 8 | AC circuits | 8 | |
| 9 | Maxwell’s equations and EM waves | 9.1-9.4, 10 | |
| 10 | Dielectrics, fields within matter, wrap-up | 10, 11 | |
Physics 1CH “Physics for Scientists and Engineers: Electrodynamics, Optics, and Special Relativity (Honors)”, 5 units
Lecture/demonstration, four hours; discussion, one hour. Enforced requisites: courses 1AH or 1A, 1BH or 1B, Mathematics 32A, 32B. Enforced corequisite: Mathematics 33A. Recommended corequisite: Mathematics 33B. Enriched preparation for upper-division physics courses. Same material as course 1C but in greater depth; recommended for Physics majors and other students desiring such coverage. P/NP or letter grading.
Note: Enrollment into Physics 1CH is via PTE number only. If interested in enrolling in 1CH, please contact a physics counselor.
| Week | Topics | Chapters in Text | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wave equation, waves | 1, 2 | |
| 2 | EM wave, light propagation, reflection | 3, 4 | |
| 3 | Refraction, geometrical optics | 4, 5 | |
| 4 | Optical systems, superposition, beats | 5, 7 | |
| 5 | Standing waves, Doppler effect, polarization | 8 | |
| 6 | Polarization, interference | 8, 9 | |
| 7 | Diffraction | 19 | |
| 8 | Fourier analysis, special relativity | 7, K&K 12 | |
| 9 | Special relativity | K&K 12,13 | |
| 10 | Special relativity, wrap | K&K 14 | |
Physics 5A "Physics for Life Sciences Majors: Mechanics and Energy," 5 units
Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour; laboratory, two hours. Requisites: Life Sciences 30A, 30B, or Mathematics 3A, 3B, 3C (3C may be taken concurrently). Statics and dynamics of forces, motion, energy, including thermal energy, with applications to biological and biochemical systems. P/NP or letter grading.
The topics covered in this class and approximate schedules are listed below. Chapters listed are from the required textbook University Physics for the Life Sciences by Knight, Jones, and Field.
| Week | Chapter(s) | Topics covered | Optional sections |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Class orientation, Physics for the Life Sciences | |
| 2 | 2 | Describing Motion | |
| 3 | 3 | Motion Along a Line | 3.7 Projectile Motion, 3.8 Modeling a Changing Acceleration |
| 4 | 4 | Force and Motion | |
| 5 | 5 | Interacting Systems | |
| 6 | 6 | Equilibrium and Elasticity | 6.7 Elasticity and Deformation |
| 7 | 7 | Circular and Rotational Motion | |
| 8 | 10 | Work and Energy | (Skip Chapter 8 Momentum, Skip Chapter 9 Fluids) |
| 9 | 11 | Interactions and Potential Energy | |
| 10 | Review |
Physics 5B "Physics for Life Sciences Majors: Thermodynamics, Fluids, Waves, Light, and Optics," 5 units
Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour; laboratory, two hours. Requisite: course 5A. Thermal properties of matter, free energy, fluids, ideal gas, diffusion, oscillations, waves, sounds, light, and optics, with applications to biological and biochemical systems. P/NP or letter grading.
The topics covered in this class and approximate schedules are listed below. Chapters listed are from the required textbook University Physics for the Life Sciences by Knight, Jones, and Field.
| Week | Chapter(s) | Topics covered | Optional sections |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12.1, 12.3 - 12.4, 12.6 - 12.7 | Thermodynamics | 12.5 Heat Transfer |
| 2 | 14.1 - 14.3 | Entropy | (Skip Chapter 13 Kinetic Theory) |
| 3 | 9.1 - 9.3, 9.5 - 9.8 | Fluids | 9.4 Surface Tension and Capillary Action |
| 4 | 15.5 - 15.5 | Oscillations | 15.6 Damped Oscillations, 15.7 Diven Oscillations and Resonance |
| 5 | 16.1 - 16.6 | Traveling Waves and Sound | 16.7 The Doppler Effect |
| 6 | 17.1 - 17.7 | Superposition and Standing Waves | 17.8 Beats |
| 7 | 18 | Wave Optics | |
| 8 | 19 | Ray Optics | |
| 9 | 20 | Optical Instruments | |
| 10 | Review |
Physics 5C "Physics for Life Sciences Majors: Electricity, Magnetism, and Modern Physics," 5 units
Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour; laboratory, two hours. Requisite: course 5A. Electrostatics in vacuum and in water. Electricity, circuits, magnetism, quantum, atomic and nuclear physics, radioactivity, with applications to biological and biochemical systems. P/NP or letter grading.
The topics covered in this class and approximate schedules are listed below. Chapters listed are from the required textbook University Physics for the Life Sciences by Knight, Jones, and Field.
| Week | Chapter(s) | Topics covered | Optional sections |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 21 | Electric Forces and Fields | |
| 2 | 22 | Electric Potential | |
| 3 | 24 | Current and Resistance | (Skip Chapter 23 Biological Applications of Electric Fields and Potentials, or insert after Chapter 22 instead of having a review week at end of course) |
| 4 | 25.1 - 25.5 | Circuits | 25.8 Electricity in the Nervous System |
| 5 | 26 | Magnetic Fields and Forces | |
| 6 | 27 | Electromagnetic Induction and Electromagnetic Waves | |
| 7 | 28 | Quantum Physics | 28.7 The Uncertainty Principle, 28.8 Applications of Quantum Physics |
| 8 | 29.1 - 29.3, 29.5 - 29.6 | Atoms and Molecules | 29.4 Multi-electron Atoms, 29.7 Fluorescence and Bioluminescence, 29.8 Stimulated Emission and Lasers |
| 9 | 30 | Nuclear Physics | 30.8 The ultimate Building Blocks of Matter |
| 10 | -- | Review |