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Mechanical and Electromagnetic Waves (conceptual overview)  TBA Fall 2017

Grades: High School/College level. This brief overview is an excellent beginner  class for any student considering to take  physics  in college.  If you are going into telecommunications, quantum physics,geology, oceanography, cosmology, astronomy, or seismology, this is a great physics class to add to your knowledge!  This class is purely conceptual, but advanced students can be introduced to the high level math needed to calculate a wave if requested (see 'added features' under the syllabus.  Topics covered:  wave mechanics (including physics of sound) and an introduction to electromagnetic waves (the ones responsible for radio and telecommunications)
Topics covered:
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  • Mechanical waves

    • Transverse waves​

    • Longitudinal waves

    • Spherical waves

    • Properties of waves (frequency, period, etc)

    • Periodic waves

    • Interference in standing waves

    • Sound waves

      • Doppler effect

    • Physics of music

      • Harmonics 

      • Frequencies 

  • Electromagnetic waves

    • Introduction to photons

    • Wavelengths and colors

    • Optics  History of light

    • Interference Principles

    • Polarization Effects​

  • Types of electromagnetic waves

    • radio waves

    • x rays

    • infrared waves

    • microwaves

    • ultraviolet waves

    • Planck's constant for measuring energy of waves

Topics covered:
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                           Day 1
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  • Mechanical waves

    • Transverse waves​  (30 min)

    • Longitudinal waves (30 min)

                        break 10 min

  • Activity: observing waves through a simulator and determining the basic properties of a wave  (50 min)

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                        break 10 min

  • Activity: draw up your own illustration of waves and try to point out all the properties these waves have in common (50 min)/physical activity: learning how to use the ropes in fitness.

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                           Day 2
  • ​ 

    • Properties of waves (frequency, period, etc)      (1 hr)

                     break 10 min

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    • Spherical waves  and review (30 min)

  • Activity: name that wave when you see it (30 min)

  • ​Periodic waves

    • Interference in standing waves 

    • Revisiting longitudinal waves: Sound waves​

                      (50 min)

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                        Day 3

  • An introduction to the pulse inside a wave that creates the wave and an understanding of what energy is.  (1hr)​​                                  10 min break

  • ​How all particles become more wavelike as they get smaller, and why it's so important to understand the basic properties of waves​                           (1 hr)​

                 10 min break​

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  • Sound waves revisited​

    • Doppler effect  (40 min)​                 

 

 

​​                        Day 4

  • Physics of music (harmonics, frequencies) (1hr)​

                    10 min break

  • Physics of music continued (harmonics, frequencies) activity understanding how to manipulate sound (1hr)​

                    10 min break 

  •  Review on mechanical waves (40 min)

 

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​​                        Day 5

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  • Electromagnetic waves

    • Introduction to photons

    • Wavelengths and colors

    • Optics  History of light

    • Interference Principles

    • Polarization Effects​

  • Types of electromagnetic waves

    • radio waves

    • x rays

    • infrared waves

    • microwaves

    • ultraviolet waves

    • Planck's constant for measuring energy of waves

Coming soon!

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