Toward a curriculum for physics
- 1Prerequisites(1w~1m)
- 2Quantities(11w~1m)
- 3Energy, work, thermodynamics, chemistry(173w~1m)
- 4Atomic theory, electricity, electrochemistry(18w~1m)
- 5Waves, oscillations(13w~1m)
- 6Mechanics, motion(147w~1m)
- 7Astronomy(7w~1m)
- 8Other drafts(34w~1m)
- 9What?(24w~1m)
1Prerequisites
2Quantities
- Understand that a physical quantity is a magnitude and a unit.
3Energy, work, thermodynamics, chemistry
- Understand that work is weight lifted through a height.
- Understand that energy is the ability to work.
- Understand that heat is energy.
- Macrothermodynamics
- Understand that temperature is what an analog thermometer measures indirectly by thermal expansion.
- Microthermodynamics
- Understand Joule's experiment and the relationship between heat and kinetic energy
- ???
- Understand and justify the conservation of energy.
- ???
- Understand Avogadro constant.
- Understand Avogadro's law.
- Understand mole.
- Understand the gas laws.
- Understand how the ideal gas law subsumes the gas laws.
- Understand diatomic gases.
- ? If something can work, why does it not work? Why does it not convert all its energy to work?
- Understand why chemical reactions happen.
- Predict whether a chemical reaction will happen.
- Understand how the Gibbs free energy equation predicts whether a reaction happens spontaneously.
- \( \Delta G = \Delta H - T \cdot \Delta S \)
- <2020-01-25> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemical_reaction#Thermodynamics
- Understand how/where to get data about \( \Delta H \) and \( \Delta S \).
- Understand how the Gibbs free energy equation predicts whether a reaction happens spontaneously.
- Predict how fast a chemical reaction will happen.
- Kinetics: Predict the reaction rate?
- Predict whether a chemical reaction will happen.
- Understand that matter is congealed energy?
- But what are the properties of energy!? Can we touch it!?
- Understand the relationship between "entropy" in classical thermodynamics, statistical mechanics, and information theory.
4Atomic theory, electricity, electrochemistry
- Understand atoms.
- Understand electricity.
- Understand that an electric current is the flow of electrons.
- Understand the Faraday constant.
5Waves, oscillations
- Understand steady-state models of water surface waves.
- Understand steady-state models of spring oscillation.
6Mechanics, motion
- 6.1Variational principles(51w~1m)
- 6.2Models of motion(32w~1m)
- 6.3Relativity(30w~1m)
- 6.4Quantum mechanics(36w~1m)
6.1Variational principles
- Understand mathematical optimization, variational principles, and unification or subsumption.
- Understand how Fermat's principle of least time subsumes the law of reflection and Snell's law of refraction.
- Derive the law of reflection from the principle of least time.
- Derive the law of refraction from the principle of least time.
- ???
- Understand the principle of stationary action.
- Understand how Fermat's principle of least time subsumes the law of reflection and Snell's law of refraction.
6.2Models of motion
- Understand Newton's model of motion.
- Derive continuum mechanics from Newton's model of motion by relaxing the point-mass assumption.
- Derive fluid mechanics.
- Derive the Navier–Stokes equations from Newton's laws of motion?
- Understand https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluid_mechanics#Relationship_to_continuum_mechanics
- ? statistical mechanics
6.3Relativity
- Understand Galilean relativity.
- ???
- Understand Lorentz transformation.
- Understand its significance.
- Understand how Poincaré, Lorentz, Einstein, etc. understood it.
- ???
- Einstein's summation convention.
- Tensors are covariant/contravariant with respect to what?
- Walters 2016 "How Einstein Got His Field Equations" https://arxiv.org/abs/1608.05752
6.4Quantum mechanics
- Relax the assumption of definite time-position relationship into a probabilistic relationship.
- Model the double-slit light experiment.
- ???
- Understand the photoelectric effect.
- Understand the photovoltaic effect.
- ???
- Understand Schrödinger's model of motion?
- Understand what de Broglie was all about?
- Understand Planck's black-body radiation formula?
7Astronomy
- Understand how to locate a celestial object.
8Other drafts
- On motion
- On theoretical physics
- A physics book draft (should be split into articles instead)
- On the evolution of the ontology of chemistry
- On integrals
- A story of physics
- On my plan to save myself and perhaps some people
- Energy
9What?
Are black holes the key to unifying general relativity and quantum field theory?
"Realistic Simulation: Inside a Black Hole - New Universe through White Hole?"1