Conceptual Understanding in Introductory Physics XXVII: Mass and Charge

This question is inspired by my recent ramblings on electric charge and by the elements of thought in the Paul/Elder critical thinking framework. (a) In first semester physics, you learned that mass is necessary to calculate the gravitational force shared by two interacting entities. What are the physical implications of mass always being positive? (b) […]

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Matter & Interactions I, Week 1

This is the first post of a series of sixteen in which I will attempt to describe the weekly goings on in my introductory calculus-based physics course. You probably already know that I use Matter & Interactions for this course, and I have since 1999. In fact, I was the first instructor in North Carolina […]

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Conceptual Understanding in Introductory Physics XXV: A Free Particle?

This question emphasizes geometry and should be done without use of a coordinate system. It should also be done using only symbolic manipulation of vectors. Here it is. Consider a particle moving with a constant, non-relativistic velocity. Starting with a general expression for kinetic energy in terms of either velocity or momentum, prove that the […]

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