B. Engineering physics

B. Engineering physics

Core

B.1 – Rigid bodies and rotational dynamics

Nature of science:

  • Modelling: The use of models has different purposes and has allowed scientists to identify, simplify and analyse a problem within a given context to tackle it successfully. The extension of the point particle model to actually consider the dimensions of an object led to many groundbreaking developments in engineering.

Understandings:

  • Torque

  • Moment of inertia

  • Rotational and translational equilibrium

  • Angular acceleration

  • Equations of rotational motion for uniform angular acceleration

  • Newton’s second law applied to angular motion

  • Conservation of angular momentum

Applications and skills:

  • Calculating torque for single forces and couples

  • Solving problems involving moment of inertia, torque and angular acceleration

  • Solving problems in which objects are in both rotational and translational equilibrium

  • Solving problems using rotational quantities analogous to linear quantities

  • Sketching and interpreting graphs of rotational motion

  • Solving problems involving rolling without slipping

B.2 – Thermodynamics

Nature of science:

  • Variety of perspectives: With three alternative and equivalent statements of the second law of thermodynamics, this area of physics demonstrates the collaboration and testing involved in confirming abstract notions such as this.

Understandings:

  • The first law of thermodynamics

  • The second law of thermodynamics

  • Entropy

  • Cyclic processes and pV diagrams

  • Isovolumetric, isobaric, isothermal and adiabatic processes

  • Carnot cycle

  • Thermal efficiency

Applications and skills:

  • Describing the first law of thermodynamics as a statement of conservation of energy

  • Explaining sign convention used when stating the first law of thermodynamics as Q=ΔU+W

  • Solving problems involving the first law of thermodynamics

  • Describing the second law of thermodynamics in Clausius form, Kelvin form and as a consequence of entropy

  • Describing examples of processes in terms of entropy change

  • Solving problems involving entropy changes

  • Sketching and interpreting cyclic processes

  • Solving problems for adiabatic processes for monatomic gases using pV5/3 = constant

  • Solving problems involving thermal efficiency

Additional higher level

B.3 – Fluids and fluid dynamics

Nature of science:

  • Human understandings: Understanding and modelling fluid flow has been important in many technological developments such as designs of turbines, aerodynamics of cars and aircraft, and measurement of blood flow.

Understandings:

  • Density and pressure

  • Buoyancy and Archimedes’ principle

  • Pascal’s principle

  • Hydrostatic equilibrium

  • The ideal fluid

  • Streamlines

  • The continuity equation

  • The Bernoulli equation and the Bernoulli effect

  • Stokes’ law and viscosity

  • Laminar and turbulent flow and the Reynolds number

Applications and skills:

  • Determining buoyancy forces using Archimedes’ principle

  • Solving problems involving pressure, density and Pascal’s principle

  • Solving problems using the Bernoulli equation and the continuity equation

  • Explaining situations involving the Bernoulli effect

  • Describing the frictional drag force exerted on small spherical objects in laminar fluid flow

  • Solving problems involving Stokes’ law

  • Determining the Reynolds number in simple situations

B.4 – Forced vibrations and resonance

Nature of science:

  • Risk assessment: The ideas of resonance and forced oscillation have application in many areas of engineering ranging from electrical oscillation to the safe design of civil structures. In large-scale civil structures, modelling all possible effects is essential before construction.

Understandings:

  • Natural frequency of vibration

  • Q-factor and damping

  • Periodic stimulus and the driving frequency

  • Resonance

Applications and skills:

  • Qualitatively and quantitatively describing examples of under-, over- and critically-damped oscillations

  • Graphically describing the variation of the amplitude of vibration with driving frequency of an object close to its natural frequency of vibration

  • Describing the phase relationship between driving frequency and forced oscillations

  • Solving problems involving Q factor

  • Describing the useful and destructive effects of resonance

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