Physics 331 Physics for Biologists I

Week 1

Recitation: How big is a worm

Lab 0: Survey and Intro

T 8/28

1

1. Introduction to the class
1.1 The disciplines: Physics, Biology, Chemistry, and Math
1.1.1 Science as making models
1.1.4 What Physics can do for Biologists
1.2 Thinking about Thinking and Knowing
1.2.1 The nature of scientific knowledge

Why are you here?/ Chapter 1

Th 8/30

2

2. Modeling with mathematics
2.1 Using math in science
2.1.1 How math in science is different from math in math
2.1.2 Measurement
2.1.3 Dimensions and units
2.1.3.1 Complex dimensions and dimensional analysis
2.1.3.2 Changing units
2.1.4 Estimation 
2.1.4.1 Useful numbers

Modeling, dimensions/ Chapter 1

Week 2

Recitation: Cat and Antelope

Lab 1: Quantifying motion from Images and Videos

T 9/4

3

I-1 Interlude 1: The Main Question: How do things move?
3  Kinematics: Where and When?

3.1.1 Coordinates
3.1.2 Vectors
3.1.3 Time
3.1.4 Kinematics Graphs

Coordinates and vectors/ 2-1 to 2-4; 3-1 to 3-4

Th 9/6

4

2.2.5 Values, change, and rates of change
2.2.5.1 Derivatives
2.2.5.1.1 What is a derivative, anyway?

3.2 Kinematic Variables
3.2.1 Velocity
3.2.1.1 Average velocity
3.2.1.2 Instantaneous velocity
3.2.1.3 Calculating with average velocity

 Rates of change & velocity/ 2-1 to 2-6

Week 3

Recitation: Thinking about forces for objects and systems

Lab 1: Quantifying motion from Images and Videos

T 9/11

5

3.2.2 Acceleration
3.2.2.1 Average acceleration
3.2.2.2 Instantaneous acceleration
3.2.2.3 Calculating with constant acceleration

 Acceleration/ 2-4 to 2-8

Th 9/13

6

4.1.1 Physical content of Newton's Laws
4.1.1.1 Object egotism
4.1.1.2 Inertia
4.1.1.3 Interactions
4.1.1.4 Superposition
4.1.1.5 Mass
4.1.1.6 Reciprocity

4.1.2 Formulation of Newton's Laws as foothold principles
4.1.2.1 Quantifying impulse and force
4.1.2.2 Newton's 0th Law
4.1.2.2.1 Free-body diagrams
4.1.2.2.2 System Schema Introduction

Intro to Newton's Laws

Week 4

Recitation: The spring constant of DNA

Lab 2: Characterizing Motion in Liquids and Gases.

T 9/18

7

4.1.2.3 Newton's 1st law
4.1.2.4 Newton's 2nd law
4.1.2.4.1 Reading the content in Newton's 2nd law 
4.1.2.4.2 Newton 2 as a stepping rule
4.1.2.4.2.1 Newton 2 on a spreadsheet

Newton 1 and 2/ 4-1 to 4-7

Th 9/20

8

4.1.2.5 Newton's 3rd law 
4.1.2.5.1 Using system schemas for Newton's 3rd law
4.2 Kinds of Forces
4.2.1 Springs 
4.2.1.1 Realistic springs
4.2.1.2 Normal forces
4.2.1.2.1 A simple model of solid matter

Newton 3/ 4-8 to 4-9

Week 5

Recitation: Motion of a paramecium

Lab 2: Characterizing Motion in Liquids and Gases.

T 9/25

9

4.2.1.3 Tension forces
4.2.2 Resistive forces
4.2.2.1 Friction

Tension and friction/ 4-8

Th 9/27

10

4.2.2.2 Viscosity
4.2.2.3 Drag

Viscosity, a biological perspective

Viscosity and drag/ 10-11, 

Week 6

Recitation: Electrostatic force and Hydrogen bonds

Lab 3: Observing Brownian motion

T 10/2

11

4.2.3 Gravitational forces
4.2.3.1 Flat-earth gravity
4.2.3.1.1 Free-fall in flat-earth gravity
4.2.3.3 The gravitational field

Gravity/ 4-6

Th 10/4

12

MIDTERM 1 (on lectures 1-10) BLDG II rm 2032

Week 7

Recitation: Electrophoresis

Lab 3: Observing Brownian motion

T 10/9

13

Th 10/11

14

4.2.4 Electric forces
4.2.4.1 Charge and the structure of matter
4.2.4.2 Polarization

3.1.2.1 Adding Vectors
3.1.2.1.1 Example: vector addition
3.1.2.1.2 Example: vector subtraction

4.2.4.3 Coulomb's law 
4.2.4.3.1 Coulomb's law -- vector character
4.2.4.3.2 Reading the content in Coulomb's law

Electric forces/ 16-1 to 16-6

Week 8

Recitation: Diffusion in cells

Lab 4: Diffusion of dye and cytochrome c

T 10/16

15

4.2.4.4 The Electric field 

4.3 Coherent vs. random motion
4.3.1 Linear momentum  
4.3.1.1 Restating Newton's 2nd law: momentum  
4.3.1.2 Momentum conservation  

Electric field/ 16-7
Momentum/ 7-1 to 7-5

Th 10/18

16

4.3.2 The role of randomness: Biological implications  
4.3.3 Diffusion and random walks  
4.3.3.1 Fick's law 
3.1.2.3 The gradient: a vector derivative

Random motion and diffusion/ 13-14

random motion, diffusion and General Flux Equation

Week 9

Recitation: Gas properties and pressure

Lab 4: The competition between Brownian motion and directed forces

T 10/23

17

5. Macro models of matter
5.1.1 Density-solids 
5.1.2 Young's modulus
5.1.6 Soft matter
5.1.6.1 Mechanical properties of cells

Solids/ 9-5, 10-1 to 10-6; 13-7 to13-9

Th 10/25

18

5.2 Fluids
5.2.1 Pressure

I-2: Interlude 2: The Micro to Macro Connection

7.1 Kinetic theory: the ideal gas law

Fluids and kinetic theory/ 13-7 to 13-11

Week 10

Recitation: Fluid flow

Lab 4: The competition between Brownian motion and directed forces

T 10/30

19

5.2.2 Archimedes' Principle
5.2.3 Buoyancy

5.2.5.2.1 Surface tension

Buoyancy and surface tension/ 10-7, 10-13

Th 11/1

20

5.2.6 Fluid flow
5.2.6.1 Quantifying fluid flow
5.2.6.2 The continuity equation
5.2.6.3 Internal flow -- the HP equation

Fluid flow/ 10-8, 10-9, 10-12

Week 11

Recitation: Energy skate park

·       Estimating capillaries

·       Hold the mayo

Lab 5: Motion and Work in living systems

T 11/6

21

6. Energy: The Quantity of Motion
6.1 Kinetic energy and the work-energy theorem
6.1.1 Reading the content in the Work-Energy theorem

Work and energy/ 6-1 to 6-3

Th 11/8

22

MIDTERM 2 (cumulative, focusing on lectures 11-20) BLDG II rm 2032

Week 12

Recitation: Protein stability

Lab 5: Motion and Work in living systems

T 11/13

23

6.2 Energy of place -- potential energy
6.2.1 Gravitational potential energy
6.2.2 Spring potential energy
6.2.3 Electric potential energy

Potential energy/ 6-4

Th 11/15

24

6.3 The conservation of mechanical energy
6.3.1 Interpreting mechanical energy graphs
6.3.2 Mechanical energy loss -- thermal energy

6.3.3 Forces from potential energy

Conservation of energy/ 6-5 to 6-7

Week 13

No Recitation

No Lab

T 11/20

25

6.4.1 Energy at the sub-molecular level
6.4.2 Atomic and Molecular forces
6.4.2.1 Interatomic forces
6.4.2.2 Chemical bonding

Chemical energy/ 29-1 to 29-3

Week 14

Recitation:

Temperature regulation

Lab: Makeup Lab and survey

T 11/27

26

5.3 Heat and temperature
5.3.2 Thermal properties of matter
5.3.2.1 Thermal energy and specific heat
5.3.2.2 Heat capacity
5.3.2.3 Heat transfer

Heat and temperature/ 13-1 to 13-4, 14

Th 11/29

27

7. Thermodynamics and Statistical Physics
7.2 The 1st law of thermodynamics

The 1st law of thermodynamics

Week 15

T 12/4

28

7.3 The 2nd Law of Thermodynamics
7.3.1 The 2nd Law of Thermodynamics: A Probabilistic Law
7.3.2 Implications of the Second Law of Thermodynamics

The 2nd law of thermodynamics

Th 12/6

29

No new reading

Review

Final Exam

TBA