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Welcome to the Georgia Tech Wiki for Introductory Physics. This resource was created so that students can contribute and curate content to help those with limited or no access to a textbook. When reading this website, please correct any errors you may come across. If you read something that isn't clear, please consider revising it for future students!

Looking to make a contribution?

1. Pick one of the topics from intro physics listed below
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Please remember that this is not a textbook and you are not limited to expressing your ideas with only text and equations. Whenever possible embed: pictures, videos, diagrams, simulations, computational models (e.g. Glowscript), and whatever content you think makes learning physics easier for other students.

Source Material

All of the content added to this resource must be in the public domain or similar free resource. If you are unsure about a source, contact the original author for permission. That said, there is a surprisingly large amount of introductory physics content scattered across the web. Here is an incomplete list of intro physics resources (please update as needed).

• A physics resource written by experts for an expert audience Physics Portal
• A wiki written for students by a physics expert MSU Physics Wiki
• A wiki book on modern physics Modern Physics Wiki
• The MIT open courseware for intro physics MITOCW Wiki
• An online concept map of intro physics HyperPhysics
• Interactive physics simulations PhET
• OpenStax algebra based intro physics textbook College Physics
• The Open Source Physics project is a collection of online physics resources OSP
• A resource guide compiled by the AAPT for educators ComPADRE

Resources

• Commonly used wiki commands Wiki Cheatsheet
• A guide to representing equations in math mode Wiki Math Mode
• A page to keep track of all the physics Constants
• A page for review of Vectors and vector operations
• A listing of Notable Scientist with links to their individual pages

Physics 1

Week 1

Help with VPython

• VPython
• VPython basics
• VPython Common Errors and Troubleshooting
• VPython Functions
• VPython Lists
• VPython Loops
• VPython Multithreading
• VPython Animation
• VPython Objects
• VPython 3D Objects
• VPython Reference
• VPython MapReduceFilter
• VPython GUIs

Vectors and Units

• Vectors
• SI Units

Interactions

Velocity and Momentum

• Newton's First Law of Motion
• Velocity
• Mass
• Speed and Velocity
• Relative Velocity
• Derivation of Average Velocity
• 2-Dimensional Motion
• 3-Dimensional Position and Motion

Week 2

Momentum and the Momentum Principle

• Momentum Principle
• Inertia
• Net Force
• Derivation of the Momentum Principle
• Impulse Momentum
• Acceleration
• Momentum with respect to external Forces

Iterative Prediction with a Constant Force

• Newton's Second Law of Motion
• Iterative Prediction
• Kinematics
• Newton's Laws and Linear Momentum
• Projectile Motion

Week 3

Analytic Prediction with a Constant Force

• Analytical Prediction

Iterative Prediction with a Varying Force

• Predicting Change in multiple dimensions
• Spring Force
• Hooke's Law
• Simple Harmonic Motion
• Iterative Prediction of Spring-Mass System
• Terminal Speed
• Determinism

Week 4

Fundamental Interactions

• Gravitational Force

Week 5

Conservation of Momentum

• Conservation of Momentum

Properties of Matter

• Kinds of Matter
  • Ball and Spring Model of Matter
• Density
• Length and Stiffness of an Interatomic Bond
• Young's Modulus
• Speed of Sound in Solids
• Malleability
• Ductility
• Weight
• Hardness
• Boiling Point
• Melting Point

Week 6

Identifying Forces

• Free Body Diagram
• Compression or Normal Force
• Tension

Curving Motion

• Curving Motion
• Centripetal Force and Curving Motion
• Perpetual Freefall (Orbit)

Week 7

Energy Principle

• The Energy Principle
• Conservation of Energy
• Kinetic Energy
• Work
• Power (Mechanical)

Week 8

Work by Non-Constant Forces

• Work Done By A Nonconstant Force

Potential Energy

• Potential Energy
• Potential Energy of Macroscopic Springs
• Spring Potential Energy
  • Ball and Spring Model
• Gravitational Potential Energy
• Energy Graphs
• Escape Velocity

Week 9

Multiparticle Systems

• Center of Mass
• Multi-particle analysis of Momentum
• Momentum with respect to external Forces
• Potential Energy of a Multiparticle System
• Work and Energy for an Extended System
• Internal Energy
  • Potential Energy of a Pair of Neutral Atoms

Week 10

Choice of System

• System & Surroundings

Thermal Energy, Dissipation and Transfer of Energy

• Thermal Energy
• Specific Heat
• Heat Capacity
• Specific Heat Capacity
• First Law of Thermodynamics
• Second Law of Thermodynamics and Entropy
• Temperature
• Predicting Change
• Energy Transfer due to a Temperature Difference
• Transformation of Energy
• The Maxwell-Boltzmann Distribution
• Air Resistance

Rotational and Vibrational Energy

• Translational, Rotational and Vibrational Energy

Week 11

Different Models of a System

• Real Systems
• Point Particle Systems

Models of Friction

• Friction
• Static Friction

Week 12

Collisions

• Newton's Third Law of Motion
• Collisions
• Elastic Collisions
• Inelastic Collisions
• Maximally Inelastic Collision
• Head-on Collision of Equal Masses
• Head-on Collision of Unequal Masses
• Scattering: Collisions in 2D and 3D
• Rutherford Experiment and Atomic Collisions
• Coefficient of Restitution

Week 13

Rotations

• Rotation
• Angular Velocity
• Eulerian Angles

Angular Momentum

• Total Angular Momentum
• Translational Angular Momentum
• Rotational Angular Momentum
• The Angular Momentum Principle
• Angular Momentum Compared to Linear Momentum
• Angular Impulse
• Predicting the Position of a Rotating System
• Angular Momentum of Multiparticle Systems
• The Moments of Inertia
• Moment of Inertia for a cylinder
• Right Hand Rule

Week 14

Analyzing Motion with and without Torque

• Torque
• Torque 2
• Systems with Zero Torque
• Systems with Nonzero Torque
• Torque vs Work
• Gyroscopes

Week 15

Introduction to Quantum Concepts

• Bohr Model
  • Energy graphs and the Bohr model
• Quantized energy levels

Physics 2

Week 1

3D Vectors

• Vectors
• Right-Hand Rule
• Right Hand Rule

Electric field

• Electric Field

Electric force

• Electric Force
• Lorentz Force

Electric field of a point particle

• Point Charge

Superposition

• Superposition Principle
• Superposition principle

Dipoles

• Electric Dipole

Week 2

Interactions of charged objects

• Electric Field
• Electric Potential
• Electric Force
• Lorentz Force

Tape experiments

• Polarization
• Electric Polarization

Polarization

• Polarization
• Electric Polarization
• Polarization of an Atom

Week 3

Insulators

• Insulators
• Potential Difference in an Insulator
• Charged Conductor and Charged Insulator
• Charged conductor and charged insulator

Conductors

• Conductivity
• Charge Transfer
• Resistivity
• Polarization of a conductor
• Charged Conductor and Charged Insulator
• Charged conductor and charged insulator

Charging and discharging

• Charge Transfer
• Electrostatic Discharge
• Charged Conductor and Charged Insulator
• Charged conductor and charged insulator

Week 4

Field of a charged rod

• Charged Rod

Field of a charged ring/disk/capacitor

• Charged Ring
• Charged Disk

Field of a charged sphere

• Charged Spherical Shell
• Field of a Charged Ball

Week 5

Potential energy

• Potential Energy

Electric potential

• Electric Potential
• Path Independence of Electric Potential
• Potential DIfference Path Independence
• Potential Difference in a Uniform Field
• Potential Difference of Point Charge in a Non-Uniform Field

Sign of a potential difference

• Sign of a Potential Difference

Potential at a single location

• Electric Potential
• Potential Difference at One Location

Path independence and round trip potential

• Path Independence of Electric Potential
• Potential DIfference Path Independence

Week 6

Electric field and potential in an insulator

• Potential Difference in an Insulator

Moving charges in a magnetic field

• Magnetic Field
• Magnetic Force
• Lorentz Force

Biot-Savart Law

• Biot-Savart Law
• Biot-Savart Law for Currents

Moving charges, electron current, and conventional current

• Moving Point Charge
• Curent

Week 7

Magnetic field of a wire

• Magnetic Field of a Long Straight Wire

Magnetic field of a current-carrying loop

• Magnetic Field of a Loop

Magnetic dipoles

• Magnetic Dipole Moment
• Bar Magnet

Atomic structure of magnets

• Atomic Structure of Magnets

Week 8

Steady state current

• Steady State
• Non Steady State

Node rule

• Node Rule

Electric fields and energy in circuits

• Series circuit
• Node Rule
• Loop Rule

Macroscopic analysis of circuits

• Series Circuits
• Parallel CIrcuits
• Parallel Circuits vs. Series Circuits*
• Loop Rule
• Node Rule

Week 9

Electric field and potential in circuits with capacitors

• Charging and Discharging a Capacitor
• RC Circuit

Magnetic forces on charges and currents

• Magnetic Force
• Lorentz Force
• Applying Magnetic Force to Currents
• Magnetic Force in a Moving Reference Frame
• Right-Hand Rule

Electric and magnetic forces

• Electric Force
• Magnetic Force
• Lorentz Force

Velocity selector

• Lorentz Force
• Combining Electric and Magnetic Forces

Week 10

The Hall effect

• Hall Effect
• Right-Hand Rule
• Polarization

Motional EMF

• Motional Emf
• Motional Emf using Faraday's Law

Magnetic force

• Magnetic Force
• Lorentz Force

Magnetic torque

• Magnetic Torque
• Right-Hand Rule

Week 12

Gauss's Law

• Gauss's Flux Theorem
• Gauss's Law
• Magnetic Flux

Ampere's Law

• Ampere's Law
• Ampere-Maxwell Law
• Magnetic Field of Coaxial Cable Using Ampere's Law
• Magnetic Field of a Long Thick Wire Using Ampere's Law
• Magnetic Field of a Toroid Using Ampere's Law
• Magnetic Field of a Solenoid Using Ampere's Law
• The Differential Form of Ampere's Law

Week 13

Semiconductors

• Semiconductor Devices

Faraday's Law

• Faraday's Law
• Motional Emf using Faraday's Law
• Lenz's Law

Maxwell's equations

• Gauss's Law
• Magnetic Flux
• Ampere's Law
• Faraday's Law
• Maxwell's Electromagnetic Theory

Week 14

Circuits revisited

Inductors

• Inductors
• Current in an LC Circuit

Week 15

Sparks in the air

• Sparks in Air
• Spark Plugs

Superconductors

• Superconducters
• Superconductors
• Meissner effect

Physics 3

Week 1

Classical Physics

Week 2

Special Relativity

• Frame of Reference
• Einstein's Theory of Special Relativity
• Time Dilation
• Einstein's Theory of General Relativity
• Albert A. Micheleson & Edward W. Morley
• Magnetic Force in a Moving Reference Frame

Week 3

Photons

• Spontaneous Photon Emission
• Light Scattering: Why is the Sky Blue
• Lasers
• Electronic Energy Levels and Photons
• Quantum Properties of Light

Week 4

Matter Waves

• Wave-Particle Duality

Week 5

Wave Mechanics

• Standing Waves
• Wavelength
• Wavelength and Frequency
• Mechanical Waves
• Transverse and Longitudinal Waves

Week 6

Rutherford-Bohr Model

• Rutherford Experiment and Atomic Collisions
• Bohr Model
• Quantized energy levels
• Energy graphs and the Bohr model

Week 7

The Hydrogen Atom

• Quantum Theory
• Atomic Theory

Week 8

Many-Electron Atoms

• Quantum Theory
• Atomic Theory
• Pauli exclusion principle

Week 9

Molecules

Week 10

Statistical Physics

Week 11

Condensed Matter Physics

Week 12

The Nucleus

Week 13

Nuclear Physics

• Nuclear Fission
• Nuclear Energy from Fission and Fusion

Week 14

Particle Physics

• Elementary Particles and Particle Physics Theory
• String Theory