Addis Ababa University

College of Natural and Computational Sciences

Department of Physics
General Physics (Year I Science Stream)
Course Title: General Physics
Course Code: Phys 1011
Course Credits: ECTS/Credit Hours: 5 ECTS/3 Cr. Hrs. (3 lecture hours + 2 lab hours)
Course Goal (Learning Outcomes)
By the end of this course the student will be able to:
 Develop knowledge and skills in basic measurement and uncertainty.
 Understand the basic concepts of physics and the relations between them (Laws).
 Describe and explain natural phenomena using the basic concepts and laws.
 Apply the basic concepts and laws to practical situations.
 Develop the algebraic skills needed to solve theoretical and practical problems.
 Appreciate the applicability of physics to a wide range of disceplines.

Course Description
This course provides science students with the basic concepts of physics that enable them to understand
describe and explain natural phenomena. Emphasis is laid on general principles and fundamental
concepts in measurements, mechanical and thermal interactions between systems, fluid mechanics,

electromagnetism, oscillations and waves with applications in various fields of science. The course
treatment is based on moderate use of mathematics .

The course covers topics from mechanics, thermal physics, oscillations and waves, electricity and
magnetism and geometrical optics. The chapters on mechanics introduce the principles and laws
governing the motion of objects and the interaction between them. The chapter on heat and temperature
discusses the interaction between systems through energy transfer and describes some basic thermal
properties of such systems. The chapters on oscillations, waves and optics provide basic concepts of
periodic motions, how waves these transfer energy from one place to the other, and use the concepts of
light rays to explain image formation by mirrors and lenses.
 Electromagnetism and electronics introduces the basic electric and magnetic phenomena using the
concept of field and treats elementary concepts of semiconductors. Cross-cutting application of physics
explain the roles of physics in Agriculture, Industries, Medicine, Archeology, Power generation, Earth and
Space Sciences.

Grade Distribution

Chapter Assessments Points

1-9 Midterm Exam 40%
10-13 Final Exam 40%
Assignment and Lab work 20%
Total 100
Students must attend above 80% of the lecture classes and 100% of lab/Demonstration.

Chapter 1. Preliminaries (2 hours)

1.1 Physical Quantities and Units of Measurement
1.2 Uncertainty in Measurement and Significant Digits
1.3 Vectors: Addition, Components, Magnitude and direction
1.4 Unit Vectors

Chapter 2. Kinematics in One Dimension (2 hrs)

1.5 Displacement, Velocity and Acceleration
1.6 Motion with Constant Acceleration
 1.7 Free Fall Motion

Chapter 3. Kinematics in Two Dimensions (2 hr)

1.8 Displacement, Velocity and Acceleration in 2D
1.9 Projectile motion
1.10 Kinematics of Circular Motion

Chapter 4. Dynamics (4 hrs)

1.11 The Concept of Force as a Measure of Interaction
1.12 Types of Interaction
1.13 Newton’s Laws of Motion
1.14 Motion with Friction
1.15 Dynamics of Circular Motion

Chapter 5. Gravitation and Kepler’s Laws of Motion (2 hrs)

1.16 Newton’s Law of Universal Gravitation and Examples
1.17 Kepler’s Laws, Satellites Motion and Weightlessness

Chapter 6. Work and Energy (3 hrs)

1.18 The Concept of Work
1.19 Kinetic Energy and Potential Energy
1.20 Conservation of Energy
1.21 Power

Chapter 7. Linear Momentum (3 hrs)

1.22 The Concept of Momentum and Impulse
1.23 Conservation of Momentum
1.24 The Concept of Center of Mass
1.25 Collisions in 1D and 2D

Chapter 8. Fluids Mechanics (3 hrs)

1.26 Density and Pressure in Static Fluids
1.27 Buoyant Forces, Archimedes’ Principle
1.28 Moving Fluids and Bernoulli’s Equation
8.04 Properties of Bulk Matter/Stress, Strain/

Mid Exam (At the end of eighth week)

Chapter 9. Heat and Thermodynamics (5)
1.29 The Concept of Temperature: Zeroth Law of Thermodynamics
1.30 Temperature Scales and Absolute Temperature
1.31 Thermal Expansion
1.32 The Concept of Heat and Energy
1.33 Specific Heat and Latent Heat
1.34 Heat Transfer Mechanisms
1.35 Energy Conservation: First Law of Thermodynamics

Chapter 10. Oscillations and Waves (4 hrs)

1.36 Simple Harmonic Motion
1.37 The Simple Pendulum
1.38 Resonance
1.39 Mechanical Waves: Frequency, Wavelength, Speed
1.40 Standing Waves
1.41 Doppler Effect

Chapter 11. Electromagnetism and Electronics (5 hrs)

1.42 Coulomb’s Law and Electric Fields
1.43 Electric Potential
1.44 Current, Resistance and Ohm’s Law
1.45 Electrical Power
1.46 Equivalent Resistance and Kirchhoff’s Law
1.47 Magnetic Field and Magnetic Flux
1.48 Electromagnetic Induction
1.49 Insulators, Conductors, Semiconductors
1.50 Diodes/Characteristic Curve
11.10 Transistors

Chapter 12. Geometrical Optics (3 hrs)

1.51 Reflection, Refraction
1.52 Image formation by Thin Lenses and Mirrors

Chapter 13. Application of Physics (2 hrs)

1.53 Application in Agriculture
 Energy balance concept, energy balance in soils, moisture content, soil densities,
soil moisture characteristics

1.54 Physics and Industries

 Principle of Motor and Generator

1.55 Physics in Health Sciences and Medical Imaging

 Radiation and its biological effect, x-ray, MRI, Ultrasound

1.56 Physics and Archeology

 Radioactive Dating

1.57 Application in Earth and Space Sciences

 Geothermal energy, Seismometer, Radio and TV communications
 1.58 Application in Power Generation
 Solar and Wind energy, Nuclear power plants, Hydroelectric power

Final Exam

References
 Serway, R. A. and Vuille, C., College Physics, 11th ed., Cengage Learning, Boston, USA.
 Young, Freedman and Lewis Ford, University Physics with Modern Physics.
 Douglas C. Giancoli, Physics for scientists and Engineers with Modern Physics.
 David Halliday, Robert Resnick and Gearl Walker, Fundamentals of Physics.
 Hugh D. Young Sears Zemansky, College Physics 9 th ed.
 Herman Cember and Thomas A. Johnson, Introduction to Health Physics, 4 th ed., 2008.
 William R. Hendee and E. Russell Ritenour, Medical Imaging Physics, 4 th ed., 2002.
 Tayal D. C., Basic Electronics, 2nd, ed., Himalaya Publishing House Mumbai, 1998.
 Theraja B. L., R. S. Sedha, Principles of Electronic Devices and Circuits, S. Chand and
Company Ltd, New Delihi, 2004.
 M. G. Kivelson and C. T. Russell, Introduction to Space Physics, Cambridge University
Press, 1995.
 Stacy, Frank D., Physics of Earth, 2nd ed., Wiley, 1977.
 https://sites.google.com/site/apphysics1online/home
 https://phys.libretexts.org/