PHYS 2210 —Physics for Engineers I

Math Skills Course Primer

Prerequisites: MATH 1210MATH 1210

Topics covered: laws of motion and kinematics, forces, circular motion, rotation, harmonic motion, work, gravity, fluids, and thermodynamics.

Math concepts to review:

1. Vectors

  • magnitude and direction of vectors
  • vector components
  • adding and subtracting vectors
  • finding vector magnitude
  • dot products
Vectors representing forces on a body

vectors are used to represent forces on a body

velocity is the derivate of position over time

velocity is the derivate of position over time

2. Calculus

  • basic derivatives and integrals
  • differentials and instantaneous rates of change

3. Trigonometry

  • sine, cosine, and tangent functions
  • solving for unknowns with trig functions
Trigonometry

trigonometry is used to calculate horizontal and vertical components of vectors

geometry, calculating a satalites trajectory

Other Concepts:

  • geometry of circles: radius, circumference, area, arc length
  • supplementary, complementary, vertical, and corresponding angles
  • working with degree measurements
  • triange geometry