Physics classes can be daunting and boring to many people. It is often hard to fully appreciate the utility, ingenuity, and elegance of using mathematics to explain how the real world works. Teaching physics effectively can be very difficult, but Walter Lewin makes it look easy. Dr. Lewin is a professor emeritus at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Three courses taught by him have been recorded and made available online through MIT's OpenCourseWare project—much like Open Yale Courses. Anyone can access this university material for free, but do not expect college credit for watching the lectures. Dr. Lewin employs his comedic wit and dazzling demonstrations to clarify physics concepts and applications for his students. The first course is about “classical mechanics”, the second is about “electricity and magnetism”, and the third is about “vibrations and waves”. All three courses are intended for students who are experienced with calculus. Even if you do not plan on becoming a scientist, you will probably find the classes entertaining and thought-provoking.
The classical mechanics course includes the following topics: units, kinematics, vectors, circular motion, Newton's laws, friction, work, energy, forces, collisions, momentum, rotating bodies, stars, torque, oscillations, gravity, planetary orbits, gyroscopes, precession, fluid mechanics, buoyancy, harmonics, resonance, heat, thermodynamics, and astrophysics.
The electricity and magnetism course includes the following topics: historical background, fields, Gauss' law, flux, voltage, currents, EMF, circuits, electric motors, solenoids, induction, inductance, Faraday's law, eddy currents, levitation, material properties, electromagnets, Maxwell's equations, electromagnetic waves, light, refraction, polarization, scattering, rainbows, interference, Doppler effect, and cosmology.
The vibrations and waves course includes the following topics: oscillations, waves, damping, resonance, coupling, pendulum, sound, Fourier analysis, electromagnetic waves, polarization, Doppler effect, stars, radiation, reflection, standing waves, refraction, interference, double-slit experiment, thin films, diffraction, and rainbows.
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