Basic Physics I · 2026-2

Schedule

Plan of classes, reviews, assessments, and academic events for semester 2026-2.

Summary

Semester organization

The course is organized into 34 sessions. Later changes to the schedule will be communicated through Notices.

Sessions
34
Classes
24
Reviews
4
Assessments
4
Events
2
ClassReviewAssessmentEvent

August 2026

8 sessions
Session 01
Class

Course introduction

  • General introduction
  • Course organization
  • Initial survey
Session objectives
  • Become familiar with the course organization, methodology, and assessment.
Session 02
ClassChapter 1

Units, physical quantities, and vectors

  • Standards and units
  • Dimensional analysis
  • Significant figures
  • Orders of magnitude
  • Vectors and vector addition
  • Components
  • Unit vectors
  • Vector products
Session objectives
  • Recognize fundamental quantities and their units.
  • Apply significant figures in calculations.
  • Represent vectors through components.
  • Use unit vectors and vector products.
Session 03
ClassChapter 2

Motion along a straight line

  • Displacement
  • Average and instantaneous velocity
  • Average and instantaneous acceleration
  • Position, velocity, and acceleration graphs
Session objectives
  • Describe straight-line motion using position, velocity, and acceleration.
  • Interpret kinematics graphs.
Session 04
ClassChapter 2

Motion with constant acceleration

  • Motion with constant acceleration
  • Free fall
  • Velocity and position by integration
Session objectives
  • Solve constant-acceleration and free-fall problems.
  • Analyse motion with non-constant acceleration.
Session 05
ClassChapter 3

Motion in two and three dimensions

  • Position and velocity vectors
  • Acceleration vector
  • Projectile motion
Session objectives
  • Represent position, velocity, and acceleration as vectors.
  • Describe projectile motion.
Session 06
ClassChapter 3

Circular motion and relative velocity

  • Circular motion
  • Constant and variable speed
  • Relative velocity
  • Reference frames
Session objectives
  • Analyse motion along circular paths.
  • Relate velocities observed from different reference frames.
Session 07
ReviewChapters 1–3

Review of Chapters 1, 2, and 3

  • Problem solving and preparation for the first examination
Session objectives
  • Integrate vector and kinematics concepts.
Session 08
AssessmentChapters 1–3

First examination

  • Vectors and kinematics

September 2026

9 sessions
Session 09
ClassChapter 4

Newton's laws of motion

  • Force and interactions
  • First law
  • Second law
  • Mass and weight
Session objectives
  • Understand force as a vector quantity.
  • Relate net force, mass, and acceleration.
Session 10
ClassChapter 4

Third law and free-body diagrams

  • Newton's third law
  • Interaction pairs
  • Free-body diagrams
Session objectives
  • Identify interaction forces correctly.
  • Construct free-body diagrams.
Session 11
ClassChapter 5

Applying Newton's laws

  • Particles in equilibrium
  • Particle dynamics
  • Friction forces
Session objectives
  • Solve equilibrium problems.
  • Apply the second law to accelerating particles.
  • Distinguish different forms of friction.
Session 12
ClassChapter 5

Dynamics of circular motion

  • Forces along circular paths
  • Fundamental forces of nature
Session objectives
  • Solve dynamics problems involving circular motion.
  • Recognize the four fundamental interactions.
Session 13
ClassChapter 6

Work and kinetic energy

  • Work
  • Kinetic energy
  • Work-energy theorem
Session objectives
  • Calculate the work done by a force.
  • Relate total work to the change in kinetic energy.
Session 14
ClassChapter 6

Work with a variable force and power

  • Work with variable forces
  • Curved paths
  • Power
Session objectives
  • Apply the work-energy theorem with variable forces.
  • Solve power problems.
Session 15
ReviewChapters 4–6

Review of Chapters 4, 5, and 6

  • Problem solving and preparation for the second examination
Session objectives
  • Integrate Newton's laws, force, work, and kinetic energy.
Session 16
AssessmentChapters 4–6

Second examination

  • Newton's laws, applications, work, and kinetic energy
Session 17
ClassChapter 7

Potential energy and conservation of energy

  • Gravitational potential energy
  • Elastic potential energy
  • Conservative and non-conservative forces
Session objectives
  • Solve problems involving gravitational and elastic potential energy.
  • Distinguish conservative and non-conservative forces.

October 2026

9 sessions
Session 18
ClassChapter 7

Force, potential energy, and energy diagrams

  • Relation between force and potential energy
  • Energy diagrams
Session objectives
  • Derive properties of a force from potential energy.
  • Interpret motion using energy diagrams.
Session 19
ClassChapter 8

Linear momentum, impulse, and collisions

  • Linear momentum
  • Impulse
  • Conservation of linear momentum
  • Elastic and inelastic collisions
Session objectives
  • Relate impulse to the change in linear momentum.
  • Apply momentum conservation in collisions.
Session 20
ClassChapter 8

Centre of mass and propulsion

  • Centre of mass
  • Motion of the centre of mass
  • Rocket propulsion
Session objectives
  • Analyse the motion of the centre of mass.
  • Study systems whose mass changes during motion.
Session 21
ClassChapter 9

Rotation of rigid bodies

  • Angular position
  • Angular velocity
  • Angular acceleration
  • Rotation with constant angular acceleration
  • Relation between linear and angular variables
Session objectives
  • Describe rotation using angular variables.
  • Relate linear and angular kinematics.
Session 22
ClassChapter 9

Rotational energy and moment of inertia

  • Rotational kinetic energy
  • Moment of inertia
  • Parallel-axis theorem
Session objectives
  • Interpret the moment of inertia physically.
  • Calculate moments of inertia of bodies.
Session 23
ReviewChapters 7–9

Review of Chapters 7, 8, and 9

  • Problem solving and preparation for the third examination
Session objectives
  • Integrate energy, linear momentum, and rotational kinematics.
Session 24
AssessmentChapters 7–9

Third examination

  • Energy, linear momentum, and rotation
Session 25
Event

Admissions examination

  • No regular course content is scheduled
Session 26
ClassChapter 10

Dynamics of rotational motion

  • Torque
  • Torque and angular acceleration
  • Rotation about a moving axis
  • Rotational work and power
Session objectives
  • Relate torque and angular acceleration.
  • Analyse bodies that translate and rotate.

November 2026

7 sessions
Session 27
ClassChapter 10

Angular momentum

  • Angular momentum
  • Conservation of angular momentum
  • Gyroscopes
  • Precession
Session objectives
  • Interpret angular momentum.
  • Apply its conservation law.
  • Understand precession qualitatively.
Session 28
ClassChapter 13

Gravitation

  • Law of universal gravitation
  • Weight
  • Gravitational potential energy
  • Circular orbits
Session objectives
  • Calculate gravitational forces.
  • Relate weight and gravitational force.
  • Analyse orbital energy and motion.
Session 29
ClassChapter 13

Satellites and Kepler's laws

  • Satellite motion
  • Kepler's laws
  • Planetary motion
  • Introduction to black holes
Session objectives
  • Apply Kepler's laws.
  • Relate orbits to Newtonian gravitation.
Session 30
ClassChapter 14

Periodic motion

  • Amplitude, period, and frequency
  • Simple harmonic motion
  • Energy in simple harmonic motion
  • Applications
Session objectives
  • Describe oscillations quantitatively.
  • Apply the simple harmonic motion model.
Session 31
ClassChapter 14

Pendulums, damping, and resonance

  • Simple pendulum
  • Physical pendulum
  • Damped oscillations
  • Forced oscillations
  • Resonance
Session objectives
  • Analyse simple and physical pendulums.
  • Interpret damping, forcing, and resonance.
Session 32
ReviewChapters 10, 13 y 14

Review of Chapters 10, 13, and 14

  • Problem solving and preparation for the fourth examination
Session objectives
  • Integrate rotational dynamics, gravitation, and oscillations.
Session 33
AssessmentChapters 10, 13 y 14

Fourth examination

  • Rotation, gravitation, and periodic motion

December 2026

1 session
Session 34
Event

Make-up examination

  • Make-up assessment