Relevant material from MIT's introductory courses to support students as they study and educators as they teach the AP Physics curriculum.
Watch science come alive in demonstrations of magnetic levitation techniques, ways to rig a sailboat, and much more. See video on: Atomic Physics & Quantum Effects; Circular Motion & Rotation; Conductors, Capacitors, Dielectrics; Electric Circuits; Electromagnetism; Electrostatics; Fluid Mechanics; Geometric Optics; Kinematics; Kinetic Theory & Thermodynamics; Magnetic Fields; Newton's Laws of Motion; Oscillations & Gravitation; Physical Optics; Systems of particles, Linear Momentum; Temperature & Heat; Waves; Work, Energy, Power.
This is the course to learn about the fourth state of matter. The plasma state dominates the visible universe, and is of increasing economic importance. Plasmas behave in lots of interesting and sometimes unexpected ways. Introduces plasma phenomena relevant to energy generation by controlled thermonuclear fusion and to astrophysics. Coulomb collisions and transport processes. Motion of charged particles in magnetic fields; plasma confinement schemes. MHD models; simple equilibrium and stability analysis. Two-fluid hydrodynamic plasma models; wave propagation in a magnetic field. Introduces kinetic theory; Vlasov plasma model; electron plasma waves and Landau damping; ion-acoustic waves; streaming instabilities. A subject description tailored to fit the background and interests of the attending students distributed shortly before and at the beginning of the subject. From the course home page: The course is intended only as a first plasma physics course, but includes critical concepts needed for a foundation for further study. A solid undergraduate background in classical physics, electromagnetic theory including Maxwell's equations, and mathematical familiarity with partial differential equations and complex analysis are prerequisites.
The plasma state dominates the visible universe, and is important in fields as diverse as Astrophysics and Controlled Fusion. Plasma is often referred to as "the fourth state of matter." This course introduces the study of the nature and behavior of plasma. A variety of models to describe plasma behavior are presented.
Elementary statistical mechanics; transport properties; kinetic theory; solid state; reaction rate theory; and chemical reaction dynamics.
Dr. Chris Muhlstein explains the challenge of studying materials that are too small to see with the naked eye. The technique some scientists use to observe individual atoms is similar to the technique of using touch to find out the size, shape, and location of objects in a dark room. By using a very small, sharp sensor, scientists can create an image of atoms.
