This WIKI is written from a modeling perspective, which is probably new to you. Before you begin to look around, it would be a good idea to get familiar with a few of the basic modeling concepts to orient yourself. This page will help you to get started. It will also introduce some of the conventions used in the wiki.

The S.I.M. Approach to Problems

Three terms which are used in traditional physics, but take on a larger significance in modeling are:

  • System: The object or the group of objects whose motion is being described using a model.
  • Interaction: When one object exerts a force that may change the state of motion (translational or rotational) of another object, those objects are said to interact.
  • Model: In modeling physics a physical model describes the system, the state of its constituents (including perhaps geometric and temporal structure), their internal and external interactions, and has Laws of Change that determine the changes of state (i.e. behavior).  Models combine the definitions, concepts, procedures, interactions, laws of nature and other relationships that model some aspect of the physical world.  Models intermediate between laws of nature, which are relationships among abstract quantities, and experimental/experiential reality.  

You can click on the terms to see their definition pages, which contain more detailed definitions.

We encourage you to begin every problem by considering the System you will be describing, the Interactions experienced by that system, and the Model that you will apply to solve the problem. We call these steps the S.I.M. Approach to problem solving and we will employ it in all the worked example problems in this WIKI.

Organization of the WIKI

The content of the WIKI is organized according to five parallel structures.

  • Instructional Paths: Sequences of lessons that suggest an order in which to learn the material and fill in details. This organizational scheme for the WIKI is designed to help beginners get started learning physics.
  • Interaction Glossary: A glossary of the specific interactions that are commonly encountered in mechanics. In addition to being a resource describing these interactions, it is reasonable to consider this glossary to provide an organizational scheme for the WIKI content. From this perspective, the glossary encourages the view that mechanics is a collection of different ways to describe the effects of a particular group of interactions.
  • Vocabulary Glossary: A collection of the specialized vocabulary that you will need to learn with definitions and explanations.  The alphabetical order of the glossary has no physics-based logic, but might be a good order for reviewing the material.
  • Worked Examples: Another way experts commonly organize the mechanics syllabus is by the tasks that students should learn to perform.

WIKI-specific Notation

Self-Assessment Problems

As you read lessons in this wiki, you will come upon boxes labeled with "SAP" that suggest problems which will help you assess your understanding of the material that is being presented.

Comment Boxes

As you read through this wiki, you will periodically come upon boxes containing four types of comments:

Yellow boxes contain notes. They are intended to emphasize important points or explain topics that are commonly confusing.

Red boxes are warnings or cautions. They point out common mistakes.

Blue boxes contain information that is related to the topic of the page, but is not necessary to understanding the topic. These may be skipped without fear of missing vital information.

Green boxes contain tips for checking solutions.

Cloaked Content

Certain types of content (particularly long lists and answers to problems) will be hidden until requested by the reader. When you see an arrow next to a word, like:

Shopping List
  • Container of Milk
  • Stick of Butter
  • Fire Truck

you can click on the arrow or the associated words to reveal content (try it).

Contributing to the WIKI

Comments

We are anxious for feedback from anyone interested in the WIKI, and all pages are open for comments from even anonymous users. If you think something could be more clear or should be longer/shorter/whatever, please comment by clicking on the Add Comment link that appears at the bottom of every page (including this one)!

Edits

If you see a way to improve the WIKI yourself, direct edits are allowed for registered users who request editing privileges.

  • No labels