Work through the list without notes. If you cannot do a statement, follow its link, then come back. Guide = study guide; Practice = practice questions.
Understanding
- I can define a system and its environment, and say whether mass or energy crosses the boundary in a given situation. (Guide: “Choosing a system”)
- I can explain how the interactions between the parts of a system give it its properties, with an example. (Guide: “Choosing a system”)
- I can decide when a system can be modelled as a single object and when its internal structure matters. (Guide: “When is a system one object?”; Practice Q3)
- I can explain how parts of a system can move differently from the system as a whole, and how outside changes can rearrange a system’s inside. (Guide: “The system as one object at its center of mass”; Practice Q7)
Calculation
- I can find the center of mass of particles in one or two dimensions, keeping signs and dividing by the total mass. (Guide: “Center of mass of particles”; Practice Q1)
- I can use symmetry to place each uniform piece, then combine pieces, including a hole as negative mass. (Guide: Worked example 1; Practice Q4)
- I can use λ = dm/dx to find the mass and center of mass of a rod whose density changes with x. (Guide: Worked example 2; Practice Q2, Q5)
- I can set up a mass integral over an area by choosing strips on which the density is constant. (Guide: “Center of mass of a continuous object”; Practice Q6)
Reasoning
- I can check a center of mass result with a limiting case, such as a uniform object. (Guide: Worked example 2; Practice Q5(d))
- I can explain why the center of mass may lie outside the material and why it need not split the mass in half. (Guide: Worked example 1 and “A point to notice”; “Common misconceptions”)
- I can predict which way the center of mass moves when mass is added, removed or rearranged. (Guide: Worked example 1(b); Practice Q4, Q7)
All ticked? Move on to Topic 2.2, Forces and Free-Body Diagrams, or return to the course roadmap.