Physics study plan

Derive and apply the three kinematic equations for constant acceleration to solve problems involving free fall, projectile motion, and two-object pursuit, writing out the chosen coordinate system before each solution.

Draw complete free-body diagrams for at least six configurations (incline with friction, Atwood machine, banked curve, elevator, stacked blocks, hanging mass) and translate each diagram into Newton's second law component equations.

Distinguish static from kinetic friction and determine when a block on an incline begins to slide by comparing the required static friction to the maximum available value.

Solve circular-motion problems by identifying the physical force that supplies the centripetal acceleration, including conical pendulum and vertical-loop cases.

Apply the work-energy theorem and conservation of mechanical energy to problems with friction, springs, and variable forces, choosing between the two approaches based on whether non-conservative work is present.

Compute power from force and velocity and solve energy problems stated in terms of power and time.

Analyze collisions in one and two dimensions using conservation of momentum, classifying each as elastic, inelastic, or perfectly inelastic and checking whether kinetic energy is conserved.

Determine the center of mass of composite objects and use it to simplify momentum problems.

Solve rotational kinematics and dynamics problems using torque, moment of inertia, and Newton's second law for rotation.

Apply conservation of angular momentum to problems with changing moment of inertia, such as a skater pulling in her arms or a mass dropped onto a rotating disk.

Relate rolling without slipping to the constraint between linear and angular velocity and use it to compute total kinetic energy of a rolling body.

Use Newton's law of gravitation to compute orbital speed, orbital period, and gravitational field strength at a given altitude.

Derive escape velocity from energy conservation and explain why it is independent of the projectile's mass.

Solve static equilibrium problems with multiple supports by applying both force and torque balance about a strategically chosen pivot.

Apply Coulomb's law and superposition to compute the net electric field and potential at a point due to two or three point charges.

Relate electric field lines, equipotentials, and potential difference, and compute the work done moving a charge between two points.

Analyze series and parallel resistor networks by reducing them to equivalent resistance and then solving for branch currents and voltage drops.

Apply Kirchhoff's junction and loop rules to a two-loop circuit and verify the solution by checking power balance.

Compute the capacitance of series and parallel combinations and determine the charge and energy stored.

Compute the magnetic force on a moving charge and on a current-carrying wire, including direction via the right-hand rule.

Determine the magnetic field produced by a long straight wire and by a solenoid, and find the net field at a point from two sources.

Apply Faraday's law and Lenz's law to predict the magnitude and direction of induced current in a loop entering, moving within, and leaving a magnetic region.

Compute motional emf for a conducting rod moving through a magnetic field and relate it to the resulting current and power dissipation.

Distinguish the behavior of capacitors and inductors in DC circuits at steady state and immediately after a switch is closed.

Relate wave speed, frequency, and wavelength, and apply the wave equation to strings and to sound in air.

Apply the Doppler effect formula to moving source and moving observer cases, including the sign convention for each.

Use Snell's law and the thin-lens equation to locate images, determine magnification, and classify images as real or virtual.

Apply the ideal gas law and the kinetic theory relations between temperature, molecular speed, and internal energy.

Compute the efficiency of a heat engine and the coefficient of performance of a refrigerator, and state the second-law constraint on each.

Apply the first law of thermodynamics to isothermal, adiabatic, isobaric, and isochoric processes on a pV diagram.

Apply the photoelectric effect equation to find threshold frequency, stopping potential, and maximum kinetic energy of emitted electrons.

Compute photon energy and wavelength for electronic transitions in the hydrogen atom using the energy-level diagram.

Balance nuclear decay equations and compute the mass defect and binding energy of a nucleus.

Apply time dilation and length contraction formulas to simple relativistic scenarios and identify when relativistic corrections matter.

Convert between SI units and prefixes, and propagate uncertainties through addition, multiplication, and division.

Read values and slopes from a linearized graph and state what the slope represents physically.

Complete three full-length timed practice exams, allocating time per section in proportion to domain weight (36/22/14/10/10/8).

Re-solve every question missed across the previous seven weeks without consulting notes, and confirm each is now correct.

Identify the three weakest remaining subtopics and complete ten targeted problems on each.

Practice pacing by logging time per question and eliminating any question that consumes more than two minutes on a first pass.