MTEL Physics (69) study plan

Construct free-body diagrams for at least eight standard scenarios (block on an incline, Atwood machine, banked curve, hanging sign, elevator rider) and label every force together with its Newton's-third-law partner.

Solve two-dimensional projectile and relative-velocity problems by separating horizontal and vertical equations and stating the sign convention before each solution.

Apply Newton's three laws to multi-body systems involving friction and tension, and predict qualitatively how the system acceleration changes when mass, incline angle, or coefficient of friction is varied.

Distinguish mass from weight and static from kinetic friction, and compute normal force on inclines and in vertically accelerating frames.

Apply the work-energy theorem and conservation of mechanical energy to spring, pendulum, and roller-coaster problems, including cases where friction does negative work and energy leaves the mechanical system.

Solve one- and two-dimensional collision problems with conservation of momentum, and classify each collision as elastic, inelastic, or perfectly inelastic by testing whether kinetic energy is conserved.

Compute torque, moment of inertia, and angular acceleration for point masses, rods, disks, and hoops, then apply conservation of angular momentum to a system whose radius of rotation changes.

Apply Pascal's principle, the continuity equation, and Bernoulli's equation to hydraulic lifts and pipe-flow problems, and calculate density, gauge pressure, buoyant force, and stress and strain from Hooke's law.

Relate period, frequency, wavelength, amplitude, and wave speed for transverse and longitudinal waves, and calculate the speed of sound in air as a function of temperature.

Predict node and antinode locations for standing waves on strings fixed at both ends and in pipes open at one or both ends, and derive the harmonic series for each boundary condition.

Apply the superposition principle to explain constructive and destructive interference, beat frequency, and resonance, and sketch the resultant waveform for two superposed waves.

Solve Doppler-effect problems for a moving source, a moving observer, and both, and convert between sound intensity and decibel level using the logarithmic scale.

Apply the law of reflection and Snell's law to trace rays through plane mirrors, curved mirrors, thin lenses, and layered media, and compute the critical angle for total internal reflection.

Construct ray diagrams for converging and diverging lenses and mirrors, and use the thin-lens and mirror equations with a stated sign convention to locate an image and report its orientation, size, and real or virtual character.

Explain double-slit interference and single-slit diffraction in terms of path difference, and compute fringe spacing and the positions of minima and maxima.

Distinguish polarization, dispersion, and scattering, and order the regions of the electromagnetic spectrum by frequency and wavelength.

State the zeroth, first, and second laws of thermodynamics and apply the first law, with an explicit sign convention, to isothermal, adiabatic, isobaric, and isochoric processes.

Solve calorimetry problems involving phase changes using specific heats and latent heats, and compute heat transfer rates by conduction, convection, and radiation.

Interpret PV diagrams by identifying work as the area under the curve, and calculate the efficiency of heat engines and Carnot cycles.

Relate absolute temperature to the average kinetic energy of gas molecules, and apply the ideal gas law and root-mean-square speed to gas samples.

Apply Coulomb's law and superposition to compute the net force and net electric field produced by two or three point charges, and sketch the resulting field lines.

Relate electric potential, potential energy, and field strength, and compute potential differences in uniform fields using the field-equals-voltage-over-distance relationship.

Analyze series and parallel DC circuits containing resistors and capacitors by computing equivalent resistance or capacitance, branch currents, voltage drops, and power dissipated.

Apply Ohm's law and Kirchhoff's rules to multi-loop circuits, and explain how ammeters and voltmeters must be connected and why.

Compute the magnetic force on moving charges and on current-carrying wires, and apply the right-hand rule to determine the directions of field, force, and induced current.

Apply Faraday's law and Lenz's law to predict the magnitude and direction of induced EMF in situations where magnetic flux changes.

Explain the photoelectric effect using photon energy, work function, and stopping potential, and state why classical wave theory cannot account for the threshold frequency.

Apply the de Broglie relation and the Bohr model's energy levels to compute photon wavelengths emitted and absorbed by hydrogen.

Compare alpha, beta, and gamma decay in terms of emitted particles, changes in mass number and charge, and penetrating power, and write balanced nuclear equations.

Compute the mass remaining after a given number of half-lives and the energy released from a mass defect using mass-energy equivalence.

State the two postulates of special relativity and calculate time dilation, length contraction, and relativistic energy for simple one-step problems.

Classify fundamental particles and the four fundamental forces, and distinguish fission from fusion in terms of binding energy per nucleon.

Take a full-length timed practice exam and convert the score report into a ranked list of concepts to re-drill in the final 48 hours.