Doing Physics with Scientific Notebook

A Problem Solving Approach

Joseph Gallant

• Publisher: Wiley
• Year: 2012
• Print ISBN: 9780470665985, 9780470665978
• eBook ISBN: 9781119941941
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Sciences physiques
• Subtopic: Physique mathématique et informatique

The goal of this book is to teach undergraduate students how to use Scientific Notebook (SNB) to solve physics problems. SNB software combines word processing and mathematics in standard notation with the power of symbolic computation. As its name implies, SNB can be used as a notebook in which students set up a math or science problem, write and solve equations, and analyze and discuss their results.

Written by a physics teacher with over 20 years experience, this text includes topics that have educational value, fit within the typical physics curriculum, and show the benefits of using SNB.

This easy-to-read text:

• Provides step-by-step instructions for using Scientific Notebook (SNB) to solve physics problems
• Features examples in almost every section to enhance the reader's understanding of the relevant physics and to provide detailed instructions on using SNB
• Follows the traditional physics curriculum, so it can be used to supplement teaching at all levels of undergraduate physics
• Includes many problems taken from the author's class notes and research

Aimed at undergraduate physics and engineering students, this text teaches readers how to use SNB to solve some everyday physics problems.

Chapter 1

Introduction to SNB

The main activity of most physics classes is to teach students how to solve physics problems. Mathematics is a tool we use to solve those problems. Many of the difficulties students have in physics classes are rooted in the mathematics. They can’t see the forest of physics for all the mathematical trees. Scientific Notebook (SNB) is a powerful yet easy-to-use computer algebra system that can help alleviate this problem. SNB is inexpensive and easy enough to be accessible to most undergraduates yet powerful enough to be useful in solving interesting physics problems.

The goal of this book is to teach students how to use SNB to solve physics problems. Once you have learned how (and it won’t take all that long), you will use SNB as its name implies – as a notebook in which you set up a science or math problem, write and solve an equation, analyze and discuss the results. Of course a regular notebook will never help you do the math, but SNB will. Soon you will be able to think and write at the computer, in much the same way you use a paper and pencil now, with the power of a computer algebra system at your disposal.

Why SNB?

Scientific Notebook is powerful software that combines word processing and mathematics in standard notation with the power of symbolic computation. You enter the mathematical expressions in a form that is familiar to you and SNB evaluates it. This is the key to SNB. All the mathematics are in standard notation in a form that is familiar to you. There is no arcane syntax to learn.

Consider a quick analysis of the function y = x²e^-3x sin 4x. What is the area under the curve? Where is the function zero? What does the function look like? You may know how to find the answers, but you might have trouble doing the necessary mathematics. With SNB, one click gives the exact answer and a second click gives an approximate numerical answer.

With one click, SNB will find the first zero of the function.

As you might have guessed, this function equals zero at x = 0.

You can see the other zeros with a plot of the function. It would be simple to graph this function by hand, but tedious and time consuming. To see a 2-dimensional plot of this function with SNB, we can again click a single button.

Figure 1.1 A plot of x²e^-3x sin 4x

Later in this chapter you’ll learn how to find the other zeros.

Once we created the expressions, which was very easy to do, all it took was a few mouse clicks to answer our three questions. The entire process took about a minute. With SNB’s help, you will be able to spend more time thinking about physics and less time worrying about mathematics. However, keep in mind that SNB can only help you solve physics problems, it can not solve them for you.

This chapter presents a brief introduction to SNB, emphasizing features you will use in your physics class. It explains how to perform basic tasks such as entering and editing mathematics and text, solving equations and how to compute and plot mathematics. You can even use SNB to open and save documents available on the Internet. Keep in mind the main advantage of S...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title page
• Title page
• Copyright page
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Chapter 1: Introduction to SNB
• Chapter 2: One-Dimensional Kinematics
• Chapter 3: Vectors
• Chapter 4: Projectile Motion
• Chapter 5: Newton’s Laws of Motion
• Chapter 6: Conservation Laws
• Chapter 7: Circular Motion
• Chapter 8: Harmonic Motion
• Chapter 9: Central Forces
• Chapter 10: Fluids
• Chapter 11: Temperature and Heat
• Chapter 12: Special Relativity
• Appendix A: Topics in Classical Physics
• Appendix B: Topics in Modern Physics
• References and Suggested Reading
• Index