Spring Syllabus

General Physics I Lecture and Lab

  1. TimesLecture - T: 900 – 1200 PM

Lab - Th: 900 AM – 1200 PM

Prerequisite:High School algebra or MAT011

II. Instructor:Kelli C. Spangler, M.S.

Office:temporarily our classroom

Office Hours:Thursday 1200 – 100 PM

Office Phone: also “under construction”

E-mail:

III. Course Materials

Textbook: College Physics Serway and Faughn, 7th edition, Thomson Publishing

Lab Notebook: PHY121 lab manual

IV.Course Outcomes and Overview:

This course is a study of basic concepts of physics including kinematics, dynamics, gravity and circular motion, energy and momentum, rotary motion, equilibrium, fluids, oscillations, and sound. The mathematics used includes algebra, trigonometry, and vector analysis. A primary course goal is to build a functional knowledge that will allow the student to more fully understand the physical world and to apply that understanding to other areas of the natural and mathematical sciences. Conceptual, visual, graphical, and mathematical models of physical phenomena will be stressed. Students will build critical thinking skills by engaging in individual and group problem solving sessions.

Learning Goals:

Students who complete this course should be able to:

● Recognize basic physical quantities and the units associated with them.

● Describe and use the scientific method as applied to problems in physics.

● Use their understanding of basic physical principles, acquired in the course, to

solve practical problems.

● Solve these physics-related problems in a rigorous and orderly manner.

● Recognize the basic physical principles behind the operation of current

technologies.

● Devise, perform, and analyze properly controlled experiments to test hypotheses.

● Use experimental evidence to form tentative interpretations and conclusions.

Learning Activities:

Lecture, small group discussions, laboratory experiments with written reports,

computer-based laboratory experiments, demonstrations, videos, daily reading

and problem-solving assignments, section examinations, and a comprehensive

final examination.

Sequence of Topics:

1. Describing Motion

- Freely Falling Bodies

- Vectors

2. 2-Dimensional Motion

- Newton's Laws of Motion

- Friction

3. Work and Energy

- Work-Energy Theorem

- Conservation of Energy

4. Linear momentum

- 1-Dim. Collisions

5. Rotational Motion

- Newton’s Law of Gravitation, and Kepler’s Laws

- Circular Motion

- Static Equilibrium

- Rotational Dynamics

6. Mechanical Properties of Solids

- Fluid Mechanics

7. Temperature and Thermal Expansion

- Ideal Gas Law

- Calorimetry

- Heat Engines

Sequence of Experiments:

1. Measurement

2. Acceleration Due to Gravity

3. Vector Addition

4. Projectile Motion

5. Newton's 2nd Law

6. Friction

7. Work-Energy Theorem

8. Conservation of Energy

9. 1-Dimensional Collisions

10. Centripetal Force

11. Rotational Static Equilibrium

12. Thermal Expansion

13. Thermal Equilibrium

  1. Assessment: Your grade will be determined from a combination of test results including the final exam, short quiz results, in-class activities, and class participation, and weekly homework assignments.

Tests I, II, and III will be given at the lecture hour on the dates shown in the class schedule.

Test IV will be the final exam.

Final project presentations: see section VIII

The weight assigned to each element of your grade is:

Tests I, II, III, and IV –60%

Homework – 20%

Final Lab Project Presentations-5%

Lab exercises – 15%

A point to keep in mind is that you are not automatically entitled to a passing grade merely because you have paid for and attended the course. A grade is earned based on academic proficiency in the subject matter, it is not purchased.

Final exam note: Under no circumstances will a final exam be returned to you. They are held in my possession. If you wish to know your grade on the final exam, you will need to contact me via email after the final exam has been graded.

Grading Scheme:

A: 95-100 C+: 76-78

A-: 92-94 C: 69-75

B+: 89-91 C-: 66-68

B: 82-88 D: 55-65

B-: 79-81 F: 0-54

  1. Course Policies.

Attendance: at both lecture and recitation are required: If you are absent for more than three classes you should expect it to affect your grade.

Withdrawals: Prior to the 10th week of class, students may withdraw from a course with a grade of “W” by completing a formal withdrawal application. Failure to attend class is not an official withdrawal and will lead to a grad of F. I will not sign a withdrawal form after the 10th week of classes.

Tests: If you know that you will not be able to take a test at the scheduled time for a valid reason see me to arrange a time to take the test before the scheduled time. If you do not show up for a test and have not contacted me prior to the exam, you will not be eligible to take a make up exam.

Make up exams will not be the same exam the class takes and they are usually more difficult than original exam.

Equation card: you will be allowed to make up an equation card for each exam. Remember to keep all of your equation cards as you are allowed to bring them collectively to each new exam. A sheet of constants and routine given information will also be provided at the beginning of the semester. You are not allowed to write on these sheets and are responsible for keeping them for the whole semester.

Homework assignments: Homework will be collected and graded WEEKLY. They are due no later than one week after the lecture for each assignment.

We will practice how to understand and read each word problem and turn it into a mathematical problem. From there, we will cover how to determine which equations are appropriate, how to handle and manipulate equations, how to determine and analyze answers, and how to write math in an orderly and clear manner. Please refer to section XI for the proper way to represent your homework problems.Note: not doing the homework assignments will directly result in a poor grade for the class. You can not pass the exams without having completed the homework assignments. Always feel free to ask me questions regarding homework assignments via email or in person.

Cheating: Cheating will not be tolerated under any circumstance. This includes copying another student's homework/laboratory write up to use as your own, looking at other student's exams/quizzes and plagiarism. Any proof of cheating will result in a failure for the class.

Labs: you will be divided into lab groups with whom you will work for the entire semester. This includes your final lab project (section VIII). Each lab will allow you to have a hands-on experience with the topics covered each week. Each lab will require a lab report write up that is due no later than one week from the lab (section IX). Each lab report will be due on Thursdays.

Extra credit Papers: For each exam, you will be allowed to turn in a paper for 5 exam extra credit points. These papers are due WITH the exam to which you will apply the extra credit and topics are limited to the list provided in section X below.

Final Lab Project: Each Lab group will determine, design, perform, and present a final lab project to the class during the final lab meeting. This project is meant to be a simple, at home physics demonstration of a basic theory. Please refer to section XI for further instructions.

NO LATE ASSIGNMENTS ARE ACCEPTABLE. THIS INCLUDES LAB REPORTS, HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS, AND ANY EXTRA CREDIT ASSIGNMENTS.

VII. Schedule of classes, labs, tests, etc…..

Date / Tuesday / Thursday / Assignments due
January 18-19 / Chapter 1 / Lab 1
22-26 / Chapter 2 / Lab 2 / Chapter 1
29-Feb 2 / Chapter 3 / Lab 3 / Chapter 2
February 5-9 / Exam review / Test 1 / Chapter 3 with exam
12-16 / Chapter 4 / Lab 4
19-23 / Chapter 5 / Lab 5 / Chapter 4
26-Mar 2 / Chapter 6 / Lab 6 / Chapter 5
March 5-9 / Test II / Lecture chapter 7 / Chapter 6 with exam
12-16 / Spring Break / Spring Break
19–23 / Chapter 8 / Lab 7 / Chapter 7
26-30 / Chapter 9 / Lab 8 / Chapter 8
April 2-6 / Test III / Lecture Chapter 10 / Chapter 8 with exam
9-13 / Chapter 10 / Lab 9 / Chapter 10
16-20 / Chapter 11 / Lab 10
23-27 / Chapter 12 / Lab 11 / Chapter 11
30- May 4 / Final Project Presentations / Final exam review / Chapter 12 with final exam
May 2-4 / Final Exam TBA
Test I: Chapters 1-3 / Test II: Chapters 4-6 / Test III: Chapters 7-9 / Test IV: Chapters 10-12
Final exam

VIII. At home physics

Final Project Presentation and accompanying lab write up

Length: Standard lab report length

Due date: Final Lab meeting

Write up: Standard lab report format and any accompanying materials

Instructions:

The experiment should be something that can be done at home with simple equipment: cotton, balloons, coins, styrofoam etc. The experiment should be decided upon, tested out of class, written up, and then presented by your group to the class during the project presentation lab meeting. It will count as 10% of your final grade.

Topics:

The topic chosen should relate to the material covered in the semester. Use the textbook as a guide to what topic you choose and discuss this with me to ensure it is acceptable. Once your topic has been approved, you may do it at home at your convenience and replicate the experiment for the class while explaining the physics concepts behind it.

IX.

Lab report outline

Most of the information can be taken from the written lab worksheet provided with the experiment. However, there are times we deviate from the written worksheet to accommodate different or lack of certain materials and YOUR lab report should describe what you did. So don’t blindly copy what’s handed to you, edit it accordingly when you write your report.

Introduction

-State the purpose or hypothesis of your experiment

-State any background information that supports or clarifies your purpose

Materials

-A bullet point list is best of all materials you used.

-Doesn’t need to be full sentences

Procedure

-A numbered listing of the steps you performed.

-As concise and direct a description is best.

Data

-This is the section where you include any data tables of information you recorded or plots that you made

-This can also be the section where you describe your observations if the lab happens to be more observational than quantitative.

Analysis

-This is the place where you show your mathematical work including necessary equations to calculate theoretical values.

-This can also be a place where you explain how you calculate the experimental values in your data table

-Show your errors in terms of percentage difference with the theoretical values.

Conclusion

-This is where you blend together your purpose/hypothesis, data, analysis and decide whether your experiment supported or denied your purpose.

-You can also answer any supplemental questions that accompany the lab

-Also address sources of your errors both human and technical

X. Extra Credit Papers:

Length: 2-3 pages, double spaced, diagrams/pictures not included

Due date: Final draft due with each exam such that one paper is handed in

approximately every three weeks, no late papers accepted

Optional: rough draft can be handed in prior to each exam

Sources: 2-3 sources, one of which should be your textbook

They should be cited appropriately and be included in a bibliography

Worth: 10 points toward exam grades

Limit: One per exam, maximum number equals total number of exams

Instructions:

You should choose topics that are of interest to you and relevant to current covered material. I’ll include a list of possible topics per semester for your convenience. You are not limited to these topics. Remember this is a physics paper. If you use biological/medical/chemical phrases, please be sure to explain their relevance and meaning with respect to the physics topic at hand. Use math and diagrams where necessary to support the theory you are trying to convey.

Feel free to discuss possible paper topics with me prior to rough or final draft of any paper.

Spring semester:

Basic linear motion:

The international space station: why doesn’t it fall? Conditions out in space.

The goods and bads of friction.

What is whiplash and how can we combat it?

Basic rotational motion:

Conservation of angular momentum and how it affects daily life

Leverage and the muscles and skeletal structure of the body.

Circulatory system:

Blood pressure

Circulatory basics and problems with solutions

How does conservation of energy affect blood flow?

Lungs:

How do they work and associated problems

Scuba diving and necessary adaptations.

Respirators: how they work and why we use them

Atmospheric pressure: what about the body does it affect?

Sound:

Ultrasonic radar: how dolphins navigate

The Ear: how it works and problems it may have

Heat:

Fevers: how do we get them, what do they indicate, why are they so dangerous

Phase change: the inner workings of a refrigerator

XI. How to present a homework problem:

  1. Givens with conversion of units and proper notation
  2. Draw a picture if necessary
  3. Label all the parts of the diagram
  4. Draw any forces/fields etc to determine directions
  5. Calculate magnitudes of forces/fields where applicable
  6. Original equation w/o substitution of given information
  7. Substitution of given information w/o manipulation of equation
  8. Manipulation of equation to solve for desired variable
  9. Answer with proper units in a box

All work should go DOWN the page and be beneath prior work and given information/diagrams

All numbers should be in scientific notation with no more than 2 decimal points