Physics 101N Conceptual Physics I Dr. Charles E. Hyde

Conceptual Physics I – Summer 2013

Course Syllabus

Updated 22 May 2013

Course:    Physics 101N (4 credits)  CRN 32387 + Lab 32388
Lecture:    Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu   2:00 — 4:10 pm    28 May 2013 — 27 June 2013
ODU Main Campus, OCNPS  room 0142
We will be using "clicker" in every lecture.  This means that attendance is part of your grade!
Lab:        Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu:  4:40 – 6:30 pm     28 May 2013 — 27 June 2013
ODU Main Campus, OCNPS  room 0140
You must be separately registered for both the lecture and lab CRNs
Labs start the first week of class (Thursday)

Instructor:    Dr. Charles E. Hyde, Professor of Physics
Phone:    (757) 683-5853
Email:    chyde'at'odu.edu
Web Page: http://www.odu.edu/~chyde/    Includes link to course homepage
Office: OCNPS/PSB 2100C
Office Hours, Mondays, 12:30–1:30 pm, and by appointment

If you are confused or don't understand something, get help immediately
You can avoid large problems by getting help early

Required:    Conceptual Physics, 11th edition, Paul Hewitt, Addison Wesley, 2010.
MasteringPhysics Access Code (bundled with textbook at ODU bookstore)
Turning Point Response Card ("clicker"), available from bookstore. 
Also available online at https://store.turningtechnologies.com.  Use code NFDA
Alternative is subscription for  smartphones, tablets, laptops and other internet devices.
Subscriptions available at https://store.turningtechnologies.com for 6 months, 1 year, and 4 years.
Physics 101 Lab Manual, ODU Physics Dept (at Bookstore).
Optional:    Problem Solving in Conceptual Physics, Heweitt and Wolf
 The Cartoon Guide to Physics, Gonick and Huffman
Guesstimation, Weinstein and Adam
Fear of Physics, L. Krauss
How Things Work, L. Bloomfield
Grading:    This course is uncurved.  Everyone can get an A.
20%    Homework (online with MasteringPhysics)
 5%    Clicker Questions and general attendance
30%    Two Midterm Exams (15% each)
30%    Final Exam   Thursday 27 June 2013 2:00–5:00 pm OCNPS 142 (no lab last day)
15%    Laboratory:  Note, however, that your must pass the lab to pass the course.
Expected Grade Requirements: A: 100–90%; B: 89–75%; C: 60–74%; D: 50–59%.
+/– grade increments at approximately 5% intervals.

Exams:    Tentative MidTerm Exam Dates: 
Midterm 1, Chapters 1-4, Wed 05 June, 4:40 – 6:30 pm
Midterm 2, Chapters 1-8, Mon 17 June, 4:40 – 6:30 pm
Final Exam:  Thursday  27 June 2013 2:00–5:00 pm
All exams are comprehensive, as outlined in the Course Schedule  below.
All Exams will be in OCNPS  room 0142, MidTerm exams will be during the Lab Session times.
All Exams are closed book, closed notes.  Bring a calculator and the ExamFormulaSheet (no additions or annotations allowed)
Make up exams will be given only under extreme circumstances.  If you have to miss a test, contact me as soon as possible (preferably in advance).  For emergencies, I will average your other exam scores.

Homework:

You need to practice to learn anything, from painting to basketball to physics. Doing the homework problems yourself helps you learn the material and incidentally helps your grade!

MasteringPhysics  course ID: MP2013HYDE32387

Homework must be turned in on the internet via www.MasteringPhysics.com.  Use the course ID above.  Your subscription to MasteringPhysics comes as a bundle with the textbook if you purchase the book at the ODU Bookstore.  The bundle may be available from other sources, but if not, you must purchase the subscription separately from MasteringPhysics (about $30).  Late homework on MasteringPhysics will be marked down roughly 10% per hour. You are responsible for logging in to MasteringPhysics frequently to keep up-to-date on new postings, deadlines and any messages. Don’t wait until the last day! Do it early if you know you won’t have time close to the deadline.
Your lowest homework grade will be dropped. Numerical and multiple-choice answers will be graded immediately by MasteringPhysics. Exercises with written answers will be graded later.

Work out the problem on paper first, before putting answers into MasteringPhysics. Check your results to see if the magnitude makes sense. Check your units – no answer is complete without the proper units (e.g. meters, meter/sec, Watt, etc). Carry your units in your paper calculations.  The consistency of your units is a powerful check on your algebra. You cannot add meters to seconds.  If your are adding feet and meters, you should first convert to a common unit of measure. Enter all answers with at least 3 significant digits (In intermediate steps, keep at least 4 significant digits). MasteringPhysics will automatically randomize some input values given, so no two students will have the same exact answer.

Homework is not a test. You are encouraged to work together. However, you may not copy another student’s final or almost-final answers.  All narrative explanations must be in your own unique words.  Use of published/online homework solutions is considered cheating.

Laboratory:

Students who fail the laboratory will fail the entire course!
Attendance is mandatory. You will be allowed one (1) unexcused absence during the semester. If you have two or more unexcused absences, you will fail the entire course. It is your responsibility to inform your lab TA of any absence; there will be very limited opportunities to make up the missed work. Read the assigned experiment before the lab begins and bring the lab manual, calculators, graph paper, etc.
Laboratory reports should be prepared according to the instructions in the Physics 101 Laboratory Manual. Your TA will also discuss the format for your lab reports and the grading procedure.

General Considerations

1) Is this course for me?

The purpose of this course is to gain a fundamental understanding how Physics can describe the world around us with a coherent body of concepts and models. We will develop some very abstract ideas (energy, momentum, force) that have precise meanings (as opposed to the loose everyday meanings we associate with some of these words). We will also have to "unlearn" some of the "obvious" things we thought we knew about the physical world around us and how it works that just ain't so. Finally, to demonstrate the relationship between the abstract concepts and models and everyday phenomena or technical applications, we will have to study a variety of examples and observations and solve problems. It helps if you have some knowledge of math (high school geometry and algebra) and had some science courses in high school as well. Even more importantly, you should have some curiosity about science and how it can explain the natural world. If you think this applies to you, then this course should reward you with a deeper understanding of the world around you (not to mention a reasonable grade – but no guarantees!). In that case, this course is definitely for you!
If you tend to faint at the sight of any mathematical equation, this course may not come easy.  This summer format is particularly intense. If you cannot commit substantial time and effort to this course (think at least 10 hours/week outside the class times), you may be disappointed by the outcome. Note that you only have until Thursday May 30  to drop the class without either tuition obligation or  receiving a permanent W on your academic record.   It pays (literally) to figure out right away whether or not you plan to continue the course.
Here are 8 important nuggets of wisdom for all freshmen... (and other students).

2) Suggestions for Homework

Homework will be submitted through www.MasteringPhysics.com. All deadlines are hard and fast -  (that includes late-night technical glitches).

Some general suggestions:

Get involved: Tell me (via email, office hour, after class, phone) what you would like me  to do or change to make the learning experience more productive  for you. However, don't expect miracles: We can't simply reduce the material to be covered by a large fraction, so be prepared to offer trade-off options ("do more of this and less of that"). Remember, if you don't come to class, don't do the assignments on time, and never come office hours,  we can't help you.

3) Suggestions on how to prepare for tests and exams

Many of the suggestions above for the homework also apply for the preparation for a midterm or final exam. In particular, the best preparation for exams is to do both your regular homework and maybe a couple extra "practice exercises" every week. (Note: You should have gotten a compendium volume "Practicing Physics" with your text book. This is full with extra problems to work on and the solutions are given). But to get anything out of that, you really have to work hard at getting the answer on your own. Don't expect your fellow classmates or the learning center to "just do the problems for you". Not only is this against my rules, but it also deprives you of the learning process. Even if you don't get the final answer (right), if you have at least made a serious attempt, you will understand the correct solution better and be able to see where you may have troubles or weak areas.

And now some other "good advice": Finally, don't wait until the last moment. Spend a couple hours each week reviewing material and maybe 1-2 hours each day before the exam to prepare yourself. This is more efficient than cramming for one night (not only will you be tired, you will also forget everything more quickly again). Recent research shows that you learn more if you make sure you sleep enough during the night!

Course Schedule

Subject to Change, Last revised 22 May 2013
Text: Conceptual Physics, 11th Edition, Hewitt.
Week
Chapter
Subject
Lab
Homework
HW due
28 May
1,2,3
Roots of Science, Linear Motion, Inertia
Lab Intro (Mandatory)
EX01 Math Review
EX02 Velocity
EX03 Acceleration
 Chap 1,2,3
 Chap 4
Mon 03 June
Tue 04 June
03 June
4
Exam 1
5,6
Force & Acceleration

Action-Reaction, Momentum
EX04 Newton's 2nd Law
EX05 Friction
Midterm 1, Wed 05 June, Chapters 1-4
EX06 Net Force
Chap 5,6
Wed 12 June
10 June
7,8,
9,10
Energy, Rotation
Gravity, Projectiles
EX07 Momentum
EX08 Projectile Motion
EX09 Torque
EX10 Rotation

Chap 7,8,9,10

Fri 14 June
17 June
Exam 2
22, 23, 24

Electrostatics, Electric Current, Magnetism
Midterm 2, Monday 17 June, Chapters 1-8
EX11 Electricity
EX12 Magnetism

Chap 22, 23, 24

Mon  24 June
24 June
25,
Review,
Final Exam
Magnetic Induction
Your review questions
Final Exam Thursday 27 June 02:00  – 5:00 pm
Chapters 1–10 & 22–25

Chap 25
Tue 26 June