Course Syllabus for General Physics 1 (PHYS 1115) for Fall
2018
Welcome to General Physics 1 (PHYS 1115). This is the first semester of
a calculus-based introduction to physics intended for physics majors. There is
no lab in PHYS 1115; instead, you have enrolled in a recitation that meets once
a week. We call these recitations tutorials.
Class webpage: D2L.
Introduction
Physics 1115, General Physics 1 for majors, is the
first semester of a three-semester sequence in introductory physics. This
semester we will cover topics in mechanics, Newton's Laws, concepts of energy,
work, conservation of energy, rotational motion, gravity, sound, waves, fluids,
and heat. The course is taught with two weekly lectures, and a weekly
recitation section. We use the recitation to practice problem solving and to
sharpen your reasoning about physics. The material is presented at a level that
requires some calculus, algebra, and trigonometry.
What we
cover and why
The material we will cover is at the foundation of our
technological society. Most of the material involves discoveries no more than
300 years old (of course, even the ancients knew some things about physics). We
are so comfortable with modern technologies (think about home and work
electrical power, sewer and water systems, cellphones, jet engines, laptops,
diagnostic MRI, etc.) that it is easy to forget just how recent these
developments are. We live radically more
convenient, typically longer, and perhaps more enjoyable lives due to the
revolution in physical and biological science over the last few centuries. This
course aims to introduce you to our present understanding of how the world
works, and shows you how to use important tools of physics to understand and
solve problems on your own. In many
ways, this course is about teaching you a new way to think, namely, analyzing
how the world works via natural algorithms.
Objectives: At the end of this
course you will be able to analyze physical systems (accelerating cars,
orbiting planets, bridges, etc.) using two paradigms: (1) Newton’s laws, and
(2) conservation laws. You will be able to explain the effects of forces qualitatively.
You will be able to perform calculations resulting in predictions for physical
systems.
Lectures: Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2 to 3:15 pm in
Duane G1B20.
Tutorials: Weekly recitation
sections (Tutorials) meet on Wednesday in G2B66. You must attend the section
you registered for.
Office: Gamow
Tower F-629 (6th floor).
Phone: 303-735-6135
Email: mdb@colorado.edu
Office hours and locations: Monday and Tuesday: 1:00-2:00
pm in Helproom and by appointment.
Office: Gamow Tower F-713 (7th floor).
Phone: 303-735-5095.
E-Mail:
szhong@colorado.edu
Office hours and
locations: Monday: 4:00-5:00 pm for a special problem solving session in
location to be announced in the third week; Tuesday: 11:00-12:00, in Helproom
and by appointment.
Course
Materials:
· Essential University Physics, Vol. 1, 3rd edition, by
Wolfson
· Tutorials in Introductory Physics, Custom CU edition,
by McDermott and
Shaffer
· Access to the online homework system MasteringPhysics
· Access to the online prelecture videos on
FlipItPhysics
· An iClicker that is registered on D2L
Note: The bookstore is selling a bundle including the
tutorial books and an access code for MasteringPhysics that comes with online
access to the textbook.
Grading:
The following
breakdown will be used to calculate your overall percentage.
Regular Exams (3):
3x15% = 45%
Final Exam: 20%
Tutorial attendance
and written homework: 15%
MasteringPhysics
online homework: 15%
Course
participation (clickers, FlipItPhysics, and other possible participation): 5%
We anticipate that
your final letter grade will be assigned according to the following scale of
the total points in the course:
88-100 (A-/A), 77-88
(B-/B/B+), 66-77 (C-/C/C+), 55-66 (D-/D/D+), and 0-55 (F).
Exams:
There will be
three regular exams during the semester along with a comprehensive final exam.
All exams will count toward your final grade. The exam schedule is:
Exam 1: Thursday, Sept.
20, Math 100, 7:30–9:00 pm
Exam 2: Thursday, Oct.
18, Math 100, 7:30–9:00 pm
Exam 3: Thursday, Nov.
15, Math 100, 7:30–9:00 pm
Final Exam: Monday,
Dec. 17, 4:30–7:00 pm, room TBA
All exams will
likely have a mix of multiple choice and written problems. Calculators and one
sheet (front and back) of handwritten notes are allowed. The exams will be done as ‘two-stage” exams
where you will first take the exam on your own and then take it again with a
group of three or four self-selected colleagues. Take the opportunity to get to
know some of your classmates and start working together so you’re used to
collaborating and working together.
If you have an
emergency that makes it impossible for you to take an exam during the scheduled
exam period, please contact Prof. Betterton or Prof. Zhong. With official
documentation (and at our discretion) one of the regular exams can be excused
and replaced with more emphasis on your other exam scores. No make-up exams
will be given. Students with a documented disability will be given extra time
on exams and will take the exam in an alternative room. Please contact Prof. Betterton
or Prof. Zhong promptly (at least two weeks before the scheduled exam) if you
are requesting this accommodation.
Tutorials and written homework:
Each week (Wednesday)
you will attend a recitation section called a tutorial in Duane G2B66. You will
work in small groups to answer conceptual questions about class material. Each
section is run by one teaching assistant (TA, a graduate student) and one
learning assistant (LA, an undergraduate). Tutorials are active learning
environments in which the staff is instructed to be a “guide on the side”
rather than a “sage on the stage”. You will not be told how to solve problems,
but will rather work with your peers to discover ideas and techniques on your
own. We use this curriculum because there is clear data indicating students
learn more in the Tutorials than in more traditional recitations. Remember to bring your workbook to tutorial
every recitation! You will receive participation points for taking part in each
tutorial. Your TA will take attendance and you are required to attend the
Tutorial section you are registered for.
In addition to the
weekly Wednesday tutorial session, you will also have a weekly written tutorial
homework and special homework that is due on Monday at 8 pm (the first set due
on September 11) as a scan deposited in a D2L Homework
Dropbox. The written tutorial homework is mostly assigned out of the Homework:
Tutorials in Introductory Physics, by Lillian C.
McDermott, Peter S. Shaffer, and the Physics Education Group, and the
written special homework is assigned as a PDF file posted at D2L every week. You
are encouraged to work together on homework, but in the end, you are
responsible for generating your own solutions and understanding.
Tutorial
attendance accounts for 3% and written homework (tutorial homework and special
homework) for 12% of your course grade (i.e., together for 15%). Your lowest set
of written homework score will be dropped at the end of the semester.
We ask that you
turn in your homework on time. However, to encourage you to work on the written
homework, we offer some partial credit for late homework. For tutorial written
homework, if you are late by less than 24 hours, your work will be graded on a
75% scale, and if you are late by less than 1 week, your work will be graded on
a 50% scale. Tutorial homework late by more than 1 week will not be graded. For
the special homework, you will have a rework opportunity to improve your score
after the homework is graded and official solutions are posted at D2L. For
rework, you are supposed to 1) correct your solutions by checking the official
solutions and 2) to comment on where you miss in your initial submission and
where you learn. Even if you miss the initial submission for the special
homework, you can still submit a rework to be graded on a 50% scale. Rework
should be submitted at D2L dropbox by 8 pm on the second Monday after the
initial due date (Note that TAs will finish grading your written homework by
the first Monday after the initial due date).
MasteringPhysics:
Create an account
at http://www.masteringphysics.com using the Course ID: “PHYS1115FA18” (no
quotes). Weekly online homework assignments are due on Tuesday evenings at 8 pm.
Your MP average counts for 15% of your course grade. We will drop your lowest
homework score at the end of the semester. Solutions will be posted on D2L the morning
after the assignment is due. MP will gradually take away credit after the
deadline (20% per hour). No grace will be given for lost internet connections
or malfunctioning computers, so plan to complete your assignments early! MasteringPhysics is a tool that provides you
with immediate feedback on your solutions to homework problems. If you take the
time to start homework early, there is no reason why you cannot have a perfect
homework score by the end of the class. The first homework will review the use
of MasteringPhysics.
FlipItPhysics:
Create an account
at http://www.flipitphysics.com using the Course access key: “1115FA18” (no
quotes) and your 9-digit student ID as unique identifier. Prelecture video
assignments are due at 11:59 pm on the night before a lecture on various days
throughout the semester (see the calendar on flipitphysics.com or on D2L). The
PreLectures also include a number of questions to be answered during and at the
end of the video. We will drop one missed prelecture at the end of the semester.
Late prelectures will not be accepted under any circumstance and no grace will
be given for lost internet connections or malfunctioning computers, so plan to
complete the prelectures early! Your FlipIt average counts towards the
participation 5% of your course grade, together with other participation
including Clickers.
Clickers:
We will be using an audience response system to allow
in-class questions and answers to conceptual questions. You need your own
iClicker. See http://www.colorado.edu/oit/tutorial/cuclickers-iclicker-remote-registration
to register your clicker on D2L. Typically, we will have brief periods of
lecture, followed by a series of multiple choice questions. Class discussion is
encouraged. After a short period for discussion, you will use your clicker to
register your answer to questions. Purchase your clicker at the CU bookstore.
You receive 1 participation point for an answer, and for occasional questions 3
points for the correct answer. Your clicker average counts towards the
participation 5% of your course grade, together with other participation
including FlipIt.
The Helproom:
The TAs, LAs,
Prof. Rogers and Prof. Zhong will all hold regular office hours in the physics
helproom, DUAN G2B90. The helproom is open M–F from 9–5. To learn when a
particular person will be staffing the helproom, visit
http://capa.colorado.edu/cgi-bin/HelpRoom; however, you can come at any time,
write your name on the board, and receive help.
The internet
resources, web page, and e-mail
The web page for Physics 1115 provides information on
the class activities, contact information for all the staff, course notes,
access to the MasteringPhysics system, and access to a variety of online
resources. We strongly encourage you to use the Physics 1115 web site and
provide us with feedback on course services that you’d like to see included.
E-mail and the webpage are essential channels of communication in this course.
Be sure to check your email for important messages at least once a day. Your scores and items such as exam solutions
will be posted on our Desire2Learn site.
How to
succeed in this course
The course topics that we will cover in Physics 1115
are among the greatest intellectual achievements of humans. Don't be surprised
if you have to think and work hard to master the material. However, try to
remember that humans like us CAN understand all of this information. You can
perform very well in this class if you follow this time-tested system:
1.
Read the chapter
material and watch the pre-lectures before lecture and recitation. If you
engage in understanding things first, it'll sink in faster during lecture.
2.
Take notes on
your reading and course activities and try to write down questions you may
have. If you ask those questions in class, we will try to answer them.
3.
Come to class.
Stay involved in class and recitation. Come to office hours.
4.
Start the
homework early. Give yourself the time to work and understand. Remember that
it’s possible to have a perfect homework score by putting in the effort and
time.
5.
But first: Do the
reading. Don’t try the homework until you finish the reading.
6.
Work together.
Physicists often work in groups. You need to do your own thinking, but talking
to others is a great way to sort out your own thoughts.
7.
Don’t get behind.
It’s very hard to catch up.
8.
Don’t give up.
YOU CAN MASTER THIS MATERIAL AS HAVE OTHER HUMANS!
Probably the most important key to success in this
course is reading the textbook. Read it early and often. Read it by yourself in
an environment free from distraction, with a pen and paper hand to take notes
and try out example problems. We are also available by email, by appointment,
and for drop-in visits. We are not too
busy to help you. We enjoy helping you. Come get help if you want it!
Disclaimer: this syllabus is accurate at the time of
writing. Announcements about changes made in class and posted on D2L take
precedence over this syllabus. You are responsible for what is said in class,
whether or not you are in attendance.
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