Instructor : Dr. Lew Riley, lriley@ursinus.edu, Faller Hall 112D, ext. 4307

PHYS111Q : General Physics I is the first installment of a two-semester introductory sequence in physics. Physics is the most fundamental science, describing and predicting the behavior of physical systems using the simplest possible theoretical framework. In this first semester, we will cover classical theories of mechanics and thermodynamics. In the physics context, the term ``classical'' refers to pre-twentieth-century theories that can be applied very successfully to physical systems we routinely encounter, such as a baseball in flight, a roller coaster car rounding a loop-the-loop, a spinning top, water flowing through a pipe, and ice melting in a glass of soda. Classical theory can also be used to predict the much larger-scale behavior of planets, satellites, and moons. Classical theories are not successful in describing the physics of the very small (molecules, atoms, nuclei, elementary particles), the very fast (cosmic rays moving close to the speed of light), or the very massive (black holes). These are topics for advanced courses, such as PHYS207 : Modern Physics and PHYS401 : Applications of Quantum Mechanics.

We will take two general approaches to physics. First, we will consider the motions of small numbers of objects (one baseball, two planets) under the influence of various forces (gravity, friction, tension). Second, we will consider the macroscopic mechanics and thermodynamics of systems of particles such as fluids, solids, and gases -- large enough collections of particles that single-particle behavior may often be ignored. For instance, it is not necessary to keep track of the individual water molecules moving through a system of pipes in order to predict the flow speeds and pressures at various points. Finally, in our treatment of the thermodynamics of gases, we will consider connections between macroscopic and single-particle behavior.

Pre/co-requisite: MATH111, the equivalent, or permission of the instructor. We will use a calculus-based text. The course will involve calculus concepts, but we will not apply calculus heavily in assigned work. We will rely heavily on algebra and trigonometry. This is a 4 semester hour course.

Cummings, Laws, Redish, and Cooney, Understanding Physics, John Wiley & Sons (2004)
ISBN 0-471-37099-1

• Develop a qualitative understanding of some of the basic physical principles governing classical systems.

  You already have an intuitive grasp of some aspects of classical physics. For example, if you have ever played catch with a ball, you have made accurate predictions about projectile motion without doing any calculations. This course is designed to help you broaden and refine your physical intuitions by giving you theoretical foundations for them.

• Apply theoretical models to make quantitative predictions of such behavior.

  A not-so-hidden agenda of this course is to give you practice in applying mathematics to practical problems. This is a skill which is not specific to physics, which you must develop in order to work in the hard sciences and increasingly in the social sciences, but which you also need if you wish to become a critical thinker in a quantitative sense.

• Investigate and critically evaluate theoretical models in a laboratory setting.

http://webpages.ursinus.edu/lriley/courses/p111/

Weekly homework assignments are linked to the course schedule. I have found that most students who make a serious attempt at the homework are the students who do well in the course overall. For these students, I offer ``Homework Plan A,'' described below. However, some students find ways of learning the material that are more effective for them than completing the homework I assign. For these students, I offer a ``Plan B,'' also described below.

Plan A: 15% of your final grade will be based on homework. I will post weekly online homework assignments with the University of Texas Homework Service. Each week, the system will produce a personalized assignment for you which you can download and print out. Once you have completed a problem, you can enter your responses online and receive instant feedback. The system allows you to answer each question seven times (or one fewer than the number of responses for multiple choice questions). There is a small penalty (7%) for each incorrect response.

Late homework receives no credit. However, when I calculate final grades, I will drop your lowest three homework grades. This policy is intended to address illness, stress, athletic events, and any other situations impacting your completing homework assignments on time. Barring a major crisis which removes you from classes for extended periods, I consider this policy to fully address the kinds of reasonable situations which arise over the course of a semester.

Plan B: None of your final grade will be based on homework. Your exam grades will be weighted correspondingly more heavily in determining your final grade.

I leave to you the task of deciding which plan will best facilitate your learning. I will determine which plan you have chosen based on whether or not you are regularly submitting homework. You do not need to give me formal notification. It is easy to switch from Plan A to Plan B, but after the third homework assignment is due, the reverse becomes problematic.

There will be four unit exams, covering 4-6 chapters each. Three of them are scheduled during the semester, and the final exam will be the fourth. Exams are closed-book, but you may use a single 8.5 x 11 equation sheet and a scientific calculator. The best way to prepare for exams is to make sure that you can answer questions and solve problems similar to those assigned for homework.

The final exam is scheduled for Friday, December 18, 9:00 am - 12:00 pm in Pfahler Auditorium.

Lab assignments are linked to the course schedule. You are responsible for reading them in advance of lab, printing them out, and bringing them to lab.

Labs are opportunities to test theoretical models experimentally and to learn in a hands-on way. In labs, you will further develop your intuitive understanding of the physical world. You will also work on techniques of measurement and data analysis, including the assessment of experimental uncertainties.

An unexcused absence from a lab will result in a zero for that lab. More than two unexcused absences from labs will result in a grade of F for the course. Details of expectations for and grading of lab work, due dates, late policies, and so forth are handled by your lab instructor.

I encourage you to collaborate with each other on homework and lab work. Not only can you get help when you need it, but you can help other people as well. Teaching is a very effective way to learn. While I encourage collaboration, it is also important that you understand your work and articulate your reasoning clearly. Hence, I require that you hand in your own homework and lab work for grading.

Handing in someone else's homework as your own is plagiarism, while receiving help which you acknowledge is not. Please clear up any questions you have about what constitutes plagiarism right away. Collaboration of any kind or copying someone else's work during an exam is cheating. If I believe that you have cheated, plagiarized, or committed any academic honesty violation, I will discuss the incident with you and consult with the Dean of the College regarding the consequences. (See the Student Handbook for a detailed description of College policies related to Academic Honesty.)

Most of the graded work in this course involves quantitative problem solving. Homework is graded automatically by the University of Texas Homework Service. However, I grade your exams myself. When I grade a problem you have solved, I am looking for the process you used to get your answer and, where appropriate, what conclusions you have drawn from it. Show your work. Your result is important, but is worth no credit by itself. I will also be looking for the following details.

• Units with physical quantities (those which have them)
• Correct use of significant figures
• Validity checks (units correct?, physically reasonable?)

I will calculate final grades using one of the following grading schemes.

Beyond the laboratory attendance policy above, your attendance record does not directly impact your final grade, but it often has important indirect consequences. If I believe your attendance habits are having a negative impact on your performance in the course, I will express my concerns to you and to your academic adviser.

At the end of the semester, I will ask you to give me feedback on the course and my teaching by completing a course evaluation. The Student Perception of Teaching Questionnaire (SPTQ) is administered online, and your responses are anonymous. The SPTQ serves two important purposes. First, student feedback has a significant, direct impact on my teaching and how I run this course. Second, the College considers SPTQ responses in the evaluation faculty for tenure and promotion. Please take time to complete separate evaluations of the lecture and laboratory portions of the course.

Checking your Ursinus email regularly is required for this course. I sometimes use email to convey important course information, and I will assume that you are able to receive it. If this presents problems for you, please let me know.

Some students have found email dialogs with me to be an efficient way to ask and get answers to questions, since neither of us needs to carve a large block of time out of our schedules. This is not for everyone, but if you think you might like it, give it a try.

If I am unable to hold class due to inclement weather, I will send out an email notification as early as possible. If the Dean declares an "inclement weather day," students off campus may make up all tests and laboratory work missed.