Principles of Physics I Syllabus for 2020-2021
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Course

PHYS-2425-002 Principles of Physics I

Prerequisites

Prerequisite: MATH 2413

Course Description

Fundamental principles of physics, using calculus, for science, computer science and engineering majors; the principles and applications of classical mechanics, including harmonic motion and physical systems; emphasis on problem solving. Basic laboratory experiments supporting theoretical principles presented in lecture involving the principles and applications of classical mechanics, including harmonic motion and physical systems; experimental design, data collection and analysis, and preparation of laboratory reports.

Student ResourcesStudent Resources Website

Department Expectations

Occupational License Disclaimer

Notice to Students enrolled in an educational program for preparation of issuance of certain occupational licenses:

Students enrolled in an educational program in preparation for obtaining certain occupational licenses are potentially ineligible for such license if the student has been convicted of an offense. For further information, please contact:

Melodie Graves
Justice Involved Advocate
Student Service Center 117
mgraves24@actx.edu
806-371-5995
Make appointment at https://melodiegraves.youcanbook.me

You can also contact the Legal Clinic, or the faculty member in charge of the educational program that you seek to enroll in. The further information you will receive will include notification to you of your right to request a criminal history evaluation letter from the licensing authority in order to clarify your particular situation.

Hours

(4 sem hrs; 3 lec, 3 lab)

Class Type

On Campus Course

Syllabus Information

Textbooks

Lecture: Physics for Scientists and Engineers 9th edition, Serway & Jewitt (hardcopy optional, WebAssign includes an ebook copy).

Lab: Laboratory Manual for PHYS 2425, on Blackboard

Homework: You will need to get a code for WebAssign.net, either from the bookstore or directly from the site.  (The codes available from the bookstore work for two semesters, and are a better deal if you expect to take PHYS 2426 here.)

Supplies

Calculator: You will need a calculator that is not your phone that can handle scientific notation, exponents, and trigonometric functions.

Ruler and Protractor: While there are ones to borrow in the classroom, you should own a set if we have to shift to fully tech-supported.

Lab Kit: In the event we are no longer able to do in-person labs, you will need to pick up a lab equipment kit (and return it at the end of the term.)

Student Performance

After completing the lecture of this course, students should be able to:

1.      Determine the components of linear motion (displacement, velocity, and acceleration), and especially motion under conditions of constant acceleration

2.      Solve problems involving forces and work.

3.      Apply Newton’s laws to physical problems.

4.      Identify the different types of energy.

5.      Solve problems using principles of conservation of energy.

6.      Define the principles of impulse, momentum, and collisions.

7.      Use principles of impulse and momentum to solve problems.

8.      Determine the location of the center of mass and center of rotation for rigid bodies in motion.

9.      Discuss rotational kinematics and dynamics and the relationship between linear and rotational motion.

10.  Solve problems involving rotational and linear motion

11.  Define equilibrium, including the different types of equilibrium.

12.  Discuss simple harmonic motion and its application to real-world problems.

13.  Describe the components of a wave and relate those components to mechanical vibrations, sound, and decibel level.

   After completing the lab part of the course, students should be able to:

1.      Prepare laboratory reports that clearly communicate experimental information in a logical and scientific manner.

2.      Conduct basic laboratory experiments involving classical mechanics.

3.      Relate physical observations and measurements involving classical mechanics to theoretical principles.

4.      Evaluate the accuracy of physical measurements and the potential source of error in the measurements.

5.      Design fundamental experiments involving principles of classical mechanics.

6.      Identify appropriate sources of information for conducting laboratory experiments involving classical mechanics.

Students Rights and Responsibilities

Student Rights and Responsibilities

Log in using the AC Connect Portal

In order to receive your AC Connect Email, you must log in through AC Connect at https://acconnect.actx.edu .

If you are an active staff or faculty member according to Human Resources, use "Exchange". All other students, use "AC Connect (Google) Email".

Expected Student Behavior

The lecture meetings will include class discussion and some activities, so students will not be expected to sit quietly the entire time.  Students will be expected to exercise good judgement regarding when to speak and when to listen, however, both with Dr. Van Domelen and their fellow students.

Students are expected to remain up-to-date on their own grades, and bring any disputes to the instructor in a timely manner.  Other than disputes regarding the final exam itself, all disputes must be brought up prior to taking the final exam.

To avoid disruption and potential embarrassment, please silence all electronic devices when attending in person.  Portable electronics will be allowed.   Specific rules for device use will be outlined in the online exam honor statement you will be required to sign.

You may record (audio or video) lectures for your personal use or to share with other students currently taking this course.  You do not have permission to post them online for wide distribution or to sell them or otherwise profit by the distribution of the lectures.

Academic dishonesty will at a minimum be punished by a score of zero on the relevant task.  This includes cheating on exams, and turning in lab reports for a lab that was not actually attended.  (The online homework is harder to cheat than to just do honestly, but please do not take this as a challenge.)  Additional sanctions at the College level may be applied if the situation merits.

Grading Criteria

Exams

         Exams will all be administered online via Blackboard, using the Assignments system.  They are expected to take only about an hour to 90 minutes to complete, but you will have a wide window to submit them in recognition that many of you will have work and family obligations.  If you do not think you will be able to take the exam at all on the scheduled day, let Dr. Van Domelen know well in advance so he can make arrangements.  All regular exams will take place on Fridays, the final exam will take place during Finals Week on the day you would be taking it in person, but available for the entire day (24 hours).  Exams 1-3 are worth 10% of the total grade each, and the Final Exam is worth 20% of the total grade.  Additionally, if it would help you, the percentage you get on your Final Exam replaces your one lowest regular exam score.

         Exam 1: September 18

         Exam 2: October 16 (day before Fall Break)

         Exam 3: November 20

         Final Exam: December 15

Homework

         Homework is delivered via the WebAssign system.  We will be making sure everyone is properly set up in WebAssign on the first day of class, during the lab timeslot.  The homework is due just before midnight the day of the first lecture of the week, with exceptions noted in the schedule below.  While extensions may be granted if your reason is good enough, this is not a course where you can go back and redo the homework later for a higher score.

         Lecture attendance provides extra credit points on your final homework assignment.  Perfect attendance gets 15 points (a typical assignment averages 10 points), less one for every day of lecture missed, to a minimum of zero.  Homework is 20% of the total course grade.

Labs

         Maximum occupancy in the lab classroom is 16, and we will be holding it to 12 or fewer, with no more than three lab groups at a time.  To accomplish this, lab groups will be split into even and odd groups, with half the class doing the lab each week.  The lab groups will be assigned by the instructor, and changed after every exam.  Three experiments are planned for the first half of the semester and two for the second half, as seen below in the schedule.  The lab manual is available on Blackboard.  Lab reports are a group effort, and a single one will be turned in by each group.

         Take-Home labs have been developed for Physics 2 and are being developed for Physics 1 along the same lines.  In the event in-person instruction ceases, every student will be issued a Lab Kit and experiments will be performed during the regular lab time, but with groups collaborating online.  Lab Kits will have to be returned in good condition.  These lab manuals will also be available in Blackboard.  Since everyone will already be socially isolated, Take-Home labs will all be performed the same week, rather than split up into even/odd groups.  As with in-person labs, there will be one report per group.

         Either way, all of the Pre-Lab exercises in the regular lab manual will be turned in online at some point, as per the schedule below.  They are due at the beginning of lecture.

         Labs are worth 10% of the total grade.  There are no dropped lab scores, but turning in partner evaluations is worth a bonus point on the lab.  Pre-Labs are also worth 10% of the total grade.

Problem Sessions

         These will be run on Discord during the scheduled class times ("Lab" time on the second class day of the week, and some other days when no one is doing a lab on the first day), to discourage students clustering together to work.  You will work with your lab group on these problems.  As long as in-person classes are held, Warren 109 will be available if people wish to work there in an appropriately spread-out fashion on laptops or tablets, but the problem will be delivered solely on Discord.  Voice channels for each group will be available on Discord for those who wish to communicate that way, but participation grades will depend on seeing at least some typed activity in the group channels.  Having the Discord app on your phone will make it easier to upload pictures of your work to the group chat.

         In the event we shift to the Take-Home labs, there will be extra problem sessions in place of labs in some weeks, since we will no longer need to switch between even and odd lab groups.

         Problem sessions will be a mix of working on homework problems and working on problems that the homework system either cannot handle (such as diagram-drawing) or that would be too hard for anyone to be expected to do alone.  Grading will be based on participation rather than successful completion, and up to two zeroes for missed sessions will be dropped.  Problem sessions will be worth 10% of the final grade.

The Curve

         Individual assignments and exams will not be curved.  The instructor will decide on the final curve based on the distribution of scores after all grades are in, but it will not be more severe than the following:

A: 89.50% and up

B: 79.50% to 89.49%

C: 69.50% to 79.49%

D: 59.50% to 69.49%

F: 59.49% or below

         The final curve is likely to be "uneven" in that the ranges are not all the same 10% wide.  Anyone who falls just below the boundary will have their situation scrutinized more closely to determine if they deserve to be raised by a letter grade or should remain the highest score in the lower letter.  Things not specifically graded for, such as class participation (good) or frequent lateness (bad) will also be considered in these borderline cases.

Attendance

         We are in an uncertain situation due to COVID-19.  It is entirely possible that we will have to stop holding in-person class meetings entirely at some point in the semester, assuming we even make it to the start of the semester before calling off in-person classes.  As a result, please bear with us as we will have to be flexible and ready to change course on relatively short notice.  In an attempt to reduce the dislocation caused by this, Principles of Physics will be moving some things online regardless of whether the class can meet in person.

         https://discord.gg/RBTdptT is the course Discord server, and we will be using this for some parts of class even during in-person meetings.  All students are required to join the server, and will be assigned a role based on their section.  If you are already part of this server from Spring 2020, your role will merely be updated.  Otherwise, you will need to join the server.  I strongly recommend you also install the Discord app on your phone.

         Important note: students who are absent for all meetings of the class in the first two weeks will be automatically dropped.

         The instructor lecture notes (with answers to some in-class problems removed) are available on Blackboard.  While the allowed occupancy of Warren Hall 109 is 40 people, I fully understand if some of you do not feel safe attending lecture.  As a result, lecture will be run simultaneously on Discord (voice chat and pasted pages from the lecture notes) and in class (lecture notes projected).  Students attending virtually should leave their microphones muted unless they wish to ask a question or answer a question asked of the class.  Attendance will be taken, and will factor into your grade as part of the homework score.

         If we cease in-person instruction, lecture will shift to text and images with no voice component.  For an example of what this looks like, check the backscroll of Spring and Summer courses.

         See below for a schedule of material covered each week in lecture.

Calendar

Additional Information

         Please notify Dr. Van Domelen in advance if you know you will miss a meeting of class, or if you will not be able to devote at least 90 minutes during the scheduled exam times to work and upload the exam.  He will try to reach an accommodation with you.