College Physics I Syllabus for 2023-2024
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As a student you may experience a range of issues that can cause barriers to learning, such as strained relationships, increased anxiety, alcohol/drug problems, feeling down, difficulty concentrating and/or lack of motivation. These mental health concerns or stressful events may lead to diminished academic performance or reduce a student's ability to participate in daily activities. Amarillo College offers services to assist you with addressing these and other concerns you may be experiencing. If you or someone you know are suffering from any of the aforementioned conditions, you can learn more about the broad range of confidential mental health services available on campus by calling the AC Counseling Center at 806-371-5900. The AC Counseling Center website is https://www.actx.edu/counseling/ . Also, if you are in need of social services (affordable housing, utilities, transportation, food, clothing, childcare, medical/dental/vision, legal), please call the AC Advocacy & Resource Center at 806-371-5439. The AC Advocacy & Resource Center website is https://www.actx.edu/arc

Amarillo College Tutoring for Success Policy:

Tutoring for Success applies to any student whose overall performance in the course falls below 75%. The instructor will create the task in the Student Engagement Portal (Watermark) to direct the student to the appropriate tutoring service, which may be faculty- or SI-led, discipline-specific, and/or general. The tutoring service assigned, the due date for when the tutoring must be completed, and the amount of tutoring required are at the discretion of the instructor. Additionally, the task will alert the student’s success team. Students who do not fulfill the assigned tutoring task may be subject to program- and course-specific penalties that could result in a grade reduction and/or in not being allowed to progress in the course until the tutoring requirement has been satisfied.

Administrative Drop Policy

Students who do not attend class on or prior to the census date will be administratively dropped. Effective Fall, 2016

Student Withdrawal Procedures

Students who wish to withdraw from a course must complete all steps indicated on the Academic Withdrawal Request form by the course withdrawal deadline.

NOTE: Students who are attending Texas institutions of higher education, for the first time fall 2007 and later, may not withdraw from more than six courses during their academic career. This withdrawal limitation does not include dual credit or developmental classes (Senate Bill 1231 Rule 4.10.) For more information on Drop and Withdrawal Policies, please visit the Registrar's Office Web site.

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Course

PHYS-1401-001 College Physics I

Prerequisites

Prerequisite: Math 1316

Course Description

Fundamental principles of physics, using algebra and trigonometry; the principles and applications of classical mechanics and thermodynamics, including harmonic motion, mechanical waves and sound, physical systems, Newton's Laws of Motion, and gravitation and other fundamental forces; with emphasis on problem solving. Laboratory activities will reinforce lecture content.

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, 4 lab)

Class Type

On Campus Course

Syllabus Information

Textbooks

OpenStax Textbook: College Physics, 2nd edition, by Paul Peter Urone (California State University) and Roger Hinrichs (State University of New York)

• The textbook is free for everyone to access online from OpenStax.
• You can also purchase printed copies from the AC Bookstore.
• New and used copies can be purchased on Amazon.

WebAssign: The homework will be online and accessed through WebAssign. You will need to register using the course key provide on Blackboard. For Amarillo College students, WebAssign should cost $39.95 per student per semester

Lab Manual: Posted on-line, accessed bia Blackboard

Supplies

Laboratory Manual: For each lab, there are lab manual instructions provided by the instructor and posted to Blackboard. It will be very helpful to print out each experiment to have a copy with you during lab. Each lab group will also need to submit a printed lab report for the instructor to grade. Every student gets $20 of printing money assigned to their ID each semester for use in the computer labs in the Underground.

Graphing Calculator: TI-83, TI-83 Plus, TI-84, or TI-84 Plus. You are required to bring your calculator to every class. The Math Department policy is that no TI-89's, TI-92's or TI-Nspire calculators may be used on tests. 

Feel free to take notes however you wish (paper/pencil or on a computer). You will be responsible for office supplies/materials for taking notes. If cost of office supplies is a barrier to your success, notify the instructor privately or visit the Amarillo College Advocacy & Resource Center (ARC).

Student Performance

Welcome to PHYS 1401 - College Physics I. Physics is the study of how the world around us works. Physics helps us to organize and understand the universe. It deals with fundamentals, and helps us to see the connections between seemly independent phenomena. In this course, we will develop the quantitative and analytical skills needed for analyzing data and solving problems in the science, engineering, and medicine. But, these skills can be applied to just about every field including economics, finance, management, law, and public policy.

Physics is the basis for most modern technology, and for the tools and instruments used in scientific, engineering, and medical fields. Manufacturing is dominated by physics-based technology. Doctors and other medical professionals that don’t understand physics can be dangerous in their decision making. Medicine without physics technology would be barbaric.

So get ready for a fun and challenging semester where we begin to unravel how the universe works.

Learning Outcomes Lecture

Upon successful completion of this course, students will:

1. Determine the components of linear motion (displacement, velocity, and acceleration), and especially motion under conditions of constant acceleration.
2. Apply Newton’s laws to physical problems including gravity.
3. Solve problems using principles of energy.
4. Use principles of impulse and linear momentum to solve problems.
5. Solve problems in rotational kinematics and dynamics, including the determination of the location of the center of mass and center of rotation for rigid bodies in motion.
6. Solve problems involving rotational and linear motion.
7. Describe the components of a wave and relate those components to mechanical vibrations, sound, and decibel level.
8. Demonstrate an understanding of equilibrium, including the different types of equilibrium.
9. Discuss simple harmonic motion and its application to quantitative problems or qualitative questions.
10. Solve problems using the principles of heat and thermodynamics.
11. Solve basic fluid mechanics problems.

Learning Outcomes Lab

Upon successful completion of this course, students will:

1. Demonstrate techniques to set up and perform experiments, collect data from those experiments, and formulate conclusions from an experiment.
2. Record experimental work completely and accurately in laboratory notebooks, and communicate experimental results clearly in written reports.
3. Determine the components of linear motion (displacement, velocity, and acceleration), and especially motion under conditions of constant acceleration.
4. Apply Newton’s laws to physical problems including gravity.
5. Solve problems using principles of energy.
6. Describe the components of a wave and relate those components to mechanical vibrations, sound, and decibel level.
7. Use principles of impulse and linear momentum to solve problems.
8. Solve problems in rotational kinematics and dynamics, including the determination of the location of the center of mass and center of rotation for rigid bodies in motion.
9. Solve problems involving rotational and linear motion.
10. Demonstrate an understanding of equilibrium, including the different types of equilibrium.
11. Discuss simple harmonic motion and its application to quantitative problems or qualitative questions.
12. Solve problems using the principles of heat and thermodynamics.
13. Solve basic fluid mechanics problems.

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

Respect: You are expected to behave in a professional manner towards the instructor and your peers. We will treat each other with respect.

Policy on Cheating and Plagiarism:  Cheating and plagiarism will not be tolerated in this class. Cheating includes, but is not limited to, copying from another student's paper, copying from the homework solutions manual, or using any unauthorized sources of information while taking an exam. This also includes using artificial intelligence to write all or portions of your lab reports. While machine learning is a fascinating topic, the instructor is more interested in your understanding of the topic, not an AI's understanding.

On the first day of class, you will be required to sign and date a Course Contract. Included in the contract is the following statement:

I fully understand that if I cheat, or attempt to cheat, on any test I will receive an automatic "F" in the course. This grade will go on my permanent transcript and cannot be removed. Cheating includes the use of cell phones, books, notes, or copying during an exam. Cheating also includes helping, or attempting to help, other students to cheat on an exam.

CLASSROOM EXPECTATIONS: You paid good money to take this course, as did your peers. Be considerate of your fellow classmates and help the instructor build an environment suitable for learning. Disruptive behavior will not be tolerated. If you are a distraction to other students, you will be asked to leave the classroom. The instructor determines what constitutes "disruptive behavior."

• Be On Time: The instructor will start and end class on time.
• Be Prepared for Class: Come prepared with materials to take notes. Be mentally prepared to participate and engage in lectures. The instructor will routinely call on students to answer questions and assist work example problems.
• No Disruptive Behavior: Examples of behavior disruptive to the learning environment include talking with your neighbors while the instructor is lecturing, playing games on your phone/laptop, making inappropriate or unrelated comments, and being disrespectful to any person in the class. You will not get a warning. You will be asked to leave.
• Personal Electronics: Cell phones will be silenced during class. If you must take a personal call, step outside the classroom. Personal laptops will be allowed for taking notes if you prefer. If personal electronics usage (cell phone or laptop) becomes a distraction, you will be asked to leave the classroom.
• Life Happens: The instructors understands that you may have to step outside the classroom to handle personal business or use the restroom. There is no need to ask, just quietly excuse yourself. Also be quiet when reentering the classroom. 
• Food and Drink: Amarillo College is proud of it's campus and classrooms. Food will not be allowed in class to avoid messes. Food can also be a distraction to other students. Drinks will only be allowed in sealable cups/bottles (must have a lid). Please do not spill and force to the instructor to not allow drinks.
• Guests/Children: It is the policy of Amarillo College that only students enrolled in this course attend this course.
• Videos/Photos: Students must receive instructor consent before taking pictures or videos of the instructor's work or lessons. You may not take pictures of the white board in lieu of taking hand written notes. Studies show that handwriting notes is much better for memory retention.

LABORATORY EXPECTATIONS: Students will be respectful of all lab equipment used for conducting experiments. It is our privilege to use this equipment which Amarillo College has purchased for our education

Grading Criteria

GRADING WEIGHTS

The final grades will be computed as the average of the earned grades as follows:

• Homework and In-Class Quizzes....................20%
• Exams (3)........................................................45%   (15% each)
• Laboratory Assignments..................................15%
• Final Exam......................................................20%

The scale used to determine your final performance grade is:

• A..........90 to 100
• B..........80 to 89
• C..........70 to 79
• D..........60 to 69
• F..........0 to 59

HOMEWORK

You will have homework each week. The homework will be online and accessed through WebAssign. (Information on how to access the homework is posted to Blackboard). The questions will require you to calculate an answer and type it in using the correct number of significant figures. For each question, you will have 3 attempts to get the correct answer.

There may be in-class grades such as “pop” quizzes or in-class exercises that will be averaged into the homework grade. If there is a pop quiz, it will be given during the first 5 minutes of class and cannot be made up so please be on time.

Getting Started with WebAssign: To learn how to use WebAssign, including how to submit assignments, view grades, and more, watch this video. 

LABORATORY ASSIGNMENTS

There will be 10 laboratory experiments throughout the semester. These will be group assignments completed as part of a lab team, and the deliverable will be a lab report. You will not pick your group, the instructor will assign the teams. Each team will turn in one report for each experiment, and all members will share the same lab report grade. Each student will also turn in Teamwork Evaluation for their group members. The report grade may be corrected for an individual student based off the Teamwork Evaluations submitted by the other students on the team.

Be flexible with your teams. The instructor will periodically mix up the lab groups so that you will have a chance to work with different students in the class. 

For each student, the lowest lab report grade will be dropped. That means each student can miss one lab experiment and have that report dropped. If you attend and complete a report for all 10 labs, your lowest lab report grade will be replaced with a 100% instead of being dropped.

EXAMS

There will be three major exams and a comprehensive final exam. All exams will be administered in the Math Testing Center located in Durrett Hall (more information below) outside of class hours. The tests will generally be available for several days to make sure every student is able to complete the exam. Tests will be closed book, closed notes. The instructor will provide an equation sheet with the test. The tests will be completed by hand with a pencil. Tests must be completed neatly and legibly. Partial credit will be received for proper recognition of the problem and solution setup. Partial credit can be given even if you do not finish the problem or solve the problem incorrectly. If in doubt, write out all steps to receive partial credit.

Because the instructor is allowing students an extended time to complete the exam, make-up exams will not be provided. If you do not take an exam, you will get a zero. In the event of an emergency and only at instructor discretion, an exam may be dropped. This will only happen in extremely rare cases such as an extended illness, serious injury, or family emergency.

TUTORING POLICY

If you receive below a 70% grade on any exam, you must complete 1 hour of tutoring from the Math Academic Success Center (Math Outreach Center) correcting your exam. You must return your corrected exam to the instructor before taking the following exam. You may also meet with the instructor during office hours (or schedule a time to meet outside of office hours) to correct all missed problems on the exam.

Attendance

While there is no grade associated with attendance, you are expected to be in class each class day. Attendance will be taken and recorded daily. Many students have scholarship or financial aid which can discontinued due to poor attendance.

THIS IS NOT AN EASY COURSE. Studies show that students who attend class have a much higher probability of passing the course. Also note, the instructor is much more likely to provide individual assistance to those with good attendance records.

Students now have to visit with the instructor and complete a drop request form before being allowed to withdraw from a course.  It is the student's responsibility to obtain additional signatures and turn the form into the registrar once the instructor has signed it before the withdrawal deadline.  If you stop attending class and your average drops below a 60 due to missed assignments and you do not officially drop the course by this deadline, you will receive an F for the course. Note:  Late drops will NOT be given under any circumstances.

Calendar

Additional Information

TESTING (All testing will be completed at the Math Testing Center)

Location:	Durrett 103
Phone:	806-371-5088
Hours:	Monday - Thursday 9:00 am - 10:00 pm Friday - Saturday 9:00 am - 8:00 pm

Math Testing Center Rules:

• Books may be placed on the bookshelf before you request a test.
• An Amarillo College picture ID is required in order to take a test in the Math Testing Center.
• In the testing room, please do not sit by someone from the class.
• All purses must be on the floor.
• The Math Testing Center will not hand out a test less than 1.5 hours before closing time.
• The Math Testing Center personnel will pick up your test five minutes prior to closing time.
• The Math Testing Center hours are posted on the outside door and in this syllabus.
• Please come prepared.  If you do not have a pencil, you may purchase one from the Math Testing Center for 25 cents.  Please bring exact change.  Pens are not allowed on any test.
• The Math Testing Center has calculator available to borrow.
• Childcare arrangements must be made prior to testing.  Children may not accompany students into testing room or be left unattended anywhere on Campus.
• CELL PHONE CALCULATORS ARE NOT ALLOWED.
• Cell phones must be turned off as not to disturb other students who are testing.
• NO CELL PHONES in the Testing Room.  If we see your cell phone out AT ANY TIME, FOR ANY REASON, while in the testing room, YOU WILL RECEIVE an "F" for the course!

 

FREE TUTORING PROVIDED BY AMARILLO COLLEGE

Math Academic Success Center (Math Outreach Center)

Location:	Durrett 104
Phone:	806-371-5119
Hours:	Monday - Friday:  8:00 am - 8:00 pm Saturday:  9:00 am - 8:00 pm

 

AMARILLO COLLEGE ADVOCACY AND RESOURCE CENTER (ARC)

Located Ware Student Commons Suite 108 for walk-in services. For any questions, please call 806-371-5446 or email thearc@actx.edu. Website located at https://www.actx.edu/arc/student-resources.

Provides assistance and resources for:

• Caregiver Resources
• Childcare Resources
• Parenting Assistance
• Housing Assistance
• Food Assistance
• Affordable Clothing
• Transportation Assistance
• Substance Abuse Resources
• Mental Health Resources
• LBGTQ+ Resources
• Veteran Resources
• and more

If there are any barriers to you succeeding in this course, privately let the instructor know. I am here to help you succeed.