Syllabus for College Physics

Professor: Ken Koehler
Office: Muntz 372
Office Hours: MWF 10:30-11, MW 2:30-3, M 5:30-6 and by appt.
Telephone: 745-5782
E-mail: koehlekr@ucrwcu.rwc.uc.edu

Course Goals

This is a year-long course in Algebra-based Physics. Our goals are:

To think critically about the sign, order of magnitude, direction and units of every answer we write down, to be sure that it makes sense physically.

To analyze a graph of position vs. time for information about velocity and acceleration.
To use units to construct consistent equations to solve problems.
To analyze a one or two-dimensional free fall problem, kinematically, dynamically, and using conservation principles.
To understand the isometry between one dimensional uniform accelerated motion and uniformly accelerated rotational motion.
To analyze static equilibrium problems by balancing forces and torques.

To analyze a graph of electrical or gravitational potential to determine acceleration and field directions.
To analyze the electrical or gravitational fields due to multiple sources, and their actions on a test particle.
To analyze RC circuits of varying topology.
To use the isometry between electrical circuit and fluid problems to analyze fluid flows.
To understand standing and traveling wave behavior in terms of wave phases.

To understand magnetic fields and forces, and their actions on current elements and loops, in terms of cross products.
To use Planck units and quantum numbers to describe atomic electrons.
To relate quantum energy transitions to absorbed or emitted radiation.
To understand the isometries between various diffusive phenomena.
To understand the various modes of heat transfer.
To apply energy and entropic principles to physical systems.

The laboratory (described below) is a separate course and grades will be assigned independently of the "lecture" course.

This course fulfills the General Education Breadth of Knowledge (BoK) area of Natural Science.

Prerequisites

One year of college level algebra and trigonometry.

You must have access to a web browser with Java capability. If the Java applets in the text do not work on your computer, obtain the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) from java.sun.com (page down to find the button on the right side labeled "Get Java Software").

You must also have a browser that can display the Greek letters that we use in physics to denote some variables. Check the symbol page to make sure that the Greek letters display properly (they start after "z"). If they do not, you may need to install a newer version of your browser, or use a different browser.

Text

College Physics for Students of Biology and Chemistry, 2^nd Edition (available for download)

Electronic Communications Policy

Because of e-mail instabilities, all assignments must be turned in on paper.

Attendance Policy

Failure to attend class will result in the following:

0 to 10% of class meetings missed: no grade reduction
11 to 20% of class meetings missed: final grade is reduced by one letter grade
21 to 30% of class meetings missed: final grade is reduced by two letter grades
more than 30% of class meetings missed: final grade is an F

Attendance will be taken at the start of each class period. If you are not present when it is taken, it counts as a missed class.

Schedule

Autumn Quarter

Week	Topic
1	Mechanics
2	Kinematics
3	Linear Motion
4	Vectors
5	Two-dimensional Motion
6	Dynamics
7	Conservation Principles
8	Friction
9	Rotational Motion
10-11	Equilibrium
	FINAL EXAM

Winter Quarter

Week Topic

1 Electric Charges

2-3 Electric Fields and Forces

4 Circuit Elements

4-5 Circuit Analysis

6 Fluids

7 Fluid Flow

8 Simple Harmonic Oscillation

9 Standing Waves

10 Traveling Waves

FINAL EXAM

Week	Topic
1	Electric Charges
2-3	Electric Fields and Forces
4	Circuit Elements
4-5	Circuit Analysis
6	Fluids
7	Fluid Flow
8	Simple Harmonic Oscillation
9	Standing Waves
10	Traveling Waves
	FINAL EXAM

Spring Quarter

Week Topic

1 Magnetic Fields and Forces

2 Magnetic Resonance Imaging

3 Atomic Structure

4 Electron Transitions

5 Molecular Degrees of Freedom

6 Nuclear Processes

7 Diffusion

8 Heat Flow

9-10 Energy and Entropy

Monday, 6 / 9, 9:45-11:45 AM FINAL EXAM

Week	Topic
1	Magnetic Fields and Forces
2	Magnetic Resonance Imaging
3	Atomic Structure
4	Electron Transitions
5	Molecular Degrees of Freedom
6	Nuclear Processes
7	Diffusion
8	Heat Flow
9-10	Energy and Entropy
Monday, 6 / 9, 9:45-11:45 AM	FINAL EXAM

Tests and Grades

There will be 9 in-class quizzes and one final exam that count toward your grade. In addition, there will be two practice "half-finals" which do not count toward your grade.

All quizzes and exams will consist of problems taken from the Java problem-generating programs in the text.

Cheat sheets will not be allowed. Also, graphing calculators, or any calculators that allow you to store formulas, are not allowed. All computations must be done on (previously blank) scratch paper, which must be stapled to the test when you turn it in. Go over the sample test to see what to expect and how to answer the questions.

Each problem will be graded for procedural correctness, as well as numerical correctness and correct use of units. Numerical answers must either be expressed as decimal numbers or in correct scientific notation or they will be marked incorrect. All answers which are physically unreasonable will be marked incorrect.

All quizzes (9) and final exam problems (12) are worth 2 points each (totaling 42 points).

Grades will be assigned on the following scale:

38 to 42 points = an A
33 to 37 points = a B
28 to 32 points = a C
23 to 27 points = A D
0 to 22 points = an F

Plus or minus grades will not be given.

There is a study guide available to help you study for the exams.

Laboratory Course

Each quarter we will do an extended laboratory project. Your grade will be based on your final project report. The online project guides will give you everything you need to complete your report:

Autumn Project Guide (linear and rotational motion)

Winter Project Guide (RC circuits)

Spring Project Guide (spectral analysis)

The University of Cincinnati has provided Excel courseware which is accessible from any computer in the UC network.

You will be required to submit intermediate results of your analysis six times during the project, as well as outlines for the papers you are assigned to read.

Every result submission must be accompanied by a 1-2 paragraph analysis of the meaning of the results.

You will also be required to submit a draft of your lab report in the ninth week, and your lab report is due no later than noon on the Friday of the last week of the quarter (before exam week).

Lab Grades

You will receive 1 point for each intermediate submission if it is on time.

If you withdraw from the course and have not submitted any intermediate results, you will be given a WX grade (equivalent to an F) and the Registrar will be notified that you have not met the minimum participation requirements of the class.

Your final project report will be evaluated for the following attributes:

clear and concise abstract, including a description of the project and your results
clear, correct and precise description of the experimental apparatus and procedures
all data presented is correct and correctly identified, with correct units
any equations used in reported computations are included and their purpose briefly explained
graphs are plotted correctly and clearly, with correct labels and scales
conclusions about all required aspects of the project are correct and clearly and succinctly summarized
all references you used are included and correctly annotated (Wikipedia not allowed)

Each attribute will be scored as

2 - correct and complete
1 - incomplete or contains minor errors
0 - incorrect, irrelevant or missing

Grades will be assigned based on the sum of the attribute scores and your weekly submission points:

18 to 20 points = an A
16 to 17 points = a B
14 to 15 points = a C
12 to 13 points = A D
0 to 11 points = an F

Plus or minus grades will not be given.

If you do not turn in a draft lab report during the ninth week, your final grade will be reduced one letter grade.

Your report should be between 5 and 8 pages, including any data tables and graphs you wish to include. You get to decide which ones best support your analysis of the experiment. Lab reports with incorrect spelling or incomplete sentences, as well as late reports or plagiarized reports, will not be accepted, and your final grade will be an F.