PHY111 General Physics I Syllabus

PHY 111 General Physics I Spring 2010 Section 40 C
4 Semester Hours, 4 Credit Hours, 5 Contact Hours

Monday 6:00 – 8:30 PM 206T lecture/204T lab
Wednesday 6:00 – 8:30 PM 206T lecture/204T lab

Instructor: Peter A. Grosskopf
E-mail: peter.grosskopf@clinton.edu
Office: 124M
College Telephone: 562-4145
Office Hours: Room 206T Monday and Wednesday 5:00 – 6:00 PM

1. Course Description
General Physics I is the first of a two semester sequence in General Physics designed to present concepts and applications of the following topics: kinematics, dynamics, gravitation, energy, momentum and heat. There are three hours of lecture and two hours of laboratory each week.

2. Course Prerequisites
MAT 104 Algebra/Trigonometry or MAT 105 Tech Math I or MAT 200 Pre-Calculus or concurrent enrollment in these courses.

3. Textbook
Physics, Douglas C. Giancoli, sixth edition, Prentice Hall Publisher.
ISBN 0-13-0690620-0
Physlet Physics, Christian & Belloni, Pearson Publisher
ISBN-13 978-0-13-101969-0

4. Course Objectives
A. To provide students with a thorough understanding of the basic concepts of physics and the methods scientists use to explore natural phenomena, including observation, hypothesis development, measurement and data collection, experimentation, evaluation of evidence, and employment of mathematical analysis.
B. To instruct students of the fundamental laws of physics and the application of scientific data, concepts, and models for use in the natural sciences and real world situations.
C. To provide students with problem solving skills by an approach that describes physical phenomena with relevant mathematical models and formulae.
D. To develop the student’s mathematical ability to manipulate formulae and derive correct numerical solutions that can be measured in the real world.
E. To instruct students in the competent use of laboratory equipment to collect and record data, apply relevant mathematical models and perform required computations, and present the derived results as an application of a measured observation of the physical world.
F. To have students prepare a written laboratory report that effectively interprets and communicates their results.
G. To have students effectively use computers as a tool for data collection, analysis, and communication.

5. Course Organization and Methods
A. Attendance Procedure: Attendance will be taken at the beginning of each class. Students are expected to attend every class. Students are responsible for all material covered during any absence and assignments must be completed by the due date for credit. The absence of four or more lectures and/or labs will result in an involuntary withdrawal grade (WY). Missed exams will require proof of extenuating circumstances for any make-up consideration.
B. Absence due to Illness: If you are sick, DO NOT ATTEND CLASS. Contact the instructor by e-mail or telephone to discuss how you will keep up with the coursework and complete the Laboratory Experiments.

C. Methods of Instruction: Methods will include lectures and demonstrations that discuss key terms, concepts and formulae of the assigned chapter. During the lecture a quiz about the basic concepts of each chapter will be given. The student is expected to read one chapter and solve the assigned problems each week. This will require an average of five hours of study outside of the classroom each week. The previously assigned problems will be collected for grading and the solutions will be derived in class. This process is designed to help the student thoroughly understand the concepts and applications of the material covered.

D. Methods of Evaluation: Students will be evaluated according to the following:
4 Exams
15 Laboratory Reports
12 Quizzes
12 Assignments

The final course grade will be computed according to the following formula:
Exam Average 50%
Laboratory Reports 25%
Quiz Average 5%
Assignments 20%
Final Grade 100%

Grades will be assigned according to the following:
100 - 91 A
90 – 88 A-
87 – 85 B+
84 – 80 B
79 – 78 B-
77 – 75 C+
74 – 70 C
69 – 68 C-
67 – 65 D+
64 – 60 D
Below 60 F

E. Academic Honesty: All students are expected to behave with academic honesty. It is not academically honest, for example, to misrepresent another person’s words or ideas as one’s own, to take credit for someone else’s work or ideas, to copy and paste material from another document or from the internet, to accept help on a test or to obtain advanced information or confidential test materials, or to act in a way that might harm another student’s chance for academic success. When the instructor believes that a student has failed to maintain academic honesty, he or she may be given an “F” grade, either for the assignment, lab report, quiz, test, or the course depending upon the severity of the offense.

F. Course Continuity Plan: In the case that the college officially closes because of an emergency that causes a short term disruption of this course, we will utilize e-mail to continue this course in the short term (1-3 weeks). All students need to utilize his or her on-campus e-mail address to receive course related information.

G. SUNY General Education Requirements: This course meets the SUNY General Education requirements for the Natural Sciences with a laboratory component.

Course Outline and Schedule

I. Introduction (Chapter 1) January 25, 2010
A. Physics defined and relationships to other fields
B. Models and Theories
C. Orders of Magnitude

II. Kinematics in One Dimension (Chapter 2) January 27, 2010
A. Speed, Velocity and Displacement
B. Frames of Reference
C. Acceleration
D. Free Falling Motion

III. Kinematics in Two Dimensions (Chapter 3) February 3, 2010
A. Adding vectors using graphical techniques
B. Using analytical methods for adding vectors
C. Projectile motion

EXAM #1 Chapters 1, 2, 3 February 22, 2010

IV. Dynamics (Chapter 4) February 24, 2010
A. Force
B. Newton’s Laws of Motion
C. Weight
D. Friction and Inclines

V. Circular Motion (Chapter 5) March 3, 2010
A. Kinematics of circular motion
B. Dynamics of circular motion
C. Gravitation
D. Satellites and Weightlessness
E. Kepler’s laws and Newton’s Synthesis
F. Fundamental forces

VI. Work and Energy (Chapter 6) March 10, 2010
A. Work
B. Kinetic Energy
C. Potential Energy
D. Conservation of Energy
E. Power

EXAM #2 Chapters 4, 5, 6 March 24, 2010

VII. Linear Momentum (Chapter 7) March 29, 2010
A. Momentum and force
B. Conservation of momentum
C. Collisions and impulse
D. Center of mass

VIII. Rotational Motion (Chapter 8) April 5, 2010
A. Angular quantities
B. Kinematics of uniformly accelerated rotational motion
C. Torque
D. Rotational Dynamics
E. Rotational Kinetic Energy
F. Angular Momentum

IX. Bodies in Equilibrium (Chapter 9) April 12, 2010
A. Statics and Equilibrium
B. Statics problems

EXAM #3 Chapters 7, 8, 9 April 19, 2010

X. Temperature and Kinetic Energy (Chapter 13) April 21, 2010
A. Temperature
B. Expansion
C. The gas laws and Absolute Temperature
D. Kinetic Theory

XI. Heat (Chapter 14) April 28, 2010
A. Heat and Energy
B. Specific Heat and Calorimetry
C. Latent Heat
D. Heat Transfer

XII. Vibrations and Waves (Chapter 11) May 5, 2010
A. Simple Harmonic Motion
B. The Pendulum
C. Resonance

EXAM #4 Final Exam Chapters 11, 13, 14 May 12, 2010

If you have, or suspect you may have, any type of disability or learning problem that may require extra assistance or special accommodations, please speak to me privately after class or during my office hours as soon as possible, so I can obtain any assistance you may need to successfully complete this course. You should also contact Laurie Bethka, room 420M, for further assistance.

Physics 111 Laboratory Schedule
Spring 2010 Semester

1. Graph Matching                         January 27, 2010
2. Modern Galileo Experiment         February 1, 2010
3. Picket Fence Free Fall                 February 3, 2010
4. Addition of Vectors                     February 8, 2010
5. Projectile Motion                         February 10, 2010
6. Newton’s Second Law                 February 24, 2010
7. Static and Kinetic Friction              March 1, 2010
8. Centripetal Force                         March 8, 2010
9. Energy of a Tossed Ball                 March 22, 2010
10. Impulse and Momentum                 March 29, 2010
11. Momentum, Energy, and Collisions March 31, 2010
12. Rotational Motion                         April 7, 2010
13. Equilibrium                                 April 14, 2010
14. The Gas Laws                             April 26, 2010
15. Heat of Fusion and Heat of Vaporization May 3, 2010

It is expected that all lab reports will be neatly typed (word processed) with college level grammar and spelling. Each report should include the following sections:

• Introduction/Objective: The purpose of the experiment, the physical phenomenon observed and the concept or numerical constant to be verified.

• Procedure: A description of the methods and materials for the lab experiment describing the equipment and set up used to observe and investigate the objective and how the data was collected and recorded. Describe the dependent and independent variables where applicable.

• Results: Display the data collected and the results obtained expressed as a neatly organized table of data, the mathematical models used and the calculations derived from the data, graphs of results with clearly labeled axes. Calculations used in the experiment should be included in a clear and organized manner.

• Discussions/Conclusions: An explanation and interpretation of the results and how they compare to the stated objective. Patterns and trends should be identified and related to supporting or refuting your hypothesis. Possible sources of errors should be discussed and the percent error from the accepted values should be indicated when appropriate. Questions related to the experiment should be included and answered as completely as possible. This section will have the strongest determination for your grade.

Lab Reports are due each week at the following scheduled lab session and grades will be diminished for lab reports not being submitted on time. The lab report grades are based on how well the reports meet the above criteria and constitute 25% of the final grade.

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