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Opening Comments:
This course is designed to be the entry level course for studying Physics. Accordingly, I have high expectations. I expect that from now on, you will begin to behave as scientists/engineers. What does this mean? It means that you will work hard at your studies (2-3 hrs for every class hour). It means that you will strive to understand rather than simply memorize. It means that you will seek help as necessary in a timely fashion. It means that you will demonstrate a dedication to scientific honesty and integrity. It means that you will show the persistence necessary to be successful as a scientist/engineer.
As you can see, I have very high expectations. I will do my best to help you succeed, and I expect every student to succeed. Please do not wait to come in and see me if you are having trouble. In addition to office hours and appointments, I will schedule a regular problem session where attendance is completely voluntary. We will schedule this problem session during the first week of class. We will also spend the first 30-45 minutes of lab working problems.
This is a very exciting time. This course may be unlike any other that you have taken so far. By the end of the course, your ability to think clearly and critically will be sharpened, and you will be able work from the beginning of a problem to the solution using just the fundamental principles that we learn.
Grading |
|
4 Exams, each worth 12.5% | 50% |
Homework, worth 13% | 13% |
Lab 12% | 12% |
Final Exam, worth 25.0% | 25% |
Total | 100% |
Attendance:
Attendance at all classes is mandatory. Attending class is essential for you to succeed in learning Physics. Please contact me as soon as possible if you know that you must miss a class, or as soon as possible after a missed class. You may receive a failing grade in the course or be automatically withdrawn if you miss class more than three(3) times without adequate cause.
Exams:
Exam dates will be announced at least one week before each exam. I will distribute a sample exam before each real exam, and solutions will be emailed to you or placed on a web page. Missed exams may only be made up if the absence was due to adequate cause. Please do not wait to contact me if you have a problem--the earlier that you contact me, the better.
Homework/Computing:
It is imperative that you do the homework assignments to learn the Physics, and most of the problems on the exams will be similar to the homework problems. A new assignment will be given at the end of class roughly once a week and will be due at the beginning of class the following week. There will be approximately 12 assignments. Each assignment that you turn in should have your name and a listing of the chapter and problem numbers in the upper right hand corner of the first page of the assignment. If your assignment contains more than one page, the pages must be stapled together. I will not accept assignments that are not stapled. I will discard assignments that do not have a name. Only one problem from each chapter, chosen at random, will be graded, but solutions for all the problems assigned will be emailed to you or placed on a web page. Your lowest two (2) homework scores for the semester will be dropped.
Late Homework:
The goal of the homework is practice and learning the material. If you need an extension on an assignment, email me before or on the due date and I will automatically grant you a two day extension (i.e. Your homework that is due on Monday moves to Wednesday, Wednesday to Friday, Friday to Monday, etc.). You may assume a two day extension if you have emailed, but for longer extensions, we need to have a conversation about why you are getting behind. Often needing a longer extension means that you need some extra help.
You may use any means at your disposal to do the homework. You may work together in study groups, see me or other professors, or seek help from other students that have taken the course. However, the work that you turn in must be in your own handwriting.
Lab:
The lab is an integral part of this course and is central to doing physics. Because of this centrality, you will be given a separate syllabus on the first day of lab. If you miss lab for some reason, please see me so that we can make arrangements for you to complete the experiment at another time. Please do not wait to do this until the end of the semester. See the lab syllabus for complete details.
Final Exam:
The final exam is cumulative, and closed book. See below for times.
Contacting Dr. Fasano:
AIM: CGFasano
Feel free to call my home between 8:00AM and 9:00 PM. I will be in my office most days until at least 6:00PM. You may also leave messages with the Physics secretary.
Tentative Outline:
Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4 | Exam 1 |
Chapters 5, 6, 7, 8 | Exam 2 |
Chapters 9, 10, 11 | Exam 3 |
Chapters 12, 13, 14* | Exam 4 |
*Wishful thinking |
Important Dates:
Monday, August 30, 2010 | Last day to add a class or drop a class without a fee. |
Friday, Oct. 8, 2010 | Fall Break begins at end of day. |
Wednesday, Oct. 13, 2010 | Classes Resume |
Friday, Oct. 22, 2010 | Last Day to drop a full semester course with a fee. |
Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2010 | Last Day of Class |
Saturday, Dec. 11, 2010 | Final Exam at 1:00 PM |
Tentative Lab Schedule
Experiment
0. Writing lab reports, making graphs, analyzing data
1. Statistics and Error
2. Free Fall
3. Vector Addition
4. Self-Designed measurement of g.
5. Projectile Motion
6. Linear Restoring Forces
7. Gravitational Potential
8. Conservation of Momentum
9. Rotation
You will need Adobe's Acrobat Reader to view the solutions. You can download it here for free.