HCC – Northeast College
HISD – North Houston Early College HS
PHYS 1307 – Current Topics in Physics (dual credit)
Spring 2011
Location: North Houston Early College HS, Room 18
Meetings: 8:00 – 9:30 MW
Credit: 3 (3 lecture)
Instructor:
Dr. Yulia Turchaninova, yturchan@houstonisd.org; www.dtphysics.com
Textbooks:
Office hours:
Serway and Faughn, Physics, 2002;
Kirkpatrick and Francis, Physics: A conceptual World View, Seventh Edition.
1:30 – 3:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday
Tutorials:
3:30 – 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday
Course Description: Non-science majors are introduced to such important areas of physics as periodic
motion, sound, electric force, electric current, resistance, electric circuits, magnetism, electromagnetic
induction, AC circuits, light, optics, and modern physics.
Course objectives: Upon successful completion of this course, the students will be able to recognize, in
unfamiliar contexts, the concepts covered in the course, and will be able to apply these concepts to
work unfamiliar problems, as evidenced by satisfactory completion of an assessment exam. More
specifically, students who complete this course successfully, are expected to
(1) Work correctly with scalar physical quantities. This includes correct and complete treatment of
appropriate units, which includes mathematically correct combining of units and correct conversion of
different units (whether within metric, including using prefixes, or between "British" and metric). This
also includes correct treatment of accuracy in data.
(2) Work correctly with vector quantities, including when information does not directly group direction
and size data; work correctly with component forms of vector data.
(3) Analyze situations to recognize all the information which is present and all the influences which must
be acting; identify all the forces; and group those forces which are on a relevant object.
(4) Solve new problems, using general principles and techniques, in the areas discussed in the course,
which include: electric and magnetic phenomena, periodic motion, sound, light and optics, and modern
physics.
Evaluation:
Assignments (Homework & in-class)
40%
Assessments (unit quizzes, lab reports, projects)
40%
Final exam
20%
Course Schedule: The pace will be generally about a chapter a week, with a quiz as we finish each
chapter. Students are expected to read ahead and be ready with questions about unclear topics. Waiting
until after the quiz to ask about something leads to a lot of learning but a low grade. The schedule below
is tentative; somewhat later dates for quizzes are possible. Exact dates will be announced by at least the
preceding class period.
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
Week 11
Week 12
Week 13
Week 14
Week 15
Week 16
Week 17
Week18
January 17 – January 22
January 24 – January 29
January 29 – February 5
February 7 – February 12
February 14 – February 19
February 21 – February 26
February 28 – March 5
March 7 – March 12
March 14 – March 19
March 21 – March 26
March 28 – April 2
April 4 – April 9
April 11 – April 16
April 18 – April 23
April 25 – April 30
May 2 – May 7
May 9 – May 14
Chapter 17: Electric Forces and Fields
Chapter 18: Electrical Energy and Capacitance
Chapter 19: Current and resistance
Chapter 20: Circuits and Circuit elements
Chapter 21: Magnetism
Chapter 22: Induction and Alternating Current
Chapter 12: Vibration and waves
Chapter 13: Sound
Spring break
Chapter 14: Light and reflection
Chapter 15: Refraction
Chapter 16: Interference and diffraction
Chapter 23: Atomic Physics
Chapter 24: Modern Electronics
Chapter 25: Subatomic Physics
Review and Consultations
Final Exam
HCC Policy – ADA
Services to Students with Disabilities
The Houston Community College System is committed to compliance with the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504). Any student with a documented
disability (e.g. physical, medical, learning, psychiatric, developmental, vision, hearing, etc) who needs to
arrange reasonable accommodations must contact the Disability Support Services (DSS)/ADA Counselor
at the beginning of each semester. Faculty members are authorized to provide only the
accommodations requested by the DSS Office. Dr. Kim Ingram is Northeast College’s DSS/ADA
Counselor. Her telephone number is (713) 718-8420. For other questions, you may also contact Donna
Piece at (713) 718-8165 or visit the ADA website at https://www.hccs/students/disability/index.html
HCC Policy – Class Attendance
Realizing that student success in college is largely dependent on attending class, it is imperative that you
make an effort to attend every class. There is no such thing as an excused absence. On certain occasions,
circumstances may arise such as sickness, family issues, childcare, hospitalization, and unavoidable
transportation problems. Because of this, students are allowed to miss no more than 12.5% (4 class
periods). Students missing more than that time may be dropped from the course. I strongly suggest that
you schedule your appointments at times that do not interfere with your attendance in class. You are
responsible for materials covered during your absences. Five points will be taken off each day the
assignment is late.
HCC Policy – Withdrawals
If you feel that you cannot complete this course, you will need to withdraw from the course prior to
April 21, 2011, 4:30 p.m. If you do not withdraw before the deadline, you will receive the grade that you
are making in the class as your final grade. Before you withdraw from the course, please take time to
meet with the instructor to discuss why you feel it is necessary to do so. The instructor may be able to
provide you with suggestions that would enable you to complete the course. Beginning in fall of 2007,
the Texas Legislature passed a law limiting first time entering freshmen to no more than SIX total
withdrawals throughout their educational career in obtaining a certificate and/or degree.
HCC Policy – Repeat Course Fee
The State of Texas encourages students to complete college without having to repeat failed classes. To
increase student success, students who repeat the same course more than twice, are required to pay
extra tuition. Effective fall 2006, HCC will charge a higher tuition rate to students registering the third
or subsequent time for a course.
HCC Policy – Academic Honesty
HCC is committed to a high standard of academic integrity in the academic community. In becoming a
part of the academic community, students are responsible for honesty and independent effort. Failure
to uphold these standards includes, but is not limited to, the following: plagiarizing written work or
projects, cheating on exams or assignments, collusion on an exam or project, and misrepresentation of
credentials or prerequisites when registering for a course. Cheating includes looking at or copying from
another student’s exam, orally communicating or receiving answers during an exam, having another
person take an exam or complete a project or assignment, using unauthorized notes, texts, or other
materials for an exam, and obtaining or distributing an unauthorized copy of an exam or any part of an
exam. Plagiarism means passing off as one's own the ideas or writings of another (that is, without giving
proper credit by documenting sources). Plagiarism includes submitting a paper, report or project that
someone else has prepared, in whole or in part. Collusion is inappropriately collaborating on
assignments designed to be completed independently. These definitions are not exhaustive. When
there is clear evidence of cheating, plagiarism, collusion or misrepresentation, a faculty member will
take disciplinary action including but not limited to: requiring the student to retake or resubmit an exam
or assignment, assigning a grade of zero or “F” for an exam or assignment, or assigning a grade of “F” for
the course. Additional sanctions, including being withdrawn from the course/program or being expelled
from school, may be imposed on a student who violates the standards of academic integrity.