PES 100 – Physics in Everyday Life - Fall 2010
TR 10:50-12:05 Engineering #103
Course Syllabus
Instructor: Robert G. Gist
Office and Hours: SENG A-418, (M 11a-12:30,T
12:15-1:15, W 6-7)
UCCS e-mail: rgist@uccs.edu
Web Site: http://www.uccs.edu/~rgist
Credit Hours: 3
Prerequisite: None
Text: Physics of Everyday Phenomena, 5th edition,
by W. Thomas Griffith.
Course Description: A non-mathematical
overview of physics and how it affects our
everyday life. Topics to be included are
balancing and equilibrium, tornadoes,
weather patterns, circus balancing acts,
air conditioners, musical instruments and
other interesting applications of physics.
Recommended for students with no science or
mathematics background.
Attendance: Attendance will not be monitored. It is each student’s responsibility to
cover any material due to missed lectures. Call 255-3346 for school closure
information.
Evaluation: Your knowledge retention will be evaluated four times during the semester.
Three evaluations will be mid-term and the fourth will be during the final exam
period. Each evaluation counts as 25% of your grade. I will give you at least a
week’s notice as to the exact date of the evaluation as well as the material for which
you will be responsible To account for emergencies, I’ll drop the lowest exam grade.
Evaluation Options: Primary evaluation will be an in-class, multiple choice exam,
with extra credit for completing (1) an at-home problem set to be turned in on exam
day; and/or (2) an essay describing and applying principles from class.
Grades: In summary, your grade will be the average of the four evaluation grades. The
letter grade ranges are posted on my website. Ranges include +’s and –‘s.
Questions, comments: It is my hope that you will feel comfortable asking questions in
class. Chances are that if you are unsure about some topic, there are others who have
a similar question. I would like the class to be as interactive as possible. If you have
relevant experience with a subject, please feel free to share comments with the class.
Reasonable accommodation: Students with a disability who require accommodations
should provide a letter of accommodation from Student Enrichment Services (MH
105, x3354) within the first two weeks of the semester.
Calculators: Calculators will not be required for this course. Calculators will be allowed
during exams, if desired.
Cell phones, PDAs, talking, leaving the classroom: Please show respect to the other
members of the class by turning off the sound on cell phones and PDAs. Imperative
phone calls should be taken outside the classroom. Also, keep conversation to a
minimum during the lecture so that others can hear clearly. Please remain in the
classroom unless an emergency arises, since foot traffic in the class can be disruptive
to other students.
R. Gist
1
8/23/2010
PES 100 – Physics in Everyday Life - Fall 2010
TR 10:50-12:05 Engineering #103
Significant Dates
Date
Sept 6, 7
Nov 24-Nov 28
Dec 14 (Tue)
Event
Labor Day Holiday
Thanksgiving Break
Final Exam
Note
No class
No class
10:50am to 1:20pm
Schedule (subject to change)
Date
24-Aug
26-Aug
31-Aug
2-Sep
7-Sep
9-Sep
14-Sep
16-Sep
21-Sep
23-Sep
28-Sep
30-Sep
5-Oct
7-Oct
12-Oct
14-Oct
19-Oct
21-Oct
26-Oct
28-Oct
2-Nov
4-Nov
9-Nov
11-Nov
16-Nov
18-Nov
23-Nov
25-Nov
30-Nov
2-Dec
7-Dec
9-Dec
14-Dec
R. Gist
Topic
Tue
Thu
Tue
Thu
Tue
Thu
Tue
Thu
Tue
Thu
Tue
Thu
Tue
Thu
Tue
Thu
Tue
Thu
Tue
Thu
Tue
Thu
Tue
Thu
Tue
Thu
Tue
Thu
Tue
Thu
Tue
Thu
Tue
Ch 2: Describing Motion
Ch 3: Falling Objects and Proj. Motion
Ch 4: Newton's Laws: Explaining Motion
Ch 4: Newton's Laws: Explaining Motion
Labor Day Holiday
Ch 5: Circ. Motion, the Planets, and Gravity
Ch 6: Energy and Oscillations
Review
Evaluation #1
Ch 7: Momentum and Impulse
Ch 7: Momentum and Impulse
Ch 8: Rotational Motion of Solid Objects
Ch 8: Rotational Motion of Solid Objects
Ch 9: The Behavior of Fluids
Ch 10: Temperature and Heat
Review
Evaluation #2
Ch 12: Electostatic Phenomena
Ch 12: Electostatic Phenomena
Ch 13: Electric Circuits
Ch 13: Electric Circuits
Ch 14: Magnets and Electromagnetism
Ch 14: Magnets and Electromagnetism
Ch 15: Making Waves
Review
Evaluation #3
Ch 16: Light Waves and Color
Thanksgiving Holiday
Ch 17: Light and Image Formation
Ch 18: The Structure of an Atom
Ch 20: Relativity
Review
Evaluation #4
2
8/23/2010