General Physics I (PHY 161)
Fall 2013
Lecture (All Sections):
Laboratory (PHY161.002):
Laboratory (PHY 161.003):
Laboratory (PHY 161.004):
Instructor:
Office:
Phone:
Email:
Office Hours:
MWF 12:00 noon to 12:50 pm in SEB 110
R 9:25 am to 12:05 pm in SEB 219
R 3:05 pm to 5:45 pm in SEB 219
T 9:25 am to 12:05 pm in SEB 219
Dr. Nick Hollingshad
244 SEB
478-301-2770
hollingshad_nw@mercer.edu
MW 1:00 to 3:00 or by appt.
Required Text: D. Halliday, R. Resnick and J. Walker, Fundamentals of Physics, John Wiley & Sons,
Inc., 9th Ed.
Required Software: Each student in the course must obtain an online account with WebAssign
(http://www.webassign.net/) that will cost $44.95 and will provide access to the online homework
assignments and quizzes. For an additional optional $44.75 (total $89.70), the account will also have
access to the textbook as an eBook. A regular hardcover textbook is also available at the campus
bookstore and elsewhere.
What’s in it for you: Physics is the pursuit of the fundamental rules underlying all that we observe
around us. To a great extent, mathematics has been found to be the most clear and efficient language in
which to express these most fundamental principles. In this course, you will learn about these
fundamental rules, and you will learn how to apply them in “the real world.” You will get lots of practice
applying these rules: much of your graded work will be working problems (many of which will be similar
to “word problems” in your calculus class). However, we will also do exercises in the laboratory to
directly connect the physical observations with the rules. Through this hard work, you will learn how to
apply fundamental principles to a set of facts as a means of solving a problem. This is a core skill for
anyone working in science or engineering, so what you learn in this course will help you do better in the
courses in your major. Your efforts will also begin the process of building your experience bank, which
provides the intuition about how things work that distinguishes the great scientists and engineers from the
rest.
What to expect (overview): Over the course of the semester, we will cover Chapters 1 through 11 and
Chapter 15, which is roughly a chapter a week. I will cover the material in the same order as it is
presented in the book. Homework and quizzes will be assigned in WebAssign. In general, homework will
be due at midnight every Tuesday, and quizzes will be due at midnight each Sunday. There will be three
2-hour supplemental instruction (SI) sessions each week. SI is a great resource, and I STRONGLY
encourage you to make the most of it! Labs will be held every week EXCEPT weeks in which Tuesday
OR Thursday is a school holiday. There will be three midterm exams and a comprehensive final exam.
Details are provided below.
Homework: Homework will consist of problems on WebAssign. Homework will be available in
WebAssign each Monday morning, and will be due at midnight on the Tuesday eight days later. At the
time the homework assignment is available, we may not have covered all of the material in class. We will,
however, cover any remaining material during the week before the homework is due. I STRONGLY
encourage you to do your homework in groups. Research has found that you learn better from not only
doing, but explaining what you’ve done to someone else. (Also, of course, it’s more enjoyable!) For
WebAssign, each student will have the same problem, but with different numbers. I therefore suggest that
you work through one student’s problem set to figure out how to do the problem, then each of you work it
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General Physics I (PHY 161)
Fall 2013
through with your own numbers so you can enter your own answers into WebAssign. Note that on
WebAssign, you will be limited to four attempts to enter each answer.
Supplemental Instruction (All Sections): USE THIS VALUABLE RESOURCE!!!
We are very fortunate to have Abbey Sellers to conduct SI Sessions for us. She can be reached at
abbey.d.sellers@live.mercer.edu. The SI sessions are as follows:
M 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm in EGC 217
T 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm in EGC 220
R 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm in EGC 220
Quizzes: Quizzes will be available on WebAssign on Thursday each week, and will be due at midnight
on Sunday. IMPORTANT: You will have only one hour to complete each quiz. The clock starts when
you log into the quiz on WebAssign for the first time, and continues to run even if you log out of
WebAssign. Quizzes are individual assignments, not group assighments, and MUST be your own work in
accordance with the Honor Code. Furthermore, quizzes are closed book. You may use ONLY a
calculator. Occasionally I may provide some supplemental information (such as an equation sheet); if so,
you may use it for that quiz only. Quiz problems will be representative (in terms of content and level of
difficulty) of the problems you will see on your midterm and final exams.
Labs: Labs will be performed as group activities. Documentation of the lab activities will vary from
week to week, depending on the activity. A single report may be submitted by each group, signed by each
group member. In some cases, the group may not finish the lab report within the time allotted. In these
cases, the group is responsible for completing the work outside the lab, and the report will be due at the
start of the next lab session. Credit will be based 20% on data presentation (graphs, data tables, etc.) and
80% on with the introduction, answers to questions and conclusions. The instructor may make a
deduction in a student’s grade for the student’s late arrival, early departure or failure to participate
actively with the group.
Midterm Exams: There will be three midterm exams. It is important to understand that learning physics
involves learning basic concepts, and applying them in progressively more advanced ways. Consequently,
each midterm exam will include material, concepts, formulas, etc., extending back to the very beginning
of the course. However, the second and third midterm exams will focus on the material covered since the
previous midterm exam. The midterms will contain problems similar in nature to the quiz problems. You
may bring a calculator and pens/pencils. I will provide the exam, scratch paper, and an equation sheet.
Partial credit may be available, so it is important to show your work.
Final Exam: The final exam will be similar to the midterm exams, except that it will be longer and may
include multiple choice questions. As with the midterms, you may bring a calculator and pens/pencils and
I will provide the exam, scratch paper, and an equation sheet. Partial credit may be available, so it remains
important to show your work.
Missed homework, quizzes, labs and exams: There will be no opportunities to make up homework and
quizzes. If you can convince me that there were sufficiently dire extenuating circumstances, I will ensure
that the missed assignment does not affect your grade. Labs will not be made up. If you have an official
excused absence, I will ensure that the missed assignment does not affect your grade. For exams, I will
allow a makeup exam if you provide an official excused absence and the makeup is scheduled within one
week of your return.
Assessment tests: All students are required to participate in testing for assessment purposes. At the
beginning of the course students will be asked to individually complete a conceptual test on mechanics,
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General Physics I (PHY 161)
Fall 2013
the pre-test. This will be counted as a quiz: To receive full credit, each student must complete this test to
the best of their ability, and completely and accurately enter their name, student ID and other information
on the answer sheet. The pre-test score itself will not form part of any student's grade. At the end of the
course students will be asked to individually complete another conceptual test, the post-test. This will also
be counted as a quiz: To receive full credit, each student must complete this test to the best of their ability,
and completely and accurately enter their name, student ID and other information on the answer sheet.
The overall pre-test and post-test results will be used by the physics department in the assessment of our
program success. For each student, the post-test result will be used to grant them a bonus on their course
grade of up to +1%: a score of 50% or better will yield +0.25% bonus, 60% or better will yield +0.50%
bonus, 70% or better will yield +0.75% bonus, and 80% or better will yield +1.00% (Bonuses are noncumulative.).
Grading and Grading Scale
Homework
Quizzes
Labs
Exam 1
Exam 2
Exam 3
Final Exam
10%
5%
20%
15%
15%
15%
20%
90-100%
85-89%
80-84%
75-79%
70-74%
60-69%
0-59%
A
B+
B
C+
C
D
F
Class Policies:
Attendance: Attendance at lectures is not required but is strongly encouraged. However, students are
solely responsible for learning the materials covered and the announcements made in the missed classes.
Attendance at lab is required.
Seating in SEB 110: Please sit only in the center section, and fill the available seats from the front to the
back. You will be able to see and hear better, and so will I!
Decorum: In general, avoid doing anything to distract your fellow students or the instructor. I encourage
questions during lecture, and if I don’t see your raised hand please shout out to me.
Electronic devices: In order to maximize student engagement and to minimize sources of distraction,
neither laptop computers nor cell phones may be used when class is in session. Likewise, no student
should communicate electronically with any person inside or outside the classroom by any means while
class is in session. During exams, no electronic devices of any kind may be used except for a calculator.
For clarity, any device that can also be used as a phone, is capable of accessing the internet wirelessly,
OR is connected to any type of removable data storage device (including but not limited to flash drives
and optical drives) is NOT a calculator and may not be used during an exam. If you have any questions,
ask me BEFORE the exam. Any device used in violation of these rules may be confiscated by the
instructor for the duration of the class period.
Honor code: You are bound by the Mercer honor code. The College’s academic misconduct policy will
be followed. All work for which a grade is received must be the original work of the student without aid
or assistance of another party, or any printed and or electronic data/information. Academic misconduct
cases will be referred to the honor council and the student will automatically receive a grade of
incomplete (IC) pending a ruling by the honor council.
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General Physics I (PHY 161)
Fall 2013
Student Disabilities: Students requiring accommodations or modifications for a disability should inform
the instructor at the close of the first class meeting or as soon as possible. The instructor will refer you to
the ACCESS and Accommodation Office to document your disability, determine eligibility for
accommodations under the ADAAA/Section 504 and to request a Faculty Accommodation Form.
Disability accommodations or status will not be indicated on academic transcripts. In order to receive
accommodations in a class, students with sensory, learning, psychological, physical or medical
disabilities must provide their instructor with a Faculty Accommodation Form to sign. Students must
return the signed form to the ACCESS Coordinator. A new form must be requested each semester.
Students with a history of a disability perceived as having a disability or with a current disability who
does not wish to use academic accommodations are also strongly encouraged to register with the
ACCESS and Accommodation Office and request a Faculty Accommodation Form each semester. For
further information, please contact Carole Burrowbridge, Director and ADA/504 Coordinator, at 3012778 or visit the ACCESS and Accommodation Office website at
http://www.mercer.edu/disabilityservices.
Key Dates:
August 21
August 27
August 29
September 2
September 13
October 1
October 3
October 4
October 18
October 25
November 22
November 26
November 27
November 28
November 29
December 13
First Lecture (All Sections)
First Lab (PHY 161.004)
First Lab (PHY 161.002 and PHY 161.003)
Labor Day Holiday – Lecture CANCELLED (All Sections)
MIDTERM EXAM 1 (Ch. 1 - 4)
Lab CANCELLED (PHY 161.004)
Fall Break – Lab CANCELLED (PHY 161.002 and PHY 161.003)
Fall Break – Lecture CANCELLED (All Sections)
MIDTERM EXAM 2 (Ch. 1-7, emphasizing Ch. 5 - 7)
Last Day for Course Withdrawal
MIDTERM EXAM 3 (Ch. 1-11, emphasizing Ch. 8 - 11)
Lab CANCELLED (PHY 161.004)
Thanksgiving Break – Lecture CANCELLED (All Sections)
Thanksgiving Break – Lab CANCELLED (PHY 161.002 and PHY 161.003)
Thanksgiving Break – Lecture CANCELLED (All Sections)
FINAL EXAM (Ch. 1-11, 15) 9:00 am to 12:00 noon
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