I. ASCRC General Education Form Group XI Natural Sciences Dept/Program Physics & Astronomy Course Title Prerequisite PHYS U 213N Course # Physics Laboratory I with Calculus MATH 152 (coreq) and Credits PHYS 211N (coreq) 1 II. Endorsement/Approvals Complete the form and obtain signatures before submitting to Faculty Senate Office Please type / print name Signature Date 9/18/08 Instructor James Jacobs 4986/j.jacobs@umontana.edu Phone / Email Program Chair Andrew Ware Dean Gerald Fetz III. Description and purpose of the course: General Education courses must be introductory and foundational. They must emphasize breadth, context, and connectedness; and relate course content to students’ future lives: See Preamble: http://www.umt.edu/facultysenate/gened/GEPreamble_final.htm Laboratory survey of classical mechanics, coverage includes: kinematics, dynamics, rotational motion, conservation laws, waves and sound. Along with PHYS 214N, serves as the laboratory portion of a general introduction to classical physics for students interested in majoring in the physical sciences (geology, chemistry, physics, and computer science) and engineering. The lecture portion is provided by PHYS 211-212N. IV. Criteria: Briefly explain how this course meets the criteria for the group. See: http://www.umt.edu/facultysenate/ASCRCx/Adocuments/GE_Criteria5-1-08.htm 1. Courses explore a discipline in the natural The intimate connection between experiment and sciences and demonstrate how the scientific method theory is stressed in this course. Broad classes of is used within the discipline to draw scientific phenomena are distilled into general physical conclusions. laws and tested in each laboratory exercise. Significant digits, and error propagation in 2. Courses address the concept of analytic uncertainty and the rigorous process required to measurement are discussed extensively. The testing of physical laws through laboratory take an idea to a hypothesis and then to a measurements is emphasized. validated scientific theory. 3. Lab courses engage students in inquirybased learning activities where they formulate a hypothesis, design an experiment to test the hypothesis, and collect, interpret, and present the data to support their conclusions. Laboratories include: Measurement of the acceleration of gravity, exploration of circular motion and torques, and measurement of the speed of sound, which all use instruments and materials typical of physics research laboratories. Analysis of measurements and interpretation of results is stressed. V. Student Learning Goals: Briefly explain how this course will meet the applicable learning goals. See: http://www.umt.edu/facultysenate/ASCRCx/Adocuments/GE_Criteria5-1-08.htm Newton’s laws of mechanics, along with 1. Students will understand the general conservative principles of physics are the principles associated with the discipline(s) important unifying themes in this course. studied. 2. Students will understand the methodology and All of the laboratory exercises use instruments and materials typical of physics research activities scientists use to gather, validate and laboratories. interpret data related to natural processes. 3. Students will detect patterns, draw Students are required to analyze their measurements and draw conclusions based on conclusions, develop conjectures and hypotheses, and test them by appropriate means their results. and experiments. The testing of physical laws through laboratory 4. Students will understand how scientific laws measurements is emphasized throughout this and theories are verified by quantitative course. measurement, scientific observation, and logical/critical reasoning. 5. Students will understand the means by which Analytic uncertainty is emphasized along analytic uncertainty is quantified and expressed with error propagation in analysis of in the natural sciences. experimental data. VII. Syllabus: Paste syllabus below or attach and send digital copy with form. ⇓ The syllabus should clearly describe how the above criteria are satisfied. For assistance on syllabus preparation see: http://teaching.berkeley.edu/bgd/syllabus.html *Please note: As an instructor of a general education course, you will be expected to provide sample assessment items and corresponding responses to the Assessment Advisory Committee.