Physics 1A
COURSE INFORMATION
Materials Required:
(Lecture) Physics for Sci. and Eng. Vol. I, 6th Ed., by Serway
(Lab)
Mechanics of Solids, by T. N. Wilson.
Ruler and Protractor.
GRADING BREAKDOWN
EXAMS . . . . 500 points
HOMEWORK . . 155 points
LAB . . . . . 145 points
FINAL . . . . 200 points
TOTAL 1000 points
TENTATIVE GRADING SCALE
900 - 1000 . . A
800 - 899.9 . . B
670 - 799.9 . . C
550 - 669.9 . . D
0 - 549.9 . . F
SURVIVAL IN PHYSICS.
An important facet for success in any course, for most students, is attendance. You should be in class
on time and every time. This means both your body and mind; little can be learned if your mind is a
million miles away. You should listen carefully to the lectures and ASK questions when necessary.
Get the text as soon as possible and try to read the material before it is covered in class. You will be
able to get more out of the lectures and to ask more meaningful questions.
Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, you should be able to;
1. draw a Free-Body-Diagram (FBD) by recognizing each force acting upon a body, and
use the FBD to find the effects of these forces on the body.
2. analyze physical problems in order to
a. isolate and model the physical principle underlying each part of a problem,
b. formulate the equation(s) for each part,
c. combine and solve the system of equations for the problem, and
d. assess the physical reality of the result(s) in terms of the data given.
3. demonstrate the ability to
a. use different measuring devices, such as the micrometer, ..., and determine the
errors that are introduced with each measurement,
b. define and use the basic concepts and equations in error theory, and to recognize
when to use each equation, and
c. analyze data graphically using both linear and logarithmic scales.
Course Level SLO:
1. Students can recognize the basic physical principles and explain how they are manifested in, and
influenced the behavior of a described physical situation (falling body, colliding bodies...)
2. Students can identify and apply the applicable laws of mechanics along with the necessary
mathematics to successfully solve a mechanics problem.
3. Students can read and record, with appropriate units and uncertainties, measurements taken from a
vernier caliper and a micrometer caliper. Students can interpret and analyze that data,
including error analysis.
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School Policies: There are a number of school policies each student should be made aware of, but
since it would make this "First Day Handout" too lengthy to read, I will indicate which page of the
current college catalog (2010-2011) this information can be found. You can purchase a copy at the
college bookstore or you can read it online at www.elcamino.edu//admissions/catalog.asp .
1. College Mission Statement
Page 1
2. Attendance Policy
Page 11
Standard of Conduct
Dishonesty
Page 25
Disciplinary Action
Page 26
Student Grievance
Page 29
Physics Courses and A.S. Degree information Page 202 - 204
(ATTENDANCE) A student may be dropped, to add a waiting student, if s/he misses any day the
first two weeks of class. Students that miss more than ten hours of class time up to the end of the
semester, may be dropped. Being late is considered as missing ½ of that class time. If you miss 2
or more consecutive meetings please contact the instructor. Roll is taken at the beginning of the
period, if for any reason you are late, please let the instructor know of your presence, at the end of
class, or you will be marked absent. It is bad form to drop a class without informing the instructor.
(LAB) Lab assignments and their due dates are listed on the calendar. READ the material suggested
in the lab manual BEFORE coming to class. Bring any special materials needed for the lab. Most
labs can be finished in the two-hour period, but only if BOTH partners come prepared. Whenever
possible, students will work alone in the lab. Lab reports which are handed must be neatly written
in ink, or using a sharp, dark pencil. Points will be deducted for sloppy work, or using a lightprinting pencil.
Lab reports will be due, at the beginning of the class, on the dates indicated on the schedule. Any
report turned in after the lecture starts will lose 1 point each school day up to 1 week late, then 3 pts
a day up to 2 weeks. After the second week, file the report. It may be useful the next time you take
this course. You should be aware that good work habits and your ability to communicate your
thoughts are essential to a successful career in engineering or science.
Complete honesty in the lab is, of course, presupposed. Students are supposed to know by this time
that scientific experiment is done to obtain quantitative information about nature in order to understand
her laws. Any person who measures something in the lab in a way s/he believes is valid, and then
changes the results to make it agree with some preconceived idea of a "right" result, is not a scientist
but a charlatan or quack. Scientific pursuit of knowledge would be meaningless if people lie about
their observations of nature.
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HOMEWORK) Improving your skill in physics is like improving any skill, for example driving a car.
You can listen to many lectures on how to drive a car, but the only way to become proficient is to
PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE ! The best way to "practice physics" is to struggle with the
problems. This makes the HOMEWORK (HW) THE most important facet of your learning process.
Before starting the first homework, read the FORMAT handout. The format for the homework
MUST be followed. Points, above and beyond any errors in your solution, will be deducted for
errors in the format. It is possible to get zero points on a solution due to format errors.
You should start working on the homework early enough so when you get stuck, you can seek
help by;
a) going over all the relevant examples in the textbook and those done in class 1, and/or
b) going to the instructor (office hour), or to a Physics tutor, and/or
c) talking to other students.
Working in study group is a good way to learn, make sure you know why each equation is used. More
importantly, do your own calculations. Do not copy another student's work and turn it in as your own. You
cannot learn Physics or any subject by doing this. Trying to get credit for someone else's work is called
plagiarism. If I detect that a solution to any problem is copied, all identical papers will be marked as "0"
for the entire set, not just that problem. Do not let another student copy your work.
The HW is due before the lecture starts on the due dates listed on the Course calendar.
If the HW is submitted after the lecture starts, the HW will be marked late, and 2 points will be deducted.
If the HW is submitted after the lecture is over, 15 points will be deducted, which means it will be an
overall negative score.
(EXAMS) There will be 4 closed book exams. For each exam, you may bring a calculator, pencil,
eraser, and a 3x5 inch card with anything written on it. There will be NO make-up exams!
The lowest exam score may be replaced by the product of 0.84 and the average of the other
exams scores.
For the Final Exam, you may use either 5 (3x5 in) cards or 1 (8.5x11 in) sheet of paper with
anything written on both sides.
Exams will be graded very carefully, therefore, during each exam do not look at another student’s
work and do not let anyone look at your work. Any evidence of collusion on any part of any
problem will result in a grade of “Zero” for the entire exam for all students involved.
1 1 You should do this before starting your homework