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Physics 1402
Northwest College
Instructor:
Professor Barry
Telephone:
713-974-5749 Home
Email
john.barry@hccs.edu
Course : non-calculus-based. Topics - Oscillations & Sound, Electromagnetism, Light &
Optics, Modern Physics. For pre-medical, pre-dental, architecture, construction
management, pre-vet etc. – not for engineering majors. Contact your school regarding
transferability of this course.
Prerequisites – College algebra and trigonometry, Physics 1401
Course Text: Physics; James S. Walker; Volume 2 4th Ed.
Students should purchase a scientific calculator.
Online homework – www.masteringphysics.com – MPBarry06466 1402 Physics Fall
2010
Exam Schedule and content – subject to change.
Exam One
Exam Two
Exam Three
Final Exam
Ch.
Ch.
Ch.
Ch.
19,29,21
22,23,24
25,26,27,28
29,30,31,32
Thur. Sept 23, 2010
Thur. Oct 21, 2010
Tue. Nov. 23, 2010
Thur. Dec. 16, 2010
18.5%
18.5%
18.5%
18.5%
Grade Calculation
Four exams
Homework
Laboratory Average
In-class response
74%
10%
10%
6%
Grading Scale – 100-90 =A, 89-80 = B, 79-70 = C, 69-60 = D, <60 = F
At the discretion of the instructor, either the grading scale may be adjusted or the
exam scores may be “curved” to reflect the degree of difficulty.
Exams
All exams will be closed book and closed notes. Exams will include problems similar to
both homework, and examples/concepts as discussed in class. A formula sheet will be
issued for each exam. Make-up exams are not administered. If you
do not appear for an exam, for any reason, it will be graded
as a zero.
The final exam is mandatory. No exams are
“dropped”.
This textbook contains MasteringPhysics - an online homework program
developed through the National Science Foundation. The MasteringPhysics
program includes all problems at the end of each chapter. It also contains “extra”
problems with a “tutoring” feature that assists students in finding solutions.
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Homework problems may be worked online or manually, at student’s discretion.
Problems should be clearly numbered and answers should be “boxed” or circled
to receive credit. All answers must be written in a student’s own handwriting.
Photocopies of answers will not be credited. Some solutions are available at
www.cramster.com.
Laboratory Text: None – Lab Reports are due before the end of the Friday class.
Make-up labs are not administered. Laboratory concepts will be discussed prior to the
beginning of the lab. Handouts will be provided prior to the lab exercise.
Do not submit either Homework problems or Lab reports in a binder. Submit as
stapled sheets.
Attendance – Students are expected to attend all classes. Texas state guidelines and
HCCS policies require that student with more than 12% absences be withdrawn from
the class. Effectively, students are subject to withdrawal when 3 classes are missed in
the summer sessions and 4 classes in the regular semester. Three late arrivals or three
early leavings will count as one absence. Attending class and paying attention is the
key to a good grade. Stay current in your studies – be prepared for lectures. Please do
not hesitate to contact me if you are struggling with the class.
Academic Responsibility
Please refer to the Student Handbook concerning grievances, complaints, discipline
(including student conduct), scholastic dishonesty and student rights. Please contact
me if you require any reasonable accommodation to achieve your academic
responsibilities.
Syllabus subject to change.
Note: The state of Texas has begun to limit the money it will contribute to a student’s
education. The state contributes only to the first 2 times a student registers for a course.
Students are charged additional fees for subsequent registrations.
Dropped classes – The HCCS administration has instituted a strict policy regarding
withdrawal from a course. The deadline is November 18, 2010 4:30pm to receive a
“W” on your transcript. After this date, a grade will be issued including a “D” or “F”.
Texting, laptops, computers and cellphones – Students may not use electronic
devices of any type in the classroom during class time. These devices are a detriment
to learning in that they break the concentration of students during lecture and lab. In
particular, texting is not allowed during class time. Students needing to respond to
a text or cell phone call must leave the classroom. Students texting in the classroom
will be asked to leave for the day.
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Homework Instructions
1. Homework problems can be worked on Mastering Physics or submitted
manually.
2 Students submitting problems online will submit a list of those completed in each
chapter.
Students submitting problems manually will ensure that assignments are clear,
legible and in order by chapter. Also,
1 List the problems completed in each chapter.
2 Include your name on the problems assignment.
3 Clearly indicate the number of a problem with a surrounding “box” or by
highlighting the problem number.
4 Put a box around or highlight the answers.
5 Keep all homework for each assignment in order, stapled.
Lab Reports
Data – From the lab handout, include only the data sheets and perhaps the
questions. Tables are usually the clearest way to record and present data. Be sure to
include units. Include and title any relevant graphs. Include a sample calculation. If an
Excel spreadsheet is included, it may not be necessary to submit a sample calculation.
Summary of Lab – Discuss your results. You should focus on relevant content.
Discuss the shape of any curves. Discuss your numbers from the chart, observations
from the data collection. What do the calculations and graphs mean? Conclusions?
You may wish to mention problems with the equipment or data collection. Answer
questions using complete sentences. You may wish to expand upon the questions.
Comments: Never use the words “Human error”. What does human error mean?
Reports should be neat and legible, else points will be deducted. Some students may
need to type their report.