PHYS-1100
Course Coordinator:
Office:
Telephone:
e-mail:
Professors:
PHYSICS I
Fall 2002
Gary Bedrosian
SC 1W20
8077
bedrog@rpi.edu
Gary Bedrosian
Dan Sperber
Timothy Hayes
John Schroeder
Required Text: UNDERSTANDING PHYSICS by Cummings, Laws, Reddish and
Cooney – Based on Fundamentals of Physics by Halliday, Resnick and
Walker. (Preliminary Ed. 2001) Parts I and III
*****
Course Objectives and Goals:
1) Development of Transferable Professional Skills
A. Ability to Work Well in a Group
B. Research and Development Skills
a) Development of conceptual understanding through observation of physical
phenomena.
b) Reasoning about physical phenomena on the basis of available evidence.
c) Use of experimental data in the development, testing and refinement of theoretical
models.
d) Evaluation of data sets containing extraneous information and/or noise in regard to
identifying relevant/important information.
e) Experimental design.
f) Application of physics knowledge to engineering/design problems
C. Use of Computer Tools
a) Data acquisition.
b) Data plotting.
c) Data fitting and theory modeling.
2) Applying Course Material to Improve Thinking Skills through
Quantitative Problem Solving Involving the Application of:
a) 1D and 2D motion with constant acceleration.
b) Newton’s second law in 1D and 2D.
c) Conservation of momentum.
d) Calculations of work done by a force.
e) Spring forces.
f) Potential energy.
g) Conservation of energy.
h)
i)
j)
k)
l)
m)
n)
Rotational inertia.
Conservation of angular momentum.
Newton’s universal law of gravitation.
Electrostatic forces for point charges (Coulomb’s Law).
Electric fields for point charges.
Electric potential and electric potential energy.
Forces on and motion of a charged particle in electric and magnetic fields.
3) Understanding of Principles and Theory / Robust Conceptual Understanding of
ALL of the Above Topics and:
a) Relationships among and definitions of displacement, velocity, acceleration and force.
b) Newton’s first and third laws.
c) Variables important in rotational motion.
d) Torque.
e) Work-Potential energy theorem.
f) Impulse-momentum theorem.
g) Electric Dipoles.
h) Magnetic fields and forces.
i) Lorentz forces.
j) Scalar (dot) and cross products of vectors.
Course Format: The course schedule is designed so that coverage of a new topic begins
with your reading the assigned material in the textbook. The next class period, your
professor will give you a short lecture on the same material, and answer any questions you
may have about what you have read. You will then work on a group activity in class that is
related to your reading and the lecture. The class activity should help to further clarify the
topic. Your homework assignment for that class (due the following class period) is based
on the material that was covered in the reading, lecture, and activity.
Homework: Homework assignment, submission and grading is handled through the
WebAssign system. Due to the large number of students, all homework assignments will be
submitted electronically. No written homework assignments will be accepted. All
assignments will be graded and a homework grade will be assigned. Each class period you
will be assigned approximately 6 problems related to your reading assignment. Homework
assignments will be posted on the WebAssign system on the day that they are assigned (if not
earlier). No late homework assignments will be accepted without a written medical or other
excuse. You will be allowed to drop one homework grade. If there are extenuating
circumstances that make it impossible for you to get a homework assignment in on time, you
can request an extension on the homework from your professor. If your professor agrees to
an extension, please speak to your undergraduate TA. He or she will process the extension
for you. The address for WebAssign is http://www.webassign.net/student.html. You can also
reach the homework site through the course homepage, discussed below under course
information. You will be given a separate handout on the WebAssign System that contains
additional information.
Classwork:
1. In class activities. Our Physics I course is based on learning through activities, so this
is the single most important part of the course. You will be assigned to work in
teams on experiments and/or problems in class. Each activity has a corresponding Word
document that will be posted on the Physics I web site shortly before the first section
works on it, and left there the remainder of the semester for you to review. There will be
a limited number of hard copies to use in class, but these should not be written on as the
same copies are used for all sections. Each member of the team will answer the activity
questions on her/his own sheet(s) of paper, but will work together on the activity. The
activity papers will be collected and graded. Your ability and willingness to work as part
of a team will be evaluated and considered in assigning that grade. In-class activities
which are missed cannot be made-up without a written medical or other valid excuse as
per RPI policy. Under special circumstances and with prior approval from the
instructor, a student may attend another section and complete the activity there with one
of the teams. Generally, it is not possible to make up an activity unless you can
make it up in another section. The reason for this is that most activities require
particular equipment to be set up prior to the class and are designed to be done in a
group. You will be allowed to drop one activity grade – this will be your lowest grade or
a 0 if you skipped an activity without a valid excuse. Even if you are excused, you are
still responsible for the material in the activity. Students must collect all graded
activity papers from the graduate teaching assistant . All students should hold onto all
graded papers. No questions about activity grades will be addressed without a
complete written record.
2. In class quizzes. You will be given a very short quiz during the last few minutes of most
class periods. These quizzes must be taken individually (not as a team effort) and will
be graded. The quizzes will be based partly on the reading assignments and lectures, but
predominately they will be based on the in-class activities. Taking and grading the
quizzes will be handled with WebAssign (like the homework). Quizzes which are missed
cannot be made-up without a written medical or other excuse. You will be allowed to
drop one quiz grade. Cooperation (or communication with others) during the
quiz, or taking the quiz outside of the classroom will be considered a violation of
the course academic integrity policy discussed below.
Academic Integrity Policy:
The development of teamwork skills is a course objective in Physics I and II. Hence, all
students are expected to participate actively in a collaborative group of students when
working on the in-class activity. However, each student must turn in her/his own activity
write-up containing only work to which she/he contributed. In other words, we expect you
to participate on the team and not just copy other people’s work. Activity write-ups from
groups of students will not be accepted. No student will submit an activity in the name of
any other student. This is considered cheating by both students involved and will be handled
according to the policy for academic dishonesty stated below.
Discussing homework problems and getting help with them is permitted. However,
collaboration of any sort during an examination or quiz is prohibited and considered
academic dishonesty. The first occurrence of academic dishonesty will result in an F
for the course.
Exams: There will be three major (1 hour) exams in this course. They will be held on
Tuesday Sep. 24, Tuesday Oct. 29, and Tuesday Dec. 3 . Exams will be held from 7:00 PM
to 8:30 PM. Rooms will be announced before the exam.
In each exam, including the final, you will be given a formula sheet. You are allowed to
use ONLY those formulas (or equations that you derive in writing on the exam paper from
those formulas) in the solution of exam problems. Constants will be provided on the
formula sheet or in the problems as needed.
We give you an hour and a half for the exams but we aim for one hour’s worth of
questions. Normally, there are multiple-choice and true/false questions, short answer
questions (one or two sentences), and complete problems with partial credit. To make sure
that you get all the partial credit you are due – not to mention making it easier to grade –
please try to present your work in a neat and logical format.
There will be no make-up exams, but there will be conflict exams. The difference is
that a make-up exam is a different exam given at a later date, while a conflict exam is the
same exam but started a few hours later on the same day or first thing in the morning the
next day. If you know ahead of time that you are going to miss an exam, for any reason, tell
your instructor. Often these problems can be handled. If you are taking another course that
conflicts with the exam times, try to move the other course to another time, or to miss it on
the dates of Physics I exams. If this is not possible, make arrangements to go to the conflict
exam. If you have a learning disability recognized by RPI, you should come to the conflict
exam so that we can give you extra time, even if you don’t have a schedule conflict.
Final Exam: The final examination is optional. However, if you miss one or more unit
exams, excused or not, the final is mandatory. If you are satisfied with your grade after all
activities, homework, and unit exams are complete, then you are finished with Physics I.
(See the next section for how we determine grades.) However, if you are not satisfied with
your grade, particularly if you have one or more low unit exam scores, you can attempt to
raise your grade by taking the final. If you do take the final and hand it in for grading, it
counts as two unit tests, giving you an effective total of five exam scores. We drop the
lowest score of the five scores, computing your exam average from the best four. Taking the
final does not guarantee you a higher grade; it could lower your grade if you do poorly.
The final exam lasts three hours, but we aim for two hour’s worth of questions. The format
is similar to the unit exams, but twice as long.
The exam date will be scheduled by the registrar. We do not know the date of the final until
quite late in the semester. We have often been scheduled on the last day of exams. Hence,
until we know the date of the final, do not plan to leave campus before the end of the final
exam period. No special arrangements will be made for students who cannot take the final at
the scheduled time. Physics I is an introductory course and so if you have a conflict between
our final and another final, you will likely have to reschedule the other final.
Grades: Your course grade will be determined as follows:
Exam Grades:
65% (3 unit exam average or the best 4 out of
the optional final counted twice plus 3 unit exams)
Homework Grade: 10% (drop 10 points worth)
–Combining all work you submit via WebAssign except for
the post-activity quizzes.
In Class Work:
25% (drop 1 quiz and 1 activity)
–Broken down 2/3 for activity, 1/3 for quiz grades
Remember, there are no make-up activities, quizzes or exams and no late homework will be
accepted without a written excuse or prior arrangement.
Laptop Computers: Your laptop computer is an integral part of the course. We expect that
the overwhelming majority of students in each section will bring their laptops to each class.
The peak need tends to occur near the end of the class when everyone is taking the postactivity quiz. Since there is only one desktop system in the classroom, students who do not
have their own laptops to log into WebAssign to take the quiz will be at a disadvantage.
During most activities, each team will need at least one laptop for data collection, plotting,
and analysis. In some activities, it may be necessary for each team to have more than one
laptop.
We will use the Studio Physics CD to load software into the laptops during the first week.
After the software is loaded and the Physics I files are copied to your hard drive, you should
not need the Studio Physics CD in class. Studio Physics CDs are available in the bookstore.
Each student will need to buy one to obtain the necessary licenses for the software we will
use, and also to get an ID code for WebAssign.
Because you will be working closely together with people of diverse cultures and
backgrounds, please do not have wallpaper, screen savers, and other pictures visible on your
laptop that you would be embarrassed to show to your grandmother. This is the same rule
of common sense and courtesy you will find when you are working in any major corporation,
university, or research laboratory.
Expectations: If you are registered to take Physics I at RPI, then by definition you have the
academic and intellectual prerequisites to do well in the course. However, whether you
actually do well (or not) will depend on your diligence. Over the years we have been
teaching, we have discovered several common problem areas that can hinder a student’s
success in Physics I. (This applies to your other RPI classes as well.) Here are some words
to the wise:
1. Come to class and participate. Physics I is an activity-based course, meaning that we
assume you will be doing most of your learning while participating in the activities. If you
are not in class – both physically and mentally – you are missing most of the learning. Some
students get the notion that they can miss half or more of the classes and still pull out a
decent (or passing) grade by doing really well on the exams. That does not work!
2. Do the homework. The homework problems were specifically designed to reinforce the
material that we covered in class. There may be one or two “challenge” problems in a
homework set that will make you think harder than average, but for the most part the
homework problems are straightforward examples of the principles and methods we just
learned in reading and classroom work. You will find that many exam questions are similar
to homework problems.
3. Get help early if you need it. The first two items above can and should be done in
collaboration with your fellow students. They are your first source of quick help if you get
stuck on something. But if you are coming to class every day and making a good faith
attempt to do the homework, and you still aren’t “getting it,” contact your professor or the
course director as soon as possible for extra help. Physics I builds as it goes, with later
concepts depending on earlier ones, so if you are weak on something near the beginning of
the semester, it will affect your success the whole way through.
4. This isn’t high school. Most students at RPI had a decent high school physics course.
At first glance, the list of things we study is similar to what you may have covered in high
school physics. However, we cover these topics faster, more rigorously, and in more depth.
Our problems and exam questions tend to be more complex and require greater
understanding of the underlying principles than most high school physics problems. “Seat of
the pants” methods that may have worked well for you in high school will not suffice for
Physics I. This is particularly true, for example, when you analyze the motion of an object
subjected to several different forces with different directions. Keep an open mind to learn
the methods as we teach them in Physics I and you should do fine.
Course Information: Course information, exam review material and lecture notes are
available on the web at http://www.rpi.edu/dept/phys/courses/phys1/phys1.html. You are
strongly encouraged to visit this web site on a regular basis. Important information is always
posted there.
Topics and Reading Schedule
Reading assignments are listed under the class period they are due. There will generally be a problem
assignment on the topic – available through WebAssign – that will be due the following class period.
Week
Sun
Monday
1
Aug. 26
25
Topic:
Introductions,
Assessments
Reading Due:
No Reading
Due
Tuesday
Wed
Thursday
Friday
Sat
27
Topic:
Introductions,
Assessments
28
29
Topic:
1-D. Const
Accel
30
Topic:
1-D. Const
Accel
31
Reading
Due:
Reading
Due:
Reading Due:
No Reading
Due
2
Sep.
1
2
No Classes
3
Sep.
8
9
10
11
2-D Const Accel 2-D Const Accel
4
5
Sep.
15
Sep.
22
3
No Physics I
Classes
Ch 5 Sec 1-6
Ch 4 for Review
Ch 5 Sec 1-6
Ch 4 for Review
16
2-D Forces
Design Lab
17
2-D Forces
Design Lab
No Reading
Due
23
Mandatory
Review Activity
No Reading
Due
24
Mandatory
Review Activity
No Reading
Due
Exam #1
7-8:30 pm
No Reading
Due
4
18
25
Ch 1 sec 8,9
Ch 2-all
5
1-D Forces
Ch 1 sec 8,9
Ch 2-all
6
1-D Forces
Ch 3-all
12
2-D Forces &
Circular
Motion
Ch 3-all
13
2-D Forces &
Circular
Motion
Ch 5 Sec 7
Ch 6-all
19
Impulse and
Momentum
Ch 5 Sec 7
Ch 6-all
20
Impulse and
Momentum
Ch 7 sec 1-4
26
1-D Conserv
Momentum
Design Lab
Ch 7 sec 1-4
27
1-D Conserv
Momentum
Design Lab
Ch 7 sec 5-6
Ch 7 sec 5-6
7
14
21
28
6
7
Sep.
29
Oct.
6
30
2-D Consv of
Momentum &
Systems of
Particles
Oct. 1
2-D Consv of
Momentum &
Systems of
Particles
Ch 7 sec7
Ch 8-all
Ch 7 sec7
Ch 8-all
7
PE &
Cons of E
8
PE &
Cons of E
Ch 10-all
Ch 10-all
2
9
8
Oct.
13
14
No Classes
15
No Physics I
classes
16
9
Oct.
20
21
Cons of Ang.
Mom.
22
Cons of Ang.
Mom.
23
Ch 12-all
28
Mandatory
Review Activity
Ch 12-all
29
Mandatory
Review Activity
No Reading
Due
No Reading
Due
10
Oct.
27
Exam #2
7-8:30 pm
30
3
Work and KE
4
Work and KE
Ch 9-all
Ch 9-all
10
Cons of E
Design Lab
11
Cons of E
Design Lab
No Reading
Due
17
Rotations,
Torque and
Ang. Mom
No Reading
Due
18
Rotations,
Torque and
Ang. Mom
Ch 11-all
24
Cons of Ang.
Mom.
Design Lab
Ch 11-all
25
Cons of Ang.
Mom.
Design Lab
No Reading
Due
31
Gravitation
No Reading
Due
Nov. 1
Gravitation
Reading
Assign Posted
on Web
Reading
Assign Posted
on Web
5
12
19
26
2
11
Nov. 4
3
Electric Forces
Ch 22
Sec 1-4, 7-10
12
Nov. 11
10
Electric Force
and Field
Design Lab
No Reading
Due
13
Nov. 18
17
Magnetic Forces
and Fields
Design Lab
Ch 29 sec 1-3
14
Nov. 25
24
Circulating
Charges
15
Dec.
1
16
17
Dec.
8
Dec.
15
5
Electric Forces
6
Ch 22
Sec 1-4, 7-10
12
Electric Force
and Field
Design Lab
13
No Reading
Due
19
Magnetic Forces
and Fields
Design Lab
20
Ch 29 sec 1-3
26
Circulating
Charges
Ch 29 sec 5-6
2
Mandatory
Review Activity
No Reading
Due
Ch 29 sec 5-6
3
Mandatory
Review Activity
No Reading
Due
9
No Classes
16
Finals Week
Exam #3
7-8:30 pm
10
No Classes
17
Finals Week
27
4
11
Finals
18
7
Electric Fields
8
Electric Fields
Ch 23
All
Ch 23
All
14
Electric PE
and Potential
15
Electric PE
and Potential
Ch 25
Sec 1-10
Ch 25
Sec 1-10
21
Forces on
Moving
Charges
22
Forces on
Moving
Charges
No Reading
Due
28
No Classes
No Reading
Due
29
No Classes
5
Final Activity
6
Final Activity
No Reading
Due
No Reading
Due
12
Finals Week
19
No Classes
13
Finals Week
20
No Classes
9
16
23
30
7
14
21