Syllabus
PHYS 101
Introductory Physics
Summer 2016
Welcome to Physics! In this course, you will learn the role of physics in real life
and begin to develop your scientific skills, including problem solving and science
communication. Labs start on the first day of classes!
The following course objectives focus on the General Education Foundations (GEF)
objectives 1, 2 & 4. These skills are important for integrating the skills we learn in
class toward your everyday life and future career awareness. During the course of
this class, students should be able to:
• Employ a set of problem solving strategies that can be utilized to solve a variety
of problems that can be related to situations in their everyday lives.
• Recognize from a word problem (or situation) information that is known or can
be estimated or calculated.
• Apply concepts of motion, forces, energy and momentum to explain and analyze
a situation to determine if it is possible and/or predict outcomes.
• Relate class concepts to a variety of real-world issues including medical
applications, driving in our cars and global climate change.
Professor:
Mikel “Micky” Holcomb; Email: mikel.holcomb@mail.wvu.edu
Phone: 304-293-5196
Office: 437 White Hall
Ask all class questions by Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/486501024886345/
Office hours: Wednesdays 10:30-11:30 AM, otherwise by appointment. You are
welcome to come by my office at times other than office hours, but without an
appointment, I cannot guarantee I will be there or available.
Lectures:
We will meet five times a week: MTWTF 9:00-10:15AM
Class info will be available online at community.wvu.edu/~mbh039.
Textbook:
College Physics by Serway & Vuille (10th edition). Cheapest to purchase
ebook with WebAssign access straight through WebAssign (~$90 for semester).
Only volume 1 (Chapters 1-14) is required unless you plan to take Physics 102.
You must purchase an iClicker2 (available at the bookstore).
There is no perfect book for Physics 101, and even if there was, I would not be
allowed to switch to it. For multiple reasons, I strongly recommend that you
consider getting at least one other physics book. You can find several for ~$5 on
Amazon. I personally like the Physics book by Cutnell & Johnson. Get it used. If I
were you, I would not wait until you are confused with our book to order another.
Inclusivity: The WVU community is committed to fostering a positive learning and
working environment based on open communication, mutual respect, and inclusion.
If you are a person with a disability and anticipate needing any type of
accommodation in order to participate in this class, please advise me and make
appropriate arrangements with the Office of Accessibility Services. For more info
on WVU’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives, see http://diversity.wvu.edu.
Honor Code: Though you are allowed and encouraged to talk to your fellow classmates
about homework assignments, the work you turn in is expected to be your own.
Obvious copying of another’s work will not be tolerated, will be noted in your
school file, and will yield a failing grade on the assignment.
Assignments: It is one of my goals to provide you with a variety of methods to
demonstrate your understanding of the topics discussed in this course. I hope that
providing this variety of assignments will result in an enhanced learning experience.
Grading:
15% WebAssign, 15% Each Midterm, 20% Final Exam, 15% Lab,
10% Movie Review Papers, 5% Clickers, 5% Discussion
WebAssign: In order to cover the large amount of topics required in this course, there
will be reading assignments between each class on WebAssign. A few problems
will be assigned to assess your basic understanding of the topic. Each student
needs an access code in order to register for WebAssign. The access code is included
in the access card which accompanies new textbooks purchased from WVU
bookstore, or may be purchased online when going to http://webassign.net and
inserting your Class Key (wvu 7811 4200). See last page for Access instructions.
10% extra credit for right answers before 8 AM of the due date. (Not for surveys)
Questions: In order to better assess your understanding of the material in the book and
presented in class, you will be required to turn in (through webassign) a short
response between every set of classes regardless of your class attendance. In these
responses, you will provide one or more topics from the reading that you do not
understand. Inappropriate answers will not be given credit. Since I may not have
time to read every response, I'll pick common questions. Part of WebAssign grade.
Exams:
Two midterms and one final. The tests will be given in class on Friday
May 27, June 10 and June 24. Most students finish exams in 1 hour, but you may
take up to two hours (though I may need to move you to another room after the
class time is over). One third of the final is focused on the last part of the course,
the rest is cumulative. No make-up exams are offered, so schedule accordingly.
Clickers:
Starting class 4, I will use clickers (iclicker2 is required and can be
purchased from the bookstore). 80% of the clicker grade will be for participation
(answering each question with any answer). One of my purposes for asking the
questions is to get an idea of if the class is struggling with the concepts. If most of
the class gets the problem, I’ll move on. If not, we will discuss it further. My main
purpose for asking clicker questions is that research on science education shows
that clickers keep students more involved with the class and improves overall
learning. If you know you will be tested on it, you will try harder to pay attention.
Thus, to make you more eager to try to get the correct answer, 20% of the clicker
grade will be based on the accuracy of your response. The 2 lowest clicker scores
are dropped. If you do not register your iclicker on ecampus by June 1, all
clicker points are lost. If you forget your clicker, you may write your answers on
paper and turn it in at the end of class. I will only look at these if your grade is
borderline. Clicker scores can be found on eCampus, when I upload them ~5
times in the term. I will only move them to WebAssign at the end of the term,
when I will put in athletic/etc excuses. Sorry, it's a big pain to move them over.
Answers to clicker questions will be on the last slide of most lecture notes.
Discussion: Class discussion is a proven technique to identify common student
misconceptions about topics. Thus, I will hand out discussion point papers in class
for relevant discussion, regardless of correctness. These papers should be turned
in at the end of the lecture received. 4 papers per semester are needed for full
credit. These papers are non-transferrable between students (honor code penalty).
Final Class Grades:
A- (90), B- (80), C- (70), D- (60), F (0-60)
Prior class averages: Lab 91, WebAssign 95, Movie Review 86, Clickers 82,
Tests/Final (including a possible curve) 76
What you need on the final: YouNeedToGet=5*[90/80/70/GoalGrade - (.15Lab
+ .15WebAssignHW + .1MovieReviews + .05Clickers -+.15Test1 + .15Test2 +.05Discussion)]
Regrades: If you ask me to regrade any assignment, I reserve the right to also lower your
grade if I think the original grade was too easy. I might catch additional problems, which
actually happens frequently. Sometimes, I or a grader will just feel that something is off
initially, but not exactly be able to put that concern into words. We will not catch all
potential problems, particularly if you have not explained your scene/approach in detail.
Late Policy: Papers will receive a 20% late penalty for every day they are late. I am not
as strict with the WebAssign late policy. However, all WebAssign date extensions should
be done through the automatic extension process (not by emailing me) which expires 14
days after the due date. There will be a small late penalty. Manual extensions should only
be requested if the automatic extension option is gone or an increase in the submission
attempts (from 10) is needed. Although I will try my best, I cannot guarantee that I will
respond to these manual requests in a timely manner. Repeated use of HW extensions
will result in the loss of this courtesy (more than ~5 unless there is a good reason). Late
penalties will be assigned to reflect the length of time since the assignment was due. For
example, one day late means a small penalty, whereas a month late would require a large
penalty in order to be fair to the rest of the class that did the assignment on time.
Online Resources for the Class
I apologize for the number of websites; I need an external website (WebAssign), for
those students that get booted from the class temporarily for various registration issues.
www.community.edu/~mbh039/phys101.html : On this website, I will post lectures (and
clicker answers) and additional materials such as examples of previous assignments/tests.
eCampus: Where you find your clicker scores. They will eventually get transferred to
WebAssign, but not until the end of the semester.
WebAssign.net: Where you will find and complete daily homework and practice tests.
Near the end of the semester, I will move all of assignments over to calculate your grade.
Facebook: Rather than email, all non-personal questions should be asked on this website.
You can also organize study groups, suggest tutors and discuss homework.
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WebAssign Access Instructions
Get a WebAssign access code. The new Serway textbooks from the bookstore are
supposed to come with the code already attached. Alternatively, you can purchase
an access code online through WebAssign. Last year they made you buy the
ebook, so this method cost around $90.
On www.webassign.net click on the “I have a class key”
Enter the class key (on page 2)
Enter your username, which should be the same as your MIX username, your
instituation (wvu), and a password
You may then customize your user page by updating your access information. Get
used to the system by looking around. Check out the instruction manual by
clicking the Student Guide button on the Login page. Try the test assignment.
Attention: you can login even if you do not have an access code yet. However,
you should get your access squared away as soon as possible (~ 2 weeks) in order
to be allowed to continue to use the system.
If you experience any difficulty with access, please contact the WebAssign
Customer Support.
Frequently Asked Administration Questions for Physics 101
If you have questions beyond those below, please submit your question on Facebook.
• That you have or will miss a class. I don’t need to know unless you have an official
excuse from your athletic department or the Office of Student Life, in which case, just
hand me the letter within a week of the day you miss. In only these cases you will be
excused from the clicker grade (excused days noted on Webassign at end of semester).
• That you have or will miss a lab (or anything else about the lab). Tell your TA. I have
no control over any aspect of the lab and do not know who your TA is.
• To request a WebAssign extension. All WebAssign extensions should be requested
through WebAssign. If you need an extension of the due date, use the automatic
extension; it will happen immediately. If you need an extension in the number of
submissions, use the manual extension. I have to manually accept and it may take me a
day before I notice it (I’m normally much faster but no guarantees). I will also give you a
date extension IF I take too long to respond (meaning it is close to the deadline). I believe
you have to turn on notifications in WebAssign for you to be notified by email that you
have gotten an extension. There is no limit on the number of extensions you may ask,
however, frequent requests may result in my denial of the extension opportunity. Serious
personal circumstances may warrant my allowing more extensions. Basically, I would
rather you do the homework than not, even if it’s late; but to be fair to the rest of the class
that did it on time, you won’t get as much credit if you are late.
• That you will be turning in an assignment late. Just submit it late. If you have a good
medical reason for the tardiness (not just an appointment that could happen anytime),
show me proof and include it with your assignment when you turn it in. You are also
welcome to turn assignments in early.
• To ask about tutors. Any tutoring information that I find out will be placed on the
Facebook page. Please share any tutoring information you find out on Facebook.
• To tell me your clicker grades are not showing up in eCampus. Particularly in the first
weeks of the class, it takes a while before everything links correctly.
Physics 101 Planned Schedule (Summer 2016)
While I plan to stay very close to this schedule, I reserve the right
to make changes as necessary.
Date
Topic
Readings
Assignments
no WA
16-May
17-May
18-May
19-May
20-May
23-May
24-May
25-May
26-May
27-May
Welcome; What is Physics and Why Should Everyone Take It?
Metric System Units and Conversions; Estimating is an Important Skill
Straight Line Motion: Defining Position, Velocity & Acceleration
Using Graphs to Understand Motion (First clicker grading day.)
The Physics of Falling Down; 1D Motion along the Vertical (Free Fall)
Vector Math is just Right Triangles
Projectile Motion and Other 2D Motion; Footballs & Bullets
Newton's Three Laws and How to Apply Them
Review and/or Problem Solving
In-Class Midterm 1 (Chapters 1-3 with some exceptions)
N/A
Ch.1
2.0-3
2.4-5
2.6
3.0-2
3.3-4
4.0-3
Review
Review
30-May
31-May
1-Jun
2-Jun
3-Jun
6-Jun
7-Jun
8-Jun
9-Jun
10-Jun
Memorial Day (No Class)
How to Draw a Free Body Diagram and Summing the Forces
Inclines & Friction
Work, Kinetic Energy and How Much The Flash Must Eat
Potential Energy and Conservation of Energy
Momentum, Impulse, Spiderman's Gwen Stacy, Pressure
Conservation of Momentum; Gun Recoil, Space Walking and Rockets
Elastic and Inelastic Collisions; Car Wrecks and Pool
Review and/or Problem Solving
In-Class Midterm 2 (Chapters 4-6 with some exceptions)
N/A
4.4-5
4.6
5.0-2
5.3, 5.5-6
6.0-1 & 9.2
6.2
6.3-4
Review
Review
13-Jun
14-Jun
15-Jun
16-Jun
17-Jun
20-Jun
21-Jun
22-Jun
23-Jun
Rotation; Can Spiderman's String Support His Weight?
Centripetal Acceleration and Gravity
Torque; Efficient Use of Tools; Center of Gravity; Stability
Conservation of Angular Momentum; Figure Skating and Solar Systems
Pressure Variation in Fluids (even blood) & Archimedes Principle
Temperature and Thermal Expansion (Global Warming and Fire Eating)
Oscillatory Motion and Springs
Waves on Guitar Strings and in the Air; Sounding like Donald Duck
Review or Problem Solving (Extra Credit based on reviewing old stuff)
7.0-3
7.4-5
8.0-4
8.5-7
9.4,9.6,9.7
10.0-3,11.2
5.4&13.0-4
13.6-11
Practice
24-Jun
75% of Final focused on last section of the class
Other 20% will include biggest ideas in the course.
no WA = means no WebAssign assignment due that evening
All other evenings without an assignment on ecampus
(Movie 1 or Movie 2) will have WebAssign assignments.
Practice Test
no WA
no WA
Movie 1
Practice Test
no WA
Movie 2
Practice Test
(Ungraded)
Rubric for Movie 1 Assignment (30 points)
You are encouraged to work with one other person on the movie assignments and your names
should both go on the writeups. The rubric is the same regardless of whether you work with
someone. In part 2 of this assignment, you will be writing a paper about a fictional scene in a
movie/commercial/cartoon, and doing some calculations related to what we have learned in class
to determine if this scene could actually happen in the real world. (October Sky is not fictional
because it's based on a true story. Likewise, many realistic sports movies would not work well,
but the extreme golf swings in Happy Gilmore would be fine. I don’t want most sports movies
because I don’t want your conclusion to say something like, well clearly this can happen
because it does happen in real life. The point of this assignment is to get you to calculate if it
could happen and use your critical thinking skills.) It is your job to pick a scene that has
something to do with what we have learned in class. After you propose your method in this Part
1 assignment, it is my job to point out any flaws that I notice in your logic. I can't read your
mind, so I can only do my job well if you give me details on how you will go about this
calculation. Tell me what variable(s) you will calculate to determine if this scene could happen in
real-life and how you will know if the number you get for that variable(s) is(are) reasonable. I
am outlawing the bus/bridge scene in the movie Speed and the circular bullet scene in Wanted.
Competent (70%)
Grammar and Some grammatical errors or
Typos
typos, but they did not
(2 points) significantly affect the readability.
Proficient (100%)
Few if any grammatical errors and/or
typos. In the real world, everything you
turn in should look professional.
Most of the scene is clearly explained,
Description of
Based upon your description, it is very
but there are some minor details skipped
the Scene
clear what is going on in the scene
that could affect how the calculations
( 5 points)
(however, a link is also helpful).
should be approached.
Appropriateness
N/A
(3 points)
Formulas
Provided
( 5 points)
Most of the needed formulas have been
provided, but some are missed and/or
unnecessary.
You followed the directions above about
picking a scene related to class material
and not obviously possible or impossible
(e.g. easy sports or people flying)
All of the formulas and only the
appropriate formulas needed to calculate
the scene have been provided.
Identify
variable(s) to
solve for
(5 points)
At least one variable is identified as what
You have identified a variable(s), but this
you will solve for to determine if the
only tells you if the scene is precisely
scene can occur in real life. (Generally
accurate (such as distances or times), and
that variable is not time, though you may
not if the scene could even occur
need to solve for it to get something else.)
How you will
find out if
variable(s)
reasonable
( 5 points)
While you mention the comparison of
your result to something you’ll find
online or in literature, no plan for
searching for this information or range of
possible results is given.
Estimations
(5 points)
You discuss how you will determine if
your selected variable(s) are actually
achievable. This determination is either
based on things that can be found in
papers, or based on more calculations.
Variables in need of estimation are
Any variables that need to be estimated
mentioned. Some minor variables might are mentioned as well as how estimations
be left out.
will be made.
Rubric for Movie 2 Assignment (60 points)
Competent (70%)
Grammar
Some minor grammatical errors and/or
and Typos
typos that do not affect meaning
(2 points)
Proficient (100%)
Few if any grammatical errors and/or typos.
Excluding pictures and formulas, the paper
Paper
The paper is slightly shorter than 2 pages
is 2 - 2.5 pages single spaced with 1 inch
Length single-spaced. Because of this, the paper is
margins (times new roman, font size 12)
(5 points) not as thorough in discussion as desired.
without large spaces between paragraphs
Most of the scene is clearly explained, but
Description
Based upon your description, it is very clear
there are some details skipped that could
of the Scene
what is going on in the scene (however, a
affect how the calculations should be
( 5 points)
link is also helpful).
approached.
Discussion
of the Scene Some MINOR physics misconceptions
Physics may be discussed or the physics may be
( 10 points) lightly discussed at all.
The general physics principles are correctly
discussed with relation to parts of the scene.
For example, identify the area(s) of physics
(projectile motion, conservation of
momentum, etc.). Then, you should relate
the parts of the scene to these topics.
You have also made an appropriate
Calculations/ There are minor errors in the calculations, calculation to determine if your scene could
Strategy approach and/or formulas AND/OR they occur in real life. (For impact problems,
( 15 points) are sloppy and challenging to distinguish. you'll generally want to solve for stress =
force / contact area.)
Showing
The math work is hard to understand
The formulas and your work are included,
Your Work
and/or has minor errors.
correct and easy to follow.
(5 points)
Estimation How you made your estimations was
The estimations that were made and how
Discussion discussed, but a little unclear AND/OR
are discussed AND are reasonable.
(5 points) somewhat unreasonable.
Minimal effort is included to discuss how
Depth
your result(s) might change if your
(5 points) estimates are off AND/OR no other aspect
of the scene are discussed
You discuss how your result would change
if you adjusted your estimates AND/OR
begin to discuss a different aspect of the
scene that might also seem unreasonable
Only one reference is given AND/OR the At least two reliable references are provided
Reliable references do not seem reliable. References and are used to suggest a reasonable range
References should both be listed in detail at the end
of results that would result in the movie
with
and briefly when their information is
actually occurring in real life. The citations
Endnotes utilized. I am flexible on reference format for the references should be given, but the
(3 points) as long as references are given and could format for the citations is not critical. I
be found based on provided information. should just be able to find it if I desire.
Logical A conclusion based upon the result(s) of
Conclusion calculations is given, however, it seems
(5 points) unclear or is not logical based on math.
The conclusion is logical based upon the
calculated numbers and the reference(s)
provided.