Physics for Future Presidents (Fall 2011)
Department of Physics
The George Washington University
Physics for Future Presidents
Fall Semester, 2011
Course Time:
M W 2:20 – 3:35 PM (with labs on Fridays)
Course Place:
111 Monroe Hall
Course Web Site:
http://blackboard.gwu.edu
Textbook:
Physics and Technology for Future Presidents by Richard Muller
Lab/Recitation:
Lab/Recitation sessions are scheduled on Fridays
Instructor:
Prof. Jerry Feldman
Office:
207 Samson Hall
Office Phone:
(202) 994-6489
Office Hours:
TBA
E-Mail:
feldman@gwu.edu
Teaching Assistant:
Hina Ayub
Office:
104-D Corcoran Hall
Office Phone:
(202) 994-8419
Office Hours:
TBA
E-Mail:
hayub@gwmail.gwu.edu
Muller Web Site:
http://muller.lbl.gov/teaching/physics10/pffp.html
Physics Help Room: Corcoran Hall 212B
Opening times:
As posted on the door
page 1
Physics for Future Presidents (Fall 2011)
Department of Physics
The George Washington University
Physics for Future Presidents
Schedule of Classes
Class
Date
Chapter
Topics
1
Mon. Aug. 29
1
Energy and Power
2
----3
4
5
6
Weds. Aug. 31
Mon. Sept. 5
Weds. Sept. 7
Mon. Sept. 12
Weds. Sept. 14
Mon. Sept. 19
1
----1
2
2
2
Energy and Power
No class – Labor Day holiday
Energy and Power
Atoms and Heat
Atoms and Heat
Atoms and Heat
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Weds. Sept. 21
Mon. Sept. 26
Weds. Sept. 28
Mon. Oct. 3
Weds. Oct. 5
Mon. Oct. 10
Weds. Oct. 12
Mon. Oct. 17
Weds. Oct. 19
Mon. Oct. 24
Weds. Oct. 26
Mon. Oct. 31
Weds. Nov. 2
Mon. Nov. 7
6
6
4
Electricity and Magnetism
Electricity and Magnetism
Nuclei and Radioactivity
1,2,6
4
4
4
5
5
5
5
10
First Exam (Chaps. 1, 2, 6)
Nuclei and Radioactivity
Nuclei and Radioactivity
Nuclei and Radioactivity
Nuclear Reactors and Atomic Bombs
Nuclear Reactors and Atomic Bombs
Nuclear Reactors and Atomic Bombs
Nuclear Reactors and Atomic Bombs
Climate Change
4,5
10
21
22
23
24
----25
26
27
28
Weds. Nov. 9
Mon. Nov. 14
Weds. Nov. 16
Mon. Nov. 21
Weds. Nov. 23
Mon. Nov. 28
Weds. Nov. 30
Mon. Dec. 5
Weds. Dec. 7
10
10
10
10
----3
Second Exam (Chaps. 4, 5)
Climate Change
Climate Change
Climate Change
Climate Change
Climate Change
No class – Thanksgiving holiday
Gravity, Force and Space
10
3
All
Third Exam (Chap. 10)
Gravity, Force and Space
Overview and Outlook
Final Exam
Weds. Dec. 14
1-6, 10
Final Exam
page 2
Physics for Future Presidents (Fall 2011)
Department of Physics
The George Washington University
Course Overview
Course Description
This is the first time that Physics for Future Presidents is being taught at GW. In that respect, our
experience this semester will be somewhat like a scientific experiment in itself. We will cover a variety of
topics, mostly related to three basic areas — energy, nuclear and climate. You should all be curious
about these important (and broad!) topics, and you should all be ready to dive right in. Doing well in this
course does not require you to be a “genius” but you will have to develop and use critical thinking and
analytical reasoning skills to address issues and problems in these three areas. To accomplish this, all
you really need is your brain (in good working order) and the willingness to use it.
Learning Objectives
1) To improve your scientific and technological literacy, and to gain an appreciation of how big
a role physics plays in your daily life
2) To acquire meaningful knowledge, relevant to current world affairs, that will enable you to
make intelligent and informed decisions
3) To learn to think critically and to know what questions to ask when confronted with a problem
4) To develop a healthy skepticism about poorly presented or erroneous claims
5) To obtain a general understanding of some fundamental concepts in physics, and to apply
these concepts qualitatively as well as quantitatively
Course Format
This course will be taught in a highly collaborative mode, where you will work together in groups on a
variety of classroom activities. The nature of the collaborative section is such that it is critically important
that you come to class prepared to work on the material each day. It is expected that you will have read
the textbook before each class, and we will spend our class time supplementing the ideas in the
textbook and applying them to questions and problems that you will work on in class.
We will focus on three major areas, and possibly a fourth area, as outlined below:
•
•
•
•
energy (fossil fuels, alternative sources) — Chaps. 1, 2, 6
nuclear (reactors for energy, weapons for warfare) — Chaps. 4 and 5
climate (environmental issues, global warming) — Chap. 10
space (The Final Frontier…) — Chap. 3
The first three are obviously highly inter-connected, and as you see from the course schedule, we
will be spending a great deal of time on each section. This gives you a lot of freedom for exploration and
inquiry, and enables us to engage in deep discussions about the scientific questions and the policy
issues related to these areas.
Your attitude towards the course needs to be one of self-responsibility. It is up to you to make best
use of the various features of the course. You will get out of the course as much as you are willing to put
in. If you notice that you are falling behind, having trouble with homework, or doing poorly on quizzes
and exams, please see me (Prof. Feldman) as soon as possible so that we can discuss remedies.
page 3
Physics for Future Presidents (Fall 2011)
Department of Physics
The George Washington University
Course Structure
Class time: We will not be spending time repeating what is presented in the textbook. That would
not be a good use of your time since the material can (and will be expected to) be covered by your
reading out of class. That is what the book is for! It is essential that you have read the material in that
chapter ahead of time in order to get the most out of our in-class activities.
Class time will generally be spent discussing and working on the material, which should in turn help
you to obtain a better and deeper understanding of the underlying concepts. The class time is when we
have the best opportunity for extensive interaction. You are strongly encouraged to ask questions and
initiate discussions in class at all times. You will be working in your groups during class, as well as
outside of class, so it is important that your group functions smoothly.
Homework (15%): There will be homework assignments throughout the semester, roughly one per
week. The nature of these assignments will vary depending upon what we are doing in class at the time.
You are encouraged to work together and discuss the homework assignments among yourselves.
However, you are responsible for submitting your own individual work.
Warning: When you work with others, there is a risk that you become dependent on the other
members of the group and do not really learn what is going on by yourself. When you participate in study
groups, make sure that you spend some time on the homework by yourself before you meet. If you are
having difficulty contributing to the discussion, then please come talk to the instructor or the TA.
Quizzes (10%): There will be short quizzes at various times during class. These quizzes will almost
always be unannounced. Your reading of the textbook and your regular attendance in class will ensure
that these quizzes will help you gauge your level of preparedness. As a future political leader, it will be
common for you to be put on the spot at any moment to answer hard questions!
Laboratory/Recitation (10%): In order to apply the material and deepen your skills, you will meet in
lab/recitation sessions every Friday. Attendance is mandatory and will be recorded by the lab TA. You
will be working with your usual group, and so the other members will be depending on you to keep the
team together and to do your collaborative work.
In the recitation component, you will work on specific problems and exercises related to the course
material that we are covering during that time period. In the laboratory component, you will work with
your group to perform short experiments. The results of these experiments will be written up as a report,
but only one report needs to be presented per team. While you will be working with your group, the TA
will confer with each group and discuss potential difficulties as they arise. This is an excellent opportunity
to develop your skills while you have easy access to the instructor for any questions that may arise.
Exams (65%): There will be 4 exams for this course ⎯ three mid-terms during the semester and a
Final Exam during Finals Week. Note that the exams count for about 2/3 of your final grade and that the
in-class, laboratory and at-home aspects of the course count for 1/3 of your final grade. This means that
you personally have a great deal of control over your own grade. If you make the effort to work on these
aspects, you will not only earn a respectable portion of your grade points, but you should also be able to
perform well on the exams, thanks to the practice that you’ve had.
page 4
Physics for Future Presidents (Fall 2011)
Department of Physics
The George Washington University
How will my efforts be graded?
In order to foster cooperation and collaboration among as many of you as possible, the course will be
graded on an absolute scale. This means that helping your fellow student does not in any way
jeopardize your own grade, and in fact, is likely to help you, since explaining things to others will help you
understand things better. The grading scale is as follows:
105.0 - 94.00
93.99 - 90.00
A
A−
89.99 - 87.00
86.99 - 83.00
82.99 - 80.00
B+
B
B−
79.99 - 77.00
76.99 - 73.00
72.99 - 70.00
C+
C
C−
69.99 - 67.00
66.99 - 63.00
62.99 - 60.00
59.99 - 00.00
D+
D
D−
F
The breakdown of the components of the grade is summarized below:
Exams
Homework
Quizzes
Lab/Recitation
65%
15%
10%
10%
(15% for each mid-term and 20% for the Final Exam)
Absences and Excuses: All requests to have an absence excused (for an exam or a lab) must
follow standard University policy, that is, there must be a written note and supporting documentation to
the instructor, explaining the absence. Verbal explanations cannot be accepted.
Students registered with DSS must contact the instructor at the beginning of the semester to make
arrangements for extended times. Last-minute requests cannot be accommodated.
There will be no makeup exams. A missed exam should be extremely rare and will be dealt with on
an individual basis. It is up to you to discuss with the instructor BEFORE THE EXAM any potential
conflict or difficulty with an upcoming exam. In any case, if you miss an exam for some unexpected
reason, it is your responsibility to notify the instructor within 24 hours of the missed exam. Notifications
later than that will result in an automatic grade of zero for that exam. Absences for medical reasons must
absolutely have formal, written documentation from the medical office providing care.
There will be no make-up lab/recitation sessions. Attendance at lab sessions is mandatory and will
be recorded by the lab instructor. If you have to miss your regular lab session, it is possible to do that
week’s lab in another section, as long as you arrange it with the mutual consent of your instructor and the
other section’s instructor. Unless other arrangements are made with your instructor ahead of time, three
(3) or more excused absences from lab/recitation sessions will lead to a grade of “Incomplete” for the
course. Three (3) unexcused absences will result in an automatic grade of “F” for the entire course.
page 5