PHYS 0150-402 202310 Principles Of Physics I: Mechanics And Wave Motion
5/6/23, 11:49 AM
INSTRUCTOR
Bob Johnson
Office Hours: TR 1:30pm - 2:30pm, W 1:00pm - 2:00pm
Email: robertjo@physics.upenn.edu (mailto:robertjo@physics.upenn.edu)
TA: Leonel Lin
Email: skylin@sas.upenn.edu (mailto:skylin@sas.upenn.edu)
Grader: Maggie Liu
Email: liu814@sas.upenn.edu (mailto:liu814@sas.upenn.edu)
PHYS 140/150
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May 2023
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Calendar
ABOUT THIS COURSE
Physics seeks to describe the universe across all length and time scales. This course introduces
concepts such as mass, force, energy, momentum, torque and angular momentum and illustrates
how they are used to understand nature. From the largest galaxy to the smallest sub-atomic
particle, these concepts are crucial for a fundamental understanding of all natural phenomena.
This course aims at developing a systematic way of understanding nature and solving problems
through the application of these concepts. Additionally, this course utilizes active learning.
Students will be expected to complete reading assignments outside of class and come prepared
to solve physics problems during the active learning portion of the course.
COURSE MATERIALS
Textbook: University Physics by Young & Freedman, Addison-Wesley, 13th ed or later
Scientific Calculator
COURSE FORMAT
Lectures
During lecture, the instructor will employ derivations, example problems, demonstrations, etc.
in order to develop physics concepts and amplify and clarify the content of the book. You are
encouraged to ask questions and take notes.
Active Learning Sessions
During these sessions, students will work in groups of three on a worksheet based on that
week’s lecture topic. The worksheets will be collected and graded. This group work is primarily
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week’s lecture topic. The worksheets will be collected and graded. This group work is primarily
a learning experience and is NOT intended to be an assessment of a students’ knowledge of
physics. Thus, it is not expected that the worksheets be submitted with perfect solutions to the
physics problems. However, it is expected that students attend each active learning session
and participate with their group. See policy on absences below. Even if you feel that you have
already mastered that week’s material, it is still important that you attend active learning. One,
you can help your group members learn the physics concepts. And two, teaching others is one
of the best ways to expand your own understanding. Any instructor will attest to this last point!
Participation
Active learning only works if everyone is present and contributes to the group. Therefore,
regular attendance during active learning (Tuesdays and Thursdays noon-1:30pm) is required
and counts towards participation. It is expected that worksheets from the missed class will
be completed outside of class and turned in. Completion of the active learning worksheets
will count towards the participation grade. Additionally, there will be reading assignments that
must be completed by the specified deadline. These include completing a short assessment
on Canvas consisting of a few multiple choice questions based on the reading. Both the
worksheets and the reading assignments are graded based on completion. These are not
considered assessments of your knowledge of physics, but are intended to help you learn the
material.
Homework
There will be weekly homework assignments. The goal is to help you master the material. You
should get started on them early! You can work together if you like but everyone must hand in
their own solutions. You must learn how to do all the problems because the midterms and final
exam will consist of problems that are related to the homework. Word-for-word copying of
someone else’s homework or online solutions is a violation of Penn’s Code of Academic
Integrity. Homework will be submitted electronically on Canvas. You can write solutions on
paper, but please submit a PDF of your work. You can use scanner apps to take pictures of
your work and convert them to a PDF.
Late Days
All students are given four late days. You may use up to two of them on any given assignment
to turn in the assignment late with no penalty. If an assignment is turned in more than two days
late, 50% will be deducted for every subsequent day. An assignment will not be considered
late if it is uploaded within a few hours after the assigned time of 11:59pm.
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late if it is uploaded within a few hours after the assigned time of 11:59pm.
Midterm Exams
There will be two 60-minute midterm exams. No makeup exams will be given. If for any
legitimate reason (e.g. illness) you cannot be present for an exam, notify the instructor prior
to the exam. Certification for your absence may be required. All exams will be closed
book. Bring a calculator. Mistakes are rarely made in grading exams. If you believe a grading
mistake has occurred, write a description of the mistake, as you see it, on a separate sheet of
paper and give it to your instructor along with your exam. A request for regrading will not be
accepted more than one week after the return of the exam. DO NOT WRITE ANYTHING ON
OR IN YOUR RETURNED EXAM.
Final Exam
The final exam must be taken at the scheduled time even if the time is changed by the
Registrar during the semester. Prior commitments (e.g. prepaid airline tickets) are not an
excuse for missing the exam. For further policy see:
https://catalog.upenn.edu/pennbook/final-examinations/
(https://catalog.upenn.edu/pennbook/final-examinations/)
GRADING
Weights for course work are below.
Physics 150 Physics 140
Participation
10 points
10 points
Problem Sets
10 points
10 points
Midterm 1
20 points
20 points
Midterm 2
20 points
20 points
Final Exam
40 points
40 points
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PHYS 0150-402 202310 Principles Of Physics I: Mechanics And Wave Motion
Final Exam
40 points
40 points
Laboratory work* Pass/Fail
N/A
Total
100 points
100 points
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*Students must complete each lab to pass the course.
GETTING HELP
Office Hours
Office hours will be decided at the beginning of the semester.
Exam Archive
All students have access to an archive of previous Physics 140/150 exams. This archive is
located on Canvas as Physics Exam Archive. You are encouraged to use these exams as
practice for those you will take during this course.
Weingarten Learning Resources Center
The Office of Learning Resources at the Weingarten Learning Resources Center offers
individualized instruction and a variety of workshops to guide Penn students towards more
efficient and effective academic study skills and strategies. Professional staff provides free and
confidential instruction in areas such as time/project management, academic reading and
writing, exam preparation and test-taking strategies, and study strategies. To learn more about
Weingarten's services, visit www.vpul.upenn.edu/lrc (http://www.vpul.upenn.edu/lrc) .
TIPS FOR SUCCESS
Many students find that this is a difficult course, but it can also be extremely rewarding. This
course lays the foundation for understanding the ubiquitous electromagnetic phenomena
encountered in daily life. Below are some tips to succeed and get the most out of this class.
Refresh your math skills
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Refresh your math skills
In addition to algebra and trigonometry, this course makes heavy use of differential, integral
and vector calculus. Check Appendix B of your book for useful math information.
Read the book
The book is the best educational tool you have. Read the material before and after class.
Physics concepts can take time to sink in so careful review of the material is encouraged.
Seek help early and do not cram
Material presented later in the course builds upon earlier material. Do not wait until midsemester to seek out help for concepts you had trouble with early on. Cramming rarely works
for this course.
Work hard
It is recommended that you spend 2-3 hours of study outside class for each hour in class. Try
to study for this class on a daily basis.
Work smart
If you spend ten minutes on a homework problem without any progress, it is time to seek help.
Get a hint from a study group, a tutor, the instructor, etc. Don’t simply seek out the answer, but
get help on how to arrive at the solution yourself.
Solve problems
After you have learned the solution to one problem it is time to try a different one. Correct
application of the concepts is what is important, not the solution itself. Try to solve some
additional problems from the book. This will help you identify concepts that you need to spend
more time studying. Physics is not a spectator sport. Solving problems is necessary to really
learn and understand the material. Develop a systematic way to approaching problems. Break
the problem down into simple parts. Identify what variables are known and unknown and
determine which equations will be useful.
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