GENERAL PHYSICS I
PHY2048 (4cr)
SPRING 2016
Dr. R.G. Jordan
Science & Engineering Building, Room 106,
Tel: (561)297-3380 FAX: (561)297-2662
e-mail: jordanrg@fau.edu
“1 know that I am mortal and the creature of a day;
but when I search out the massed wheeling circles
of the stars, my feet no longer touch the earth,
but, side by side with Zeus himself I take my
fill of ambrosia, the food of the gods.”
Claudius Ptolemy, ca. 90-170
PRE-REQUISITE: MAC 2311 or MAC 2281.
WEBSITE: I have built an extensive website for the course where you can find a wide range of information and
help.
http://cosweb1.fau.edu/~jordanrg/phy2048/home.htm
Also, it is the place where you can get copies of the slides I use in class, your tests scores, current homework
scores and current grade. There is also a discussion forum to help you exchange problems and ideas with each
other, brain “busters” and practice tests to help you review and understand the material.
GENERAL: We meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4.00-5.50pm in ED119. The first class is Tuesday
January 12th. According to my diary, the only official holidays with no classes are during Spring break, i.e., on
Tuesday March 8th and Thursday March 10th. The final test will be held on Tuesday May 3rd at 4.00pm in
ED119. The TA/grader for the course will be announced later.
I believe in active learning, an approach that involves us all - instructor and students - in the learning process. It
will actually help you learn, understand and remember the course material!
IMPORTANT: Each student has a unique ID for this class. To calculate your ID, start with your “Z” number,
which you can find by logging on to
myfau.fau.edu
Assume it is Z12345678. Disregard the Z and you are left with 8 digits, i.e. 12345678. Now ADD the first group
of four (1234, i.e., one thousand, two hundred and thirty-four) to the second group of four (5678, i.e., five
thousand, six hundred and seventy-eight) and you will get 6912; this is your class ID. You will need to know
your class ID in order to get quiz, test and homework grades from the website.
MATERIAL AND COURSE OBJECTIVES: This course is the first part of a two semester calculus-based
general physics course. My aim is to provide you with a broad, rigorous introduction to physics with a
particular emphasis on conceptual understanding. The topics to be covered are shown below but PLEASE
NOTE, it may be necessary to change the schedule during the semester, depending on circumstances.
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Physics is basically an observational science ... we observe phenomena that occur in nature and we try to find
the rules, patterns and principles that control these phenomena. Understanding the patterns and rules requires a
high level of creative and critical thinking and in this course I want you to experience these levels of thinking.
Learning to solve problems is essential and so I aim to teach you not only the general principles but how to
apply them in specific situations. However, (and to paraphrase Richard Feynman) you should appreciate that
"my main purpose is not to prepare you for examinations, nor prepare you for industry nor the
military. Rather, my idea is to give you some appreciation of the world and the scientist's way of
looking at it, which I believe is a major part of the true culture of modern times”.
So, I try to make the course enjoyable and educational at the same time by including anecdotes and stories about
the scientists themselves.
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TEXT: The material for the course is taken mostly from Physics for Scientists and Engineers (Volume 1) by
Paul A. Tipler and Gene Mosca (6th. edition). You can buy a used copy of the book or get the “e-Book”
version. To get the “e-Book” version, go to
http://ebooks.bfwpub.com/physse6e.php
and link to “Purchase this e-Book”. You will find a number of different options with different subscription
rates. I also use material from other sources and even some I have written myself. However, the notes I
provide on-line are very comprehensive. I also recommend highly that you purchase also, either:
• “HOW TO SOLVE PHYSICS PROBLEMS” by Robert Oman and Daniel Oman (published
by McGraw-Hill, 1997) original price $14.95
• “PHYSICS FOR THE UTTERLY CONFUSED” by Daniel Oman and Robert Oman
(published by McGraw-Hill, 1999) original price $14.95
if you can find second-hand copies as they are out of print. These books contain test-taking tips and a good
deal of material that should help you learn not only how to solve problems but to understand the concepts.
They both contain essentially the same material although the former solves rather more problems. They will be
useful in PHY2049 also.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS: There are three components that count towards your final grade:
[1] I will set four tests* (of approximately 90 minutes duration). The TENTATIVE test dates are:
• TEST 1: Thursday February 4th.
• TEST 2: Thursday March 3rd.
• TEST 3: Thursday April 7th.
• TEST 4: Tuesday May 3rd at 4.00pm.
The questions on the tests will examine your ability to understand and apply the material by requiring you to
think creatively and critically in order to solve problems.
* PLEASE NOTE: you MUST HAVE A GENUINE AND VALID REASON for missing a test, for example,
surgery (with doctor's note), proof of jury duty, etc. Excuses like ... “I had a headache”, “My boss wanted me
to work an extra shift” ... simply will not cut it! That’s why I tell you the dates of tests at the beginning of the
semester ... so you can make any necessary arrangements to attend class on a test day. If you do have a valid
reason you MUST TELL ME IN ADVANCE that you will be absent. In addition, you must be prepared to
make up a test at a time that is convenient to both you and the instructor, but no later that one week after the
original date of the test; failure to comply with any of these rules means you'll get a “0” score.
[2] There will be five quizzes on material that I will assign from class-notes, brain “busters” and class
discussion problems, some of which are available on the website. Quizzes 1, 2, 3 and 4 will be held at the end
of class on the day before the tests. There is an EXTRA QUIZ on Tuesday February 16th. Because of the
quick turn-around time, there are NO MAKE-UP QUIZZES.
[3] You will receive extra credit for homework assignments (see below and the additional handout on the
website) on a sliding scale, with a maximum of 20 points for 100% correct answers over the semester.
PLEASE NOTE: I do not give ANY extra credit assignments to individuals. Everyone has an opportunity to
gain extra credit by doing the assigned homework problems.
HOMEWORK: I will assign and grade homework problems using the University of Texas Homework Service
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via the internet (see the additional handout on the website for details). The cost per student is $25, which is
considerably cheaper than other homework systems, e.g., web-assign. To use the homework system you will
need to get an ID from the University of Texas (called an “EID”); all necessary information is supplied on an
additional handout. The problems I have selected should help you understand and apply the material and help
prepare you for the tests, and the points gained for the homework problems will count towards your grade.
Since homework is optional, is it worthwhile? .... well, in other similar cases, typically some 30-40% of students
improved their grades by doing the extra credit assignments!
NOTE:
• The course code number for homework problems is 12048; you will need this number to register
on-line and get assignments. The earliest day/time for enrollment is January 11th, 2016 at noon.
• After you register, I will have to verify acceptance into the course. That might take a day or so.
• I will post the assignments well enough in advance to give you plenty of time to complete them
before the due dates.
• You must check each assignment for the actual due date/time; it is printed at the top of the
assignment. Please note that the times are central time!
GRADING:
Each test - 100 points: Total 400 points
Each quiz - 20 points: Total 100 points
Homework assignments - 20 points max.
TOTAL POINTS AVAILABLE: 520.
I do not give a letter grade to each individual test or quiz; I accumulate the actual points and assess a final grade
when all the assignments have been completed. I use a ‘curve’ that takes into account the results from previous
semesters; further details are available on the website. After each quiz/test, you can find my best estimate of
your current grade on the website. Your final grade may be increased by the i>clicker and homework extra-credit
items. PLEASE NOTE: the extra credit items, i.e., homework assignments, which are added to your final points
score, may only increase your grade by a maximum of half-a-grade, i.e., from a B to a B+, C- to a C, etc. Please
note that all tests and quizzes count towards your final grade.
DISCUSSION FORUM: There is a discussion forum on the website; the ID is jordan and the password is
phy2044. It is a place where you can ask any questions that you may have about the course material or
homework problems. This is a resource for all students in the class ... I expect you to answer any
questions that your fellow students may pose, as I have set it up for YOU as an aid to learning. I will
monitor the forum at regular intervals and answer any questions that receive unsatisfactory/incorrect answers.
OFFICE HOURS AND HELP: I will normally be available in my office (SE106) as follows:
• Tuesdays: 10.45-11.15am and 2.30-3.00pm.
• Thursdays: 10.45-11.15am and 2.30-3.00pm.
If these times are inconvenient, you can contact me through e-mail (jordanrg@fau.edu) with PHY2048 in the
subject line to arrange an appointment. The TA’s hours will be posted later. However, if you have any
questions about homework problems, I recommend you contact the discussion forum first (see above). I also
urge you to form small study groups (3 to 4 people, max) to discuss problems, etc.
PRACTICE TESTS: I have set up practice tests on the website that cover the material on the “proper” tests.
Each time you link to a test you will get a different series of questions that have been chosen randomly from a
large bank of questions. The questions are multiple choice and are graded automatically (but not for credit).
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BRAIN BUSTERS: I have composed a series of “brain busters” on the website that are designed to improve
your conceptual understanding of the material covered in class. Answers are supplied! I will use questions
similar to the “brain busters” in quizzes and on tests.
** I urge you to use the practice tests and brain “busters”; you will find them useful when you prepare for the
quizzes and tests.
SYLLABUS, INTRODUCTION and REVISION NOTES: On the course website you will find a detailed
syllabus and links to an introduction and to revision notes, which you may find useful:
Introduction and definitions
Conversion of units
Errors and uncertainties
Differentiation
Cross (or vector) product
Short biographies of scientists
Scientific notation
Trignometric functions
Integration
Equations of motion
Dimensional analysis
Significant figures
Radians
Dot (or scalar) product
Resolution of Forces
Notes, movies and animations are listed under individual chapters. More notes may be added later.
DISABILITY POLICY: In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, students who require special
accommodation due to a disability to properly execute coursework must register with the Office for Students
with Disabilities (OSD), SU 133, and follow all OSD procedures.
CODE OF ACADEMIC INTEGRITY POLICY: Students at Florida Atlantic University are expected to
maintain the highest ethical standards. Dishonesty is considered a serious breach of these ethical standards,
because it interferes with the University mission to provide a high quality education in which no student enjoys
an unfair advantage over any other. Dishonesty is also destructive of the University community, which is
grounded in a system of mutual trust and places high value on personal integrity and individual responsibility.
Severe penalties are associated with academic dishonesty. More information is available on the course website
or see University Regulation 4.001.
OPEN COMPUTER LABS: The University provides a number of “open” computer labs that you can use oncampus to access the website; you can check schedules and other details at:
http://www.fau.edu/oit/labs/open_labs/
ENJOY and GOOD LUCK !!
R.G. Jordan
January 2016
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