Physics 218
Lecture 1
Dr. David Toback
Physics 218, Lecture I
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Quick Sanity Check
Howdy!
Are you in the right class?
• Introduction to
Classical Mechanics
• Physics 218
• STEPS
Physics 218, Lecture I
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Just getting started…
• I like enjoying class, so I’ll work hard
for this to be fun (tough at 8AM!)
• I want everyone to do well and get
good grades
• I’ll also to teach you how to get good
grades (Still… it’s a lot of work)
• We’ll take a joke-break during class,
and I’ll show short video clips at the
beginning
– Please send me new material and I’ll
do my best to
use
it
in
class
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Start with our thought for the
day…
What it’s like to
sit in an 8AM
physics lecture…
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Overview of Today’s Class
• Syllabus and Other
Handouts on my
WebPage
• Problem Solving
• Your “homework” before
next lecture
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Big Picture
• Textbook
th
–“Don’t Panic”, 5 Edition
• There is a both a recitation
and a laboratory for this
course
–First meeting is tomorrow!
–Reading BEFORE lab!
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Handouts on my WebSite
faculty.physics.tamu.edu/toback/218
By the next class you need to read:
• Laboratory notes
• WebCT/Homework instructions
– More on this later…
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
You can also find:
• Exam schedule
• Lecture notes
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Grades
• Final: 35%
• 3 in-class Exams: 13% each
• HW, lect. and recitation Quizzes: 20%
• Laboratory: 6%
I will curve all the exam scores AFTER
the final, but will try to give feedback
along the way
Most of your grade will be based on your
ability to solve problems
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Problem Solving
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Problem Solving
• The heart of this course is problem solving
• One of the great things about the textbook
is the problems
– They are ALL important
– Spend your time learning how to solve all
of them!
– They’re hard, but they’re worth it
• Your reward for doing them? You’ll
– Do well in the course
– Realize why physics is so interesting
– Realize why engineering makes you take
Lecture
I
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this course in Physics
the 218,
first
place!
Problem Solving Feedback
This course is designed to help
you become an excellent
problem solver and give you
lots of feedback and help
along the way
WebCT, Recitation and Exams
will provide feedback
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WebCT and Recitation Problems
• Math quizzes: Using WebCT. Are you
prepared mathematically for the
course? If not, WebCT will tell you
where you need help
• Homework and HWquizzes: Will use
WebCT to give more feedback
• Recitation quizzes: Work with others
to solidify your understanding of the
material
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Math and Math Quizzes
• Studies show that you need to be
good at the math to solve physics
problems
• Are you ready for this course?
Log into WebCT and take (finish?)
your math quizzes before
Thursday’s lecture
– These are timed; will take at least
an hour
– Bring paper and a pencil
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Extra Credit
• When you get a 100 on all the math and
HW quizzes for the exam you will EARN
THE RIGHT to take a WebCT mini-practice
exam
• Take as many as you like to study!
• If you get a 100, before the in-class exam,
you’ll get 5 bonus points on the exam
• One available for each in-class exam
• Students who do take it typically do ~30
points better than those who don’t
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Speaking of Exams
3 Exams and a Final
–Closed book (formulas,
if needed, will be
provided)
–Problems will be very
similar to those on
homework and recitation
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Other
Requirements
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Requirements
In order to pass this
course you must:
• Take all the exams and
the final
• Pass the Laboratory
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Due dates coming up
• Week 1 (This week):
– Lecture: Chapter 1 (Reading, but nothing due)
– Recitation & Lab: Chapter 1 and Lab 1 (A&B)
– Homework due: None
• Week 2 (Next week):
– Homework (Monday): Math quizzes
– Lecture: Chapter 2
– Recitation & Lab: Chapter 1 and Lab 2
• Week 3 (The week after that):
– Homework due (Monday): Chapter 1
– Lecture: Chapter 3 & 4
– Recitation: Chapter 2 and Lab 3
• Etc..
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Any Questions?
I’ve compiled a list of
frequently asked question
and their answers and put it
on my web site
You should read that before
next class
There might be a quiz…
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Checklist for next time:
1. Download the Laboratory handouts and go to
your Recitation/Lab tomorrow
2. Download the WebCT instructions
3. Get a Neo account (if you don’t have one
already), read your email and log into WebCT
4. Take the free warm-up and evaluation quizzes
5. Start (finish???) your math quizzes
6. Read Chapter 1 in the text book
7. Start working on your Ch. 1 homework problems
8. Download the Frequently Asked Questions
handout and read
Can’t remember all this? A copy of all my lecture
notes are on my website.
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Next Time:
Next lecture:
• We’ll cover chapter 1 and
probably 2
For Next Tuesday:
• Read Chapter 2
Can’t remember all this? A copy
of all my lecture notes are on
my website
Physics 218, Lecture I
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Lecture Assignments
• You must do the Reading
before lecture
• Answer the Lecture
Assignment questions
• Due at the beginning of
lecture
• Instructions on my webpage
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Homework: Not your High School Physics
Class
Many of you have taken high school
physics are used to being given
formulas and numbers to plug into
them…
• Bad news: We are not going to do this
on the exams! We’ll use variables…
• Good news: We’ve set up the
homework so that if you do it the way
we ask you to, you’ll be well prepared
for the exams!
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Example Procedure for Next
Week
1.Before lecture on Tsday:
1.Read chapter 2
2.Do the Lecture Assignment (Questions Q2.8 and
Q2.20)
3.Start working on the HW problems
2.Lecture:
1.Turn in the Lecture Assignment
3.Before Recitation:
1.Finish/Check all the HW problems before
recitation
2.Start turning in homework on WebCT
3.Need at least 1 question on WebCT correct
4.Recitation:
1.Ask questions about the HW problems
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5.After Recitation: Physics 218, Lecture I
1.Full homework due Monday after recitation on
Recitation Grades
• A large fraction of your recitation
grade is based on the Recitation Quiz
• 10% of your recitation grade will be
based on your preparation for
recitation
• In order to get preparation points you
need to have gotten at least 1
problem in WebCT correct for that
week’s homework BEFORE recitation
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Requirements
In order to pass this course you must:
• Take all the exams and the final
• Must pass the Visual Physics part
• Must have a 100% on the WebCT
stuff*
– Math quizzes
– Homework
– Homework quizzes
*You get as many tries as you want
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A New Way to Turn in
Homework
Before WebCT:
1.Use a variable for each quantity (e.g.,
Mass = m) and work out the algebra
without numbers. Your answer should be a
formula
2.Plug the numbers into the final formula
and check your answer in the back of the
book (even answers on the web)
After you got ALL of them correct and
checked:
1.Log onto WebCT
1.Same problems but with different numbers
Physics 218, Lecture to
I get the “new”29
2.Use your formula/calculator
answer
Homework Warning…
You only get a short amount of time with the
new numbers. Do all the problems (and
check that they’re right) before going to
WebCT
More bad news:
• In order to pass the course you must turn
in all the problems correctly!!
The good news:
• You can have as many tries as you want!
When you get a 100, we only count your
best score!
There is a short, required, HW quiz for
each HW set. These are new problems,
but you can takePhysics
this218,as
many
times
as
you
Lecture I
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like until you get a 100 also!
My advice
–Turn in your WebCT homework SLOWLY and
CAREFULLY. You have more than enough time
if you’ve done the problems ahead of time
If you turn in a problem and WebCT tells
you it’s the wrong answer on 2
consecutive tries, our studies show you
most likely have the wrong formula!
–Don’t get mad! Get Help! (TA’s, Supplemental
Instruction, helpdesk etc.).
If you need an extension, send me an email
Other advice: We know some students think they
are cleaver and try to cheat the system. If you
try to cheat the system … just XX
wait until the
.
exams…
Physics 218, Lecture I
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Math Quizzes cont…
Bad news:
• To get full credit you need to get a
perfect score on all ten quizzes. If you
can’t get a few perfect scores after just a
little practice, you should SERIOUS help
and quickly. (Lots of free help out
there!!!).
Good news:
• You can take as many quizzes as you want
until you get perfect scores. We REALLY
want you to learn and get good grades!
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Handouts
• Today I’ll handout the Syllabus
and go over it
• You need to pick up other
handouts on the web
– Do that tonight
• You will need a neo account
and you’ll need to check it
periodically
– In fact, you should already
have received email for the
course!
Physics 218, Lecture I
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Visual Physics Handout
• Recitation, Labs and Technical Writing
– Recitation/Lab
• All meet this week
– Technical Writing Lecture
• First lecture is next week. Two
lectures: You can go to either,
they’re the same.
• For each lab, a lab report is due using
the techniques discussed during the
technical writing lecture
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Physics Model Estimation
Joke:
• A farmer wants to get an estimate
of how much milk each one of his
cows delivers in one day. He calls in
his physicist daughter and asks her
to estimate it (because physicists
are good at that kind of thing). She
begins: Assume a spherical cow…
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Communication
• I would like a couple of volunteers
to help inform me of any mistakes
on handouts, problems with the
exams, problems, lectures, web
pages, recitations, labs, traditions,
missing holidays or other conflicts
etc.
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Syllabus: Office Hours
• Philosophy: Coming to talk to me
about administrative or learning is
adult-like: I’ll treat you like an
adult. I’m fairly short tempered
with people who want to talk about
grades or points on exams.
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Homework for Wednesday
• You need to take a math evaluation exam
online before Wednesdays class
• This is feedback for both of us. We want to
know about your math skills, and you want to
know how your math skills compare to the
rest of the class
• You will NOT be graded on this
• Do it alone
• Make sure you have an hour of time before
you sit down. It is timed! Have paper and
pencil.
Physics 218, Lecture I
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http://www.physics.tamu.edu/QUIZ/login.
Thoughts on Grades
• I’m really nice to deal with when
you come to me BEFORE there
is a problem, I’m a real pain
when you come to me after an
exam with an excuse.
• (I’ve never met a student who
did well on a make-up exam)
• My job is to help you learn the
material, you have to do the
work: I’d love to give all A’s
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Thoughts on Grades
Typically people who:
– come to class do far better than those who
don’t
– But: People who only come to lecture do VERY
poorly
– sit in the closer rows do better than those in
the back rows
– And: Front row folks usually get the A’s
– People who use a study group do better than
those who don’t
– But: People who do the homework by themselves,
then check answers with a study group often do
REALLY well
– And: People who use
groupI to “learn” how40 to
Physicsthe
218, Lecture
do the problems do really poorly
More Thoughts on
Grades
• Physics isn’t a passive
subject, you learn by working
problems.
• The more extra problems you
do in the book the better
(the exams will look very
much like them!)
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My Advice to You
• Come to class
• Sit up front
• If you need: Bring a (Quiet!)
snack/coffee for before and/or
during class
• Be proactive!! Get into it and have
fun
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More Advice
• Do as many of the problems in the back
of the book as you can by yourself
• Check your answers with the back of the
book and with your fellow students
• Don’t fall into the “I understand the
concepts but I can’t do the problems”
trap. It means you haven’t done enough
of the problems in the chapters.
• Every year we have lots of students who
really think they understand but flail
during the exams. Don’t let this happen
to you!
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Past Students
• Students often describe me as tough but
fair, and I endeavor to stick to that.
• Students often complain during my class
that it’s too hard (it doesn’t help!!!), but in
the following semester they tell me they
are better prepared then their
competitors.
• I have high standards for TAMU
undergraduates.
• I have enough experience to know you can
meet them and I expect you to do so.
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• I expect you to take pride in your work
Standards
• We’re teaching you how to THINK
about how to solve technical problems.
– If you think this class is “plug and chug”
you’re going to be VERY unhappy
– If you think you can memorize a few
formulas and ace this course, you are
very mistaken
• We’ll talk more about homework later
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Aside:Exams and
Quizzes
We expect on your exams that you
show pride in your work and that
you know what you are doing
I expect following style
–
–
–
–
–
Significant figures
Units
Boxes around your final answer
That you show your work
You not start with any equation not
given on the formula sheet.
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Where are we going
• We are going to do the basics of what’s
known as “classical mechanics”
• We are going to be in the business of
learning the foundations of physics,
chemistry, biology and engineering
• We have a lot of experience in the
world around us. Unfortunately, our
experience is really lousy in guiding us to
really understanding the world around
us.
• It turns out that the world around us is
incredibly complex and it’s going to be
our journey together
this
class to
Physics 218,in
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understand how to begin to understand
Where are we going
• Physics is a pretty impressive thing. It
allows us to understand our world.
• It helps us do engineering.
– I.e., it allows us to predict the outcome of
an experiment
– For example: If you build a house using
solid physics principles it won’t collapse on
you
• Our goal is to learn how to understand
these principles so we can make the
predictions
• At our point in history we can predict a
great deal of the
things
we
observe
Physics 218, Lecture I
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around us. Many for the last couple of
Where are we going
• Making predictions requires skill.
• It requires an appreciation of the world.
• It requires that we learn the language
of the physical world.
• The best language we know of is
mathematics.
• This is a skill! It’s not a talent. Anyone
can learn it, you just have to learn to
deal with the fear and learn it anyways.
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Why Learn it?
• This is where the world is going. Look
around you at the technology that’s
exploding in the world around us.
• This is the foundation of that
understanding. This is where it all
begins.
• It’s not about learning how rocks behave
when they are thrown (I’ll agree that’s
not that interesting).
• It’s about learning how be the kind of
person who will lead the world in the
future because they know how to solve
the problems. Physics 218, Lecture I
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Why Learn it?
• We’re teaching you how to THINK
about how to solve technical
problems.
• To give you the tools to ask the
questions better
• If you can do physics, you can do
anything!
• The people who are excellent at
this will lead the world in the
future.
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Back to Earth
• Unfortunately, we have to learn to walk
before we run.
• We will be learning how to describe how
things around us move
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Cars
Rocks
Baseballs
Bullets
Rocket ships
Wheels
Planets
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More on math…
Math 151 is a “Co-requisite” for this course
BUT:
Questions:
1.Can you differentiate and Integrate
already?
2.Do you want to do well in this class?
• If you can’t, you are already WAY behind
your classmates and likely to do poorly in
this class unless you ACT NOW! Just so
you know: In order to just pass you’ll have
to work harder than everyone else
• Don’t be fooled by advice generated for
the “average student.” It’s not about “how
Lecture how
I
53
smart you are,” Physics
its 218,
about
“well-
Can’t Differentiate or
Integrate?
I won’t/can’t kick you out.
But I do have advice:
• YOU ARE NOT WELL PREPARED FOR THIS
COURSE
• I WANT YOU TO DO WELL AT TAMU; THIS
COURSE LAYS THE FOUNDATION FOR MOST
OF YOU
• DROP IT NOW AND TAKE SOMETHING
USEFUL OR INTERESTING
• DON’T EXPECT YOUR CALCULUS COURSE THIS
SEMESTER TO HELP YOU TILL THE END
• TAKE 218 NEXT SEMESTER, AFTER CALCULUS
• DON’T WASTE A Q-DROP
• IF YOU CAN’T DO WELL ON THE MATH
Physics
218, Lecture
I
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QUIZZES QUICKLY
COME
BACK
NEXT
SEMESTER AND GET AN A!
Syllabus:Administrative Stuff
• Reading:
– Due before Lecture!
– Reading Homework due at
beginning of the lecture
• Quizzes:
– Make sure you bring paper and
a calculator to lecture and
recitation
– Regular quizzes in recitation:
10 minutes, based on problems
from that week
Physics 218, Lecture I
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More on Lectures
• It’s true you could skip the lectures
because you can just read it and get by.
But:
– Studies show over and over again, the more
you go to class and the more active you are
in class, the better your grades will be
• It’s true you could just come to lecture
and not read. But:
– All the homework problems and quizzes will
come from the book and handouts
– All the exam problems will come from, or be
similar to, thosePhysics
in the
bookI
218, Lecture
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Frequently Asked Questions
• Any questions?
• Pull out your Frequently Asked
Questions handout…The good, the bad
and the ugly
Physics 218, Lecture I
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Study Groups
• Study groups
– Have been shown to be helpful when you are
stuck
– Have been shown to deceive you into
believing you understand when you don’t if
you have multiple people working on the
problem for the first time as a group
• Take 5 minutes and meet the people
around you
– Yes, stand up and get noisy
– These people will be a good source of a
study group cohort
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Before we begin
This course will be co-taught by
myself and Dr. Winfried Teizer
• If you are in sections: 509-512
– your primary contact is Dr. Toback
(me)
• If you are in sections: 513-516
– your primary contact is Dr. Teizer
• Make sure you have the proper
syllabus
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