Physics 11 Syllabus, Spring 2015
Physics 11: Descriptive Physics: Introductory survey of principles of classical and modern physics emphasizing basic
concepts of physics while including some problem solving using elementary algebra.
Instructor: Tony Lee, Phone 775-7088
Email: alee3@santarosa.edu; dr_tony_lee@yahoo.com
Homepage: http://online.santarosa.edu/homepage/alee/
Office Hours: MW: after class; and via email.
Required Texts: Conceptual Physics Fundamentals, by Paul G. Hewitt
Practice Book, by Paul G. Hewitt
Required Materials: Please bring to every class: Your book, Practice Book, paper, pencil and a calculator.
Class Webpage: See Physics 11 class section on home web page above
The class schedule, syllabus, lab manual, homework assignments, powerpoint lectures, handouts, practice exams, and more are
posted weekly on the class website. Check it often as the schedule and assignments will change. You MUST use the class
webpage for this class!
Homework: Homework is assigned for every chapter. Homework includes reading the book and reading the chapter assigned
before the lecture. We will be covering one chapter per week! In class I will be covering only the highlights of each chapter,
assuming that you have already read the chapter and are familiar with the material. This is a lot of material so don’t get behind!
Get in a routine of reading the before the lecture on it. That way you will have a basic understanding of the concepts and good
questions to ask! Reading the book is the most important part of this course!!
Homework assignments for each week will be due the following week, on Monday. Homework problems to be turned will be
posted on the class website. Check the website every week for updates! In addition to those, you should try some odd questions
and exercises for each chapter on your own and check your answers with those in the Practice Book. HW answers should be
brief and clear – so you can read them later for review. If I cannot read it, I will not grade it. HW must be done on 8 1/2" x 11"
paper, one side only, stapled and folded lengthwise in half with your name, chapter and date written on the outside.
Quiz: There will be quizzes the first 5 minutes of class, so be on time! Each quiz will be based on the reading due for that
week, including sample questions worked in the text. NO MAKEUP OR LATE QUIZZES! You can do extra credit to make
up for a missed quiz. Missing class (and the quiz) can affect your grade!
Exams: There will be three exams, 2 during the semester and the last on the final. The exams cover the material most recently
covered since the last exam. The exams are multiple-choice with short essay questions. You may bring 1 page (both sides) of
notes to the exam. If you have an emergency or valid reason for missing an exam, you must arrange with the instructor ahead
of time to take the exam before the class meeting following the exam. The final exam is the third exam.
Labs: All labs will be group labs due at the end of lab. You should print out the lab online and read it BEFORE lab and do any
prelab work assigned. There are no make up labs. I will drop the lowest score. More about labs in lab.
Attendance: You are required by SRJC rules to attend class. You are allowed 3 classes to miss. Every 3 absences after that
will lower your grade by 10 percent (that's a full letter grade!) This means that if you miss more than 9 classes you cannot earn
higher than a C grade in the course no matter what your exam scores are. If you feel you will need to miss class you should
take the course CR/NCR.
Grading: Final grades will be based on the following percentages:
Exams
50%
Quizzes & Homework
30%
Lab
20%
Final letter grades will be roughly based on the following total percentages:
90-100: A
80-90: B
70-80: C
60-70: D
below 60: F