Monday 9 January 2012
Class meeting
Topics
Textbook sections
Ponderables
Mini-labs (deliv.)
Lab
Demonstrations
Mini-lectures
Quiz
Other
PHYS 116 SCALE-UP
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Introduction to class; estimation and measurement
Estimating speeds and distances
Explicit directions on prelab for next class
Admin stuff, class philosophy
SCALE-UP survey
CQ: page thickness
Items needed: Textbook and lab notebook to show, copies of SCALE-UP survey
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Welcome and introduction of instructors; students asked to introduce themselves to
tablemates. All introductions to include “one thing you might not have guessed about me.”
Administrative minutiae
o No food permitted in classroom (it’s a lab)
o Each group must bring at least one laptop to each class meeting. Everybody bring to
next class for survey purposes.
o Sakai site (show): Syllabus, class schedule, grading policy, reading assignments,
instructions for class activities, solutions to in-class problems, and all other information
will be posted there. Check it daily. Most assignments will be submitted there.
o Must have a bound composition book with quadrille ruling (show example). NO
SUBSTITUTIONS. This will be collected approximately biweekly (see assignments). Good
idea to use it for other in-class notes (on ponderables and mini-lectures) so as to have a
complete record. Must have an entry every day.
o Mastering Physics
 Information on how to sign up is posted on Sakai site.
 First assignment due Monday, all Mondays thereafter
Activity interlude: CQ page thickness
What is this class all about?
o Topics to be covered: First 17 chapters of textbook. Forces, energy, interactions. How
the world works.
o Philosophy: Learning physics by doing. Reading textbook provides introduction to
ideas; working with them in concrete ways (by manipulating equipment and exploring
what happens) and abstract ways (working problems) produces understanding.
Abundant research on how students learn physics (show PER example) shows this is far
more effective than lecturing (can’t learn to play the piano by being lectured about it).
Findings from cognitive science show that telling something to listeners who don’t
process the information in some way will not create long-lasting knowledge. Invoke Carl
Weiman and Nobel aura. More fun—but requires students to be active, not passive.
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Monday 9 January 2012
PHYS 116 SCALE-UP
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Activities done in groups of three, to be assigned after a couple of classes (today and
next class, work with those next to you). Groups will change twice during semester.
o In-class activities: class will consist of a mix of different activities to explore a particular
topic in different ways:
 Ponderables: questions to be answered on whiteboards using physics concepts
and mathematical manipulation. Solutions may be shared with class. Students
are required to photograph whiteboard results and upload to Sakai for review
by instructors.
 Mini-labs: using equipment or computer simulations to explore physical
phenomena. Results may be shared with class. Each lab will have a pre-lab
assignment to be done before coming to class; submitted electronically via
Sakai. There will also typically be a “deliverable” (a section of a lab report or an
entry in the lab notebook).
 Labs: Detailed quantitative exploration of phenomena using equipment, with
full lab write-up (individual) similar to how scientific results are reported in the
literature
 Demonstrations: observations of physical phenomena as shown by instructor
 Mini-lectures: explanations by instructor of specific concepts or problemsolving techniques.
 Quizzes and exams: weekly quiz (Fridays), ~20 minutes for one problem (solved
individually), similar to a problem on an exam. Two exams during semester
covering multiple chapters, given on Monday evenings. Lab exam. Frequent
testing allows students to assess whether they understand a concept by having
to use it in a new situation. More importantly, to learn you need to practice
retrieval—studies show that frequent assessments outpace more study time as
a way to retain information.
o Out-of-class activities: expected to prepare for class and to use what you have learned
 Reading assignments: sections of textbook to read before coming to each class
meeting, so you are prepared to do the activities. Posted on Sakai site. First
assignment must be read before the next class.
 Homework assignments: problems to be worked in MP individually (though you
are free to discuss them as you work, as long as what you submit is your own).
First assignment due Monday, subsequent ones on following Mondays
(including holidays unless notified by instructors otherwise).
 Pre-labs and lab reports
o Questions from students about class plan and procedures
Estimating speeds and distances: an example of a ponderable
o Equipment for each group: whiteboard, pen, eraser, calculators (students have, or on
laptop)
o Break into groups of three
o How to use whiteboards (make sure all names written on them)
o The deliverable: photo of whiteboard (cell phone suffices), to be uploaded to Sakai site
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Monday 9 January 2012
PHYS 116 SCALE-UP
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Do exercise
Some groups asked to report out
Instructors give examples of how result can be used (ask students to suggest others),
discuss accuracy in measurement
Prelab for next class: where to find it, how to do it, how to turn it in.
Student survey
o Equipment: for each student: paper copy of survey
 CQ: PAGE THICKNESS
How thick is one page of the
textbook for this class
(Fundamentals of Physics)?
A. 10-5 m
B. 10-4 m
C. 10-3 m
D. 10-2 m
E. 10-1 m
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Monday 9 January 2012
PHYS 116 SCALE-UP
ESTIMATING SPEEDS AND DISTANCES
Today we will consider a handy way to do quick estimates of speed and distance in your head. You
should collaborate with your group members to answer the questions and discuss the ramifications. We
will be learning much more about speed and distance soon when we do 1-D kinematics; for now, don’t
worry about equations!
1. Calculate the conversion from miles per hour to feet per second and round it to 2 significant digits.
2. Express this value as a simple easy-to-remember fraction. Find the percent difference between this
fraction and the actual value found in directive 1.
3. Consider some common driving speeds in mph and immediately estimate the fps equivalents without
using a calculator (that is, do the conversions in your head). Select some round values of speed in fps
and immediately estimate their mph equivalents in the same way.
4. Estimate typical running and walking speeds. Runners know how fast they do a mile – what is that in
fps? Walkers (who here doesn’t walk?), if you have never done so, stand up and figure out how many
feet are in your step and take a few steps and figure out your walking speed.
5. Discuss the distance measurements you might make in your head by counting off seconds when
driving down the highway.
6. How might you estimate the distance between you and the car in front of you? What is a normal
reaction time? If you don’t know, how might you measure it? How many feet might you travel before
you even hit the brakes, much less begin slowing down?
7. What is the speed of sound in mph? How might you estimate how far away a lightning strike is from
you?
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Monday 9 January 2012
PHYS 116 SCALE-UP
COMMON “CENTS”
In this exercise, you will investigate physical properties of the U.S. Lincoln one-cent coin, commonly
known as a penny. By doing so, you will apply basic scientific reasoning skills and gain experience
making measurements with common laboratory instruments and properly reporting results.
Pre-lab (to be turned in at the beginning of next class):
A few years ago a sample of pennies was collected from general circulation. A histogram showing the
number of pennies from each year is provided below.
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
2002
2000
1998
1996
1994
1992
1990
1988
1986
1984
1982
1980
1978
1976
1974
1972
1970
1968
1966
1964
1962
1960
0
Answer the following questions in a few sentences:
What inferences can you make from this sample?
Why does this histogram not follow the normal (Gaussian or bell-shaped) distribution curve?
What year do you think the sample was obtained?
Is there anything you find surprising about this sample?
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Monday 9 January 2012
PHYS 116 SCALE-UP
Student Survey
Physics 116 SCALE-UP, Spring 2012
Please complete this survey and submit it to your instructor for class-participation credit.
Your full name:_______________________________ Name you prefer to be called:______________
Your UNC email address:_____________________________________________
What grade do you expect to get in this class? _____________ What is your GPA?_________
What is the highest math course you have taken?
Algebra (Math 110 or equivalent) ______ PreCalc (Math 130) ______
Calc I (Math 231) ______ Calc II (Math 232) ______ Calc III (Math 233) ______
Is this your first physics course? (Yes/No) If no, what other physics education have you had in HS or college?
How many hours do you plan to devote to this course each week? ________
What have you heard about this course or its instructors?
Why are you taking this course?
What are your career plans?
What do you hope to learn from this class?
What questions or concerns do you have about this class?
Tell us something about yourself that you would like us to know.
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