Syllabus for Phys 1001
Introduction to Physics I -- Spring 2017
8-8:50 am MTuWF in MWAH 195

Instructor: Prof. Hiller

Office: 353 Marshall W. Alworth Hall (MWAH)
Hours: 9 MTuWF and by appointment.
E-mail: jhiller@d.umn.edu
Phone: 218-726-7594
Home page: http://www.d.umn.edu/~jhiller

Text: J.S. Walker, Physics , 5th ed.

Web page: http://www.d.umn.edu/~jhiller/phys1001/. See this page for links to assigned reading and recommended problems. Access to the linked lecture notes is available only from the UMD network; those connected from other IP providers will need to use the VPN server to authenticate to the network. The server is described at itss.d.umn.edu/services/network-wireless/vpn. Contact the UMD ITSS help desk at 8847 to resolve any connectivity problems.

Prerequisite: Familiarity with algebra and trigonometry. Links to review materials on the web are available on the course home page.

Liberal Education Objectives (Category: Natural Science with a lab): Successful completion of this course will develop and exercise abilities in critical and creative thinking and in analytical and experimental methods applied to problem solving and to interpretation of events in the natural world. It will also provide a conceptual understanding of physical phenomena that is important for substantive participation in public policy debates in an increasingly technological world.

Course outline:
Week Sections Topics
1 1-1 to 7 dimensions, units, significant figures
2 2-1 to 7 kinematics in one dimension
3 3-1 to 6 vectors
4-1 to 5 kinematics in two dimensions
4 5-1 to 7; 12-1,2 forces and Newton's laws of motion
Exam #1 Chapters 1 to 5 and 12-1,2; Monday, February 6
5 6-1 to 5; 12-3 applications
6 7-1 to 4 work, kinetic energy, power
8-1 to 5; 12-4 to 6 potential energy, tides, nonconservative forces
7 9-1 to 4 impulse, momentum
Exam #2 Chapters 5 to 9 and 12; Monday, February 27
8 10-1 to 6 rotational kinematics
Spring Break
9 11-1 to 9 rotational dynamics, angular momentum
10 13-1 to 8 harmonic motion, springs, pendulums
11 14-1 to 9 waves, sound
Exam #3 Chapters 10,11,13,14; Monday, April 3
12 15-1 to 8 density, pressure, buoyancy, fluid dynamics
13 16-1 to 6 temperature, thermal expansion, heat
14 17-1 to 6 ideal gas law, kinetic theory, elastic deformation, phases
15 18-1 to 10 0th, 1st, 2nd & 3rd laws; thermal processes, entropy
16 Final Exam Chapters 1 to 18; Monday, May 1, 8 am, 195 MWAH

Homework: Reading and problem assignments will be listed at the URL www.d.umn.edu/~jhiller/phys1001/homework.htm, which is linked to the course web page. Lecture notes will be linked to the topics listed on this homework page. Before coming to a lecture, read the appropriate sections of the text, review the lecture notes, and try some of the problems. After the lecture, review the reading and your notes, and do the practice and homework problems. The problems are to be completed on the Mastering Physics web site by 8:00 am on the due date, which will usually be a Wednesday and sometimes a Monday

MasteringPhysics: This is an online resource, at www.masteringphysics.com, coordinated with the text; it includes the online assignments. You will need to register at the site using the course ID, MPHILLER00323, and a preset access code. The instructions for registration are available at https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0BzYN39eL8aqTN2ZuMGNXVnVXRWM?usp=sharing&ts=586c513e. The course ID and access code are included in this document. Billing for access is done by UMD based on your registration in the course, not registration in MasteringPhysics; you should not purchase a separate access code, because you will be billed for the common code in any case. Also, because of this arrangement, the access code is provided in a password protected directory and should not be shared with anyone not also registered. The site includes access to an electronic version of the text; purchase of a paper copy is optional.

Because the site security may not meet Federal privacy guidelines, you may use an alias when registering there, if you wish, so that any personal data, in particular your homework grades, cannot be associated with you by anyone other than those to whom you give your alias. However, if you do use an alias, be certain to give your alias to the instructor; otherwise, you won't be able to get credit for your homework!

There is an introductory assignment for you to try as a part of getting familiar with the web site. It does not affect your grade, but could be useful in preparing to do actual homework. It will be available until 8:00 am on Monday, January 23.

The regular online assignments are divided into two types, "practice problems" and "homework". The MasteringPhysics categories are named "Homework" and "Quiz", respectively. The practice problems (MP "Homework") allow multiple tries at the answer; the homework problems (MP "Quiz") do not.

Quizzes: Except for the first week and any week just before an exam, there will be a quiz on Friday. The quizzes will not only check your progress, but also provide practice for the coming exam; you may think of them as mini practice exams. Typical questions may include multiple choice, short answer, true/false, and problems to work in detail. There will not be any make-up quizzes, but the lowest two scores will be dropped when final grades are computed at the end of the semester.

Laboratory: The first meeting of laboratory sections will be during the second week of the semester, which begins on January 16. The lab descriptions and worksheets are available online at physics.d.umn.edu/physlabs/index.html. You are expected to prepare for lab each week by reading through the lab in advance of your lab session. If you are not prepared, you may not have time to complete all required elements. Further information can be found at the `physlabs' link.

Be aware that incomplete or habitually unsatisfactory lab work will result in an incomplete in the course; the condition to be met for the removal of such an incomplete is the satisfactory completion of the missing or unsatisfactory laboratory work.

Exams: There will be three regular exams and a comprehensive final. All exams will be closed-book and closed-notes; however, useful formulas will be provided and will also be available in advance, as a pdf file linked to the course web page. The objective is to test understanding and problem-solving ability, not memorization. The content of the exams will be based on lectures, demonstrations, problems, quizzes, and assigned reading. Solutions will be posted on the web soon after the exam, in pdf files linked from the exams page. Some questions will be multiple choice, true/false, short answer, etc.; others will require full written solutions done in a structured way. Be sure to always include an appropriate number of significant digits and always include units with any dimensionful quantities.

Exam makeup policy: Tentative exam dates have already been set, as listed above in the course outline. Therefore, it is expected that you will make the necessary arrangements to be present for exams. However, if an absence can be justified, please discuss the situation with the instructor in advance. A makeup exam will be scheduled for those justifiably absent. Absence from an exam without prior permission must be due to uncontrollable circumstances (explained and documented in writing) to be considered justifiable. A request for a makeup exam should be made at the earliest possible moment.

Snow days: A campus closing on the day of an exam or quiz, for snow or any other reason, will postpone the exam or quiz to the next class meeting.

Determination of grades: Grades will be determined from six components as follows:
1. Practice problems 5%
2. Homework 10%
3. Quizzes 14%
4. Laboratory 15%
5. Three regular exams 12% each
6. Final exam 20%
These six components will be combined to obtain a numerical score in the range of 0 to 100. After rounding, conversion to a letter grade will be made according to the following table:
A 80-100 B+ 65-69 C+ 50-54 D+ 35-39 F 0-29
A- 70-79 B 60-64 C 45-49 D 30-34
B- 55-59 C- 40-44

Posting of grades: Grades will be posted on an electronic gradebook, which can be reached by a direct link from the course home page. Your e-mail ID and password will give you access to your entries. During the semester, the available practice-problem, homework, quiz, and exam grades will be used by the gradebook to compute a current total grade, as an estimate of your progress.

Tutoring & Help Sessions: The Tutoring Center will arrange a schedule for Physics tutors who will be available to help you understand physics concepts and problem-solving techniques. The schedule will be announced and posted early in the semester.

Help Sessions will also be provided on a schedule to be determined. These sessions will be run by Physics Teaching Assistants and undergraduate volunteers.

A note on disabilities: Individuals who have any disability, either permanent or temporary, which might affect their ability to perform in this class are encouraged to inform the instructor at the start of the semester. Adaptation of methods, materials, or testing may be made as required to provide for equitable participation. To learn about the services that UMD provides to students with disabilities, contact Disability Resources, 258 Kirby Student Center, extension 6130.

Academic integrity: UMD's Student Academic Integrity Policy can be found at http://www.d.umn.edu/conduct/academic.html.

Classroom conduct: UMD's Student Conduct Code can be found at http://www.d.umn.edu/conduct.

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Last Modified: Thursday, 9 Feb 2017, 10:45:15 CST
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