Office: EP 311A
Hours: 10:30 MWF and by appointment.
E-mail: jhiller@uidaho.edu
Phone: 208-885-7822
Home page:
http://webpages.uidaho.edu/jhiller
Text: Cutnell and Johnson, Physics , 10th ed.
Web site: http://webpages.uidaho.edu/jhiller/phys111/. See this site for links to assigned reading, recommended problems, and lecture notes.
Prerequisite: Familiarity with algebra and trigonometry. Links to review materials on the web are available on the course home page.
Co-requisite: Phys 111L (the companion laboratory).
Liberal Education Objectives 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 |
| 2.1 to 7 | kinematics in one dimension | |
| 2 | 1.4-8 | vectors |
| 3-1,2 | kinematics in two dimensions | |
| 3 | 2.3,4 | projectile motion, relative motion |
| 4.1-10 | forces and Newton's laws of motion | |
| 4 | 4.11,12 | applications |
| 5.1-7 | circular motion | |
| 5 | Exam #1 | Chapters 1 to 5; Monday, September 23 |
| 6.1-5 | work, kinetic & potential energy | |
| 6 | 6.6-9 | nonconservative forces, power |
| 7.1-4 | impulse, momentum | |
| 7 | 7.5 | center of mass |
| 8.1-6 | rotational kinematics | |
| 8 | 9.1-6 | rotational dynamics, angular momentum |
| 9 | 10.1-8 | harmonic motion, springs, pendulums |
| 10 | Exam #2 | Chapters 6-10; Monday, October 28 |
| 11.1-6 | density, pressure, buoyancy | |
| 11 | 11.7-10 | fluid dynamics |
| 12.1-7 | temperature, thermal expansion, heat | |
| 12 | 12.8-10 | phases |
| 13.1-4 | heat transfer | |
| 14-1-3 | ideal gas law, kinetic theory | |
| 13 | 15.1-12 | 0th, 1st, 2nd & 3rd laws; thermal processes, entropy |
| 14 | 16.1-9 | waves, sound |
| 15 | 17.1,2,4-6 | interference, beats, standing waves |
| 16 | Final Exam | Chapters 1 to 17; Tuesday, 17 December, 3 pm, EP 122 |
Class attendance: Attendance is expected and strongly recommended. Lack of attendance is a primary predictor for a lack of success!
Homework: Reading and problem assignments will be listed at the URL webpages.uidaho.edu/jhiller/phys111/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 listed problems. Working additional problems is recommended. Quizzes will be frequently based on assigned problems, but do not wait until the night before the quiz to try the problems!
Recitations: A recitation hour, led by a graduate TA, is provided for you to have additional help with concepts and problem solving. Meetings will take place each week in EP 205 on Tuesdays at 5 pm. Participation is voluntary but highly recommended.
Quizzes: Except for the weeks 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.
Exams: There will be two 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 solutions 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. Scientific and graphing calculators may be used during exams and quizzes (and one is probably necessary!), but a cell phone or any device with wifi capabilities will not be allowed, even if it is in airplane mode.
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 three components as follows:
| 1. Quizzes | 35% |
| 2. Two regular exams | 20% each |
| 3. Final exam | 25% |
| A | 80-100 | B | 60-79 | C | 45-59 | D | 30-44 | F | 0-29 |
Posting of grades: Grades will be posted in the BBLearn entry for the course. Your Vandal ID and password will give you access to your entries. During the semester, the available quiz and exam grades will be used 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 in EP 309 at times posted on the door of this room. These sessions will be run by graduate TAs.
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 UI provides to students with disabilities, contact CDAR, the Center for Disability Access and Resources, 127 Pitman Center, 5-6307.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this page are strictly
those of the page author. The contents of this page have not been reviewed or
approved by the University of Idaho.