General Physics A - Syllabus - Spring 2016

PHY 2048C & PHY 2048L

Course Description: General Physics A (PHY 2048C) is a calculus-based introduction to mechanics with corequisite PHY 2048L (the associated laboratory course) and prerequisite MAC 2311. You may register for PHY 2048C only if you have passed MAC 2311. Successful completion of PHY 2048C, PHY 2049C, and Intermediate Modern Physics (PHY 3101), entitles you to a Minor in Physics.

Course Objectives: By the end of the course, students will demonstrate the ability to

• solve one- and two-dimensional kinematics problems
• use Newton's Laws to describe simple physical situations
• apply the principles of conservation of energy and momentum
• solve problems involving circular motion, springs, and gravity
• apply some or all of the above concepts to both translational and rotational motion
  

According to the Liberal Studies for the 21^st Century, students will demonstrate the ability to:

• think critically and cogently about causal relationships with scientific reasoning.
• assess previous experimentation and published scientific results.
• critically examine and evaluate scientific observation, hypothesis or model construction.
• articulate a variety of issues created by the complex interactions among science, technology, and society.
• use scientific perspectives to evaluate contemporary problems facing society.
• explain the process of scientific reasoning and apply scientific principles inside and outside of the laboratory or field setting.
• systematically evaluate evidence for accuracy, limitations, and relevance, and identify alternative interpretations of evidence.
• design and conduct experiments to make observations and test hypotheses, as well as to analyze and interpret data using quantitative and appropriate technological tools.
  

Course Enrollment: You must register for one section of PHY 2048C and one section of PHY 2048L. To pass General Physics A you must pass both PHY 2048C and PHY 2048L. General questions pertaining to the lab course should be addressed to the Laboratory Coordinator.

Course Website: Information about this course can be found via Blackboard. 

Required Course Materials: Essential University Physics, Volume 1, 3rd Edition by Richard Wolfson, bundled with MasteringPhysics.

Lectures: These are held Tuesday and Thursday in Richards (UPL) 101 from 9:30 am to 10:45 am.

Tutorials: These are held Monday and Wednesday as scheduled below. The tutorials and the homework are where you practice problem-solving. If you wish to accrue all points assigned to the tutorials, you must attend and participate meaningfully in at least 85% of the tutorials. NB: If you attend, but choose not to participate in a meaningful way, you will accrue no points.

Homework: Homework assignments are hosted at the MasteringPhysics website. If you have not yet done so, you should sign-up with this website using the following course identifier: MPPROSPER74478. Assignments will be available by 11:59 pm Thursday and must be completed before 11:59 pm the following Thursday. If you fail to meet the deadline you will get no credit. Since the purpose of the homework is to test understanding of what you have studied before class and what you have assimilated during class, the homework and classes occur concurrently.

Examinations: There will be 2 one-hour written exams during the semester and a final written exam. The subject of the exams may be any material from the assigned chapters.

Pre-Class Quizzes: Pre-class quizzes will be posted once per week at the MasteringPhysics website. The quizzes are designed to help you prepare for the tutorials and lectures and make them more pedagogically useful. The quizzes, which are preceded by short video clips which you should watch, will be available at 11:00 am on Thursday and (unless stated otherwise) must be completed by 11:59 pm on the Sunday that follows.

Laboratories: The purpose of the laboratories is to give you hands-on experience in observing phenomena, using laboratory equipment, collecting data, analyzing them and drawing conclusions from your results. You must complete, before the end of the lab session, a brief lab report following the format prescribed by your lab Teaching Assistant (TA). Warning: We have instructed the lab TAs not to grade badly written reports. Attendance at each lab session is mandatory (see below for the consequences of a failure to attend). We shall assume that you have studied the laboratory assignment before the corresponding lab session.

The Pendulum Lab will be used to assess the laboratory portion of the Liberal Studies Natural Science Competencies.  If you do not complete the Pendulum Lab, your overall course grade will be reduced by one full letter grade.

Current Events Writing Assignment:  This assignment is used to assess two of the Liberal Studies Natural Science Competencies.  It is worth 3% of your course grade.  If you do not complete the assignment, your overall course grade will be reduced by one full letter grade.  You must submit your writing assignment by 5:00 PM, March 31st.

Select a current news item related to one or more physics topics covered in class and describe the relationship between the news item and the physics topic.  How does what you've learned in class help you interpret the news item?  How does your general knowledge of scientific reasoning and principles help you interpret the news item?  What additional information would you like to have about the news item to improve your understanding of it?

Provide a reference for the news item (such as a valid URL).  Your response should be about 250 words in length and turned in via Blackboard.  If your response is found to be plagiarized, you will receive no credit, fail the course, and be reported for an Honor Policy violation. 

Extra Credit: If you wish, you can earn up to 4% extra credit by participating in the in-class quizzes using the TopHat system. In order to participate, you must pay to access the TopHat website. (An e-mail will be sent to you explaining how to access the website.) It is your responsibility to ensure that your access to TopHat works. All technical issues pertaining to the use of TopHat should be directed to TopHat support.

Important Points to Note:

1. There are no make-up exams and all exams must be taken when scheduled.
2. All grading questions must be resolved within 2 weeks of the exam.
3. We strongly encourage you to work together on homework problems. But if you merely copy solutions, you will learn little and therefore risk doing badly in the course.
4. For every missed lab, 5% will be deducted from your overall course grade (except for the Pendulum lab, which if missed will reduce your grade by one full letter grade).
   
5. If you miss 3 or more labs you will fail the course.
6. If you miss the final exam you will fail the course.

Grading: Your course grade will be calculated using the guide below.

Instructors

Tutorial Sections

Tutorial Teaching Assistants

Laboratory Teaching Assistants

Laboratory Sections

Schedule

FLORIDA STATE HONOR POLICY

The Florida State University Academic Honor Policy outlines the University's expectations for the integrity of students' academic work, the procedures for resolving alleged violations of those expectations, and the rights and responsibilities of students and faculty members throughout the process.  Students are responsible for reading the Academic Honor Policy and for living up to their pledge to ``... be honest and truthful and [to] strive for personal and institutional integrity at Florida State University."  (Florida State University Academic Honor Policy, found at http://fda.fsu.edu/Academics/Academic-Honor-Policy.)

The Academic Honor Code begins:

``The Academic Honor System of Florida State University is based on the premise that each student has the responsibility (1) to uphold the highest standards of academic integrity in the student's own work, (2) to refuse to tolerate violations of academic integrity in the University community, and (3) to foster a high sense of integrity and social responsibility on the part of the University community."

It can be summarized as ``Do not cheat."  Students found cheating will be reported in accordance with the FSU Academic Honor Policy and will fail the course.

ADA POLICY

Students with disabilities needing academic accommodations should: (1) register with and provide documentation to the Student Disability Resource Center (SDRC); and (2) bring a letter to me from SDRC indicating the need for accommodation and what type.   This should be done during the first week of class. This and other class materials are available in alternative format upon request. 

For more information about services available to FSU students with disabilities, contact:

            Student Disability Resource Center

            874 Traditions Way

            Florida State University

            Tallahassee, FL 32306-4167

(850) 644-9566 (voice)

            (850) 644-8504 (TDD)

            sdrc@admin.fsu.edu

LIBERAL STUDIES FOR THE 21^ST CENTURY

The Liberal Studies for the 21^st Century Program at Florida State University builds an educational foundation that will enable FSU graduates to thrive both intellectually and materially and to support themselves, their families, and their communities through a broad and critical engagement with the world in which they live and work. Liberal Studies thus offers a transformative experience. This course has been approved as meeting the Liberal Studies requirements for Natural Sciences and thus is designed to help you become a critical appraiser of the theories of the natural sciences and the facts that support them.

FREE TUTORING FROM FSU

For tutoring and writing help in many courses at FSU, visit the Academic Center for Excellence (ACE) Tutoring Services' comprehensive list of tutoring options - see http://ace.fsu.edu/tutoring or contact tutor@fsu.edu for more information.  High-quality tutoring is available by appointment and on a walk-in basis.  Tutors trained to encourage the highest level of individual academic success while upholding personal academic integrity offer these services.  Separate from the ACE tutoring, your instructors are available during office hours and by appointment, and the Physics Department provides a graduate student for problem-solving help in Dirac Library.  The schedule will be announced when available.

UNIVERSITY ATTENDANCE POLICY

Excused absences include documented illness, deaths in the family and other documented crises, call to active military duty or jury duty, religious holy days, and official University activities.  These absences will be accommodated in a way that does not arbitrarily penalize students who have a valid excuse.  Consideration will also be given to students whose dependent children experience serious illness.

SYLLABUS CHANGE POLICY

Except for changes that substantially affect implementation of the evaluation (grading) statement, this syllabus is a guide for the course and is subject to change with advance notice.