PHYS
1403: General Physics I
Fall 2003
Professor:
Dr. Beth Ann Thacker
Assistant Professor of
Physics
Office:
Phone: 742-2996
Email: batcam@spudhammer.phys.ttu.edu
Schedule: T
W
R
Office
Hours: T
Prerequisites:
MATH 1320
and 1321.
Course
Materials: All
materials (modules, homework, readings and extra handouts) will be available in
class.
Course
Coverage: Kinematics,
Forces, Torque, Work, Energy, Momentum, Rotational Motion, Waves, and Fluids.
The
Nature of the Course: The course will be completely laboratory-based. (It will NOT be
divided into Lecture and Laboratory. It is important that you understand this.)
You will work through modules, learning content by doing experiments.
Throughout the experiments there will be questions to guide you. The focus is
on understanding the experiments and on learning to develop models of physical
phenomena based on experimental evidence. It is the process that you go
through in class that is important. You will answer the questions on the
computer. You will have a record of your
answers. There will also be times for discussion with other students and points
at which the instructor will question you to determine your understanding up to
that point. There will also be readings, exercises and homework.
Participation:
Participation
will count as 15% of your grade. If you come to class and participate each day,
not coming late, not leaving early, being on task (working on the appropriate
experiment), etc., you will receive the full participation grade. In addition,
pre-tests, post-tests, journals, surveys, and questionnaires will count as part
of your participation grade.
Homework:
Homework
will be assigned each week on Thursday and be returned the following Thursday.
Homework will be turned in at the beginning of the class on Thursday. After the
beginning of class it is late. Late homework will not be accepted, with the
exception that you will be allowed to turn in one homework
late. Other late homework will not be accepted. Homework will be graded and
will count as 25% of your grade. It is an important part of the class.
Pre-tests,
post-tests and surveys: A general pre-test and a survey will be given at the beginning of the
semester and some sections will start with pre-tests. In addition, a general
post-test, a survey and a class assessment questionnaire will be given at the
end of the semester. There may be other pre-tests, post-tests or surveys. You
may be required to do some of these outside of class. Pre-tests are to
determine your understanding of a topic before instruction. Pre-tests and the
general post-test will not be graded, but they will be counted as part of your
participation grade. You will receive full credit, if you take the general
pre-test, general post-test or complete the surveys and questionnaires. Your
participation grade will decrease by 3 percentage points for each general
pre-test, general post-test, survey or questionnaire you don’t complete and ½
percentage point for each section pre-test you don’t complete.
Journals:
Occasionally
you may be asked to write a journal entry. Your instructor will give you a
topic to write on. You may also use the journal to comment to the
instructor about the class. Journal entries will be read, but not graded for
content. Journal entries will count as part of your participation grade. You
will get full credit, if you write the journal entry, and lose ½ a percentage
point from your participation grade, if you don’t.
Project: We will study one topic as
a project outside of class. You will be given materials to work on outside of
class. There will be questions to answer and turn in that will be graded. More
information on the project will be given out in class. There will be times
outside of class that you can, and should, talk with one of the instructors
about material in the project. The project will count as 10% of your grade. It
will be due on
Quizzes:
There will
be two quizzes on content and process covered in class, homework, readings and
exercises up to that point. Quizzes will count 10% of your grade. The quizzes
will be given on:
Quiz 1 September 16, 2003
Quiz 2 October 9, 2003
Exams:
There will
be two midterm exams and a final exam on content and process covered in
class, homework, readings and exercises up to that point. Each midterm exam
will count 10% of your grade and the final will count 20% of your grade.
Midterm exam 1 September 24, 2003
Midterm exam 2 November 5, 2003
Final Exam
Grades:
The grades
will be distributed as follows:
Participation 15%
Homework 25%
Project 10%
Quizzes 10%
Midterm 1 10%
Midterm 2 10%
Final Exam 20%
Any
student who because of a disability may require special arrangements in order
to meet course requirements should contact the instructor as soon as possible
to make any necessary accommodations. Student should present appropriate
verification from AccessTECH. No requirement exists
that accommodations be made prior to completion of this approved university
procedure.