Physics 1408
Principles of Physics I Course Outline First Summer Semester 2009
Instructor: Thomas L. Gibson Office: Sc 27 Office Hours: 10:00-11:00 a.m. (M-F) Required Text: Physics For Scientists And Engineers, 4th edition, by Giancoli with Mastering Physics (student access kit) and Laboratory Manual for Physics 1408 Principles of Physics I. Course Coverage: Time permitting, the course will cover material from the first 20 chapters in the text. Course Web page: www.phys.ttu.edu/~ritlg/courses/p1408/index.html
- Grading Policy:
- The following six scores will be accumulated during the course of the semester: OHLQ; Exam 1; Exam 2; Exam 3; Final Exam; Final Exam. The course grade will be the average of the OHLQ and the four highest exam scores of the five listed above. NO MAKEUP EXAMS will be given. Your letter grade will be determined on the following scale: (55-65) D; (66-81) C; (82-91) B; (92-100) A. I do use +/- grades one point either side of a grade boundary, e.g., grades of 80 or 81 earn a C+ while grades of 82 or 83 earn a B-.
- OHLQ:(Online Homework + Laboratory + Online Quizzes)
- Online homework from the Mastering Physics website will be assigned and graded on a regular basis. This will constitute half of the credit for the OHLQ category.
- Laboratories will be conducted during the assigned lab periods. Your laboratory grade will constitute the other half of the credit for the OHLQ category.
- Finally, if you take all of the online quizzes and achieve a final average ≥ 92 before the due date (11:00 p.m. June 24, 2009), at the end of the semester you will receive 10 bonus points in your OHLQ category. No other extra credit or bounus points are available.
- Hour Exams: Three one-hour exams will be given. You will need a scantron sheet for each exam.
- Final: A comprehensive two-and-a-half-hour final exam will be given. You will also need a scantron sheet for this exam.
- Important Dates:
- May 27 = Wednesday---Classes start for the First Summer Semester.
- June 16 = Tuesday---Last day to drop course.
- June 25 = Thursday---Last day of classes.
- June 26 = Friday---Final Exam (Chapters 1-14,17-20) (11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.)
- Course Goals:
- This course is intended to acquaint students with the basic laws of physics, to develop a better understanding of physical science in general, and help prepare you for other upper-division physics and engineering classes. To this end, the course will emphasize a mix of conceptual understanding and standard "end-of-chapter" homework solving skills.
- Expected Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able
to:
- Describe the basis of the scientific method.
- Distinguish between a scientific theory and speculation.
- Compute the fundamental elements of energy and motion.
- Understand and make use of graphical relationships for motion, work, and energy.
- Methods for Assessing the Expected Learning Outcomes The expected learning outcomes for the course will be assessed through:
- A beginning of the semester pre-test and an end of the semester post-test.
- Approximate Coverage and Date for 1-hour Exams:
- Chapters 1-5; Friday, June 5, 2009.
- Chapters 6-9; Friday, June 12, 2009.
- Chapters 10-14; Friday, June 19, 2009.
- Important Notes:
- Any student who, because of a disability, may require special arrangements in order to meet the course requirements should contact the instructor as soon as possible to make any necessary arrangements. Students should present appropriate verification from Student Disability Services during the instructor's office hours. Please note instructors are not allowed to provide classroom accommodations to a student until appropriate verification from Student Disability Services has been provided. For additional information, you may contact the Student Disability Services office at 335 West Hall or 806-742-2405.
- The faculty is strongly committed to upholding standards of academic integrity. These standards, at the minimum, require that students never present the work of others as their own.
- Since there are many of you and only one of me, if you have questions about the course, check the Frequently Asked Questions page first.
- Strategy for Success:
- Be prepared! Study your notes, read the material in the text before we cover it in class, and take advantage of the online resources. This will help you keep up, will make for more productive classroom interaction, and will help keep you prepared for those exams that will make up most of your semester grade.
- Begin all homework assignments as soon as possible. The assignments take time and thought.
- Once you can work through a problem with your notes, book, study group, etc., write the question down on a blank sheet of paper and then try to rework it entirely on your own a day or so later.
- Never wait until the night before a test to "begin" studying.
- The summer schedule is, to say the least, brisk. Don't get behind.
- See your instructor if you are stuck--that's why they pay me the big bucks!