Prerequisites
We expect you to have successfully completed intro classes in bio, chem, and math.
- One year of college biology (BSCI 160 and 170 or the equivalent)
- One semester of college chemistry (CHEM 131 or the equivalent)
- One year of college math (MATH 135 and 136 or the equivalent -- including calculus and an introduction to probability)
- Physics 131. (There are very few other classes that are equivalent to our PHYS 131. High School AP physics does not cover the necessary topics. If you are trying to take 132 after taking another intro physics I class, check our Catch-up Readings (Links to an external site.) that show topics, terms, and methods you will be expected to know.)
We expect you to know the basics, not all the details -- what a cell is and its structure, how evolution works, what a chemical bond is, etc. You will be expected to bring your knowledge from these classes into our class and, on occassion, to share it.
What do I need to buy?
All our materials are online on the open web. You will only need to buy an online access program that we will use for our in-class activities and an program where you will do your homework.
- TopHat -- This is the online app that
will give you access to our in-class activities.
Using this requires a smartphone, tablet, or laptop. If you don't
have any of those, see your instructor for an accommodation.
TopHat will be contacting you with instructions through the email you used to register for classes. Please be sure to use that email address when registering for TopHat, otherwise you will not get the points for your participation. The join code is PHYS 132-S20 Redish Join code: 864081 Password: interdisciplinary - ExpertTA (XTA) -- This is the online app that you will use
to do most of our homework problems. (There is also one problem
per week to be done on paper.) This costs $32.50 per semester. When
you activate the first homework assignment in Canvas you will have
to pay and will be registered with XTA.
PLEASE NOTE: Access XTA through the Canvas assignment page. While you can go directly to the XTA website and log in there, if you do, your grade will not be sent to Canvas and will not count.
- Do I need to buy a text? -- No. We are trying to keep costs down for you by using free online materials. The homepage for our online text has links to other useful tools, videos, and online texts. (Under "Useful/Fun links") If you find any sets of videos or online texts you find useful, let me know so I can share it with the class.
- Do I need to buy a lab manual? -- No. The recitation and lab worksheetsare online at our lab page. You will need to print them out before coming to recitation and lab each week.
What else do I need?
- A Spreadsheet -- Some of our homework and lab activities
require a spreadsheet
to do repetitive calculations. You can use Excel, OpenOffice,
or the spreadsheet available at Google Docs (http://docs.google.com/).
To use Google Docs, you need to have a Google account
(your university Gmail account should work.)
- If you are unfamiliar
with spreadsheets, there are good tutorials on the web.
Here are some that look particularly appropriate. Many others are
easily found by putting "Excel
tutorial" into
your favorite search engine. We
will do our own training on Excel in the first lab.
- If you are unfamiliar
with spreadsheets, there are good tutorials on the web.
Here are some that look particularly appropriate. Many others are
easily found by putting "Excel
tutorial" into
your favorite search engine. We
will do our own training on Excel in the first lab.
- A Video Analysis Program -- In the lab, you will use ImageJ to
quantitatively analyze images and videos. .
We will help you install this in the laboratory period during the first week of the term.
