PHYSICS 141: PRINCIPLES OF PHYSICS (4 CREDITS)
SUMMER I 2009  ~  June 1 – July 10, 2009

Instructor:  Giridhar Nandikotkur (Giri), giridhar@umd.edu
Office: Physics 3102, Phone (301) 405-5997

Teaching Assistants:

Section 0181: A. Chris Najmi (anajmi1@umbc.edu)
Office: PHYS . (301) 405-

Course Website: www.physics.umd.edu/courses/Phys141/giridhar/summer09/phys141-sum09.html
 or you could go to www.physics.umd.edu/courses/Phys141 and click on our class under Summer 2009.

Timings
Lectures    ALL DAYS: 5.30 pm- 6.50 pm Physics 1402
Discussions and Labs: There are two sections in this course that meet at the following times

About the course
Welcome to PHYS 141!  This course, the first of a two-semester series in general physics, covers the fields of mechanics, thermodynamics, sound, fluids and oscillations.

Required Texts

Text: Raymond  E. Serway, and John W. Jewett.  Physics for Scientists and Engineers, Vol 1, 7th edition.       ISBN 978-0-4-9511243-3:
Lab Manual: Physics 141 Laboratory Manual (UMCP)
Both texts are available at the University Book Store and the Maryland Book Exchange.

Corequisites
MATH 141 or MATH 221 is a corequisite for this class. (Credit will not be granted for PHYS171 and PHYS161 or PHYS141 or former PHYS191.).  This is a calculus based course with Algebra and geometry as prerequisites. We understand that due to the varied background that students come from, not everyone is equally equipped with the skills required.  Hence, we will try to hone your skills by giving you specially designed exercises in these specific topics.

Course requirements

Course requirements serve three functions.  First, and most importantly, they help you to learn the material.  Second, they help us to better teach the material in lectures, discussions, and labs by providing feedback on what is well and not so well understood.  Finally, they aid us in evaluation. 

Grade Evaluation

Your grades will be based upon the following components:

Effort and Attitude

This is a 4 credit class and you are expected to put in lot of effort. It is possible that there will be times when you will get frustrated. But that is the nature of learning Physics. It takes a while before you begin to see the returns. We (the TAs and me) want you to do well, and learn Physics at the same time. In order to prevent you from getting lost, we will just assign you 2 effort points just as a feedback to you which indicates whether you are putting in the expected effort or not. The scale will be 0, 0.5, 1, 1.5 and 2. These will not count towards your participation grade during the first week. But if you get 0.5s and 1s then clearly you are not spending enough time. We are not talking about results here, just effort... The results will come. If you get a score of 0.5 or 1 and you tell us that you spend A LOT OF TIME, then clearly your time is being wasted. It means that you should feel free to come by office hours an talk to me or the TAs so that we can guide you in the right direction. We respect your time! So let us make sure that your efforts are channeled in the right direction.

Homework
Assigned Problems: The surest and best way to learn physics is to work through as many problems as possible.  However, it is not feasible to grade each and every problem.  Hence, we will select and grade in detail two problems from every homework; each of the two problems are worth 5 points each.  The rest of the problems are graded out of 2 points each.  An correct solution gets 2 points, a valiant attempt "almost there" gets 1.5 points, while a good attempt (right method with the correct equations, correct picture) could get 1 point, some attempt gets 0.5 points. The problems graded in detail are marked in bold red, on the homework page.

Homework assignments are due at the beginning of lecture. 

Guidelines for homework assignments: 

• All homework assignments should be neatly written with answers to questions presented in numerical order.  Be sure that your name is clearly written at the top of all pages and that you have stapled all pages together. You are responsible for misplaced or lost pages. The TA will NOT grade any homework that does not meet this criterion and you will get a 0 on that homework.
• Be sure to answer all parts of each question.

 
Please follow the detailed instructions given in class on how to solve homework problems. Some them are also listed below.

• Make sure that you attempt problems starting at the top of the sheet proceeding downward. If you have the habit of solving problems with sequential steps proceeding horizontally, then you cannot have 2 problems next to each other (horizontally). If you are in the habit of having sequential steps below each other, then you can have more than one problem next to each other ONLY IF there is a clear partition between the two. These instructions are probably not very clear. If you do not understand these instructions, please clarify with the instructor.
• Have enough empty space between one problem and the next.
• Your problems must contain words and explanations for your steps. THIS IS A MUST.
• Any answer must be explained with physical principles or concepts. A SIMPLE YES OR NO WILL NEVER DO.
• If you can draw a diagram or a picture of the situation, then you must draw it.
• All answers must have units.
• Each student is allowed to turn in homework late ONLY 2 times during the semester. But these will be graded for 15 % less credit for every day that they are late. After that, late homework assignments will not be accepted.

Quizzes
Six 15-minute quizzes, consisting of 3 multiple choice questions and 1 problem, will be conducted through the course of the semester; the quiz problem will be similar to one of the homework problems.  These quizzes will be right after discussion or lecture hours.  The best 4 will be counted towards your final grade. The quizzes will be conducted at the end of discussion. The multiple choice questions will be based on the questions given at the end of each chapter and/or concepts discussed in the class. Please refer to the website for the dates.

Exams
There will be three closed book and closed note exams midterm exams and one final exam.  You can drop one of the midterms.  No makeup exams for any of the mid terms are allowed; if you miss one of the mid-term exams, it will count as your dropped exam.  The exams will be of one hour duration and a mixture of conceptual (multiple choice questions) and work problems.
(Exam 1: June XX, Friday, 5.30 pm – 6.50 pm)
(Exam 2: June XX, Friday, 5.30 pm - 6.50 pm)
(Exam 3: July XX, Friday 5.30 pm - 6.50 pm)

Laboratory
The laboratory schedule is as follows.

Please keep the following in mind.

• Students have to complete ALL the laboratories and turn in all the lab reports to be eligible for a passing grade in the course.  You will be given two opportunities to make up labs.  However, you cannot make up more than one labs. If you miss more than 1 lab in the semester, the grade is an automatic F by non-negotiable DEPARTMENT RULES, since you cannot make up more than one lab.
• Please read the complete experiment in the lab manual and complete all the questions listed in the “prelab.”  The prelab questions are due at the beginning of the lab.
• The lab report is due at the end of the lab.  You will not be given extra time to turn in the report.  So, it is a good idea to prepare for the lab by making all the necessary tables before coming to the lab and bringing the necessary supplies (pencil, ruler, graph sheets etc) with you. If you are confused about something in the manual, please send your TAs an email. For some of the experiments (very few) your TA might allow you 1 extra day to turn the lab in.

Attendance
A 4 credit complete Physics course is extremely fast paced and demanding!  You will be learning new concepts every lecture and missing even one lecture can make you fall behind simply because the concepts build on the ones covered in earlier sessions.  Hence, attendance (lectures, discussions, and labs) is mandatory and will be taken almost during every lecture* and discussion through a sign in sheet.  Please send a note to me or the TA if you have a valid medical reason for not attending.  Absence without permission/a valid reason or walking out of lectures/discussions will count towards negative points.
*Your name might be called out during the lecture at random and if you are absent during that lecture, then it is noted as an absence.

Getting help: Office hours, Slawsky Clinic 
If there is ever anything that you do not understand, get help immediately!  Do not fall behind because you were afraid to ask questions.  We view seeking help as a sign of your commitment to the course, and this will be considered when grading time comes around.  You have many options available: you may ask me during or immediately following class, meet me or your TA during office hours. We also encourage you to draw on the strengths of others in this class to learn the material by forming study groups—however, plagiarizing will not be tolerated. The more you think about a problem, the better you are equipped to face the next one. Don't expect the us to show you how to do the problems, however. Problems are best solved when you learn by thinking about them, not by memorizing them or watching someone else show you how to do them. Try the problems first. Don't worry, we are here to help you, but you must try first. We will give you hints or suggestions on ways to proceed when you come to us for help or send us emails (that mention what you have done so far). You might get stuck again! Thats ok. You might have to talk us/ or send us emails many times for the same problem. It is natural to get stuck while solving a problem. But developing the art of thinking about it and finding your way out is where the learining lies!

Office Hours

Here are the final office hours for the semester.

• Giri:
  • Monday 4.15 pm - 5.15 pm
  • Wednseday  4.15 pm - 5.15 pm

My office hours are in room 2357 Computer and Space Sciences (CSS) building. (The map shows the path from Physics Lecture Hall 1410 to the CSS building marked # 224 on the map). See this map for approximate location of my room. You will have to go one floor up if you enter where shown. If you are walking up the hill, you should enter through the last entrance.

• Chris
  • Tuesday 4.15 pm -5.15 pm
  • Thursday 4.15 pm- 5.15 pm

The Department of Physics also offers help at the “Slawsky Clinic” which is in room 1214 (check their door for their hours). This is a voluntary service and is run by individuals familiar with Physics, who are not associated with the course directly. They might or might be open during the summer. So please check their door for their schedule.

Academic Honesty
Giving/receiving help on exams or plagiarizing homework and other assignments is not acceptable behavior in this class.  It is okay to work with other students. But you have to write the answer in your own words. So if your answers match word for word, then you have not bothered to explain it in your own words. Points will be taken off. It is a common knowledge that students sometimes get a hold of the solutions manual. If your answer matches the manual word for word, or has the same variables, and steps, then half of the points will be taken off. Please refer to the student academic honor page www.shc.umd.edu for details.  As mentioned earlier, you are allowed to discuss with your peers while attempting homework problems, but the work that you turn in must be your own.  Any cases of suspected cheating will be immediately referred to the Honor Council; this is to protect your right to due process and a fair hearing.

Rescheduling of lectures, discussions, or lab hours
Some of the lab, discussion and lecture hours have been rescheduled.  There is no lab on June 9. The June 8 lecture will run for an hour more and the tutorial will begin after that. The June 9 lecture will run for an hour more.