Physics
161 - Spring 2007
General Physics: Mechanics
and Particle Dynamics
Instructor: Erin Rericha Phone: (301)-405-8317, (202)-306-5473
Office: 3353 AV Williams e-mail: erericha@umd.edu
Lecture Time: M
7:00 – 8:50 PM, W 7:00 – 7:50 PM
Lecture Room: 1412
Official Course
Description: (3 credits) Grade Method:
REG/P-F/AUD. CORE Physical Science (PS) Course. USP Distributive Studies Area
B: Natural Sciences and Mathematics Course. Pre- or co-requisite: MATH
141. Credit will not be granted for PHYS 171 and PHYS 161 or PHYS 141 or former
PHYS 191. First semester of a three-semester calculus-based
general physics course. Laws of motion, force, and
energy; principles of mechanics, collisions, linear momentum, rotation, and
gravitation. Physics clinic, PHY 1214, MTWHF 11, 2.
Dr. Rericha’s Office Hours: Tu. from 9-10 AM and Wed. 4:5PM, room 3353
A.V. Williams, otherwise by appointment.
Discussion Sessions: Led by Young-Noh
Yoon, mystyle@umd.edu
Section 0401 Wednesday 8-8:50 Physics 1402
Section 0402 Wednesday 6:650 Physics 1402
Pre or Co-requisites: Math
141 (Calculus 2). Make
sure you are comfortable with calculus before taking this class. Better yet,
you should like calculus since we
will be using it extensively.
Textbook: Physics
for Scientists and Engineers: A Strategic Approach by Randall D. Knight
Recommended Texts. There are many books that you may find
helpful when Knight is not, including: Physics
(Volume 1) by Paul Tipler and Fundamentals
of Physics (Volume 1) by Halliday and Resnick.
Course Webpages:
|
Webpage |
Mastering Physics |
WebCT |
|
URL |
www.courses.umd.edu |
|
|
Used for |
Online Homework
Problems |
Homework Solutions,
Quizes & Exam Grades |
|
User ID |
University
Directory ID |
University
Directory ID |
The user ID and
password for WebCT is your University Directory ID and Password.
These are the same as the ID and password that you use to log in to the
University computer systems such as Testudo. If you don't know your ID
and password click on the WebCT
link for assistance.
For Mastering
Physics instructions for creating your account and using the system are
here.
You are asked to set the username to your
e-mail address. (We have encountered some conflicts using the same values
as for WebCT). You will also need to
enter your nine-digit University ID number or UID. Your UID
number is displayed on the front of your student photo ID card if it is printed
after June 2003. It is also available if you login to WebCT .
Mastering Physics Course ID:
MPRERICHAPHYS1610001
Grades: A total numerical score will be computed by
summing your scores on the final exam, the three midterms, the homework and the
quizzes with the following weight:
Final exam 25%
Three midterm
exams (15 % each) 40% (No exam scores are dropped)
Homework
(written and electronic) 25% (No
homework scores are dropped)
Quizzes (lecture and discussion) 10%
A histogram of total scores for the entire class
will be plotted. Assuming that the distribution is reasonably bell-shaped,
letter grades will be assigned so that students with scores in the top 20% will
receive an A, the next lower 40% will receive a B, the next lower 25% will
receive a C, and the remaining 15% will be split between D and F.
Attendance: Your
participation in the class will be kept track through clicker questions. In order to get the full benefit of the
course (and your tuition payment) you are encouraged to both attend and
participate in the lectures and discussion sessions.
About the
course:
Physics 161 is the first course in the three-semester 161/260/270 sequence in
introductory physics intended for engineering students. Most students who take
this class have already taken a year of Physics in high school. Physics 161 is
a CORE physical science course. The course covers material in classical
Newtonian Mechanics including motion of objects in 1, 2 and 3 dimensions,
Exams: There are three midterms and one final. All exams
will be closed book. You can bring a 3x5
index card as a crib sheet. The card
will be turned in with your exam. You may need a calculator during the quizzes
and exams, especially one with "scientific" capabilities, i.e., trig,
log, exponential, roots, and powers. Memories, parentheses, radian/degree
conversion, etc., are also very helpful. We reserve the right to clear all
memories on your calculator (particularly those with alpha-numeric
capabilities) at the start of any exam.
You must take all the exams. If you think you have a reason why you cannot
attend an exam, see Dr. Rericha before the exam! If you miss an exam with a valid excuse, a
makeup exam will be given. Students are responsible for all material, including
that covered in assigned reading, lectures and homework. Material from any part
of the course can appear on a test, quiz or homework, whether or not it was
covered in the lectures.
FINAL EXAM
is Monday, May 14, from 6 PM to 8 PM in Room 1410 Physics.
Excuses: Missing an exam is not allowed without a
valid documented excuse as defined by the University (medical problem,
religious holiday, or serious family crisis). In all cases, a makeup exam will
still need to be completed in a reasonable amount of time to not receive a score
of zero for the exam. The makeup exam must be arranged by consulting with Dr.
Rericha as soon as possible after it becomes apparent that there will be a
problem. If you are going to miss an exam because of a religious holiday, it is
your responsibility to inform the instructor in advance, so that suitable
arrangements can be made.
Homework and Solutions: Homework will generally be assigned on Monday and
due by the following Monday at the start of class. Homework will be assigned
and completed online, using the Mastering Physics system.
Instructions for logging in and using the system are here.
The homework assignment page contains a list of problems
and their due dates. Please
note: the schedule will be updated regularly during the
semester.
Mastering
Physics
will allow you several opportunities to enter the correct answer on your
homework, and will tell you instantly when you are wrong. This is
supposed to be a learning opportunity, not a guessing game. Attempt the
homework early by yourself – then you’ll know
what you do and don’t understand. Then discuss the problems with the TA
or your study group, and try the problems again.
Doing the homework
is an essential part of learning physics. For this reason, homework is a
significant portion of your grade. You are encouraged to work together
with other students in small groups to complete the homework. However,
you must make sure you are learning the exercises, and not simply copying the
answers or formulas. Cheating will ultimately lead to your downfall on
the exams – just do the homework, so you’ll learn to do the problems on the
exams. Also note: Mastering Physics will
randomize some of the numerical problems, so be careful! The best way to
do physics problems is to work out a formula for the answer, and plug in the
numbers at the end. You can work together this way; even if you and your
study partners have different numbers in your homework problems, you can work
together to derive the correct formula for the answer.
Some Mastering Physics
problems are tutorial problems. These problems are meant to guide
you step-by-step to a solution. They have hints which you may open when
you are stuck. These problems are graded slightly differently than the
end-of-chapter problems (see below): There is a 3% penalty for getting an
answer wrong, but a 2% bonus for not opening a hint. You should be reasonably
sure of your answer before submitting (so you are not penalized 3%), but 3%
isn't much, so don't stress! A hint will "cost" you 2%, but
that is less than the cost of a wrong answer, so use the hints when you can't
figure out what to do next.
Some Mastering Physics problems are end-of-chapter problems. These
problems are similar to, or the same as, problems found at the end of each
chapter in Knight. Sometimes these problems will have randomized
numerical inputs. If you work with other people on your homework,
work out the formula for the answer together, then input your own
numbers. On these problems there is no penalty for a wrong answer, but
you will have only five tries on each problem to get the right answer (so don't
just guess).
Why You Better Do the
Homework:
One of the main ways you will understand Physics is by doing the homework. Do not wait until the night before it’s due
to start working on your homework. The homework is supposed to be hard and it
counts a lot for your grade. A sure way
to get an F in this course is to not do the homework or not give your self
enough time to work on it.
Why
You Need to Turn in Written Solutions to the Homework:
A serious problem with electronic grading is that it can only check simple
equations or numerical answers and it can't to tell you what you did wrong.
Thus it can’t check graphs, sketches, diagrams, logical arguments, or written
explanations. This is a serious shortcoming because for many problems in
engineering, the "answer" is actually the method or argument that you
used to find some number or particular result. For these reasons, you will be required
to turn in written explanations of how you reached your answers. Beginning with
the second homework assignment one of the problems will be chosen at random and
your written work graded for reasoning, logic, clear explanations and
completeness. I should emphasize that we will only be grading one problem each
week, but you need to write them all out. While I’d like to have all of your
written work graded, there simply aren’t enough resources to allow us to do
that. On
some occasions, you won’t need to turn in your written solutions, such as the
first week. I’ll let you know when this is the case.
Is it hard and time consuming to
write out solutions? Yes it can be. On the other hand, it’s something you
should be doing for all of your technical classes and is probably the
most valuable lesson you can learn. If you aren't writing out
solutions to the homework in your technical classes then you have not been
receiving adequate training as an engineer. No company is going to give you a
paycheck (let alone a big one) for plugging numbers into a computer that
then tells you that you just entered the right or wrong answer. If a computer
can answer that question, then the company probably doesn’t need you.
Academic
honesty: I expect you to get together in small groups and discuss the
problems. However, do not use these
discussions as an excuse to copy someone else's solution to the homework or let
someone else copy your solution. That is cheating. The right way to proceed is
to first work through the problems yourself and arrive at a definite
answer. With this preparation you can
then discuss with others and see if you have missed something. All work you submit must be your own and
should reflect your own understanding. Academic dishonesty, such as cheating on
an exam or copying homework, is a serious offense which may result in a grade
of XF, and suspension or expulsion from the University. Don’t do it. Details on
the policy can be found at www.testudo.umd.edu/soc/dishonesty.html.
To further exhibit
your commitment to academic integrity, remember to sign the Honor Pledge on all
examinations: "I pledge on my honor that I have not given or received any
unauthorized assistance on this examination."
Note on
Discussion Sections: You must
attend the discussion section to which you are assigned. Your TA will cover
material (homework and exams) that may not be covered elsewhere. There may be quizzes during the discussion
sections. Please come prepared so you can ask questions, i.e. read the
chapters, review your lecture notes, and try the homework problems. Remember, the TA is there to give help when
you are stuck, not to dole out answers. You should also remember that your TA
is also a student, in this case a graduate student, and that they also have to
take classes, do homework and teach other sections. Please be respectful and
understanding since they are still learning, are very busy and are not highly
paid for all their effort.
Help with
understanding the material: Physics and engineering are cumulative: the
knowledge learned at each stage builds upon previous knowledge. Do not fall behind! If you find yourself in trouble, seek help
early on. Contact the instructor or one
of the TAs, attend the discussion sections and ask questions, or go to office
hours. Don’t wait until just before an
exam. Help can be obtained by:
·
Attending
your discussion section
·
Visiting
the Slawsky Clinic, in room 1140
·
Going
to the office hours of your instructor or TA.
·
The
Learning Assistance Service (2201 Schoemaker Bldg., 301-314-7693) helps
students with time management, reading, note taking, and exam preparation
skills.
If you find that you are
having more general academic problems, or are having trouble figuring out what
you want to do, I’d recommend that you stop by Room 1120 Physics and talk to
Tom Gleason, the Physics Coordinator of Student Services. Tom graduated from
PRELIMINARY
Schedule of Physics 161 for Spring 2007
|
Week |
Dates |
Main
Topics |
Chapters
in Knight |
|
1 |
January 24 (Wednesday) |
Introduction and Diminsional Anaylsis |
Chapter 1 |
|
2 |
January 29 and 31 |
1-D motion and Vectors |
Chapters 1 and 2 |
|
3 |
February 5 and 7 |
Vectors and Force |
Chapter 3 and 4 |
|
4 |
February 12 and 14 |
|
Chapter 4 and 5 |
|
5 |
February 19 |
Projectile Motion |
Chapter 6 |
|
|
February 21 |
Exam I |
|
|
6 |
February 26 and 28 |
Circular Motion |
Chapter 7 |
|
7 |
March 5 and 7 |
|
Chapter 8 and 9 |
|
8 |
March 12 and 16 |
Energy and Work |
Chapters 10 and 11 |
|
|
March 19 and 21 |
Spring
Break |
|
|
9 |
March 26 |
Energy Continued and Review |
Chapter 11 |
|
|
March 28 |
Exam II |
|
|
10 |
April 9 and 11 |
Gravity |
Chapter 12 |
|
11 |
April 16 and 18 |
Rotational Motion |
Chapter 13 |
|
12 |
April 23 and 25 |
Oscillations |
Chapter 14 |
|
13 |
April 30 |
Oscillations and Review |
Chapter 14 |
|
|
May 2 |
Exam III |
|
|
14 |
May 7 |
Fluids |
Chapter 15 |
|
|
May 9 |
Review – Last day of class |
|
|
|
May 14 |
Final Exam |
|
Inclement Weather: Should bad weather force the university to close,
and therefore, class to canceled – the lecture slides and audio will be
available the next day from the course website.
You will be responsible for the material covered. If you have any questions, please contact Dr.
Rericha. If class is canceled on an
examination day, the exam will take place the following class period and the
missed lecture will be available on the website.