1. Course Description, Objectives, and Prerequisites
2. Succeeding in Physics
3. Course Philosophy
4. Course Structure and Assignments
5. Grading
6. Policies
7. Semester Calendar

CLASS HOURS: M, T, W, F 10:30-11:20 p.m., Nielsen Hall, Room 251

OTHER MATERIALS: PRS Remote Control (Type TBA): Available at the OU Bookstore

CLASS WEB PAGE: http://www.nhn.ou.edu/~strauss/phys1205

1. Course Description, Objectives, and Prerequisites

Physics 1205 is the first semester of a three-semester introductory physics course for physics, astrophysics, and engineering physics majors. The course focuses on the area of physics known as mechanics, but also covers oscillatory motion, waves, and, possibly fluids.

The goal of physics is to understand the physical universe and be able to accurately describe and predict what is observed. This understanding of the physical principles that govern the world will assist you in almost any profession. Beyond that, an understanding of physics will help you perceive the world around you in a more comprehensible, enjoyable, and fascinating way. This class will lay the groundwork for further studies in physics at the lower and upper division level.

In order to solve a problem, you must critically examine the information available in a given situation, determine an effective method to approach the problem, and carry through to the solution, including a critical examination of the final answer to see if it is reasonable. These skills are not only essential to solving problems in physics, but to solving problems in general, and are applicable to many situations in many different environments. We will use various methods and techniques to help develop these skills.

Enrollment in or completion of Math 1823 is required. This course requires the use of algebra, trigonometry, and calculus. You should be familiar with solving simultaneous equations, polynomial functions, logarithmic and exponential functions, analytical geometry, derivatives, and integrals.

2. Succeeding in Physics

3. Course Philosophy

I want you to enjoy Physics 1205. The material we will be covering is fascinating and applicable. Its implications can be observed in almost everything you interact with every day. In order to make this class as interesting and useful as possible, I will need to get feedback from you. Please feel free to ask questions in class and to come by my office during office hours. During the semester, I will give you opportunities to write a summary of which concepts are difficult, and of which you find interesting, and to make suggestions to improve the class.

As stated in Section 2, you can only learn physics by personally interacting with the material and solving problems. Consequently, I emphasize three methods of learning in this class:

1. Reading and thinking about the assigned material before it is discussed in class.
2. Solving problems using the physics concepts and principles, including specific problem solving techniques.
3. Discussing the material and solving problems in class, including working with your classmates.

In order to help you prepare for class and actively participate in class, I will post my lecture notes on the web, usually before we discuss a chapter in class. These lecture notes do not contain solutions to problems we do in class, so they are not complete. Simply reading the lecture notes cannot take the place of participating in class. Still, many students find it helpful to print the lecture notes before class and bring them to class so that they are able to think and interact more effectively while taking fewer notes.

Thinking about problems and solving them on a regular basis will allow you to learn and appreciate the subject matter in a natural way, without having to cram everything at the last moment. You will get the most out of this class by putting in some time working physics problems or reading the textbook every day. I consider the University of Oklahoma to be the premier institute of higher education in the state, and the students here to be among the best and brightest in the world. Consequently, it is my objective to present you with a course that compares with the best in the country. Anything else would be unfair to you.

4. Course Structure and Assignments

The course will usually follow a weekly schedule with homework due on Tuesday at 4:00 p.m., and reading question due on Wednesday at 8:30 a.m. Graded in-class projects may occur any day of the week. There will be deviations from this schedule near exams, holidays, and the end of the semester. See the complete calendar at the end of this syllabus for assignment due dates. Updates and changes to the calendar will be posted on the class web page.

It is important that you read the material that will be covered in class before we discuss it in class. Therefore, you will be asked to answer Reading Questions about the material before coming to class. These Reading Questions will consist of short answers to a few questions and will be due every Wednesday morning by 8:30 a.m. (with a few exceptions). See the calendar at the end of the syllabus for all due dates. Reading questions must be answered using the form on the World Wide Web accessible from the class home page.

Reading a physics book requires attention to detail. You must keep your mind engaged. It is important to follow the principles below:

1. Read the text carefully, not skipping any parts of the text.
2. Read and understand all example problems, figures and illustrations, and mathematics, as part of the text.
3. If you don't understand an example or conceptual example, reread the text before it.

4.2 INTERACTIVE IN-CLASS QUESTIONS

We will be using the automated voting system to do interactive in-class questions. You will need to purchase a remote control voting unit from the bookstore. The actual system we use will be determined during the first few days of class. These in-class questions help the student learn the material, and help the instructor understand the student’s level of learning.

4.3 IN CLASS ACTIVITIES/ GROUP PROBLEMS

Approximately once per week or so there will be a graded activity to accomplish during the class period. This will usually be a group problem, but could also be a short quiz or survey. Group problems will allow you to work together with your peers to understand the material. All activities in the group are cooperative, not competitive, with everyone in the group receiving the same grade on the group assignment. A good group member is not necessarily one who knows the answers. A good group member is one who comes prepared and regularly participates in the group discussion, who enters into the spirit of trying to help his or her fellow group members answer questions, work problems, and better understand the material.

One homework assignment will be given approximately every week. The homework will consist of about 15 problems assigned mostly from the text. The homework assignments will be posted on the web page about two weeks before they are due. Homework will be due by 4:00 p.m. on the assigned due date. Homework should be handed in during class or deposited in the box outside of the professor’s office, Nielsen 343. No late assignments will be accepted.

Here are some suggestions for how to get the most out of the homework:

1. Read the problems as soon as you get them. You don’t have to spend any time working on them; just think about them as you read and study the material.
2. Don’t procrastinate. You will have at least a week to work on the problems. Don’t wait until the last minute to do them. Many students find that it is very helpful to attempt the problems even before the material is discussed in the class lecture.
3. Ask Questions. If you are having problems with the homework, seek help. You may discuss the problems with your classmates, with me during office hours, or with the discussion section instructor.
4. Complete the entire assignment. Completing the homework is one of the best ways to prepare for exams. It will be very difficult to do well on exams without completing the homework. In addition, the homework is worth a substantial number of points toward your final grade. If you have trouble solving any of the homework problems, please seek help during office hours.

Although you may discuss the homework with your classmates, all work handed in must be your own. Copying another person’s work is plagiarism, and will be considered cheating. I encourage you to talk with others in order for you to get a general understanding of the problem. However, each person must work out a detailed solution of the problem individually. Doing the homework is the one of the best ways to prepare for the exams.

The laboratory portion of the class will meet every week. During most of these laboratory sections, you will conduct an experiment that illustrates one of the principles being discussed during lecture. Participation in laboratory work is required. Missing two labs and/or lab write-ups will result in the reduction of one letter grade from your final grade. Missing three labs and/or lab write-ups may result in a failing grade. If you do not attend the lab and turn in the lab report, then that lab will be considered “missed.”

There will be three exams and a final. All exams, except for the final, will be held during the regular class period. There will be no scheduled make-up exams. The final will be comprehensive, covering material from the entire semester. The best preparation for these exams is a thorough understanding of the material covered in class including an understanding of the problems done for homework, as well as the interactive questions done in class. Tentative exam dates are:

Honors students will be required to write a paper that will be worth 5% of the final grade. Details on the content of the paper will be distributed within the first few weeks of the semester.

5. Grading

5.1 ASSIGNMENT GRADING

Your grades will be based on all of the assignments discussed in section 4. The best way to get a good grade in this class is to do all of the assigned work. If you have difficulty solving all of the homework, come to office hours to discuss the problems.

5.2 INTERACTIVE QUESTIONS GRADING*

The credit received for doing the Interactive In-Class Questions will be scaled to equal 108 points (see chart in section 5.3). Each correct answer will be given full credit, each incorrect answer will be given 1/2 credit, and each question not answered will be given no credit. Every student will receive 20 free questions.

As an example, suppose that we did 5 questions per day for 50 days over the course of the semester, or 250 questions. With the 20 free questions there would be 230 questions given for credit. If a student answered 150 questions correctly, 50 questions incorrectly, and didn’t answer 50 questions, that student would get credit for {150 + (50 × 1/2)} = 175 out of 230 questions, which is 76% of the total points, or 85.2 (out of 112) points.

For any student receiving greater than 50% of the possible points (54 out of 112) using the above method to calculate points, that student will be given full credit for all questions answered incorrectly, as well as for those answered correctly. Using the example in the previous paragraph, the student’s score would be adjusted to 200/230 = 87% of the total points, or 97.4 out of 112 points. Questions not answered will still be given zero credit.

5.3 LETTER GRADES

Assignment	Number	Points Each	Total Points
Reading Questions	11	4	44
Interactive In-Class Questions (scaled)			112
Class Activities/Group Problems*	10	5	50
Research Paper (Honors Only)**	1	50	50
Laboratory Work*	10	10	100
Homework	12	12	144
Exams	3	100	300
Final Exam	1	200	200
Total			1000

The following criteria will be used for determining letter grades:

The actual letter grade will be determined as the semester progresses. In past years, grade distributions were approximately: A>82%, B>68%, C>54%, D>40%. The grade distributions should be approximately the same this semester, with an average GPA of about 2.5. However, anyone scoring more than 90% will automatically recieve an "A", >80% a "B", >70% a "C", and >60% a "D". If you have any questions about the grade on a particular assignment, you should discuss your questions with the professor within one week after the graded assignment has been returned. I will not discuss any assignments after this one week period.

6. Policies

6.1 MAKE-UP WORK

There is no scheduled make-up work. In order to get credit, all work must be completed by the scheduled due date and exams must be taken during the scheduled times. However, if you have a doctor’s excuse for missing a class or exam, arrangements to make up the work can be made.

6.2 CALCULATORS

You will need to use a calculator for exams. Using a preprogrammed calculator in a quiz or exam to store information not available to the entire class, including solutions or equations, is considered cheating.

6.3 CHEATING

I will take cheating seriously. Cheating affects your classmates, and yourself, and does not even help you gain any advantage in life. The University policy on cheating will be followed. See the student handbook under academic misconduct for a description of infractions and policies.

6.4 OFFICE HOURS

My office hours are an ideal time for you to talk with me about homework problems or other topics in the class. I encourage you to come to office hours with questions on a regular basis. If I am not too busy, you are welcome to stop by my office at times other than office hours to briefly talk about other matters regarding the class. You can also make appointments with me. In general, I will not discuss homework problems outside of office hours or officially scheduled appointments.

6.5 STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

Any student in this course who has a disability that may prevent him or her from fully demonstrating his or her abilities should contact me personally as soon as possible so that we can discuss accommodations necessary to ensure full participation in this class and facilitate educational opportunities.

6.6 RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS

It is the policy of the University to excuse absences of students that result from religious observances and to provide without penalty for the rescheduling of examinations and additional required classwork that may fall on religious holidays. Please notify the professor in advance of any excused absences due to religious holidays.

CALENDAR OF ASSIGNMENT DUE DATES