Phys203 College Physics I--Fall 2008
Credit Hours: 4 or 5 credit hours
Instructor: Dr. Nelson Kilmer
Text: Physics for Scientists and Engineers
Author: Serway - Jewett (7th edition)
Overview
The course involves a calculus based introduction to Physics including the areas of Mechanics, Heat and Thermodynamics, Wave Motion, and Sound. This is the first semester of a two semester sequence in University Physics. The 4 hour course meets a general college physics requirement for those only needing 4 hrs of credit. The 5 hour course serves to meet the requirements for pre-engineering, physics majors and other pre-professional programs as required. It includes doing research on a physics topic, writing a paper, and publishing the findings on the internet.
Objectives
- To develop an understanding of the basic concepts and principles in Physics.
- To develop critical thinking and a scientific approach to problem solving.
- To develop and use mathematical formulations of physical principles, including calculus.
- To become familiar with the process of research and publishing.
- To learn to collaborate with others and work as team members in the classroom and labs.
Requirements of the Course
- To read the assignment chapters from the textbook to gain knowledge of physics.
- To attend class and participate in classroom discussions and learning activities.
- Complete assigned homework problems using WebAssign on the Internet.
- To perform lab experiments and write formal lab reports summarizing findings.
- To complete for exams and a final exam to assess learning.
- To write a research paper and develop a web presenation on a research topic of choice (5 hour).
Evaluation of Student Learning will be based on:
| 4 cr hrs | 5 cr hrs | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Homework Assignments | 20 @ 15 |
300 |
20 @ 15 |
300 |
||
| Classroom Learning Activities | 5 @ 10 |
50 |
7 @ 10 |
70 |
||
| Lab Reports | 12 @ 15 |
180 |
12 @ 15 |
180 |
||
| Tests | 4 @ 90 |
360 |
4 @ 100 |
400 |
||
| Final Exam | 1 @ 90 |
90 |
1 @ 100 |
100 |
||
| Research & Publishing | 2 @ 10 |
20 |
2 @ 100 |
200 |
||
| Total Possible Points | 1000 |
1250 |
||||
Class attendance and participation in activities are requirements of the course. Several Classroom Learning Activities will be done during the class time and recorded as part of the grade. Homework assignments will be done through a web based grading system and are due as outlined on the schedule. In class time is scheduled to discuss homework questions. Points will be given for submitting the homework assignments on the web through WebAssign. If not submitted by the scheduled due date no points will be earned for that homework assignment. The written work you have done on the homework assignments will be collected and checked for solutions and completeness.
Grading Scale
- 90% - 100% A
- 80% - 89.9% B
- 70% - 79.9% C
- 60% - 69.9% D
- 0% - 59.9% NC
Homework
Homework is completed and graded
using WebAssign, an Internet based homework system. Students will
be provided access to the system through a password. Homework assignments
can be downloaded and printed. Answers to the question are to be submitted
on line and will immediately be graded when you submit your assignment
answers for grading. A total of 5 submissions is possible and then
the final grade will be recorded after your last submission.
Students are encouraged to start
two or three days before the assignments so you can get help if you
are having difficulty with the assignment. The instructor can modify
the due date in situations where the system fails or problems cause
the student to not be able to complete and assignment with answers
to the questions. If the answers are not correct to a question, the
instructor will correct the error and students will not be penalized
for system errors on the grading the assignment. Brief outages of
the Internet system occur at times and these will not be considered
reason for delay of the due time of the assignment.
Due Dates on the WebAssignments, Submitting Work Papers,
and Excused Absences
After the assignment is past the
due date the answers will be shown and you will not be able to do
any more work on that assignment. Student solutions to the assignments
will be collected the day the assignments are due on the web and the
work will be checked for completeness of work on the assignment. If
a student has an excused absence contact the instructor prior to the
due date for the homework assignment and ask for a time extension
on the assignment. If you do not contact the instructor prior to the
due date the assignment, WebAssign will show the answers for your
assignment and the grade of zero will automatically be recorded for
the assignment.
Homework Points counted on the Final Grade
Twenty-two homework assignments are available on WebAssign. Twenty of these will be counted towards the final grade. The lowest two scores will be dropped for the final grade.
Classroom Learning Activities
Classroom Learning Activities (CLA) are activities to engage the student in the content of the chapters. There will numerous CLA's done during the semester to help the students learn the material being discussed. The instructor will choose 7(5hr), 5 (4hr) of these to collect, grade, and count as part of the class points.
Laboratory Reports
The lab reports are to be written up and placed in a manila file folder with the student’s name, lab partner, date and title of the experiment on the outside. The contents of the report should include:
- Written report summarizing the experiment and results including:
- Purpose of the experiment
- Theory behind experiment
- Procedure actually followed in doing experiment
- Results of the experiment
- Discussion and results
- Questions: Answers to questions
- Data sheets and any raw data collected during the laboratory period.
- Experiment hand out sheet
Length of the Lab Report
The total report is expected to
be approximately 2-4 pages, and is due at the beginning of the next
lab period. Lab reports not turned in when due will lose 7 points
for being late. Lab reports more than 1 week late will not be accepted
and no credit will be given.
Expectations in Regards to Writing the Lab Report
Students will work together as
partners in the lab and the raw data will be the same for partners.
The written report, including the the items under #1, are required to be
done on an individual basis with each student writing their own individual
lab report. The individual responsibility includes calculating the
results of the experimental data, summarizing it in tables and graphs,
discussing the results, and answering the questions.
Research Paper for 5 cr hr Students
The 5 hr. students will write a documented research paper due at midterm involving six pages of text. Select a topic of physics that you find information available on the Internet. Students will be expected to present their research done using Internet and using library resources to the other students as the first Reading Report Day. The written report should present the information you have found on websites and other journals. A minimum of 8 quoted references is required. The Research Paper must be written in your own words. Incorporating pictures and referenced comments into your paper is appropriate. A standard research paper format should be followed noting references. The topic to be chosen is the student’s choice but should relate to the field of physics and approved by the instructor.
Publishing the Research Paper on the Internet through the
Hesston College Web Site
The web research papers are to
be published on the Internet including the research paper and links
to related sites. This is done for the second Reading Report. Specific
guidelines will be provided for the publishing of the paper on the
Internet on the Hesston College web site. The policies of the college
must be followed in publishing on the college web site in regards
to appropriate content. The instructor reserves the right to suggest
changes to the student and edit if needed the final web pages as they
are published on the Hesston College Internet site to achieve institutional
standards.
Evaluation of the Research Paper and Publication on Internet
The research paper will be evaluated
on the basis of100 points total and the publishing of it one the
internet will also be evaluated on the basis of 100 points. Guidelines
as to how to present the research paper and publish it on the Internet
will be provided by the instructor.
Educational Outcome Goals of the College
This course is in support of the college educational mission as stated in the catalog. The student outcome goal of critical thinking is included in the class through problem solving and scientific evaluation of data and information. Social responsibility issues are considered when related to the physical principles being discussed. The overall broader knowledge of the world and worldviews is also an educational outcome goal of the class.