Ph 220 Sec 01 Syllabus

Phys 220: General Physics with Calculus I Sec. 01 (15294); MWF 9:10-10:00, TH 327. This is the first semester of a three-semester survey course in physics, covering mechanics. (The other lecture section is sec. 02 (15295), meeting TTh 11:00-12:15, Th 327, Instructor Maarten Golterman.)

Prerequisites: Math 226 with grade of C or better, and passing score on physics Diagnostic Exam; Phys 222 and Math 227 must be taken concurrently.

Instructor: Roger Bland - office Th 316, phone 338-2433; lab Th 208, phone 338-1969; home phone 664-3982; HELP session for Ph 220, W 10:10, Th 116; other office hours MF 13:10, Th 10:10, in TH 316, or by email.

Texts: Physics: The Nature of Things, by Susan M. Lea and John Robert Burke (Brooks/Cole, 1997; ISBN # 0-314-05273-9) (REQUIRED)
Student Solution Manual to Accompany Physics: The Nature of Things, by Lea, Burke, Saltzman, and Kelly (West, 1997, ISBN 0-314-20731-7) (OPTIONAL)
Preparation for Introductory College Physics, by John Celesia (Brooks/Cole, 1999, ISBN 0-314-20933-6) (OPTIONAL)
The Portable TA: a Physics Problem Solving Guide, Volume I, by Andrew Elby (Prentice-Hall, 1998, ISBN 0-13-231713-3) (OPTIONAL)

Lab Texts: General Physics I With Calculus Laboratory, manual sold in the lab (about $10.00) (REQUIRED)
Excel Spreadsheet Basics, by J. Orenberg, available in the bookstore (OPTIONAL)

Web site for problem tutorial: http://www.physics.sfsu.edu/~lea/tutor/tutorial.html

Diagnostic Exam: A Diagnostic Exam covering scientific notation, algebra, geometry, trigonometry and calculus will be given in the first meeting of the lab. The results of this test will be posted as soon as the test is scored, in the hall near TH 118.

Course Objectives: The student will

learn basic concepts of kinematics, dynamics, energy, and oscillations.
relate visual and graphical description of physical phenomena to a description in terms of equations and mathematical models.
apply physical laws and principles to current technological problems and issues.
learn the scientific process of testing theory by confrontation with experiment (lab)
measure basic physical quantities and analyze data using computer-based tools, working in small groups (lab)

Topical Outline
Kinematics: the conceptual and mathematical description of motion	Ch. 1-3
Newton's Laws of Motion: the relation of force to aceeleration, with especial attention to the gravitational force	Ch. 4,5
Conservation of Energy and Momentum: relation to basic laws of motion, and extension to other types of energy	Ch. 6-8, 10
Rotational Motion: introduction of torque and angular momentum	Ch. 9, 12
Rigid Bodies: extension of the concept of a point mass	Ch. 11, 12
Oscillatory Motion: sinusoidal functions and periodic motion	Ch. 14
Brief Introduction to Relativistic Mechanics	Ch. 34

Homework: There will be homework assigned each week. The homework is very important. It counts as part of the grade, and it will be hard to do well on the tests without having done the homework. Here are a few suggestions for doing homework.

Always start the problem by drawing a diagram, if possible. The grader will take points off for not drawing a diagram.
Explain your solution to the problem in words. This is just as important as the calculations.
Try to find someone to work with on the homework. Whether you end up getting help or giving help to some one else, you will be better off.

HELP Sessions: There will be several one-hour problem-working sessions scheduled for this course. The help-session schedule will be posted outside the Department office when it is finalized.

Exams: There will be five 10-minute quizzes, three midterms, and a final exam. (See the course schedule for dates.) Please note that during exams each student must work completely independently. Students are not expected to help each other on exams or to look at other people's papers. All instances of cheating on exams will be reported to the Dean of Students, and a zero grade will be given on the test.

Lab: The lab must be taken concurrently with the lecture course. Be sure and go to the first meeting of your section. For the first meeting of the lab you should bring:

A hard-bound quad-ruled lab book to write in; Roaring Springs #77475 ($2.95 at the bookstore) is fine.
The lab manual, sold by the Physics and Astronomy Club in room Th 115; you can buy the lab manual during the first meeting of the lab. Please be prepared to pay in cash (about $10.00).
You will also need a calculator with statistical functions. Bring the calculator's instruction manual to the first lab meeting.

Grading: The grade for the lecture course (Ph 220) will be based on the homework and exam grades as indicated below.

	Final Exam		30%
	Midterms		30%
	Quizzes (best 4 of 5)	20%
	Homework (drop 2)	20%

The grade for the lab (Ph 222) is separate from the lecture-course grade. The instructors of the two Ph 220 lecture sections will determine the letter grades given for the lab course, based on the numerical scores given by the lab instructors.

Comprehensive Final Exam: Wednesday May 21, 8:00-10:30