Physics by Exploration

Physics 1200

Summer 2006 4 Week Session

Instructor: Tonya B. Triplett

Office Hours: by appointment.

Contact: Office 797-2857, message at 797-8308

Home (801)397-5738

E-Mail tonya.triplett@usu.edu

Text (Optional): How Things Work, The Physics of Everyday Life, by Louis A. Bloomfield.

Class Notes (required), available in the bookstore.

Lab Fee: Physics 1200 students were assessed a laboratory fee that is used for laboratory supplies. This should have been paid at registration.

Goal: The goal of this course is to acquaint you with some of the "big ideas" in physics, to let you see those ideas in action in your own experimentation, and to convince you that physics can (at least some of the time) be fun. The course will also attempt to acquaint you with some of the major players in science, the people who came up with the big ideas, how they did it, and how and on what scientists are working today.

If there is any student in this class who has a disability that will require some accommodation by the instructor, that student should contact the instructor and the Disability Resource Center (797-2444) as soon as possible. Class notes can be made available in large print, Braille, or audio format.

Your final grade will be determined as follows:

Physics 1200

4 Tests 600

Homework 200

Quizzes 100

Laboratory work 100

Total 1000

Tests: will be in class and closed book, closed notes. Each will be worth 150 points. You should always show your work or explain how you got your answer.

Homework: There will be 12 homework assignments each worth 20 points. You may drop your two lowest scores. To get credit for any homework problem, you must show your work. Late homework will not be accepted. Should you need to miss class, you may turn in your homework early to SER 234 or to the physics office. Homework solutions will be posted on the internet as appropriate and available during office hours for copying. Copying someone else's homework is plagiarism and will result in loss of credit for the assignment and possible disciplinary action. You are encouraged to work together on assignments, but after discussing a problem, you should write in you own words to turn in; no two papers should have identical responses.

Laboratory: Physics 1200 students MUST enroll in a lab section and complete FIVE lab exercises to receive credit for this course. Department policy requires a grade of “F” if you fail to complete even one lab. All labs will be held in SER 110. If you have an excused absence from a lab, contact the instructor as soon as possible, preferably in advance, to arrange to make it up. See the schedule for weeks that labs will be held.

Quiz Points: These points can be earned through participation in classroom exercises such as demonstrations, and from Webct quizzes. Quizzes will be available as announced in class, approximately two per week. Each quiz is worth 10 points and can be taken twice if you make errors. There will be many more than 100 points available in this category, but you will not be allowed to have a score in excess of 100 points.

Grade Scale: Grades will be given based upon points earned.

LAB SCHEDULE

Date (Week of)	Lab
May 15 (2 labs this week)	1. Race Tracks 2. Roller Coasters
May 22	3. Heat and Machines
May 29	4. Electricity
June 5	5. Waves and Music

Course Schedule

Date	Material Covered
May15	Chapter 1, course information
	2-1 through 2-9
May 16	2-10 through 2-16
**1	3-1 through 3-5
May 17	3-6 through 3-9
**2	4-1 through 4-4
May 18	4-5 through 4-9
**3	4-8 through 4-11
May 19	No Class – Physics Day at Lagoon
May 22	Exam 1
May 22 (2^nd half)	5-1 through 5-4 Gravity
May 23	5-5 Gravity
**4	6-1 through 6-2 Energy
May 24	6-3 through 6-7 Energy Conservation
**5	6-8 though 6-9 Machines, Power
May 25	6-9 through 6-11 Heat
**6	6-12 through 6-14 Momentum, Entropy
May 26**7	Review/Problem Solving
May 26 (2^nd half)	Exam 2
May 29	Holiday - Memorial Day
May 30	7-1 through 7-3 Charge
	7-4 through 7-6 Voltage
	7-7 through 7-9 Voltage cont.
May 31	(Open day – possible conference)
June 1	7-10 through 7-14 Ohm’s Law
	7-15 through 7-18 Series/Parallel Circuits
June 2**8	7-18 through 7-19 Power
	7-20 through 7-25 Magnetism
June 59**	Exam 3
June 6	8-1 through 8-7 Waves
	8-8 through 8-11 Light
June 7**10	8-12 through 8-14 Optics
	8-14 through 8-16 Optics
June 8**11	9-1 through 9-5 Radiation
**12	Health Effects of Radiation (hand-out)
June 9	Final Exam

**Homework is due this day

Homework Assignments

Number	Page in notes	Problem Numbers	Due Date
1	2-11 2-15	2,3,4 1,3	May 17
2	3-9	2,4,5,6,7	May 18
3	4-10	2,5,7,10	May 22
4	Handout	Given in class(WEB)	May 24
5	6-14	1,3,10,13	May 25
6	6-14	14,15,16	May 26
7	6-14	5,8,9,11	May 26
8	7-16	1-5 (Both parts of 5)	June 2
9	7-18 7-25	1,2,3 1,2	June 5
10	8-16	1,2,3	June 7
11	8-16	4,5,6,7	June 8
12	9-5	1,2,3	June 9

No Class – Physics Day at Lagoon

Exam 1

Final Exam