Physics 2110: The Physics of Living Systems I

• Big Picture
• Reinforce that science is an incessant search for provisional truth
• Illustrate the astonishing kinship between mathematics and natural phenomena
• Explore how the properties of living systems are consistent with and are constrained by the laws of physics
• Show examples of how complex behavior and forms­such as those associated with life­can emerge from very simple rules of interaction between very simple pieces of matter
• Skill Attainment
• Help enhance your ability to express in words clear, logical arguments for how to solve quantitative problems
• Give you experience using computers to take and analyze data and to model physical processes
• Help enhance your ability to do qualitative analysis (order of magnitude estimates, special case limits, dimensional analysis)
• Content
• Properties of macroscopic matter are directly related to microscopic atoms
• Change in motion on either the microscopic or macroscopic level requires force
• There are two fundamental quantities of motion, kinetic energy and momentum, and that changes in each are directly related to force
• The effect of force can be equivalently expressed in terms of potential energy and that the sum of all kinetic energy and all potential energy is constant
• Periodic motion (such as a circular orbit or harmonic oscillation) is central to understanding the behavior of matter ranging from atoms to galaxies
• The physiology of animals and plants is determined by the physics of fluids
• Nonlinear processes (such as fluid dynamics) can appear to be random while actually being deterministic (such as turbulence); this phenomenon is called chaos and almost all physiological processes show chaotic behavior
• Molecular diffusion determines the maximum rate of cellular events
• All processes-including those of life-result in an increase in disorder in the universe (an increase in entropy) and a reduction in the usefulness of available energy

• Go to laboratory, recitation, and lecture. Skipping any of these is a really bad idea.
• Read the reading assignments before lecture. Read the examples carefully. Jot down questions as you encounter things you don't understand. Ask at the beginning of lecture or email me your questions or come to my office. Read all of the Conceptual Questions at the end of each chapter.
• Study with others in class. Ask each other the Conceptual Questions and compare answers. Ask me about any you have doubts on.
• Solving problems requires applying concepts. Don't start writing down equations until you have a mental picture of what is happening in the problem. After you have done some mathematical analysis try to put what you have done in words.
• Look around you. Identify in your everyday life where such concepts as acceleration, force, energy, momentum, and so forth appear in common phenomena.
• Have fun learning. Physics is cool­and you can make a buck with it!

Physics 2110 and 2120 aspire to address this aspect of the education of such students. Together, the courses cover the principles of Newton's Laws of Motion, fluids, thermodynamics, oscillations and waves, electric and magnetic phenomena, optics, and quantum physics. Physical concepts are illustrated with examples drawn from and applications related to biology and medicine. Physics 2110 and 2120 are designated as Quantitative Intensive by University Studies because they use mathematics. Mathematics is an incredibly economic way of expressing an idea. One equation can encapsulate tomes of empirical data. Better yet, an equation can be used to predict outcomes of experiments performed under conditions never seen before. These courses primarily use algebra and trigonometry, but, in addition, the concepts of the derivative and integral are developed and utilized where appropriate. While mathematics may be exceedingly useful for capturing the essence of complex ideas, physics is not mathematics. Physics is rooted in observation. It is a collection of empirical laws and their logical consequences. This point is emphasized in the laboratories associated with Physics 2110 and 2120, which are essential features of these courses.

Grading: Total points = 1000. Hourly exams = 450 points; each counts 150 points. Final exam = 300 points and is cumulative. Recitation homework and quizzes = 250 points. The following indicates the number of points required to attain each grade level:

The course has three EQUAL activities: laboratory, concept mastery, and problem solving. About fifty percent of each exam (including the final) will consist of questions based on what you did in the relevant laboratory exercise(s) and the rest will consist of qualitative questions. Specific homework problems will be assigned for each reading section. Once a week there will be a quiz in recitation based on the relevant homework assignment(s).

Attendance: ATTENDANCE IS REQUIRED IN LABORATORY, RECITATION, AND LECTURE.

Examinations: A MISSED EXAM MAY BE MADE UP ONLY IF YOU HAVE A WRITTEN MEDICAL OR SIMILAR EXCUSE. You may bring a 3"x5" card with anything you like written on it to the 50 minute exams. You may bring an 8.5"x11" sheet to the Final.

Laboratory: A three-hour laboratory period is scheduled each week. The laboratory is equipped with modern instrumentation. Exercises using this instrumentation are designed to familiarize the student with electronic data acquisition and experimental control as well as to make real the concepts covered in the text. Laboratory is the best opportunity you have for seeing what all the mathematics and words in the book are about. Take advantage of the equipment. Try asking yourself "what if" questions­What if I changed the initial conditions or geometric arrangements or …, what would happen? Try it. The equipment allows you take lots of data really quickly. You can try all kinds of things. Don't treat the lab as a nuisance you've got to go to. It is the most important part of the course. All labs are expected to be completed on time. A missed lab can be made up but only if you have an acceptable written excuse for having missed the lab. To make up a lab you must get a note from Karalee Ransom or Deborah Reece in the Physics Department's office, SER250. There is a $22.50 lab fee that supports the purchase and maintenance of the equipment you will use.

Q: What if I miss a lab and don't make it up?
A: You'll probably do lousy on the exam that has that lab material on it and you'll lose 50 points from the 1000 total points in the course.
Q: What if I miss more than one lab and don't make them up?
A: You will fail the course.

Recitation: is where you will practice and strengthen your formal quantitative skills. For each reading assignment there will be a corresponding problem set. Problems will be discussed in recitation. Weekly quizzes will help you assess your progress in mastering technical problem solving skills. Quizzes count for 250 points (the 10 best quizzes @ 25 points per quiz, lowest scores dropped).

Q: What if I miss a recitation?
A: You'll miss an opportunity to interact in a small group setting with your TA about problem solving. If there was a quiz, you get no points for that one.

Lecture: is where you will practice and strengthen your qualitative mastery of concepts. You are expected to read the assigned sections before coming to lecture. There will be a quiz on the day's reading assignment during the first five minutes of most lecture meetings. Each quiz will have five multiuple choice questions taken directly from the reading. If you get 4 or 5 correct, you will receive 1 extra point toward your final grade.

Q: Why should I come to lecture?
A1: You can't get extra points if you don't.
A2: The lecturer will emphasize qualitative understanding in class, sometimes showing demonstrations, sometimes describing how the week's laboratory works, and often presenting arguments in a different manner from those given in the text to help enrich your understanding. ANY MATERIAL PRESENTED IN LECTURE MAY APPEAR ON EXAMINATIONS. ABSENT YOURSELF FROM LECTURE AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!!

Office hours (SER240): My formal office hours are M-Tu-W-Th-F 9:30-10:30 AM. I'm around a lot of hours every day, so feel free to come see me at any time. If it is at all possible I'll be glad to make time to talk with you. Please call me­or better­send me an email to make sure that I’ll be here when you come by.

IN COOPERATION WITH THE DISABILITY RESOURCE CENTER, REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION WILL BE PROVIDED FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES. PLEASE MEET WITH ME DURING THE FIRST WEEK OF CLASS TO MAKE ARRANGEMENTS. ALTERNATIVE FORMAT MATERIALS­LARGE PRINT, AUDIO, DISKETTE, OR BRAILLE­WILL BE AVAILABLE THROUGH THE DISABILITY RESOURCE CENTER.