PHYSICS 231N/226N University Physics

SPRING 2011

CRN Lecture/Lab 22760/22761 and 20173/20200 and 24815/24816

Course Instructor

Professor:         Dr. Charles E. Hyde
Office:  Room 215 Physics/ Oceanography Building (OCNPS) 
Phone:  683-5853 (email is better than phone)
Email:   chyde ‘at’ odu.edu

Office Hours:    *Mon and Wed  4:00 – 4:59 pm in the Physics Learning Center (OCNPS 2nd floor lobby), or by appointment

Course Materials

Course Schedule

Lectures:    Room 142 Physics/Oceanography Building (OCNPS).
CRN 22760 and 20173 MW 12:00pm - 1:50 pm
CRN 24815    MW 2:00pm - 3:50 pm
Labs:     Room 142 Physics/Oceanography Building (OCNPS).
CRN 22761 and 20200 F 12:00pm - 12:50 pm
CRN 24816    F 1:00pm - 1:50 pm

Final Exam:    Room 142 OCNPS

CRN 22760 and 20173 Monday 2 May 2011 12:30 - 3:30 pm
CRN 24815    Friday 29 April 2011 12:30 - 3:30 pm

Course Information

Course Content

In this calculus-based course you will be introduced to some core topics in physics - in particular the study of motion, or mechanics of particles and extended bodies, including the  the propagation of waves in substances.

Course Description

Through in-class activities, lectures (very brief), laboratories, reading and homework assignments you will learn how to use critical thinking combined with mathematics to describe simple physical processes and develop basic problem solving skills. In addition to covering both theory and experiment, we will also use numerical computation to model and visualize simple physical systems in order to gain insight into the underlying physics. There will be both individual and group activities. Group activities will stress teamwork and communication skills. Unlike the traditional lecture format, in this class we will rely on interactive instruction and cooperative learning.

Corequisite

Math 211 (Calculus 1) or equivalent is a corequisite for this course. No prior physics knowledge or experience in computer programming is assumed.

Reading Assignments

You will be given a reading assignment from the text for each class.  It is essential you complete the readings BEFORE class.  The in class exercises will be based on the text.

Homework

Physics is best learned by attempting to solve problems. In this way you will become familiar with the concepts and comfortable with the mathematical methods required. A good portion of in-class time will be spent working on problems. In addition, you will be given a Homework Assignments each week. You will submit your homework solutions online using WebAssign.   Assignment solutions will be posted on the Blackboard Physics 231N website. Use of published homework solutions is cheating.

WebAssign

The student access kit contains a code which will allow you to register on WebAssign (www.webassign.net). When entering your UIN (here or anywhere), be sure to include any leading zeros as the UIN may be read as a text string instead of a number. The course ID on
WebAssign depends upon your section.

Homework Journal

You should also keep a "homework journal" which shows how you solved the problems from the homework assignments. Written work must show labeled diagrams, defined variables, the appropriate physics equation(s), the mathematical solution and units. This will be checked and graded periodically.

Group Work

You will be assigned to a group of three students. Many class activities will require you to work together with your group.   Further details of the group activities will be given in class. Groups will be rearranged periodically.

Laboratory

Laboratory exercises will be integrated with in-class lectures and activities. You do not need to purchase a lab manual. Lab handouts will be distributed in class. Labs will vary in length and complexity and will be done in groups. Some labs may require formal lab reports. These should
follow basic scientific report guidelines.   The report should be concise, but should contain a basic description of the equipment, proceedures, and raw results.  The report should also contain a narrative explanation of any questions/calculations that were requested in the lab assignment.
Each group will submit a single lab write-up. To receive credit for the lab report, you must have contributed to the lab report. If a member of the group
does not contribute to the report, that person's name must not appear on the lab report.

Quizzes

Quizzes will be given every Friday, except on exam weeks. A quiz consists of a few short problem-solving and descriptive questions designed to take you 20 minutes or less, if you are prepared. Generally, these will be taken with no books or notes, though an equation sheet may be used. There are no make-ups; however, the lowest quiz score will be dropped.

Examinations

This course will contain three in-class examinations and a comprehensive final exam. If you must miss an exam, contact Dr. Hyde as soon as possible. Make-up exams will not be given but if you have a legitimate reason for missing an exam, your final exam score will be prorated, on a case-by-case basis.  Exams are closed book, but you will be allowed a single page (double-sided) formula sheet.  All exams will be in ONCPS Rm 142.

Exam Schedule

Final Course Grade

This course is not curved. All students can get an A.
A letter grade will be assigned at the end of the course on the basis of numerical scores obtained from the three in-class exams, the final exam, laboratory work, homework assignments, lab reports, quizzes, class participation, and end of term trend. The weighting will be approximately as follows.
In-class Exams
 30%
Final Exam
 25%
Homework
 15%
Homework Journal
 5%
Class Participation*
 10%
Lab Reports
 10%
Quizes
 5%
*Class participation includes attendance, clicker questions, class activities, etc.

Attendance

Attendance is mandatory. If you have to legitimately miss a class, it is your responsibility to find out what you missed. Additionally, if you know you are going to be absent, please inform your team members so they are prepared to be short-handed that day.

The Physics Learning Center

Help with any aspect of physics is available in the Physics Learning Center (2nd floor, PSB), Monday-Friday 9am - 5pm.
The Physics Learning Center is a place where students can get together to work on their homework and get assistance, if needed, from physics faculty and grad students. No appointment is necessary. Students in all introductory classes are encouraged to drop by the Learning Center for help on homework, lab, lecture, other course material, or just for a place to work while in the physics building. Note: staffing of the Physics Learning Center starts the second week of classes. More info, including a detailed staffing schedule, can be found at the following link:
 http://sci.odu.edu/physics/resources/learning_center.shtml

University Honor Code

You are expected to conform to the University Honor Code in all aspects of your conduct in this course. You may work with others on the homework assignments and laboratory work, however, what you submit must represent your own understanding of the problem. Submitting answers
online for problems that you have not worked out is cheating. Misconduct of any form will not be tolerated.