Physics 103
College Physics
Fall 2003
Office Hours:
Monday 2:00-4:00pm in 112 NSCIWednesday 2:00-4:00pm in 112 NSCI
Additionally, a help room will be staffed to answer homework related questions. This will be in the Physics conference room (122NSF) and will be staffed at various times each day (the schedule is posted on the Rm122 door).
Semester schedule (calendar)
Web Projects (under construction)
Links to Web info (to help with your project)
Link to Auroral Forecast at the GI
Formula Sheet for Final (in PDF format)
This syllabus is located at: http://ffden-2.phys.uaf.edu/103.html
Course Syllabus
In approaching this (and all) classes, please note the following ancient chinese proverb:
Teachers
open the door,
but you must enter by yourself.
Prerequisites: Algebra geometry and trigonometry will be used.
Materials Needed:
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Required Text: |
Physics, 3rd edition, Hecht. |
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Calculators: |
No calculators may be used during exams or quizzes. Otherwise, buy yourself a nice one. A basic, simple scientific calculator with trigonometric, exponential, and logarithmic functions is all that you need. |
Lectures: 9:15am MWF in 201A NSCI. The lectures supplement but do not substitute for the reading. Lectures will cover the major topics, emphasizing and discussing the important points. They are not sessions to regurgitate material already written in the text. Your personal participation is important, and it is critical that you read the assigned material before lecture. Time permitting, several lectures will cover special topics beyond the scope of the text. These will be announced before hand.
Homework: There will be
approximately one homework assignment per week. The assignment will
be given out (and posted on the web and in the hall in front of my
office) on Wednesdays and will be due in on the following
Thursday by 5PM. Place your homework in
the appropriate box in the Physics Department Office. You are
encouraged to work with others on the homework, but make sure the
paper you turn in is not simply copied from someone else. These
assignments help me assess your understanding of the material, and
will count toward your final grade.
Late problem sets will not be
accepted.
Only a selection of problems will be graded each week, totaling about
25 points each. Solution sets may be posted in the glass cabinet in
the Physics Dept. hall. You are
strongly encouraged get copies to
help you understand how to approach these problems; it will likely
help on tests.
Quizzes: ~10 short quizzes will be given in class during the semester. They will be closed book and no calculators allowed (or needed). All difficult formulas needed will be given and the quiz will be similar to some of the recent homework or sometihing we have just done in class. The quizzes will be announced both in class and on the schedule page at least one week in advance.
Project: There will be a project due worth a maximum of approximately 10% of the course grade. The project will be in the form of a web page on a topic in physics that you find interesting and we agree on together. These topics could include biographies of important scientists, scientific projects and scientific ideas. The topic must be agreed to by Oct 17th and must be competed by Nov 24th. They will be graded both for presentation and content. More details will be discussed in class and is available at the web project info link.
Labs: There is a lab
associated with this course. ALL
labs and reports must be completed to get a passing grade for the
lab.
A PASSING GRADE IN THE LAB IS NECESSARY TO
PASS THE COURSE.
Questions about the lab should be directed to the teaching assistent in charge
of your lab or as a last resort me.
Hour Exams: Exams will be given during the lectures as follows(check for changes!):
Oct. 3rd, approx. Chapters 1-4 Nov. 7th, approx. Chapters 5-8
The exams will be closed-book, but you will be given one side of an 8 1/2 x 11-inch sheet with most of the needed equations. No calculators are allowed. The exams will be graded and handed back as soon as possible. Solutions will be discussed and posted.
Final Exam: The final exam will be 2 hours long begining at 8 AM on Mon, Dec. 15th. It will cover the entire course (Chapters 1-14), with some emphasis on the more recent material. You will be given two 8 1/2 x 11-inch sheets of formule.
Grading: The course grade will
consist of the following components:
2 hour exams 30 % Final exam 25 % Homework 10 % Quizzes 10 % Project 10 % Lab 15 %
Note: I reserve the right to make adjustments to the final grade based on trends in your grades over the semester
Contacting Me: I have office hours as listed above. You can drop by at other times if I'm not busy, or make an appointment. I am (almost) never available before class.
Complaints and Concerns: You are always welcome to talk to me about anything, however, if you have a non-subject matter question or concern that cannot be resolved by me contact the department chair, Dr. Craven, Physics Department Office, room 102 NSCI.
Alternate References: To see
the same topics explained differently, try the following:
College Physics, 5th edition, Serway, Faughn
Feynman; The Feynman Lectures on Physics
Here is a good web site on how to study physics which might be of interest and use: How to study physics
General Advice: Physics is not
something you read and memorize, rather it is something you learn how
to do. Try the following study procedure:
Last updated 19 December, 2003