Tuesdays & Thursdays 1:00-2:50pm, 203 Gallalee: Main lecture and lab
Fri 2-2:50pm, 203 Gallalee: Recitation
4 Hrs.
Lecturer:
Dr. Tim Mewes (detailed contact info)
email: tmewes@ua.edu
office: 135 Bevill/110 Gallalee
office hours in 135 Bevill: Tuesdays & Thursdays 10 AM, any time my door is open or by appointment
Graduate Teaching Assistant:
Kyle Harman
email: kmharman@bama.ua.edu
office: 215 Gallalee
office hours: MW 12PM-1PM & F 1PM-2PM
PH-105 Helpdesk office hours
PH 105: General Physics with Calculus I. Four hours.
Prerequisite: MATH 125.
Lectures and laboratory. Introductory calculus-based course in classical mechanics. Topics covered include one- and two-dimensional motion, Newton's laws of motion, circular motion, work and energy, potential energy, conservation of energy, linear and angular momentum, gravity, fluids, wave behavior, basic thermodynamics.
Upon completion of this course you should have a basic understanding of Newton's laws of motion. You should be able to apply basic laws of physics to formulate solutions to basics mechanics problems. You should also be able to represent experimental data and mathematical relationships using tables, graphs, equations and words and draw valid conclusions from experimental data. You should be able to estimate the magnitude of a solution and exclude wrong solutions based on dimensional analysis.
By the end of PH105 you should have the necessary background so that you can take PH106.
Studio physics, as we label our new introductory physics courses at the University of Alabama, is a format that combines the lecture and laboratory parts of the physics class, doing away with traditional lectures. Our classes meet twice a week for 2 hours, and a third time for a single recitation hour. These meetings take place in a specially designed learning space where students have access to computers, electronic data-collecting apparatus, and instructors. Instructors have access to video cameras, two LCD projectors, the Internet, and considerable software.
The course will be team-taught by a faculty member (Mewes) and a graduate teaching assistant (Harman). During classes on Tuesday and Thursday (two hours each) there will be a mix of short lectures and group activities. The group activities will include short lab experiments using the computer for data acquisition and analysis and other short 'exercises'. The exercises will consist of real-world problems and computer simulations. The one-hour Friday class is a 'recitation' section devoted to problem solving.
It is expected that you know some calculus, and are fluent in trigonometry.
Serway and Jewett, Physics for Scientists and Engineers
Vol. I, 7th edition [6th edition is fine]
It is essential that you read the textbook, as the lectures will not cover all the material. As an incentive for reading the text, you will be required to answer at least one question about the reading before each class period. These questions will also be online, and will be due before the start of each class. On days when there is a lab experiment scheduled, the questions will be related to that experiment.
Homework solutions must be submitted online using a web-based program called WebAssign. WebAssign requires a student username and password, which will be given out during the first lecture and the Friday recitation. After your first login, you will also need an access/registration code, which comes with a newly-purchased textbook. Those with used textbooks can purchase an access code on the WebAssign page.
Access code info
Buy access code if you did not purchase a new textbook
Problems from the textbook are assigned weekly, generally on Friday and are usually due the following Friday 5:00PM unless stated otherwise. The problem solutions must be submitted on the web using a web-based program called WebAssign (see above). WebAssign gives immediate feedback on the correctness of each problem, and students can resubmit problems if they are incorrect (though not indefinitely). The numbers in the problem are different for each student, but are not changed each time a problem is resubmitted. The first Friday recitation session will be devoted to explaining how to use WebAssign. It is important to understand how to work a problem and not just to submit a correct answer.
Students are encouraged to collaborate when working homework problems, however each student should keep a record of problem solutions (not just answers) and should submit their own answers based on the particular numbers in their problems. Students must keep a notebook of how they work each problem and be prepared to turn this in for spot grading as requested.
Problems will be submitted each week outside of class through WebAssign. In-class work (e.g., exercises and lab write-ups) will be collected at the end of each class period and will count as part of the course grade. There will be either a lab write-up or a group exercise in some form due after every single class. During Friday recitation, occasionally short (10 min) quizzes will be given based on in-class work done during the week and/or the most recently submitted homework assignment. Thus, class attendance is very important. There will be no make up of missed class work. The two lowest grades on in-class work will be dropped when computing the final course grade. There will be three one-hour closed-book exams and a comprehensive final exam.
| In-class work* | 20% |
| Online Problems | 20% |
| Hour Exam I | 10% |
| Hour Exam II | 12.5% |
| Hour Exam III | 12.5% |
| Final Exam | 25% |
No makeup of in-class work, quizzes, or exams will be given. If you have a legitimate reason for missing a major exam, then you must inform me as soon as possible. If the reason is acceptable, then the final exam will count proportionately more. As described above, the lowest grades on labs, in-class exercises, and recitation work will be dropped. This will allow a limited number of missed classes (regardless of the reason).
All acts of dishonesty in any work constitute academic misconduct. The Academic Misconduct Disciplinary Policy will be followed in the event of academic misconduct.
To request disability accommodations, please contact Disabilities Services (348-4285). After initial arrangements are made with that office, please contact Dr. Mewes.
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