General Physics 1

Welcome to Phys 140!

http://sites.google.com/site/sienaphys140/

Textbook• Six Ideas the Shaped Physics

• By Thomas Moore• Required texts

• Unit E, 3rd Edition• Unit Q

• Unit E, Q and O will be covered this semester• Unit E: Electricity and Magnetism• Unit Q: Waves, Quantum Mechanics• Unit O: Optics (text available online)

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About the textbook• YOUR TEXTBOOK IS YOUR #1 RESOURCE!!!

• You are expected to come to class having read the assigned chapter.

Course Design and GradingTests 25%Exam 1, Feb. 11 8.3%Exam 2, Mar. 23 8.3%Exam 3, Apr. 13 8.3%

Labs 15%You must pass lab to

pass class!You must complete

every lab to pass lab!

Other 25%HomeworkTwo Minute Problems In-class assignments

Project15%

Final Exam20%

Uniform exams for all sections

Cumulative

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Class Time• 2 minute problems• Group problems• Lab-style activities• SHORT lectures• Classes will be ACTIVE! They will

require you to participate and engage in the problems and activities.

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Preparing for Class• Assigned Reading

• One chapter each class• Go through exercises in each chapter

• Answers are provided at the end of the chapter• Reading quiz (multiple choice and/or problems)

at the start of each class on the assigned chapter• Short video lectures (<10 min) of difficult

concepts and illustrative examples will be posted on the web and are to be viewed BEFORE class.

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Notes• Powerpoint slides will be posted on

the web.• http://sites.google.com/site/sienaphys140/

• You need paper, writing utensil, and calculator!!!

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Attendance Policy• Students are expected to attend all

classes and are responsible for all material covered in class, even when absent.

• Students should understand that some material discussed in class is not covered in the textbook.

• In-class problems and activities can not be made up.

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Attendance Policy• Attendance is required.• We realize that some absences are

unavoidable, and you should inform your instructor prior to missing any classes.

• Missing more than 3 classes will decrease your overall grade by a letter grade.

• You will be advised to withdraw from the course if you miss more than 5 classes.

Homework• Weekly Homework will be listed on the

schedule• Homework is due Friday at 4 pm in drop box

outside RB 227 (Dr. Finn’s office)• Grading will be the same as last semester

• 8 points per problem• 5 points for working out the problem• 3 points for presentation

• Exams will be very similar to homework and group problems

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Grading Homework – 5 point scale• Working out problem

• 5: good effort with correct results and reasoning• 4: a good effort with minor errors or a fair effort

with no conceptual or math errors• 3: a good effort with modest conceptual errors

and/or math errors or a fair effort with minor errors• 2: a fair effort involving modest conceptual errors

or a good effort involving serious conceptual errors• 1: a very poor effort• 0: no initial effort

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Grading Homework – 3 point scale• Graded on 8 point scale with the extra three

points devoted to quality of presentation issues• Adequate diagrams• Explanations of model• Units and vector notation• Algebra first (with symbols only), plug in numbers at

the end• Grading rubric -

• 3: great presentation• 2: minor presentation problems• 1: major presentation problems• 0: extremely poor presentation

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Guidelines for working homework problems• Given: •  • Find: •  • •Draw a picture!• •Write in pencil• •Clearly label units• •Cancel units when appropriate• •WRITE NEATLY• •Keep work in one column• •Box answers

Extra Credit• Opportunities announced

throughout the semester• Examples

• Projects• Brown bag lunches• Seminars• Wikis• Podcasts• Etc.

MATLAB• MATLAB is widely used in engineering, science and mathematics

• Knowledge of MATLAB is a marketable skill• Physics Department has adopted MATLAB as its

official language• You will see it in higher level courses

• PHYS 140 sections have the privilege of participating in a pilot for a new web-based MATLAB classroom

• We will use it this semester for• Data analysis and plotting• Vector analysis• Improve understanding abstract concepts such as vector

fields