Physics 401 -- Introduction to Physics I -- Summer 2004

Instructor:
 Chung-Sang Ng
Office:
 Morse Hall, Room 245B
Phone:
 862-1280
E-mail:
 chung-sang.ng@unh.edu
Lectures:
 MTWTh 8:10-10:00 AM, DeMeritt 152
Office hours:
 MTh 1:00-2:00 PM, TW 11:00-12:00 AM
Labs:
 T 12:10-2:00 PM or T 2:10-4:00 PM, DeMeritt 101
Lab Instructor:
 Kristin Simunac (ksimunac@cisunix.unh.edu)
Textbook:
 Physics, 6th ed., Cutnell and Johnson (John Wiley 2004)
Textbook help:
 http://www.wiley.com/college/cutnell (follow link to Student Companion Site)
Course Home Page:
 http://plasma4.sr.unh.edu/ng/phys401/phys401.html
WebAssign:
 https://www.webassign.net/login.html

I. Purpose of this course

Physics 401 is a non-calculus based study of the fundamental principles of classical mechanics, which govern the motion of objects.  In the summer, it is a highly intensive course that finishes in 5 weeks, with 4 two-hour lectures and one lab each week.

II. Registration

You must be registered for both PHYS401 and one lab section in PHYS401L.  Please go to the Physics Department Office (Room 105 DeMeritt Hall) to add or drop the course (forms may be obtained at the Registrar's Office).

III. Prerequisites

You must have a basic understanding of high school algebra, geometry and trigonometry.

IV. Textbook

You must have a copy of the textbook: Physics, 6th ed., by Cutnell and Johnson (John Wiley 2004).  It is very important that you read the chapter(s) before you come to the lecture that covers that chapter(s).  Please refer to the schedule below (subject to change) for reading assignments. You should bring your textbook to the Lectures.

V. Homework

Doing homework is key to doing well in this class.  Since this is an intensive course, there will be two homework assignments each week, except only one for the first week, which means nine assignments in total. Assignments are to be done through WebAssign (https://www.webassign.net/login.html) and will be graded automatically and instantly so that you can get the feedback at once.  You need to buy the WebAssign enrollment card at the bookstore to be able to use WebAssign beyond the first 10 days. The deadlines for submission of assignments through WebAssign are 11:59 PM on Monday or Thursday (except the Monday deadline on the second week will be extended to Tuesday, June 1, due to holiday), unless otherwise announced.  However, you should work on your homework as early as possible before a deadline so that you can have time to ask for help if you encounter difficulties in solving these problems.  To emphasize the importance of doing homework, homework grade will count towards 30% of the total grade of the course, excluding the assignment with the lowest grade.  Moreover, approximately 50% of the four one-hour quizzes and the 2-hour final exam will consist of problems qualitatively similar to the homework. Thus, understanding the homework problems will prepare you well for the tests. A separate sheet on how to use WebAssign is provided along with this handout.

VI. Conceptual Questions

At the beginning of each Lecture, you will get a set of conceptual questions (mainly from the textbook) that we will work on together during the Lecture.  Only do the questions at the time you are told to do.  I will show the correct answers right away. Please don't change your answers so that I will know how the class are actually doing. You should hand in the question set at the end of the Lecture. You will get full credit for attempting to do ALL the questions that are told to do, whether your answers are correct or not.  Conceptual questions count towards 10% of the total grade of the course. Two lowest grade are dropped.

VII. Examinations

There will be 4 closed book one-hour quizzes and 1 two-hour final exam. Calculators and one page (5 pages for the final) of your own handwritten notes are allowed for each quiz.  THERE WILL BE NO MAKE-UP TESTS. Quizzes count towards 30% of the total grade. Of the four in-class quizzes, the one with the lowest grade will be dropped. If you miss an exam, that exam will be dropped. You must not miss the Final Exam (except for documented illness or family emergency ). The final exam counts towards 20% of the total grade. The following are the dates for the exams:

Date:

Time:

Room:
Quiz 1
Tue, June 1       		 9:10AM - 10:00AM DeMeritt 152
Quiz 2
Tue, June 8 		9:10AM - 10:00AM DeMeritt 152
Quiz 3
Tue, June 15 		9:10AM - 10:00AM DeMeritt 152
Quiz 4
Tue, June  22 		9:10AM - 10:00AM DeMeritt 152

Final Exam
Thu, June 24

8:10AM - 10:00AM DeMeritt 152

VIII. The Laboratory

The purpose of the labs is multi-fold. First, you gain hands-on experience with the physical principles that we discuss in lecture. Second, you begin to experience how science is done, including using a theory to design an experiment, taking measurements, and understanding sources of error. Third, in writing the lab reports, you will gain experience in technical writing. The Lab Instructor will spend a few minutes at the beginning lecturing on the lab itself or on the relevant physics concepts.

Everyone should attend their first scheduled lab during week 1 ( week of May 24th ). The labs will meet in DeMeritt 101. There are two lab sections for this course, Tuesday 12-2 PM and 2-4 PM. Lab instruction manuals may be picked up at the first lab meeting.

You must hand in all the laboratory write-ups to pass the course.  Your Lab Instructor will let you know the due dates of the lab reports and will give give you more information on how lab reports are graded. If you miss a lab in a particular week, you must make it up. Please contact the Lab Instructor as soon as possible to arrange for a make-up lab. The lab grade counts towards 10% of the total grade of the course.  However, you are required to do all the labs in order to pass the course.

IX. Grading

The final grade will be composed of:

4 one-hour quizzes (best 3): 30 % Lowest Exam grade is dropped
Final exam: 20 % Mandatory!
Laboratory: 10 % ALL Labs required for pass!
Homework (WebAssign) 30 % Lowest homework grade is dropped
Conceptual Questions
 10 %
 Two lowest grade are dropped
Total: 100 %

Normally, getting 50% of the total points will get a grade C, subject to adjustment. We strongly suggest that you keep all of your graded work at least until the end of the semester. On occasion, a grade is not entered correctly, and the only way we can correct it is if you have the graded work for us to see.

X. Getting Help

My office hours are 1:00-2:00 PM on Monday and Thursday, and 11:00-12:00 AM on Tuesday and Wednesday, at 245B Morse Hall. These are hours set aside especially to help you - do not feel like you are imposing or cheating by coming in. If you have problems that need immediate attention, please come to see me any time, send me an e-mail or give me a call.

Occasionally a student may have compelling non-academic reasons for not being able to complete work on time (for example, illness, death in the family). If you find yourself in such a situation, please come talk to me as soon as you can (or E-mail or call if you are at a distance) so we can determine what course of action is best to help you finish the required work.

The textbook has a web site: http://www.wiley.com/college/cutnell (follow link to Student Companion Site).  It has many resources that provide additional help.  We also have this home page of the course: http://plasma4.sr.unh.edu/ng/phys401/phys401.html. I may put additional materials that may be helpful to you later on. So, please come back often, especially to check any changes in the schedule.

XI. Syllabus and Schedule

Below we give an approximate schedule, subject to change.

Day (links for CQ)
 Lecture (Chapter) Reading Assignment
 Lab
 WebAssign (Chapter) Exam (Chapter)
5/24, Mo Mathematics (1) Preface, 1.1-2.3
   
5/25, Tu Kinematics (1-2) 2.4-2.8
 1
 
5/26, We
 1D Motion (2)
 3.1-3.5


5/27, Th
 2D Motion (3)
 4.1-4.5
HW1 (1-2), Due 11:59 PM
6/1, Tu
 Newton's Laws (4)
 4.6-4.13
 2
 HW2 (2-3), Due 11:59 PM
 Quiz 1 (1-3)
6/2, We
 Forces (4)
 5.1-5.8


6/3, Th
 Circular Motion (5)
 6.1-6.5
HW3 (4), Due 11:59 PM
6/7, Mo
 Work-Energy (6)
 6.6-6.10
HW4 (5), Due 11:59 PM
6/8, Tu
 Power (6)
 7.1-7.3
 3
Quiz 2 (4-5)
6/9, We
 Momentum (7)
 7.4-7.6


6/10, Th
 Collisions (7)
 8.1-8.4
HW5 (6), Due 11:59 PM
6/14, Mo
 Rotation (8)
 8.5-8.8
HW6 (7), Due 11:59 PM
6/15, Tu
 Rolling (8)
 9.1-9.4
 4
Quiz 3 (6-7)
6/16, We
 Torques (9)
 9.5-9.7


6/17, Th
 Angular Momentum (9)
 10.1-10.4, 10.9
HW7 (8), Due 11:59 PM
6/21, Mo
 Oscillations (10)
 11.1-11.6
HW8 (9), Due 11:59 PM
6/22, Tu
 Static Fluid (11)
5
Quiz 4 (8-9)
6/23, We
 Reviews



6/24, Th


HW9 (10-11), Due 11:59 PM
 Final (1-11)