Physics 101 - Syllabus - Fall 2016

Instructor: Prof. David S. Armstrong
   Office: Small 343E
   Phone: 221-3489
   Email: dsarms@wm.edu
   Office Hours: Tues 2:00-5:00pm; Wed 1:00-2:00, 4:00-5:00pm, or by appointment.
Text: The textbook for Physics 101 and 102 will be "Physics for Scientists and Engineers" by R.A. Serway and J.W. Jewett, 9th edition. In Physics 101, we will cover Chapters 1-18, and in Physics 102 Chapters 19-38. We will be using "WebAssign" for the online homework submission. An electronic copy of the textbook, along with access to WebAssign can be purchased directly from WebAssign. Access for one semester only is $94.00, and for lifetime access (i.e. if you expect to also take Physics 102, as the same book will be used) is $125.00. A third alternative is to purchase a looseleaf edition of the textbook, along with WebAssign access, from the W&M bookstore, for which I believe the price is $130.35. Older editions of the book can be used, but you will still need to purchase access to WebAssign.
Laboratory: The laboratory (Physics 101L) is a separate one-credit course, which is supervised by Prof. A. Dayle Hancock (adhancock@wm.edu). It is possible to take Physics 101 without taking Physics 101L, although it is highly recommended to take both. The lab cannot be taken without either being enrolled in Physics 101, or having previously passed 101. Labs will meet for the first time the week of August 29. More information on the Lab, including the detailed schedule, is available at physics.wm.edu/~labs/.
Email: Feel free to communicate with me by email: dsarms@wm.edu. I can't guarantee that I will read emails sent in the evening until the next day.
Schedule: A schedule of what sections of the text will be covered, when the tests are, and when the homework is due is attached.
Homework: A set of homework problems is due at midnight on Thursday each week. The homework answers will be entered via the WWW using WebAssign (www.webassign.net). This software will provide instant feedback on which problems were answered correctly (and which were not). You will be allowed multiple attempts to upload answers (up to a maximum of 3 attempts per problem), and your grade will be based on the last submission.
Solutions will be available on the WWW the morning after the due date.
To sign up for this course on WebAssign, go to www.webassign.net, select "Students" and "I Have a Class Key", enter the class key which is "wm 3403 4038", and follow the instructions. Please use your W&M username, i.e. mine would be "dsarms". You can access WebAssign for free until Sept. 7.
In-class Quizes: Roughly once per week, there will be a short one-question multiple-choice quiz during class. You will be given a few minutes to answer, and will be encouraged to talk to the people around you to discuss the question. You will use Poll Everywhere (PollEv) to answer the quiz questions, using either your cell phone, or laptop or notebook computer. These will be graded; half credit will be given for incorrect answers. These quizzes will count for 5% of your final grade (see below). Instructions on signing up for PollEv will be provided separately. There will be a modest fee ($14.00, I believe) for access to PollEv.
Problem Sessions: You will have also registered for a section of the Physics 101P weekly problem sessions. These are not tutorial sessions for the homework, they are sessions in which you will be introduced to physics problem-solving techniques by another physics professor. On occasion, you will be asked to solve individual problems yourself in problem session; this form of class participation will count for 5% of your final grade (see below).
Tests: There will be three 50-minute, closed-book tests during the semester. Calculators are permitted (but not PDAs, cell phones or messaging devices). The basic relevant equations will be provided.
Exam: The final exam will be Thurs. Dec. 8, 9:00 am - noon.
Grading: Letter grades will be assigned as follows:
```
               A  92-100%    A-  88-92
   B+  84-88   B  80-84      B-  76-80
   C+  72-76   C  68-72      C-  64-68
   D+  60-64   D  55-60      D-  50-55
   F  < 50
```
The grades will be calculated based on either
```
   Homework   - 20%  
   Quizzes    -  5%
   Problem Session - 5%
   Tests      - 40% 
   Final Exam - 30% 
```
or
```
   Homework   - 20%  
   Quizzes    -  5%
   Problem Session - 5%
   Final Exam - 70% 
```
Then, for each student, the final grade will be calculated using both equations, and the result with the larger numerical grade will be the one used to determine the letter grade.
This procedure means that students who may have had difficulty with one or more of the in-class tests have the chance to make up for it with a good performance on the final exam; after all - what is relevant is how much physics you have learned at the end of the course!
Added (Oct 1 2016): For each student, the "Tests" grade will drop the lowest of the three in-class test grades; the average will be based on the top two Test grades.
The final grade calculation (including decisions on rounding) is the responsibility of your problem session instructor.
Math: This is a calculus-based course, so familiarity with differentiation and integration will be assumed. However, initial use of calculus will be light, as students presently registered in MATH 111 can take Physics 101. We will make extensive use of high-school level algebra, trigonometry, and geometry. The mathematics used in the course is outlined in Appendix B of the text.
General Education Requirement: For those of you under the "old" curriculum, Physics 101 satisfies the GER 2A (physical sciences) General Education Requirement. The associated laboratory, Physics 101L, if taken, satisfies GER2L (science laboratory).
The GER2A requirement is intended to introduce the student to the nature of scientific inquiry, including how scientific theories are developed and tested, the nature of empirical knowledge (as well as the limits of science), and the historical, cultural and intellectual context of science. Physics 101 will explore many of the underlying fundamental laws governing all of the natural world, primarily those related to the motion of objects subject to forces. Topics include kinematics, dynamics, circular motion, gravitation, work, energy, linear and angular momentum, torque and static equilibrium, static and dynamic behavior of fluids, oscillations, waves, and sound. In particular, the role of mathematics in describing the physical universe will be a central underlying theme of the course. The presentation will follow a logical (rather than historical) ordering, however, the historical development of major physical ideas will be discussed as appropriate. Together, the Physics 101-102 sequence will provide the student with a broad, general introduction to many essential aspects of our understanding of the physical universe.
Accessibility: It is the policy of The College of William and Mary to accommodate students with disabilities and qualifying diagnosed conditions in accordance with federal and state laws. Any student who feels s/he may need an accommodation based on the impact of a learning, psychiatric, physical, or chronic health diagnosis should contact Student Accessibility Services staff at 757-221-2509 or at sas@wm.edu to determine if accommodations are warranted and to obtain an official letter of accommodation. For more information, please see www.wm.edu/sas.

last updated: October 4 2016

Physics 101: General Physics
Physics Department
College of William and Mary

http://physics.wm.edu/~armd/P101_info.html