EVERYDAY  PHYSICS

Phy 101 --- Spring 2001 Syllabus

Physics Department --- Mercer University

EVERYDAY PHYSICS

Phy 101.303 --- Spring 2001 Syllabus

Physics Department --- Mercer University

Text: How Things Work: The Physics of Everyday Life, by Louis A. Bloomfield

Class Meetings:  LECTURE:  TR 12:15-1:30, WSC 101; and LAB.: T 9:25-12:05, WSC 108

Last class-day of module:  Thursday, 1 March

Instructor: Dr. Randall Peters, Office: Willet Science Center 115

Office hours: MWRF 9:00-10:00, T 8:30-9:20, or by appointment

email: peters_rd@mercer.edu, phone: 301-2747

Physics home page at http://physics.mercer.edu.

This course is an eight-week module, intended for non-science majors. It satisfies half of the laboratory science requirement within general education, in the Common Core of the College of Liberal Arts. It has no formal mathematical or other prerequisite, but you will need to use some math to successfully complete the course; i.e., arithmetic and simple algebra.  The material covered is similar to selected topics from the usual introductory physics sequence, but the approach to teaching and learning this material is different. The emphasis is primarily on developing conceptual understanding of physics, and science in general--by investigating the behavior of simple objects familiar to most persons through their experience in everyday life, hence the course title. You will learn something about The Laws of Motion, Mechanical Objects, Fluids, Electrodynamics, and Optics, as you investigate the behavior of balls, ramps, springs, roller coasters, balloons, rockets, flashlights, electric power grids, generators & motors, cameras, and telescopes & microscopes.

As goals of this course, you should:

1. Begin to see science in everyday life,

2. Learn to think logically in order to solve problems,

3. Develop and expand your physical intuition,

4. Learn how things work,

5. Begin to understand that the universe is predictable rather than magical, and

6. Obtain a perspective on the history of science and technology.

These are lofty goals: It is our hope that this course will help you start to achieve them.

Quizzes: There will be approximately six of these. Each will contain a conceptual part and a numerical part. The conceptual part will be non-mathematical, based on a reading assignment. The numerical part will be based on material previously covered in class. Quizzes will be simple but closed-book, and will include any needed formulas. Individual quizzes: First each student will answer the quiz working alone. Group quizzes: Then students will form into small groups and work the quiz together. These groups will be formed by the instructors at the beginning of the course and be subject to change. Finally, the entire class will consider the quiz as a whole, and complete answers will be provided. Each student will receive both an individual quiz grade and a group quiz grade.

Lectures: After the quiz for a particular reading assignment, we will discuss the material, do demonstrations and numerical examples, answer your questions, ask you questions for discussion, and generally try to get you thinking in new and interesting ways. We will also go over solutions to exercises and problems from the text.

Homework: For each section of the text we will give you a list of selected exercises and problems, some of which will be discussed in class. They are not to be handed in and will not be graded. However, some of them, or similar ones, will appear on quizzes and exams.

Exams: There will be two of these, which will also include both conceptual and numerical questions.  They will be closed-book, but you will receive a formula sheet. There will be no final exam.

Labs: There will be six of these, usually on topics related to the assigned reading. You may work in groups during the course of the lab, but your lab reports will be graded individually: All parts of each lab report must be the product of your own work. The reports will be informal, so that they may be finished and turned in to the instructor at the end of the same lab period.

Grading: The quizzes, individual and group, Labs, and exams will be weighted as follows:

Individual Quizzes: 25%

Group Quizzes: 15%

Labs: 30% (6 labs, 5% per lab)

Exams: 30% (2 Exams, 15% per exam)