Physics 141 Principles of Physics I  - Fall, 2006

Instructor:  Professor Wolfgang Losert (www.ireap.umd.edu/~wlosert/phys141_2006)

 

The first of a two-semester series in general physics. The first semester covers the fields of mechanics, oscillations and waves, and thermodynamics.  The course includes three weekly lectures, one discussion, and one lab session per week.

 

Lectures:  Wed 8/30   Fri 9/1  Wed 9/6  Fri 9/8   Mon 9/11  Wed 9/13   Fri 9/15      Mon 9/18  Wed 9/20   Fri 9/22   

                           Mon 9/25  Wed 9/27   Fri 9/29   Mon 10/2   Wed 10/4—exam   Fri 10/6   Mon 10/9  Wed 10/11   Fri 10/13

                          Mon 10/16  Wed 10/18   Fri 10/20     Mon 10/23  Wed 10/25   Fri 10/27   Mon 10/30  Wed 11/1   Fri 11/3  

        Fri 11/10      Mon 11/13  Wed 11/15   Fri 11/17   Mon 11/20  Wed 11/22  Mon 11/27  Wed 11/29   Fri 12/1 

                            Mon 12/4  Wed 12/6   Fri 12/8  Mon 12/11 

 

Syllabus 

This course covers basic physical principles in the fields of mechanics, oscillations and waves, and thermodynamics. 

What you should learn in this course: 

Understanding the basic principles of mechanics, oscillations and waves and thermodynamics:   Understanding will be a combination of knowledge of scientific facts such as the equations for Newton's Laws, and experience (through lots of practice) in how to apply them to real world (or at least real exam) problems.   

 

Lecture M,W,F,  11:00am-11:50am (PHY 1410), Physics Building

 

Lab (start 9/11-12) and Discussion (start 9/5 with HW tutoring —Section0102 students please join any of the other sections on 9/5 or see the Professor for individual HW tutoring):

0102      M.........3:00pm- 3:50pm (PHY 4208)    Discussion        M……......4:00pm- 5:50pm (PHY 3314)  Lab    

0103     Tu........ 8:00am- 8:50am (PHY 1402)     Discussion       Tu........ 9:00am-10:50am (PHY 3314)  Lab   

104.       Tu........10:00am-10:50am (PHY 0405)   Discussion       Tu........11:00am-12:50pm (PHY 3314) Lab   

105.       Tu........ 1:00pm- 1:50pm (PHY 0405)     Discussion       Tu........ 2:00pm- 3:50pm (PHY 3314)   Lab   
    

Required course materials:
1) Textbook:  Serway and Jewett: "Physics for Scientists and Engineers", 6th Edition, Vol. 1 (Thomson: Brooks/Cole, 2004) ISBN: 0-495-06096-8   (version bundled with webassign access card) —you can also buy the book alone (ISBN: 0-534-40956-3) and buy webassign access separately  

3) RESPONSE CARD RADIO FREQUENCY KEYPADS  - see clickers.umd.edu
4) Lab manual:  "Physics 141 Laboratory Manual", Fall 2004 edition, (Wiley) ISBN 0-471-71009-1

 

Contact information:

Professor:  Wolfgang Losert,  wlosert@umd.edu    www.ireap.umd.edu/~wlosert/, 3359 AV Williams Bldg, ext: 5-0629 

Office hours:  12 - 2pm  Wednesday or by appointment. (3359 AV Williams Bldg, ext 5-0629)  Feel free to email or call  to make an appointment.  Please suggest 2 possible meeting times—check my calendar at:  www.ireap.umd.edu/~wlosert/Calendar/ 

 

Teaching Assistants:  

Section 0102:

   Aron Wall, Office:  Physics Bldg 3107    Office phone: 301-405-3306

   email:  aronwall@umd.edu             Office hours: Thursday    2:30-3:30 

 

Sections 0103:

   Damon Ellingston Office: Physics 3103 b  Office Phone: 301-405-56198

   email: damon@umd.edu   Office hour: Tuesday 11am - noon

 

Section 0104 and 0105:

   Kwan-yuet (Stephen) Ho ,  Office:  4223 Physics  Office phone 301-405-6192

   email:  kwyho@physics.umd.edu       Office hours:   Friday 10.00am-10.50am 

 

Grading

Homework and quizzes

25%

First Hour Exam 

15%

Second Hour Exam

15%

Lab

20%

Final Exam

25%

 

Homework
Weekly web based homework assignments using webassign.  Homework due Friday before class (11am).  You have to submit the homework on webassign, AND submit a printout of the homework plus added material that shows the mathematical steps and explanations for your reasoning.  I suggest printing out the HW problems from Webassign, solving them on paper, and handing in the paper copy plus submitting the results on webassign.  Solving things on paper best prepares you for the course exams and future physics exams you may take.  Homework is extremely important as it will help you understand how to apply the equations and concepts covered in class.  It is extremely difficult to do well in this course without carefully doing the homework.

 

Quizzes

You will need to complete a short on-line quiz before each lecture (except the first lecture)

 

Midterm Exams
There will be two 50 minute in class mid term exams: Wednesday, October 4 and Wednesday, November 8.  These exams will have questions similar to the homework and quizzes. Each counts 15% toward your course grade.

Final Exams
There will be a 2 hour final exam at a time and place TBA during finals week.  The final exam is cumulative.


Discussion 
The discussion is scheduled just prior to your lab session.  This is an opportunity to obtain clarification of the material presented in class, in the text, or in the lab.  Discussion sessions will give you a "hands-on" introduction on how to solve problems.  They are also an opportunity to get help from the TA and from fellow students.   

 

Laboratory
The experiments in the laboratory are an integral part of this course. Twelve experiments are scheduled. You cannot pass this course unless you do every experiment, and submit a report.   You need to start a draft of your lab report before you come to the lab.  Bring a page with your name, lab title, and a brief introduction (a few sentences in one to two paragraphs) into what the purpose of the lab is in your own words. 20% of the lab points  will be subtracted if you do not prepare the introduction prior to lab.   You will have to submit a lab report at the end of each lab period.  If you need more time and  hand in a report after the end of lab, 20% of the points for that lab will be subtracted.  

 

- no lab week of September 4 ! 

Week 1 (9/11 -12)       Experiment 1 "Errors and Significance of Data"

Week 2 (9/18–19)        Experiment 2  "The Freely Falling Body"

Week 3 (9/25 -26)       Experiment 3   "Equilibrium of forces"

Week 4 (10/2 –3)         Experiment 6  "Centripetal forces and acceleration"

Week 5 (10/9-10)        Experiment 4   "Two-dimensional collision"

Week 6 (10/16-17)      -Make up week (only one experiment may be made up)

Week 7 (10/23-24)       Experiment 5    "Ballistic Pendulum"

Week 8 (10/30-31)       Experiment  7 "Angular Momentum and its conservation" 

Week 9 (11/6-7)          Experiment  8 "Simple Harmonic Motion and Hooke's Law

Week 10 (11/13-14)     Experiment  9 "The Pendulum"

Week 11 (11/20-21)     Experiment  10 "Standing waves on a string"

Week 12 (11/27-28)     Experiment  11 "The ideal gas law and absolute zero"

Week 13  (12/4-5)        Experiment  13 "Fluid Dynamics"

Week 14 (12/11-12)     -Make up week (only one experiment may be made up)

 

Tutoring
The Physics Department has a free tutoring service, the Slawsky Clinic, run by a group of retired senior physicists. It is located in Room 1214 in the Physics building. The time reserved for PHYS141 is 10-11 and 12-1 Monday through Friday.  However, you can usually get help at any time they are open, from10 AM until 3 PM. See http://www.physics.umd.edu/academics/ugrad/slawsky.html

 

Honor Code
The University of Maryland, College Park has a nationally recognized  Code of Academic Integrity, administered by the Student Honor Council.   This Code sets standards for academic integrity at Maryland for all  undergraduate and graduate students.  As a student you are responsible for upholding these standards for this course.  It is very important for you to be aware of the consequences of cheating, fabrication, facilitation, and plagiarism. For more information on the Code of Academic Integrity or the Student Honor Council, please visit http://www.shc.umd.edu.

 

To further exhibit your commitment to academic integrity, remember to sign the Honor Pledge on all examinations and assignments: "I pledge on my honor that I have not given or received any unauthorized assistance on this examination (assignment)."

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Please feel free to email or call with any questions:  wlosert@umd.edu , 301-405-0629

 

Things to do before the first class for registered Students:   

▪ Add yourself to the online course in WebAssign