| Class: | TR 9:45 am - 12:30 pm, N112 |
| Professor: | Dr. Gerard P. Gilfoyle; Office: Gottwald Science Center, N-106; Phone:289-8255; electronic mail: ggilfoyl@richmond.edu; Office hours: MTR 3:00-4:30 pm, W 2:30-3:30. Other times by appointment or availability. |
| Objective: | To gain an understanding of the ideas of physics and to develop problem solving skills. Physics 131 satisfies the Natural Science Field of Study requirement. |
| Textbooks: | Fundamentals of Physics, by Halliday, Resnick, and Walker and the Investigative Physics Student Guide by Vineyard, Gilfoyle, and Rubin. |
| Prerequisites: | Calculus I (Math 211 or 111). It may be taken concurrently. |
| Course work: | The course will be taught in a ³workshop² format and will consist of lecture, laboratory work, demonstration, writing, and problem solving. Attendance: Attendance at class and laboratory meetings throughout the entire period is required and no make up work is permitted. If a student misses a quiz because of an unexcused absence a grade of zero will be assessed. An excused absence is one given by the instructor for what is deemed sufficient reason provided there is adequate advanced warning (one day). The student is responsible for all missed work. Unexcused absences beyond one will cause a grade reduction of one increment (e.g., B- to C+) for each unexcused absence. |
| Grading: | Grades will be computed on the following basis: |
| Tests | 45% | (15% for each of 3 tests) |
| Quizzes | 20% | |
| Egg-Drop Project | 5% | |
| Lab Summaries | 5% | |
| Final exam | 25% |
| Make-up tests and laboratories will not be administered. If a test is missed because of an excused absence the next test will count more heavily to make up the loss.Unexcused absences will result in a grade of zero for the missed activity. | |
| Quizzes: | Quizzes will be unannounced and will consist of one problem based on recent laboratory work or homework. If a quiz is missed because of an excused absence it can be omitted without penalty. If the absence is unexcused a grade of zero will be assessed. |
| Laboratory: | Laboratory activities are integrated with all other classroom work. No food or drink is allowed in the laboratory. |
| Tests: | Tests will consist of short-answer questions and problems based on readings, lectures, and laboratory. Each test will last for 50 minutes. The final exam is three hours long. |
| Supplies: | The student must supply: ruled paper(8-1/2 by 11), graph paper (8-1/2 by 11), pencils, a calculator, a diskette, and a clear plastic ruler with a centimeter scale. |
| Homework: | Homework will be assigned regularly, but not collected. However, most of the quizzes and the tests are based on the homework so it is madness to avoid them. |
| Date | Topic (Chapter) | Date | Topic (Chapter) | |||
| Aug | 28 | Introduction, Measurement (1) | Oct | 23 | Conservation of Energy (8) | |
| 30 | 1-D Motion (2) | 25 | Test 2, Momentum (9) | |||
| Sep | 4 | 1-D Motion (2) | 30 | Momentum and Impulse (10) | ||
| 6 | 1-D Motion (2) | Nov | 1 | Collisions (10) | ||
| 11 | 2-D Motion (3,4) | 6 | Collisions (10) | |||
| 13 | 2-D Motion (4) | 8 | Collisions (10) | |||
| 18 | 2-D Motion (4) | 13 | Rotation (11) | |||
| 20 | Test 1, Force (5) | 15 | Rolling (12) | |||
| 25 | Force (5) | 20 | Angular Momentum (12) | |||
| 27 | Applications of Force (6) | 22 | Thanksgiving Break | |||
| Oct | 2 | Applications of Force (6) | 27 | Angular Momentum (12) | ||
| 4 | Applications of Force (6) | 29 | Test 3, Relativity (42) | |||
| 9 | Applications of Force (6) | Dec | 4 | Relativity (42) | ||
| 11 | Work and Energy (7) | 6 | Relativity (42) | |||
| 16 | Fall Break | |||||
| 18 | Work and Energy (7) |
Introductory Physics with Calculus is taught in a ³workshop² format that emphasizes active learning rather than the passive approach of strictly lecture courses. In a given class meeting, there can be a combination of activities including laboratory work, lecture, discussion, problem solving, and demonstration. During class you will document your activities by filling in entries in the ³activity² space provided in the laboratory units that make up the Investigative Physics Student Guide. The entries consist of observations, predictions, derivations, calculations, and answers to questions. You may use the same data and graphs as your partners and, of course, discuss concepts with your classmates and the instructor. However, your entries in the activity units must reflect your own understanding of the concepts and the meaning of the data and graphs you present. Each entry should be written in your own words. The laboratory units will not be collected. However, it is important for your success in this course that your entries reflect a sound understanding of the phenomena you observe and analyze. Some of the quizzes will be closely related to the laboratory activities. Make-up units will not be permitted and you are responsible for any material that you missed.
Natural Science is concerned with the physical universe, from subatomic to cosmic levels of organization. It covers everything from inanimate forces to living systems. Through the generation and testing of hypotheses regarding repeatable, measurable, and verifiable phenomenon, natural scientific inquiry is one of our major means of understanding the world in which we live. For this reason and because of the generally low state of scientific literacy that is reflected in the reluctance of many students to take elective courses in the natural sciences, the faculty has decided to require Richmond students to take 4-credit, laboratory-based courses in two of the three areas of natural science represented at the University, namely biology, chemistry, and physics. Besides adding to studentsı knowledge of the world and their understanding of the methods and challenges of doing science, the faculty hopes that these courses will enhance their appreciation of the beauty of science.
Below is the list of the homework problems that you are responsible for. The chapters refer to Fundamentals of Physics by Halliday, Resnick, and Walker, the labs (designated by `L') refer to the homework problems at the end of a unit in Investigative Physics by Gilfoyle, Rubin, and Vineyard, and the `Webs' refer to problems on the Internet that are linked to the webpage http://www.richmond.edu/~ ggilfoyl/genphys.html. Others problems may be assigned in class.
A VERY effective way to study physics is to do the homework as the material is covered in class and then do additional problems when you study for an exam. The solutions are on the Internet at address listed above.
| Date | Assignment | Date | Assignment | ||
| Aug | 28 | Chap 1 - 1,5,7,8,10,15,17; L7 | Oct | 23 | Chap 8 - 4,6,11,16,18,25 |
| 30 | Chap 2 - 1,4,5,6,7,11,12; L8-9 | 25 | Test 2; Chap 9 - 21,22,24; Egg-Drop design proposal | ||
| Sep | 4 | Chap 2 - 14,15,16,17,18; L10; Web 1 | 30 | Chap 9 - 31,33,35; Chap 10 - 2,6,15; Egg-Drop device | |
| 6 | Chap 2 - 21,23,24,26,27,29; L12; Web 2 | Nov | 1 | Egg Drop Project | |
| 11 | Chap 2 - 33,38,40,44,46,52 | 6 | Chap 10 - 20,25,36,38,39; Web 7 | ||
| 13 | Chap 3 - 5,6,7,8; Chap 4 - 4,11,16,22,40 | 8 | Chap 10 - 47,48,53,55; Web 8 | ||
| 18 | Chap 4 - 43,44,48,50; Web 3 | 13 | Chap 11 - 1,3,5,9,11,20 | ||
| 20 | Test 1; Chap 5 - 4,8; L23 | 15 | Chap 11 - 25,31,34,35,52,53 | ||
| 25 | Chap 5 - 13,17,21,23; L24; Web 4 | 20 | Chap 11 - 37,39; Chap 12 - 1,4,6,12,23 | ||
| 27 | Chap 5 - 33,37,46,54; L25; L26 | 22 | Thanksgiving | ||
| Oct | 2 | Chap 5 - 11,12,14,29,36,38; Web 5 | 27 | Chap 12 - 38,39,44,46,47 | |
| 4 | Chap 6 - 2,4,8,10,14,15,16 | 29 | Test 3; Chap 38 - 3,5,6,7 | ||
| 9 | Chap 6 - 36,37,41,43,45,46 | Dec | 4 | Chap 38 - 1,8,12,13,52 | |
| 11 | Chap 7 - 14,24,25; Chap 3 - 29,30,31 | 6 | |||
| 16 | Fall Break | ||||
| 18 | Chap 7 - 2,17,20,21,22,27,29 |
|
Web Assignments
1. Units:
Exercises 1,2,3,5
(the use of this web page is described
here).
2. 1D Kinematics: Exercises 1,4,5,6,9,11a,11b
3. 2D Kinematics: Exercise 1
4. Newton's Laws: Exercises 1,2,3,7
5. Free-Body Diagrams: Elementary Question 1, Intermediate Questions 1,2, Advanced Questions 1,2 in the Self-Test on Free Body Diagrams.
6. Electric Forces: Problem 1
7. Momentum Conservation(under Newton's Laws): Exercises 6,9
8. Collisions: Exercise 1
9. Circular Motion: Exercises 2,3
10. Work & Energy: Exercises 4,5,6
11. Torque: Exercises 1,2,3 in the Self-Test under the Torque and Rotational Motion tutorial.
| Date | Laboratory Units and Activities | |
| Aug | 28 | Pretest, Measurements and Uncertainty (4), Measurement Uncertainty and Variation (7) |
| 30 | Position vs Time Graphs (8), Velocity vs. Time Graphs (9) | |
| Sept | 4 | Relating Position and Velocity Graphs (10), Changing Motion (12), Slowing Down, Speeding Up and Turning (13) |
| 5 | Equations to Define Velocity and Acceleration (14), Gravity and Free-Fall (15) | |
| 11 | Gravity and Free-Fall (15), Projectile Motion (21) | |
| 13 | Projectile Motion (21), Uniform Circular Motion (22) | |
| 18 | Uniform Circular Motion (22) | |
| 20 | Test 1, Force and Motion I (23) | |
| 25 | Force and Motion I (23), Force and Motion II (24), Combining Forces (25) | |
| 27 | Combining Forces (25), Force, Mass, and Acceleration (26) | |
| Oct | 2 | Newton's Third Law, Tension, and Normal Forces (27) |
| 4 | Friction and Applying the Laws of Motion (29) | |
| 9 | Centripetal Force (31) | |
| 11 | Work and Power (33), Work and Kinetic Energy (34) | |
| 16 | Fall Break | |
| 18 | Work and Kinetic Energy (34) | |
| 23 | Conservation of Mechanical Energy (35) | |
| 25 | Test 2, Momentum and Momentum Change (37) | |
| 30 | Momentum and Momentum Change (37), Newton's Laws and Momentum Conservation (39) | |
| Nov | 1 | The Egg Drop Project |
| 6 | Momentum Conservation and Center-of-Mass (40) | |
| 8 | Two-Dimensional Collisions (41) | |
| 13 | Introduction to Rotation (43), Newton's Second Law for Rotation (44) | |
| 15 | Newton's Second Law for Rotation (44) | |
| 20 | Angular Momentum and Torque as Vectors (47) | |
| 22 | Thanksgiving Break | |
| 27 | Conservation of Angular Momentum (48) | |
| 29 | Test 3, Galilean Relativity (57) | |
| Dec | 4 | Galilean Relativity (57) |
| 6 | The Twins Paradox (58) | |
| Date | Theme | Date | Theme | |||
| Aug | 28 | Mars Pathfinder landing | Oct | 23 | Dinosaur extinction | |
| 30 | " | 25 | Test 2, Dinosaur extinction | |||
| Sep | 4 | " | 30 | " | ||
| 6 | " | Nov | 1 | " | ||
| 11 | Shooting a basketball | 6 | " | |||
| 13 | " | 8 | " | |||
| 18 | Orbiting | 13 | Twirling skater | |||
| 20 | Test 1, The Rotor | 15 | " | |||
| 25 | " | 20 | " | |||
| 27 | " | 22 | Thanksgiving Break | |||
| Oct | 2 | " | 27 | Twirling skater | ||
| 4 | " | 29 | Test 3, Twin's Paradox | |||
| 9 | " | Dec | 4 | " | ||
| 11 | Dinosaur extinction | 6 | " | |||
| 16 | Fall Break | |||||
| 18 | Dinosaur extinction |