Syllabus for Phys 0091

Conceptual Physics

Spring 2017

Course Information:

Location 102 Thaw Hall

Lecture Monday and Friday 8:30 – 9:50

Text Conceptual Physics, 12

Edition by Hewitt

Homework Online using WebAssign, cost $29.95

Professor Adam Leibovich

Contact info Phone: 4-6381, email [email protected]

Office 414 Allen Hall

Office hours Wednesday 9:00-11:00 and Thursday 2:00-4:00, or by appointment

Course Description and Objectives: This course presents the conceptual basics of

introductory classical physics. As such, this course covers the same general topics as

PHYS 0110. The emphasis of this course, however, is on a clear understanding of the

underlying principles of physics, with a reduced emphasis on mathematics than would be

used in PHYS 0110. This course is intended for non-science majors and for students from

the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. The mathematical level of this course

will not be adequate for those students who plan to apply to Medical School. It could be

used for those students as a preparatory course prior to tackling the more mathematically

rigorous PHYS 0110 or PHYS 0174. In that case credit would not be given for both this

course and either PHYS 0110 or 0174. Topics covered in Physics 0110 include:

kinematics; Newton’s Laws of Motion; conservation of total mechanical energy, total

linear momentum, and total angular momentum; rotational kinematics and dynamics;

simple harmonic motion; behavior of fluids; heat and heat transfer; mechanical waves

and sound.

By the end of this course, the successful student will be able to:

! Demonstrate conceptual understanding of the concepts, principles and laws of

physics covered in this course, which include: kinematics; Newton’s Laws of

Motion; conservation of total mechanical energy, total linear momentum, and

total angular momentum; rotational kinematics and dynamics; simple harmonic

motion; behavior of fluids; heat and heat transfer; mechanical waves and sound.

! Describe a physical situation, as necessary, using multiple representations such as

written conceptual statements, mathematical equations, diagrams, and graphs, and

be able to translate from one representation to another.

! Perform a conceptual analysis of a problem and identify physical principles

required for its solution.

! Translate physical principles to formulate necessary mathematical statements

required to solve a problem.

Course Prerequisites: Satisfactory passage of the Mathematical Proficiency Placement

test given to incoming freshman, or completion of recommended remedial courses

Text and Materials: The textbook for this course is Conceptual Physics, 12

Edition by

Hewitt and is available in the university bookstores. You will also need to buy access to

WebAssign, the online homework system. In addition, you will need a calculator.

CourseWeb: A CourseWeb site for this course has been created and from there you may

view announcements, send email to the instructor and download course material (such as

the syllabus and lecture notes). To access the CourseWeb site, go to

http://courseweb.pitt.edu and login using your Pitt email username and password.

Class Participation: I encourage you to participate fully in class discussions. Physics

ideas build on previous material, so it is important to understand what is being taught

each step of the way. I strongly encourage you to ask questions to clarify any doubts.

There is no such thing as a dumb question. Chances are, if you are confused, someone

else in the class is also confused, which means that I did not do a good enough job

explaining something. Please stop me when this happens, so I can try again.

The Department of Physics and Astronomy has purchased a Student Interactive Response

System (SRS) for 102 Thaw Hall. The system consists of hand-held remote controls

(clickers) for every student, which is read by receivers in the room. The system will

allow me to ask questions during the lecture and let you respond anonymously. At the

beginning of the semester, you will be assigned a number that corresponds to a particular

clicker. The clickers will be stored in two carts at the front of the room, so that you may

pick up your clicker as you enter the hall, and return it when you leave. Don’t forget to

return the clicker, since other classes will also be using the system! The questions

you answer during class will count for extra credit at the end of the semester (possible 2%

added to your final average). Most of the credit (80%) will be given for supplying an

answer, even if incorrect. The rest of the credit (20%) will be for having the correct

answer.

Study Resources: A Resource Room will be available throughout the semester for help

in understanding physics concepts and completing homework assignments. The room is

usually available from 9 am to 5pm, Monday through Friday, in room 312 Thaw Hall.

Please check the schedule at http://www.physicsandastronomy.pitt.edu/resource-room. In

addition, tutoring is available through the Academic Resource Center in Gardner Steel

http://www.asundergrad.pitt.edu/arc.

Homework: Problem-solving skills are important to learning and understanding physics

and so homework is an important part of the course. This course will employ the

WebAssign online homework system. The address is: https://webassign.com. You will

have to purchase an access code to use the system. When prompted, use the Class Key

pitt 2170 6672. Homework will be due at Fridays at 6:00 pm.

Exams: There will be two mid-term exams (in lecture) and a 1 hour 50 min cumulative

final examination. The exams are expected to fall on:

• Exam 1: Friday, Feb. 3

• Exam 2: Friday, Mar. 24

• Final: Wednesday, Apr. 26 from 12:00 – 1:50

The final exam room will be announced at a later date.

Course Grades: Your grade in the course will be based on homework and exams. The

grades will be weighted according to the table below:

Homework 15%

Midterm Exams 25% each

Final Exam 35%

Extra credit is available from the in-class SRS questions can give a total of 2% added into

the final grade. Homework will be due at Fridays at 6:00 pm, except for HW #0 (2 parts),

due Monday, Jan 9

at 6:00 pm.

Important dates:

January 4

First day of classes

January 16

No class – MLK day

January 18

Add/drop period ends

February 3

First midterm exam

March 5

-12

No classes – Spring recess

March 15

Last day to withdraw

March 24

Third midterm exam

April 21

Last day of classes

April 26

Final exam

Course schedule: The schedule (subject to change) lists the material covered and exam

dates. You are responsible for reading the chapter in the text BEFORE coming to class.

Week

Due

Monday

Friday

1/2/17

Chapter 1

1/9/17

HW #0, HW #1

Chapter 1,2

Chapter 2

1/16/17

HW #2

No class - MLK

Chapter 3

1/23/17

HW #3

Chapters 4

Chapter 5

1/30/17

Chapter 6

Midterm 1

2/6/17

HW #4

Chapter 6,7

Chapter 7

2/13/17

HW #5

Chapter 8

2/20/17

HW #6

Chapter 9

Chapters 10

2/27/17

HW #7

Chapter 12

Chapters 13

3/6/17

No class - Spring break

3/13/17

HW #8

Chapter 13,14

Chapters 14,15

3/20/17

Chapter 15

Midterm 2

3/27/17

HW #9

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

4/3/17

HW #10

Chapter 19

4/10/17

HW #11

Chapter 20

4/17/17

HW #12

Chapter 21

Course policies:

Late work and exam conflicts:

Students may obtain an excused absence, and special arrangements may be made if a

student is unable to participate in a course requirement (e.g., an exam) for good cause,

such as illness or other serious circumstance beyond a student’s control and preventing

participation. In the occurrence of such good cause, the student must inform the instructor

immediately (prior notice is required if the reason of absence is a scheduled event, such

as a university sports competition). The instructor may request documentation regarding

the circumstances.

In general, late homework submissions will not be accepted. If a student is unable to

complete a homework assignment for good cause and provides proper notice, this

particular homework assignment may not be counted towards the student’s final grade.

Special or make-up examinations may be given in the case of an excused absence. A

student’s failure to take a scheduled examination without good cause and without proper

notice will result in that student’s receiving a 0% grade for that exam.

Academic integrity:

Students in this course will be expected to comply with the University of Pittsburgh's

Policy on Academic Integrity Any student suspected of violating this obligation for any

reason during the semester will be required to participate in the procedural process,

initiated at the instructor level, as outlined in the University Guidelines on Academic

Integrity. This may include, but is not limited to, the confiscation of the examination of

any individual suspected of violating University Policy. Furthermore, no student may

bring any unauthorized materials to an exam, including dictionaries and programmable

calculators.

Disability resources:

If you have a disability that requires special testing accommodations or other classroom

modifications, you need to notify both the instructor and the Disability Resources and

Services no later than the 2nd week of the term. You may be asked to provide

documentation of your disability to determine the appropriateness of accommodations.

To notify Disability Resources and Services, call 648-7890 (Voice or TTD) to schedule

an appointment. The Office is located in 216 William Pitt Union.