DEPARTMENT OF
PHYSICS
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
COURSE
INFORMATION: PHY 1033C – Section 3664Z
and 3665Z Spring, 2004
LECTURES - - - - T R, 6th Period - - - 12:50 – 1:40 in Room
1001, New Physics Bldg.
LABS - - - T or R, 7th Period - - - 1:55 – 2:45 in Room 1001,
New Physics Bldg.
INSTRUCTOR - - Prof. Len Peterson
OFFICE - - - - - - - 2259 New Physics Building (Phone
392-0483)
OFFICE HOURS - Tues. 11:00 – 12:00, Wed. 2:30 - 3:30
p.m. (or after class by request)
TEXTBOOK - - - Conceptual Physics by Paul Hewitt (9th
ed., Addison-Wesley, 2002)
WEBPAGE - - - -
www.phys.ufl.edu/~peterson/
(evolving day-by-day))
PLEASE
READ CAREFULLY
1. COURSE DESCRIPTION: PHY1033C is an introduction to physics where
mathematics is used only a little, (sorry, but physics can not be done without
it). To be covered are selected topics from the laws of motion, electricity,
magnetism, optics and modern physics.
Some topics from the textbook are covered in detail; others are treated
lightly. You are responsible assigned
chapters and problems, practice problems posted on the class website or from
class, and all announcements. Homework
will be assigned each week but will only be collected on occasion. Whether
collected or not, the concepts covered either in homework or in class
are the bases for tests. Homework
solutions and comments from class will be posted on the web.
2. EXPECTATIONS: Expectations are modest and should be within reach
for all who put in the appropriate effort. Effort is important, for learning to
think in a scientific style requires practice. There are no prerequisites for this course other than an
elementary knowledge of algebra.
Anytime concepts at the level of trigonometry or higher are needed, they
will be reviewed before being used. For
students with weak math skills and for others who simply want help, I will
conduct a few evening or late afternoon workshops as needed. You are expected to be able to work
most of the problems in the textbook, assigned or not.
3. EXAMINATIONS: Grades are
based on the best 3 out of 4 in-class tests (30%), 2 evening midterms (40%), a
final exam (10%), a lab grade (15%) and a class grade (5%). Homework may be collected on occasion for
extra credit. The 5% class grade is
based on questions posed in class and answered via the new H-ITT student
response remotes. Each student needs to
buy a remote (cost: $30, with a $15 buyback refund) at the UF bookstore. The use of this system provides a fun way to
check understanding as well as a way to reward for being in class. The final exam covers the last 3 weeks of
the course. No makeups on class tests
will be given, since one can be dropped.
If an evening test conflicts with an important commitment,
arrangements can be made in advance to take the test shortly before the
normal time, but no test can be postponed.
For excused absences, a makeup of evening exams is given during exam
week. All tests emphasize the analysis
of situations, the ability to recognize valid logic, knowing important
information and solving problems. Tests
are mostly multiple choice.
4. WHAT, ME STUDY? Success rests
on the ability to know the principles well enough to use them to analyze
situations. Expect to make a lot of
errors as you study, but follow each error with an effort to use the new
insights gained from the error to deepen your understanding. Watching someone else solve problems does
little for your own progress. Do not
hesitate to ask for help, provided you have tried very hard before
acknowledging you're stuck.
5. GRADES: Your
numerical grade is an average percentage, subject to the weighting above. For
this course, the translation of numerical grades to letter grades will be
fairly gentle. About halfway through
the course, you will get a tentative grade.
Be aware that this course is not taught in the fall, so that a grade of
incomplete can be a problem to make up!
6. LABORATORY: There are 10
labs that are designed to teach concepts and give experience with
measurement. You will need to bring to
each lab your lab notebook with quadrille type pages for recording and graphing
results. Labs are graded on a basis of
0 to 5. Missed labs are scored as
0. A lab done above the call of duty is
scored as 5, a score that will be given rarely. Showing up, doing the lab, and
generally making a mess of it is worth 1 or 2.
Standard success on a lab is worth a 3 or 4. If you get mostly 4’s and a few 3’s you are considered doing a
good job. You are allowed to drop the
lowest two lab scores out of 10 total labs.
7. SCHEDULE: The
following is a tentative schedule for the first few weeks of the course, with
reading assignments and homework questions.
Date Pages Main Topic Suggested
Exercises Lab.
Jan. 06 T 1-19 about physics Relax
and enjoy.
none
08 Th 20-42 inertia
& forces Ch. 2: 14,16,18,20,23,
25,29,33,38
________________________________________________
13 T 43-54 linear motion Ch. 3: Ex 2,14,26,38
P
2,3,7,8 Lab
1: Motion
15
T 686-696 special relativity Ch. 35: Rev 7,15,17 in one direction
Ex
3,4,9,13
________________________________________________
20 T 55-68 Newton’s 2nd law Ch. 4: Ex 8,10,24,25,37
P
2,6,9 Lab
2: Accel.
22 Th 1st
Class test due
to gravity
________________________________________________
27 T Discussion of test
29 Th 69-75 Newton’s 3rd
law Ch. 5: Ex 3,13,18,21,22 no labs
P1,2
_________________________________________________
03 T 76-81 Practice 3rd
law Ch 5: Ex 30,31,36,39,40
P
4,5,6 Lab
3: Pendulum
05 Th 86-93 Review vectors
and start Chap.6
__________________________________________________
10 T 93-99 Momentum
Ch 6: Ex 8,21,26,38,40
P 2,3,6,8 Lab 4 Size of
molecule
12 Th 104-109 Energy Ch 7:
Ex 1,2,5,7,8,15
__________________________________________________
17 T 110-119 Energy Ch 7:
Ex 20,28,30,33,40,42
P
2,3,5,8
--To
be continued –
The plan is to do Chapters 7, skip
8, and do a light touch on 9 and 10.
We will then take a brief look at
sound before studying electricity and magnetism.
Finally, we will study some of the
interesting topics of what is called modern physics