University of FloridaDepartment of Physics  
   
PHY 2004, Sections 3779, 3780
Applied Physics 1 -- Fall 2002
 
Lectures: MWF in 1001 NPB  
     
  Sec. 3779--period 9 (4:05 - 4:55 pm)
  Sec. 3780--period 8 (3:00 - 3:50 pm)
Textbook: Technical Physics by F. Bueche and D. Wallach (4th ed., John Wiley & Sons, 1994)
   
Reference Books: Applied Physics by A. Beiser (Schaum's Outline Series)
(optional) College Physics by F. Bueche (Schaum's Outline Series)
   
 Instructors: Prof. Zongan Qiu,           2039 NPB Prof. Bernard Whiting,          2079 NPB
  http://www.phys.ufl.edu/~qiu  
   
Office Hours: MW period 7 (1:55pm - 2:45 pm), or by appointment  
   
Dept. Chair: Prof. J. Sabin, 2201C NPB (392-0521)
 
Aim: This course will be a survey of basic physics and some of its practical applications to the world around us. Topics in mechanics, properties of materials, heat and vibratory motion will be covered. The principal goal will be to show how physical principles and scientific ways of thinking can be turned to many real-life situations. The problem-solving skills you pick up should prove useful in your own field of specialization. I also hope that the course will help you become a more informed consumer of science and technology in general.
 
Your job: You should attend all lectures to learn about the basic concepts and how to apply them in solving problems, and also to hear any special announcements. Since there is a lot to be squeezed into just three periods of class per week, it is essential that you read the textbook concurrently with the lectures to deepen your understanding of physical principles. Finally, you should work diligently at the homework assignments, which--although they are not collected or graded--form a key part of the course. Fully worked answers are available for $6.00 in 2229 NPB.
 
Problem-solving: This provides a good measure of your understanding of basic principles by testing your ability to combine different physical concepts as they apply to unfamiliar situations--something which is crucial if you are ever to apply Physics to the world around you. Problem-solving is a skill that has to be developed, and everyone benefits from practice. Your grade in this course will based solely on your success at solving problems in the mid-term and final exams, so there will be a direct payoff for your effort. You should be capable of earning an average grade on the course if you have successfully worked through all the homework problems assigned on page 3. If you are aiming for a B or better, you should expect to do additional problems.
 
Try each problem on your own first. Consult your notes or the textbook for statements of basic principle or fundamental equations, which you aren't expected to memorize, even for the exams. If you get stuck, talk the problem over with a friend, come to see me during office hours, or--in case of an assigned homework problem--look up the solution in the course handout. Whenever you need help to complete a problem it is essential, though, that you consolidate your new understanding by successfully doing another problem of the same type by yourself.  Don't despair if you seem to make a lot of mistakes at the start. A successful physicist is just somebody who has made all the possible mistakes in the past and has learned how to avoid repeating most of them!
 
Exams: There will be four mid-term exams, and a comprehensive final, each in multiple choice format. You must bring photo ID and No. 2 pencil to each exam. You may also bring a single formula sheet and a calculator, but no other materials.
 
The exams will emphasize physical reasoning rather than memorization of facts. This reasoning will be developed by steady work over the entire semester, not by last-minute cramming.
 
Grades: The best three mid-term scores will each count 20% towards your overall score on the course. The other mid-term will count either 0% or 10%, depending on your final exam score. If the final exam score exceeds your lowest mid-term score, the mid-term counts 0% and the final counts 40%; otherwise the mid-term counts 10% and the final counts 30%.
 
Letter grades will be assigned by curving the overall scores. The grade ranges vary slightly from semester to semester, but the following is typical:
  0 - 34 E   35 - 39D  
  40 - 44 D+   45 - 54 C  
  55 - 64 C+   65 - 72B  
  73 - 79 B+   80 - 100 A  
 
Make-ups: No make-up exams will be offered during the regular semester. In the event of a documented conflict with another exam, or if you have a medical or urgent family reason for missing a mid-term, supported in writing by a qualified professional, a mid-term may be taken shortly before or after its scheduled time. Students with an excused absence from the final, or from more than one mid-term, will receive an incomplete for the course. All others will receive a grade based on a score of zero in any exam they have missed.
 
Help services: If you are encountering difficulties with the course, I encourage you to make use of my office hours. (If your schedule prevents you from attending, please contact me for an appointment at a more convenient time.) In addition, the Student Teaching Center in Broward Hall (ph. 392-2010) offers a range of services, including individual tutoring in Physics.
 
Course Outline: The day-by-day schedule which follows is provided for guidance only. Changes may be announced in class.
Date Chapter Topic Suggested Problems
Aug 26   Introduction  
  28 1 Vectors 3,11,17,22,23,31,34,35,37,39,43,44,47
  30, Sep 4,6 Motion 5,7,17,23,27,30-32,35,37,44,50,52-54
Sep 2 NO CLASS LABOR DAY  
  9,11 3 Newton's Laws 2,5,10,18,22,25,27,30,31,36,38,39,43
  13,16 4 Friction 3-5,9,13,14,19,25,27,29
    Wednesday, September 18, Exam 1, Ch. 1-4, in class
20,23 8 Statics 3,5,7,13,15,17,19-21,26,32,37,43
  25,27,30 5 Work, Power and Energy 2,7,12,16,19,21,31,36,37,39,40,45
 Oct 2,4 6 Simple Machines 2,3,5,7,11,15,18,19,20,22,26,33
7,9,11 7 Impulse and Momentum 2,5,11,17,21,22,26,29,30,36,39
    Monday, October 14, Exam 2, Ch. 5-8. In class
  16,18 9 Rotational Motion 3,8,11,16,17,21,22,23,25,30,35,38
  21 10 Dynamics of Rotation 4,7,12,16,17,19,21,23,25,36,37
  23,25,28 11 Properties of Materials 3,6,7,22,24,25,26,32,37,39,40,41, 56
  30, Nov 1 12 Temperature and Matter 2,11,17,19,21,23,26,29,30,31,34, 38
    Monday, November 4, Exam 3, Ch. 9-12, in class
Nov 6,8 13 Heat Energy & Its Effects 4,5,10,13,17,19,25,29,31,37
11 NO CLASS VETERAN'S DAY
  13,18 14 Intro to Thermodynamics 2,6,10,13,14,17,23,27,32,36,39
15 NO CLASSHOMECOMING
  20,22 15 Heat Transfer  2,4,7,13,15,17,20,23,28
    Monday, November 25, Exam 4, Ch. 13-15, in class
27, Dec 2,4 16 Vibratory Motion 4-6,9,13,18,20,22,25,29
  29 NO CLASS THANKSGIVING  
Dec 6,9 17 Waves 2,3,6,8,12,16,22,23,24
   11 1--17 Catch-up or Review
   One of: Friday, December 20, FINAL EXAM, Ch. 1-17, 7:30am--9:30am
Tuesday, December 17, FINAL EXAM, Ch. 1-17, 3:00pm--5:00pm
venue TBA