Announcements: The final exam scores and final grades have been posted on Blackboard. A curve has been applied, raising the average score to 75%. You will find your course letter grade in under "Weighted Total". The answers to the final exam (but not the questions!) have been posted in PDF format. There are four sets of answers. Match the "key" number at the top of your exam to the key at the top of the answer columns. The laboratory scores have been posted on Blackboard. Some supplementary materials have been posted. A discussion of the suspension bridge example in chapter 12 is available in PDF format, since the approach used in class is different from the one in the textbook. There is also a general discussion of the ramp problem from exam 2, solving the question of how many times the small box will bounce for an arbitrary mass ratio. I also have a note on how the mass of the spring affects the vibration frequency of an object hanging from a spring. The solution is a little complicated for a course at this level, but it uses only Newton's laws of motion, and includes a derivation of the wave velocity on a spring.

 

Welcome to Physics 1425, General Physics I for science and engineering students!  This course is an introduction to the physical concepts of mechanics and thermodynamics.   By the end of the course, you should be familiar with Newton’s Laws, forces, work and energy, momentum and inertia, rotational motion, oscillation and waves, heat, and temperature.  This includes the first 20 chapters in the Giancoli textbook, which make up Volume I in the two-volume edition.

 

Physics is a hands-on subject!  You cannot do well by watching your professor work problems on the board, or by asking your friends to show you how they did them.  There is absolutely no substitute to struggling through the problems yourself.  Your grade in the course should largely reflect the amount of effort you put into the homework.  However, it is a mistake to make completing the homework your only goal.  The real goal is to understand the material, and to do this well, you must first read the chapter, and not blindly try to start on the problems, hoping you can skim the material for the right equations to use.  That approach may get you through the homework more quickly, but without the understanding you will need to apply your knowledge in new contexts, including the exams.  If you have trouble with one of the problems, go back and read the chapter some more, or try some different problems and come back to it. 

 

The mathematical tools we will use include algebra, trigonometry, geometry, vector algebra, and calculus.  Everyone should have a comfortable working knowledge of algebra and trigonometry, since they are part of the basic language of the course, used extensively on a daily basis.  Any weakness in these areas will have a strong impact on your understanding of physics.  You should consider a tutor if you feel you need one.  Vector algebra is needed any time we want to describe quantities that have a direction.   If you are not already familiar with vectors, you will be soon.  Calculus was invented to describe the kind of physical problems we will be considering, and is essential for the most general treatment, as Newton first realized.  Those of you who are just becoming familiar with calculus should find that seeing it in a physical context will help you understand the concepts of differentiation and integration more fully and intuitively.

 

Grades

 

Your grade for the course will be determined by a combination of factors weighted as indicated below.  The grading scale will be fixed as shown.  The minimum passing grade is a final total of 60.0%, including a laboratory grade of at least 60.0% as well.  Attendance is required.  Excessive absences (25% or more) will result in failure of the course.

 

3 Exams (during term)	45%		90.0 – 100.0	A
Comprehensive Final	25%		86.0 – 89.9	B+
Homework	15%		80.0 – 85.9	B
Laboratory*	15%		76.0 – 79.9	C+
	100%		70.0 – 75.9	C
* Must have passing laboratory grade.			60.0 – 69.9	D