The first major goal for Physics I is for students to become competent with the fundamental concepts of motion and force and to progress to the point of describing motion in terms of mathematics. The description of motion will be extended to describe a number of phenomena characteristic of the 20th century: weird effects of objects when they approach the speed of light; the physics of sub-nuclear particles; the wave-like behavior of particles; the particle behavior of waves; superconductivity; microscopes which can "see" individual atoms; massive instruments of destruction; space travel;...
The second major goal is to learn fundamental electrical principles as they relate to transducers for detecting motion, forces, sound, and light, and especially to learn how to use the Nobel winning device of the middle 20th century - the transistor. These electronic devices will be used in the laboratories - to enhance the learning of modern physics as well as traditional physics.
The third major goal concerns skills useful to students in other scientific disciplines. Computers will be used for data acquisition, data analysis, and simulation. The physics laboratory is well-equipped with computers for data acquisition and analysis. Instruction will be given on how to use spreadsheets and analytical packages for scientific work. These "tools" are available in the Warren Wilson College Computer Network as well as in the computerized physics laboratory in Spidel. The other parts of the transferable skills involve problem solving ability and laboratory skills.
The fourth major goal concerns communication skills, primarily through writing. Much writing will be done in class describing physical phenomena. Writing about physics enhances and promotes one's understanding about physics by formulating the concepts into words. Writing assignments will consist of several types: peer-writing in class (ungraded), commenting on peer writing, drafting and revising lab reports, and writing extensively on exams. The extensive writing for physics class will enhance the learning of physics - the primary goal.
Finally, students will learn how to find
solutions and examples of physics applications in daily situations.
Lab Notebook: Each student must also possess and use a hard-bound (no spiral bindings) laboratory notebook for entering laboratory descriptions, data, graphs, brief lab discussion, and peer writing. These laboratory notebooks will needed for every class and laboratory session. Students arriving to class without the lab notebook will be required to retrieve them before beginning laboratory work.
Internet Account: Each student will be required to use his/her internet account on a regular basis. This includes e-mail with the instructor and a place to store data acquired in the laboratory. In laboratory sessions that require data acquisition, the data may be stored in a temporary directory on the laboratory computer, but each student in the lab group will be required to log onto the laboratory computer to copy the data files into his/her own server account. This is much more secure than flash drives or floppy disks. If the student cannot access his/her account, the Computer Services Center will gladly help, but the student must take the initiative the first week of class and persist until any problems are fixed. It is also very important that the students save all their original laboratory data files for the duration of the semester. Satisfactory graphics can only be created from the original data files, not from wordprocessor graphics.
E-mail address: Announcements will
often
be sent to the class using e-mail and the students' email listed in
Campus Web. The student should make sure his/her e-mail address
in
the Campus Web is correct. If not, the student should initiate
the corrctive action with the Registrar. It is imperative that
students access their campus e-mail on a regular basis.
MOODLE registry.
Many assignments will be on-line assignments and simulations done on
the College Course
Management system: MOODLE. In order for students to be properly
enrolled in the Physics I MOODLE account, they must enter their name
and WWC e-mail address into MOODLE. This is done only once: 1) go
to the MOODLE page: http://moodle.warren-wilson.edu//login/index.php
; 2)login with your e-mail ID and password. You may then enroll
in
the MOODLE Physics I class with the password given in class. The
enrollment key is
_____________. Some assignments will be
done totally on-line. All assignments (HW, quizzes, labs, exams)
will have their scores and
grades
entered into Moodle so students can check their course record at any
time.
Physics Activities and Evaluation
Each week the class activities will be centered
around
a particular laboratory concept. The whole class meets as a
single
group on Monday and Wednesday. Smaller groups meet for "lab" on
Tuesday
and Thursday. Class time (M, W) will be spent on Interactive
Lecture
Demonstrations (ILDs), making predictions, peer writing, illustrating
concepts,
and assignments. (Peer writing will taper off in the final third
of the course). Lectures will be minimal, and the lab notebook
will
be needed at every class meeting. Because of the major amount of
time spent with activities relating to the physics concepts, many parts
of the textbook will not be discussed in class at all. The
student
should read all the assigned chapters.
Evaluation for Physics I follows the following
formula:
Labs - 34% Lab
time (T, Th) will involve written instructions
for
each week's experiment. All the data, calculations, computer
output,
graphs, etc. will be entered in the lab notebooks. Many
experiments will use the computer to record and graph the data.
The computer data must be fastened (tape or staples) into the
laboratory notebook (No loose papers).
13 experiments will be conducted during the
course. For the lab grade in the course, each student must have
sufficient entries in the lab notebook for each lab (13%). Each
student will write a lab report (draft and final) for 7 of the
experiments. (21%)
Lab notebooks - 13%. Each
student must present the laboratory notebook to the professor for
instant evaluation. The notebook will be rated "acceptable" or "unacceptable", and
the student may re-submit the book after making the adjustments.
The notebook should be acceptable by the end of the Thursday lab
session. If not, the student must complete the notebook by 4:00
pm on Friday at the professor's office. The criteria for
acceptibility include:
Each week a simulation or on-line assignment will be posted on the MOODLE page. Each assignment will linked on the schedule page. The student must consult the schedule page on a regular basis in order to obtain the assignments. The assignment due dates will be clearly indicated. These assignments will involve the Internet, engaging in computer simulations, making predictions, and discussing the results - especially how the results differ from the predictions and resolving the discrepancies between predictions and results. Students will submit the mid-week assignments on-line through the MOODLE system. Each assignment will close (not be available) after a closing date except for a non-credit review.
Computer graphics in reports
At least one laboratory report will be totally
electronic - all materials including schematic diagrams of the
apparatus, graphical results, will be electronically included in the
report - not paper-pasted onto the paper. At least one diagram
must be drawn with computer vector drawing tools (not "Paint").
Excellent drawing tools are available in Open Office - a free
multi-platform program and maintained on the WWC computer labs.
The Open Office drawing tools are considered superior to the
Microsoft drawing tools, although either may be used. A workshop
on computer schematic drawings will be held late in the course.
Mon. Sep. 15, 2008The exams will consist primarily of written description of the physics concepts, but will also include problem solving and material learned in the laboratory.
Mon. Oct. 13, 2008
Mon. Nov.17, 2008
Wed. Dec. 17, 2008
If a student misses an exam due to alarm clock failure (including electrical failure), he/she may take a make-up for the test within 24 hours for 50% maximum possible credit. The student should have a back-up alarm clock (battery or wind-up). Documented legitimate absences (sickness, family emergency, pre-arranged athletic events) will be allowed full make-up, but the absences will be counted.
Peer Writing and discussion. A portion
of
each MW class period will be devoted to writing about one or more
physics
concepts and sharing the writing with one's peers. Topics may
include
discussions about the assigned textbook reading, an interactive lab
demonstration,
or a review of previous material. Students will write essays in
their
lab notebooks, then share with peers and have a discussion session with
the peers. Collaboratively, each "peer pair" should produce a
better
discussion in both the notebooks. The peer writing will not be
collected,
but serves as practice describing physics and "writing-to-learn".
Class attendance. Because a
substantial
amount of physics learning takes place in the classroom, regular
attendance
is required. Three absences are allowed with no penalty
(excused
or otherwise). After three absences, additional absences (excused
or otherwise) will result in half a grade penalty (2 points out of 100
points) in the final course score. Extended illness (more than
two
consecutive classes) will be granted special consideration if
adequately
documented by attending medical personnel. Lateness to class
(between
1 and 30 minutes according to the classroom clock) will be counted as
half
an absence. Students arriving beyond 30 minutes late will be
counted
as absent. If the professor is late, each student arriving
before
the instructor will have one lateness (or half an absence)
canceled. The late professor rule holds only for Monday,
Wednesday sessions.
Extra credit. There will be several opportunities to attend special lectures or special astronomy observation sessions. These events will be announced to qualify for credit. If the student attends these events, he/she must write a brief summary and submit it to the instructor. Each pre-approved event that is adequately summarized will receive 2 points credit on the final course score up to a maximum of 6 points. This could be the difference between a B and an A grade in borderline cases.
Classroom Protocol. Students are expected to arrive on time and stay in class until the class period ends. If a student knows in advance that she/he will need to leave early, she/he should notify the professor before the class period begins. Students are expected to treat the professor and fellow students with respect. For example, students must not disrupt class by leaving and reentering during class, blatantly falling asleep in class, or by eating during class. Shoes must be worn at all times.
Special Needs. A student with a diagnosed learning handicap may request special arrangements such as additional time for exams, taping class sessions, taping exam answers, using classmates' notes, etc. To request academic accommodations due to a disability, the student must arrange with Ms Deborah Braden - the Educational Access Coordinator, (Dodge) during the first 2 weeks of class. For the legal protection of all parties, faculty may not grant the accommodations without the written approval of the Educational Access Coordinator. Ms Deborah Braden may be reached at ext. 3791 or dbraden@warren-wilson.edu in addition to Dodge House. Students are encouraged to develop ways of coping with special learning needs, but special requests for accommodations for special needs must be made at the beginning of the semester (first 2 weeks) with the Educational Access Coordinator. Do not make requests to the professor until the special needs have been documented. A learning-handicapped student is still responsible for learning the material in the course. The methods of testing and evaluation may be varied to accommodate the handicapped student.
Academic Honesty. Any cheating on tests (copying, writing info on body or other means), or cheating on labs or homework (copying from external sources or other students without acknowledgment) will result in failure on the assignment for the first offense and may result in failure or suspension from the course for the second offense.
Schedule of main topics (tentative):
Week 1 (Aug 25-28) Intro. To measurements and computing
Week 2 (Sept. 1-4) 1-D motion, velocity, acceleration
Week 3 (Sept. 8-11 1-D motion II - kinematics
Week 4 (Sept. 15) Exam I; (Sept. 16-18) Radioactivity
and random processes
Week 5 (Sept. 22-25) Forces and motion - Newton's Laws
Week 6 (Sept 29-Oct 2) Gravity, projectiles
Week 7 (Oct. 6-9) Circular motion
Week 8 (Oct.13) Exam II; (Oct. 14-16) Impulse, momentum
Week 9 (Oct. 27-30) Electric current, resistance,
voltage
Week 10 (Nov. 3-6) Wheatstone Bridge;
Week 11 (Nov. 10-13) Silicon diode
Week 12 (Nov. 17) Exam III; (Nov. 18-20)
Transistor.
Week 13 (Nov. 24-25) (Tues)
Workshop on computer drawings ;
(Nov. 26 -30 - Thanksgiving Break)
Week 14 (Dec. 1-4) Energy Conservation Photogate with Transistor
circuit. Last lab experiment
Week 15 (Dec. 9) Transistor Lab
Report due.
Week 16 (Dec. 15-18) (Mon) - Energy conservation report
due. (Tues) Review/course eval. (Wed) Exam IV.
Donald F. Collins August, 2008 , Spidel 205,
WWC
771-3702, Home: 298-4131, dcollins@warren-wilson.edu
Click Here
for office hours.