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PHYSICS 220 – section 2 University Physics with Lab I MWF 1:00 pm – 2:50 pm Spring 2010 SC 127 |
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Instructor |
Matthew Zacate |
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Office |
SC 151 |
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Phone |
572-1365 |
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zacatem1@nku.edu |
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Office hours |
To-be-announced in class and posted on Blackboard. Additional hours by request. |
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Text |
Physics for Scientists and Engineers, 2nd edition, volume 1 by Randal Knight and accompanying workbook |
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Other materials needed |
Students should bring the textbook, workbook, class notes and work, blank paper, pencils, eraser, and a non-graphing, non-programmable calculator to each class. Students should have a red and blue pencil in addition to a regular pencil. |
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Course description |
A calculus-based introduction to classical physics using guided inquiry activities. Topics include techniques for data analysis, kinematics, forces and Newton’s Laws of motion, circular motion, work and energy, momentum, rotational motion, static equilibrium. |
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Corequisite |
MAT 129 or MAT 227 or MAT 121 or MAT 120 (first semester of calculus). |
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Grading
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Course grade will be determined by averaging scores on homework, workbook exercises, in-class exams, a final exam, in-class activities, and on lab reports. Note that grades are assigned according to how well knowledge and correct answers are communicated. Exams will cover topics from reading assigned from the text, in-class activities, homework, and the workbook. |
Grades will be based on the following weighting:
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In-class exams (15% each): |
45% |
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Exercises (homework & workbook): |
15% |
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In-class activities |
10% |
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Formal lab reports: |
10% |
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Pretest/posttest: |
5% |
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Final exam: |
15% |
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Course grade (total): |
100% |
Individual homework and workbook assignments are worth differing amounts of points; however, each homework and workbook assignment will be weighted equally when determining the total exercises grade. Each exam score will be weighted equally when determining the in-class exams portion of the grade.
Final letter grades will be assigned according to the following absolute scale:
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B+ 82-84.99 |
C+ 72-74.99 |
D+ 62-64.99 |
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A 90-100 |
B 78-81.99 |
C 68-71.99 |
D 55-61.99 |
F 0-54.99 |
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A- 85-89.99 |
B- 75-77.99 |
C- 65-67.99 |
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Grades will be posted on Blackboard regularly. Students are encouraged to check their posted grades to make sure that they were entered correctly. Students are not entitled to receiving a grade that was posted inaccurately, even if the erroneous grade is higher than what was earned. Students are responsible for keeping track of graded work after it has been handed back them in case a question about the accuracy of a posted grade arises.
In-class exams and final exam
There will be three exams given during regular class meetings, and there will be a cumulative final exam given on Wednesday, May 5 at 1:00 pm. Students should bring instructor-approved calculators and writing tools to exams.
The instructor frowns upon giving makeup exams. In order to be eligible to make up a missed exam, a student must notify the instructor that he or she will miss the exam in advance (exception: a medical emergency, in which case a doctor’s note must be provided), and the reason for missing the exam must be deemed appropriate by the instructor. The instructor will choose the makeup exam’s format, and an oral exam is a possibility.
Homework exercises
Throughout the course, homework assignments will be turned in. All homework problems will be checked by your instructor. If, after reviewing instructor’s comments, a student is uncertain why he/she missed points on an assignment or is unable to determine what the correct answers are, he/she should consult the instructor. Students are encouraged to seek help on homework from fellow students; however, students must turn in their own work.
Homework is due at the beginning of class on the due dates.
Grades on homework will be based on how well answers are explained and how well problem solving procedures taught in class are followed. Students are expected to follow the general problem-solving strategy of the Knight textbook, which includes (1) models, (2) visualization, (3) solution, and (4) assessment. Detailed descriptions of problem-solving strategies are found on pp. 23, 52, 100, 152, 155, 192, 228, 251, 278, 323, 357, and 360. Additional requirements on aspects that must be included with solutions will be given in class. Getting the correct answer without a proper explanation or without all work shown will not earn full credit. Each homework assignment will indicate which problems will be graded using the Problem Rubric provided with this syllabus.
Workbook exercises
Workbook exercises are designed to give students practice using skills needed when solving homework problems. Students are encouraged to try workbook exercises as early as possible after they are assigned. Workbook exercises are due at the beginning of class on the due dates. Grades will be based in part on completeness and on correctness of answers. Also, how well (thoroughly) answers are explained will affect grades.
In-class activities
Many different guided inquiry activities will be done in class. In some cases, these will serve to illustrate principles introduced in the textbook. In other cases, they will give students opportunities to discover principles on their own. Still in other cases, activities will be designed to expose students to data analysis methods in Physics. In general, students will not be allowed to make up missed activities. Due dates for turning in work for activities will be announced during the activity.
Formal laboratory reports
Students will turn in formal laboratory reports for three of the guided-inquiry activities: (1) measuring Pi, (2) projectile motion, and (3) centripetal force. The reports are due at 5:00 pm on the due dates in the schedule. A separate handout has information about the requirements for lab reports. A copy of the grading rubric used for scoring the reports is included at the end of this syllabus.
Late Assignments
Homework, workbook exercises, in-class activities, and lab reports that are turned in late are subject to severe point penalties. If the work is turned in late, but it is turned in before the assignments are graded, 25% will be deducted from the assignment’s grade. If the homework is turned in after the assignments have been graded, 40% will be deducted from the assignment’s grade. Exception: each student will be entitled to having the late penalty waved for one assignment during the semester.
Preparedness
Little time during class will be spent writing information from the textbook on the board; students are responsible for reading this material on their own. A schedule of topics for each class indicates sections to be covered from the textbook. These sections should be read before class on the date listed. The instructor will evaluate how well prepared a student is based on his/her participation in class.
Seating Policy
A maximum of three students will sit at each table and work together on in-class activities. Unless there is good reason to expect a student to come to class late, the “no-empty-seat rule” will be in effect: that is, there should not be an empty seat between you and the front of the classroom.
Conduct
Cheating, plagiarism, and disruptions in class will not be tolerated. For more information about cheating and plagiarism and their consequences, students are referred to the NKU Student Honor Code, which can be found as a link on the following webpage:
http://www.nku.edu/currentstudents/policies/honorcode.php
Disruptions in class are most likely avoided simply by being courteous and respectful. Coming to class late, letting a cell phone ring, talking on a cell phone, and browsing non-Physics related material on the web are all examples of disruptive behavior.
First year students
First year students will receive mid-term assessments of their performance. Mid-term grades will be issued only to students who have successfully completed fewer than 30 semester hours; students will be able to access mid-term grades through Norse Express as soon as grades are submitted. Mid-term grades are not part of student's permanent records. They will be replaced by final class grades when these are submitted. Mid-term grades do not guarantee a good or bad class grade; they reflect a current level of performance that can be altered by the quality of subsequent work.
Students with disabilities
Students with disabilities who require accommodations (academic adjustments, auxiliary aids or services) for this course must register with the Office of Disability Services. Please contact the disability service office in University Center Suite 320 or by calling (859) 572-6373 for more information. Verification of your disability is required in the disability services office for you to receive reasonable academic accommodations. Visit the disability services website at www.nku.edu/~disability .
Attendance
Students missing every class in the first three weeks will be dropped from the course. Missing class will result in a lower course grade through zeros given for grades of missed in-class activities and when missing class results in homework or workbook assignments being turned in late.
If a student misses a class, it is that student’s responsibility to find out what he/she missed by getting notes from a classmate. The student may ask the instructor for clarification or further explanation on aspects of those notes.
Disclaimer
The instructor reserves the right to change the syllabus, as needed. If a change is made, students will be provided with an updated syllabus. This includes the right to make an exception to a rule contained in the syllabus in order to accommodate an extraordinary circumstance; however, no exception will be made that he deems is unfair to students in the class.
Student Learning Outcomes and Assessment
Below are listed student learning outcomes for this course. For each outcome, the method (or methods) for assessing the degree to which the outcome was achieved are listed. Please note the following characteristics of the assessments:
o Each assessment opportunity (i.e. each exam, each homework assignment, or each in-class activity) is unlikely to measure every learning outcome listed below as belonging to the class of a particular assessment opportunity; however, success will be measured for every outcome listed below in at least one assessment.
o When the success of an outcome is evaluated, the measure of success will be as a score that is scaled so that its percentage provides a measure of success in accordance with the same scale used to determine final course grades.
o For each assignment or exam, a student receives a total numerical grade and not a report of scores for how well individual outcomes were achieved. Students should feel free to ask the instructor how they are doing on individual outcomes.
General Education
GE.01 Students will gain fundamental knowledge of material through reading assignments – in particular, from the textbook. The instructor will assess this through the quality of class discussions and, if necessary, in performance on quizzes.
GE.02 Students will develop critical thinking and problem solving skills by applying prescribed methods for solving problems. This will be assessed by performance on homework and exams.
GE.03 Students will gain experience writing in this course primarily by providing short answers to questions in in-class activities and short essay answers to conceptual questions on homework assignments.
GE.05 Students will discuss course topics and material in class. The instructor will record brief notes regarding student involvement throughout the course.
GE.06 Students will work effectively and responsibly in collaboration with others. This will be assessed through observation of students’ interactions during in-class activities.
GE.07 Students will develop computer skills primarily through the use of data acquisition software. The instructor will record brief notes regarding students’ aptitudes using computers in class.
GE.08 Students will learn to access information and use the information effectively and ethically by using computer simulations as a part of in-class activities. (See NS.05 below for assessment.)
Natural Sciences
NS.01 Students will identify, explain, and apply established scientific theories and principles in areas of classical mechanics including kinematics, Newton’s laws of motion, conservation principles and Newton’s law of gravitation to answer questions and solve problems that are representative of questions or problems they may face later in their careers. This will be the most heavily assessed outcome in the course, and assessment will be carried out by evaluating correctness of answers to questions on homework and exams and, in some cases, on in-class activities. More information is provided below under the Physics heading. Additional assessment will be through performance on a pretest and later on a posttest.
NS.02 Students will evaluate the credibility of certain arguments or results by making measurements and analyzing data in laboratory exercises in class. The instructor will evaluate this by observing students’ discussions and actions during activities and grading short answers to questions about in-class laboratory exercises.
NS.03 Students will discuss one or more specific examples of how science affects everyday life primarily by considering questions and problems related to forces and motion. The instructor will assess this through in-class discussion and by correctness of answers in homework and exams.
NS.04 Students will execute appropriate scientific methods and use appropriate technologies in activities or experiments to test theories. (See GE.07 and NS.02 above.)
NS.05 Students will advance their scientific literacy by reading procedures for carrying out in-class activities and experiments. The instructor will evaluate this by observing students’ actions during activities and grading written analysis that students hand in.
NS.06 Students will interpret experimental outcomes taking into consideration uncertainty and error. The instructor will evaluate this by observing students’ actions during activities and grading written analysis that students hand in.
Physics
The following five areas will be the most heavily evaluated learning outcomes:
§ Students will be able to read, write, and utilize the mathematical language of physics: especially vectors but also derivatives and integrals.
§ Students will know fundamental equations and secondary, but important, equations from classical mechanics. Equations to be memorized are as follows.
Fundamental equations and definitions
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Secondary equations (can be derived or deduced)
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§ Students will communicate fundamental principles in classical mechanics by being able to paraphrase the principles or write equations that describe the principles. Principles of interest are the following.
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Ø Newton’s laws of motion Ø Newton’s law of gravity Ø Conservation of momentum Ø Impulse-momentum theorem Ø Basic energy model Ø Conservation of mechanical energy Ø Work-kinetic energy theorem Ø Newton’s theory of gravity |
§ Students will analyze uncertainty in measurement, taking into account propagation of measurement errors properly, and use good graphing practices in data analysis.
§ Students will apply equations and principles to solve the types of problems found at the end of chapters in the course textbook.
Course and Instructor
The course and instructor are evaluated as described briefly below.
1 Course content will be restricted to material contained in the course description at a level that is appropriate for a 200-level university course. Examples of graded homework and exams will be made available to the chair of the Department of Physics and Geology for assessment. Students will have the opportunity to evaluate course content in a course evaluation near the end of the term.
2 Students also will evaluate aspects of the instructor’s teaching, treatment of students, and adherence to class policies in a course evaluation near the end of the semester.
Students’ evaluation of the course and the instructor more than likely will be in the form of an online evaluation. The evaluation is confidential, and the data collected (without students’ names) will be made available to the instructor after the course grades are submitted. The evaluations are taken seriously, and they can be very helpful in shaping the future of this course and the instructor. More information about online evaluations is available at http://eval.nku.edu/ .
Problem Rubric
· Neatness and organization (up to 3 points)
? Solution is easy to read (1 pt)
? Solution is well organized (1 pt)
? Solution has correct number of significant figures (1 pt) score: ___/3
· Correctness of answer (select one)
? All parts are correct (3 pts)
? Half or more is correct (2 pts)
? Fewer than half the answers are correct (1 pt) score: ___/3
· Model (select one)
? All essential assumptions are stated (2 pts)
? There
are assumptions; however, the essential ones were
missed (1
pt) score:
___/2
· Visualization (up to 6 points)
? A diagram (or diagrams if more than one is needed) is given (1 pt)
? All objects relevant to the problem are included (1 pt)
? A coordinate system is included (1 pt)
? Diagram is free of errors (1 pt)
? Directions
of vector quantities and relative magnitudes are
included (1 pt)
? Symbols/labels are provided (1 pt) score ___/6
· Solution (up to 6 points)
? Statement(s)
of principle(s) used / brief explanations why equations
selected are given (1 pt)
? Fundamental equations listed (without substitutions) (1 pt)
? Algebraic
steps shown (including brief explanations of why steps
were performed) (1 pt)
? Algebraic steps are (mostly) correct (1 pt)
? Correct use of notation (especially vectors) (1 pt)
? Substitution of values at end (or near the end) of the solution (1 pt) score ___/6
· Assess (select one)
? A meaningful assessment was given (2 pts)
? A superficial assessment was given (1 pt)
? An incorrect assessment was given (1 pt) score ___/2
· Total ___/22
Lab Report Rubric
· Neatness and organization (up to 4 points)
? Report is typed (1 pt)
? First lines of all paragraphs are indented (1 pt)
? Sections are clearly labeled in the correct order (1 pt)
? Solution has correct number of significant figures (1 pt) score: ___/4
· Writing mechanics (up to 4 points)
? Well structured paragraphs are used (1 pt)
? Use of complete sentences (1 pt)
? Spelling (1 pt)
? Grammar usage (1 pt) score: ___/4
· Abstract (select one)
? A well worded abstract is provided (2 pts)
? An incomplete abstract is provided (1 pt) score: ___/2
· Theory (select one)
? All relevant physical principles and equations are included (3 pts)
? Some relevant principles and equations are provided (2 pts)
? Inappropriate or incorrect principles or equations are given (1 pt) score: ___/3
· Experimental procedure (select one)
? The description is thorough and contains tips (4 pts)
? The description is thorough without tips (3 pts)
? Description is incomplete (2 pts)
? An incorrect description is given (1 pt) score: ___/4
· Raw data (select one)
? All raw data provided with proper units in tabular format (4 pts)
? All raw data provided with proper units (3 pts)
? Data provided but with incomplete or incorrect units (2 pts)
? Data provided but it is not a complete set of raw data (1 pt) score ___/4
· Analysis – calculations without uncertainty analysis (select one)
? This form of analysis was not needed (2 pts)
? Paragraph explanation and equations were provided (2 pts)
? Explanation and/or equations were not reported in full (1 pt) score ___/2
· Analysis – Additional tables (select one)
? This form of analysis was not needed (4 pts)
? Data of all appropriate physical quantities were provided with units in tabular format (4 pts)
? Data of all appropriate physical quantities were provided with units (3 pts)
? Data provided but with incomplete or incorrect units (2 pts)
? Incomplete or irrelevant data reported (1 pt) score ___/4
(continued)
Lab Report Rubric (page 2)
· Analysis – calculations with uncertainty analysis (select one)
? This form of analysis was not needed (6 pts)
~ or ~
? Up to 6 points, 1 for each of the following:
? Paragraph explanation with equations provided (1 pt)
? Appropriate choice(s) of equation(s) for determining total uncertainties if needed (1 pt)
? Appropriate choice(s) of equation(s) for error propagation if needed (1 pt)
? Appropriate choice(s) of equations(s) for % error or % difference (1 pt)
? Correct application of uncertainty analysis (1 pt)
? Correct use of notation ( 1 pt) score ___/6
· Analysis – Graphs (select one)
? This form of analysis was not needed (10 pts)
~ or ~
? Up to 10 points, 1 for each of the following, for graph(s) relevant quantities
? Title (1 pt)
? Axis labels (1 pt)
? Tick marks with values indicated (1 pt)
? Units with axis labels (1 pt)
? All data points shown with error bars (if available) (1 pt)
? Outliers labeled (1 pt)
? Best fit smooth curve/line drawn (1 pt)
? Proper slope-triangle shown with coordinates of corners given (1 pt)
? Dx and Dy labeled and values given (1 pt)
? Paragraph with result of slope calculation given (1 pt) score ___/10
· Discussion (up to 5 points)
? Possible sources of error (1 pt)
? Possible sources of additional uncertainty (1 pt)
? Essential sources (if any) included (1 pt)
? Suggestions for improvement (1 pt)
? All proposed sources plausible and suggestions valid (1 pt) score ___/5
· Conclusion (select one)
? A meaningful conclusion was given (2 pts)
? A superficial conclusion was given (1 pt) score ___/2
· Total ___/50