Course Syllabus

Physics 1 with Calculus

PHY2048

Important Dates:

Dec 11 2023: Classes Begin

Jan 5 2024: Classes End (ALL WORK MUST BE COMPLETED BY THIS TIME)

Test policies:

 

There will be weekly Exams and one final exam.

The only aids permitted during the tests are one calculator (any type) my lectures, the book, and your own notes. The quizzes only cover the material discussed in class since the previous quiz. However, the final is cumulative and covers material from the entire term.

 

The tests will typically consist of two parts:

• The first part will have multiple choice questions.

• The second part (free response format) will have several quantitative problems and all work will need to be shown to receive credit.

The mandatory final test will be cumulative and will have the same format as the unit tests.

 

If you know you have a conflict or another issue, contact me before the due date and I will do my best to work with you.

 

Makeups for tests are only allowed for valid reasons once the due date has passed. Valid reasons may include jury duty, sickness, death in the family, etc. You will be asked to provide documentation to request a makeup exam.

 

 

If you contact me before the due date then I will work with you if you are having difficulties with the homework or technical issues.

 

There will be no make-up for any missed homework once the deadline has passed.

 

Lab Reports

 

For each experiment, you will be asked to complete a worksheet. In some cases, you will need to perform additional calculations out of class or write a comprehensive report.

Each student will be asked to upload their own worksheet/lab report. The lab reports due dates will be announced in class and posted on Canvas. Do not wait until the due date to ask questions.

If you contact me before the due date then I will work with you if you are having difficulties with the lab or technical issues.

 

Makeups for any missed laboratories are only allowed for valid reasons once the deadline has passed. Valid reasons may include jury duty, sickness, death in the family, etc. You will be asked to provide documentation to request a makeup for any missed laboratories.

 

Lab reports cannot be dropped.

 

 

Course schedule & information:

Upcoming information, due dates, and experiments will be announced regularly online via Canvas. YOU MUST CHECK CANVAS AND YOUR EMAIL!!!!

 

General Education Learning Outcome (GELO):

Note that, as part of improving course quality, the college uses certain samples of work assigned during this course to evaluate whether improvements can be made to the course, in order to improve student mastery levels of broad skills (rather than specific content memorization). This course is intended to improve mastery of scientific reasoning skills, as outlined below:

 

Scientific Reasoning: Students will demonstrate their understanding of scientific concepts and reasoning, as well as their ability to analyze and interpret various types of data in both tabular and graphical form. They will do this in designated assignments or as part of regular quizzes, tests, projects or presentations.

 

Because the college requires certain samples of work to be submitted, those pieces of work may contain special preambles or indicators stating that they will be used for GELO purposes. But these indicators are for college use only at this time, and will have no special effect on your letter grade.

 

Course Policies

 

Attendance: Class activities count for a significant fraction of your grade for this course. Tests are based on material discussed in class and on homework. Therefore, you should make every effort possible to avoid missing class. If you miss class, you are still responsible for the material discussed on that day.

 

Make-up policy: Labs are the only work which may be made up after the fact. Even then, make-ups will only be considered for the following cases with proper documentation:

• Medical emergencies

• Professional/military duties

• College-related activities

 

Withdrawal: Students must be aware of the withdrawal dates, available at: http://www.sfcollege.edu/records. If you need to withdraw with a “W,” you are responsible for using eSantaFe to withdraw yourself before the college deadline. (I am not in charge of withdrawals.)

Recording policy: I permit you to make audio or video recordings of classes for later review, for personal use only.

 

SF e-mail policy: Please note: In order to provide better service, SF students now have access to Office 365, including a student email account. Students are required to use this email account when communicating with the college. Login instructions can be found in eSantaFe notifications.

 

College Policies 

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Required Statement: Santa Fe College values diversity and inclusion and is committed to fostering mutual respect and full participation for all students. The Disabilities Resource Center (DRC) facilitates reasonable accommodations for students who encounter disability-related barriers in the learning environment. If you have a disability that may affect your work in this class and think you need accommodations, please contact the DRC to schedule an appointment and start a conversation about reasonable accommodations. Our Disabilities Resource Center is located in Building S, Room 229 at the Northwest Campus and appointments are available at all College locations. Visit www.sfcollege.edu/drc, call 352-395-4400, or email drc@sfcollege.edu.

College Academic Integrity Statement: The very nature of higher education requires that students adhere to accepted standards of academic integrity. Therefore, SF has adopted a Code of Student Conduct that outlines general guidelines. Students are encouraged to discuss issues related to academic integrity with instructors. For more information go to https://www.sfcollege.edu/Assets/sf/rules/pdfs/Rule_7/7_23.pdf

Discrimination/Harassment Policy Statement: SF prohibits any form of discrimination or sexual harassment among students, faculty and staff. For further information, refer to College Rule 2.8 at https://www.sfcollege.edu/Assets/sf/rules/pdfs/Rule_2/2_8.pdf

Student Rights & Responsibilities: The purpose of this document is to provide students with a general overview of both their rights and responsibilities as members of the Santa Fe College community. For a complete list of students’ rights and responsibilities go to https://catalog.sfcollege.edu/content.php?catoid=4&navoid=65

Course Objectives

PHY2048 is the first semester of a one-year survey of calculus-based physics for physical sciences and engineering majors. The main objectives of this course are to develop student skills in the following areas:

Basic knowledge of physics: Physics explains principles that underlie concepts explored in other natural sciences and in engineering. Therefore, a solid knowledge of basic physics is useful to anyone who wishes to understand, apply, and extend the principles of pure and applied sciences.

Critical thinking: Scientific inquiry depends heavily on checking the truth or fallacy of various claims. The structured ways which we use observations and reasoning to critique a claim in Physics class can also enhance our productivity when they are applied to making the best decision in other fields.

Problem solving: In Physics, solving a problem is often a multi-step process that tests your ability to synthesize several different physical concepts, using mathematics plus an understanding of how a physical insight can be expressed by equations. Recognizing which ingredients are necessary to solve a certain problem, and planning in which order they should be used, while discarding the irrelevant ingredients, is important both in Physics and in troubleshooting problems in general.

Communication and collaboration: Complicated real world problems can take large numbers of minds and expensive equipment to solve. Learning how to solve problems together with other people and communicate the results in an understandable way opens the door for us to work better in larger team settings to solve the toughest problems today.

To help you reach these goals, we will use a combination of lectures, pen-and-paper problems, computer exercises, and laboratory exercises and demonstrations.

To evaluate your success in reaching these goals, we will use tests, quizzes, assignments, and lab exercises.

The tests, quizzes, and assignments will demonstrate your ability to combine problem-solving and critical thinking skills with knowledge of basic physics. To achieve a high score, not only will you need to apply scientific concepts and reasoning to plan and execute your solution to each problem, but also, you will need to think of strategies to check for errors in your answers.

The lab exercises will indicate your skills in manipulating equipment, gathering and recording data, analyzing data, interpreting data, and communicating the results of your analysis.