PHY140: Ideas of Physics  (Spring 2006)

 

Instructor:   David Heskett    320B East Hall, 874-2076, dheskett@uri.edu

 

Office Hours:   MW: 9-10:30, or whenever you can find me, or by appt.

 

Text:  Conceptual Physics, 10th Ed., by Paul G. Hewitt

 

Course Web Page: A course web page has been set up at the following url: http://surface.phys.uri.edu/PHY140/PHY140sylS06.html.  This page can also be accessed through the physics dept.’s web site (http://www.phys.uri.edu). From links in the syllabus, Homework Solutions, Exam Solutions, and the Web Exercise (as of March 7) can be accessed on the web.

 

 

Grading: Exams-55%; Final-30%; Homework-10%; Web-Based Exercise-5%;

Lecture Quizzes-5% (extra credit).

 

A(93-100); A-(90-93); B+(87-90); B(83-87); B-(80-83); C+(77-80); C(73-77);

C-(70-73); D+(67-70); D(60-67); F(<60).

 

Examinations:  There will be four unit exams (in class) and a final exam. These exams are closed book. No books or notes will be allowed. The dates are listed below. Exam times will be staggered so that one half of the class will begin the exam at 2 p.m. (last names:

A-K) and one half at 2:30 p.m. (last names: L-Z). The lowest of your 4 exam grades will be dropped in computing your final grade. A review session will be held the afternoon before each exam (5-6 p.m.). Exam solutions will be posted on the web. No makeup exams will be given.

 

Course Units:    The course is divided into four units as follows:

unit #1        Chaps. 2-4,9,13                exam on Thurs.  2/16

unit #2        Chaps. 14-16                    exam on Thurs. 3/9

unit #3        Chaps. 19-21                   exam on Thurs. 4/6

unit #4        Chaps. 26-29                    exam on Thurs. 4/27

 

Final Exam:  A cumulative final exam will be given in a larger auditorium probably during a common exam time to be announced (i.e. probably not the regular time posted in the catalogue). Every student must take the final.

 

Lecture Quizzes:  During some lectures, a simple question related to a topic covered on that day will be given during the class. A right answer earns 2 points, a wrong answer 1 point. The overall lecture quiz score will be worth a maximum of 5% extra credit towards your final grade.

 

Homework Assignments: A set of homework questions or exercises (taken from the textbook) will be due on Thurs. of every week by 4 p.m. and must be turned in in class or placed in a homework box outside my office. Homework solutions will be posted on the web. Assignments will not be accepted more than one week after the due date. Homework will be checked only; individual problems will not be graded. Paper versions only. Email versions won’t be accepted.

 

Web Exercise:  Every student must hand in the results of a physics-oriented web-based search which will be distributed in class and will also be posted on the course web page on Tues., March 7.  This assignment must be handed in on or before Tues., April 18. Paper versions only. Email versions won’t be accepted.  Web assignments < 1 week late will receive 50% credit; assignments >1 week late will receive no credit.


 

Reading, Homework, and Exam Schedule

 

Homework must be submitted by 4 p.m. (in class or box outside my office).

                                   

Week of                     Reading for the week                       Homework

                                                                                                (RQ=Review Question;

                                                                                                Ex=Exercise)

Thurs., Jan. 26           Chap. 3

 

Thurs., Feb. 2            Chaps. 2+4                                       HW #1 due

                                                                                                Chap. 3 (Ex: 4,5,10,13,16,

22,27,32,36,44)

                                                                                                Chap. 2 (RQ: 10,13,17;

Ex: 6,14,15,19,20,26,37)

           

Thurs., Feb. 9            Chap. 9 (pp.161-172)                    HW #2 due

                        Chap. 4 (RQ: 3,4,6,11,15,16.

 23-25, 31,33;

Ex: 2,6,13,14,24,

43,46,52,54)

 

 

Thurs., Feb. 16          Chap. 13 (pp. 248-258)                 HW #3 due

Chap. 9 (RQ: 7,12-14;

Ex: 4,5,11,28,30,39)

Chap. 13 (RQ: 20;

Ex:4,11,14-16,25,26,

31,35)

 

Wed., Feb. 15, Exam #1 Review (5-6 p.m.)

 

Thurs., Feb. 16, Exam #1 (Chaps. 2-4,9,13)

 

 

Thurs., Feb. 23          Chap. 14 (pp.268-276)                  HW #4 due

                                                                                                Chap. 14 (RQ: 2-10;

Ex: 1,2,5,6,8,11,17,20,21)

           

Thurs., March 2          Chap. 15                                           HW #5 due

                                                                                                Chap. 14 (RQ: 13,14;

Ex: 34,35,38,41)

                                                                                                Chap. 15 (RQ: 2,7,12,14-16;

Ex: 1,2,15,16,20,24,27,

28)

 

Tues., March 7                   Web exercise will be assigned

 

 

Thurs., March 9          Chap. 16                                           HW #6 due

                                                                                                Chap. 15 (Ex: 8,31, 37,39,42,44,

45,50,57,58)

                                                                                                Chap. 16 (RQ: 3-5,33;

Ex: 1,3,4,7,9,10)

 

                        Wed., March 8, Exam #2 Review (5-6 p.m.)

           

Thurs., March 9, Exam #2 (Chaps. 14-16)

 

March 13-17                                      Spring Break


Thurs., March 23        Chap. 19                                           HW #7 due  

Chap. 19 (RQ: 4,8,10,12,13;

Ex: 1-4,8-11,19,21,23,27)

 

Thurs., March 30        Chap. 20                                           HW #8 due

                                                                                                Chap. 19 (RQ: 20,24;

Ex: 31,34,36,37,39,40,43,

48)     

                                                                                                Chap. 20 (RQ: 3,10;

Ex: 1,2,6,8,12,16,20,29)

 

Thurs., April    6          Chap. 21                                           HW #9 due

                                                                                                Chap. 20 (RQ: 27;

Ex: 33,37-40,44,48-50)

                                                                                                Chap. 21 (RQ: 4;

Ex: 7,11,13,14,26,31,33,

37,40)

                        Wed., April 5, Exam #3 Review (5-6 p.m.)        

           

Thurs., April 6, Exam #3 (Chaps. 19-21)

 

 

Thurs., April 13          Chaps. 26+27                                  HW #10 due

Chap. 26 (RQ: 7,9,11,19,26;

Ex: 4,5,9,11,12,18-20,

22, 29,30,37,38,

41,48)

 

Tues., April 18                    Web exercise is due

 

 

Thurs., April 20          Chap. 28                                           HW #11 due

Chap. 27 (RQ: 5,7-10,14,16,23,

25,29,30;

                                                                                                            Ex: 1,5,8,12,13,21,23,28,

48)

 

Thurs., April 27          Chap. 29                                           HW #12 due

                                                                                                Chap. 28 (RQ: 6,13,22,25;

Ex:14,25,27,29,31,49)

                                                                                                Chap. 29 (RQ: 3,4,13;

Ex: 3,4,14,27,29,36,44)

 

Wed., April 26, Exam #4 Review (5-6 p.m.)

 

Thurs., April 27, Exam #4  (Chaps. 26-29)

 

 

TBA                Final Exam Review

 

TBA                Final Exam


PHY140 Exam Questions

 

On each of the 4 unit exams, one question will ask you to provide one example for each of two of the following topics based on your real-world (out-of-class) observations and experiences.  Specifically, credit will not be given for listing items discussed in class or just demos from class.  Acceptable answers must be from things you have personally observed or experienced out of class.

 

Unit 1

 

 

 

 

Unit 2

 

 

 

 

Unit 3

 

 

 

 

Unit 4