Fall 2005
Semester
Course web site: http://mason.gmu.edu/~rehrlich/PHYS243.htm
Dr. Robert Ehrlich Phone: 703-993-1268 rehrlich@gmu.edu office: 307
S&T1
It is essential that all students enrolled in PHYS 243 carefully review
all the information contained in this syllabus.
This is especially important for anyone who may have been absent or late
on the first day of class. The syllabus
contains many useful hot links.
Office Hours: I would be happy to see you any time you drop by, unless I’m tied up with other business. If you want to make sure I’m in my office any particular time you have in mind, just call before coming or else come by between 830 and 900 M,W, or F. There is no need to make an appointment, since I can read your mind.
Who takes this
course? This is the first semester of a two-semester
physics course intended for majors in biology and other sciences, excluding
math, physics, or engineering. You must sign up for a recitation section
separately from the lecture and lab sections.
In principle, you could sign up for only the lecture and recitation, but
most majors require the lab as well. As
you can see from a detailed
breakdown, the largest group of students in the course consists of junior
and senior biology majors.
Careers in medicine? You may be taking PHYS 243 to prepare for a
career related to medicine. It is
therefore reassuring to become better aware of the many close
connections between physics and medicine.
The national pre-med honor society Alpha Epsilon Delta (GMU
chapter) has a lot of good advice for pre-med students. Finally, this posting from the
“Google Answers” web site offers some excellent suggestions on the entire
process of pursuing a career in medicine, starting from one’s freshman year.
Course prerequisites: A
college-level math course, and a working knowledge of algebra and
trigonometry. Anyone who is very rusty on their algebra and trig
skills should consider dropping the course if they are unable to remediate
their math deficiencies within the first few weeks. An excellent paperback book to help you would be: “Thinking
Mathematically,” by Mason, Burton and Stacey. There are also various web
sites to help you brush up on your math, Finally, you may wish to take advantage of
the math tutoring center.
Required Text and
ancillary materials: The course text is Physics – Principles
with Applications (6th ed.)
by Giancoli. Be aware that if you are using a previous
edition the problem numbers at the end of the chapter have completely changed.
(We will cover chapters 1-15, i.e., vol 1, in PHYS 243, and the remainder in
PHYS 245.) The MCAT review book, and a “Physlet
Physics” book are not required, but they may be useful. However, you should be aware that both
Physlets (simple computer animations) and a version of the MCAT study guide can
also be found for free at the publisher’s web site. In addition to the text, you are required
to purchase these items and bring them to each lecture: (1) a personal response system
(PRS) transmitter (Bookstore stocks them at the register), and (2) a
scientific calculator.
Lecture notes: Be sure to
print out the lecture notes for the course, and bring them to every lecture to
write your own notes on them.
Recitations: These
problem-solving sessions are a required part of the course.
Be sure that you are officially registered for one of the recitation sections,
and that you attend the one for which you are officially registered. The
six recitation sections meet 830, 930, 1030 on Wed and Fri. Your recitation instructor (either Dr. Rothwarf or Dr. Tawil) is the primary person to help you
with your homework, and he will explain how recitations are graded.
Online homework solutions and help solving
problems. Solutions for each week’s homework will be posted on
the course web site after the Friday recitations. Another very nice source of online help that
has lots of examples of problems for each chapter is maintained by the University of
Illinois. This web site also has a
very good help feature that can guide you step-by-step through a problem, just
like a personal tutor might. Finally,
don’t forget to look at everything on the text publisher’s web site
Help sessions. I have
scheduled extra “help sessions” on weeks before exams. The time for these
sessions will be set based on room availability. Tentatively, they are
scheduled for Fri 230 PM in this room. Please note that the physics
department also provides a free tutor, Dr.
Fisher, who tutors in the “CAS testing and tutoring center” (room 2002 of
SU2) during these hours: M,W 11-2:00, and Th 11-1. To locate a paid tutor, you may contact the Counseling Center Office. Paid tutors generally cost between $10 and
$14 per hour.
Make-up Policy: There
will be no make-up exams. However, if you do notify me preferably
24 hr in advance by e-mail or phone, and you have a legitimate and documented
excuse to miss the exam, I will count the final exam proportionately
more to make up for the missed exam.
Only one missed exam can be made up in this way. Please do not make travel or other plans that
will conflict with your scheduled final exam (see below), since you will not be
allowed to take a make-up exam for the final.
Snow closings. If the
University is closed because of weather or other emergencies, a test scheduled
on that day will be given at the next class meeting after the University
reopens. (Call 703-993-1000 for info on snow closings.)
Grading Policies:
“We judge ourselves by
what we feel capable of doing; others judge us by what we have done.” H.W.Longfellow
Your course grade will be
determined on the following basis: 3 hourly exams (20 % each), final exam
(25 %), and recitation (10 %). In addition, there will be daily quizzes
given during lecture using the PRS system that will count for 5%.
There are no make-ups for these daily quizzes if you miss a lecture. If you are a student with a disability and
need academic accommodation, please see me and contact the Disability Resource Center (DRC) at
993-2474. All accommodations must be arranged through the DRC.
Use of PRS devices in
lecture. Why use PRS devices
(“clickers”) in lecture? They have numerous advantages; these include:
promoting active learning; better student retention, better grades, better
class attendance, “anonymous” feedback, and they are fun to use! I will pass out a sign-up sheet for you to
register your device number once most of the class has purchased them. Note that it is your responsibility to
ensure that: (1) you register the number on the back of your PRS device with
me, (2) you bring the device to each lecture, (3) you check that your answers
are being recorded by the computer each time you use it, (4) you replace the
device if you lose it, (and reregister the new number with me), (5) you do not
share your device with another student or let other students use your
device. Note that in order for you to verify that your responses are
being recorded you will need to check that the appropriate square lights up on
the screen when you click the PRS device. It will not be possible for
people without their PRS device in lecture to turn in quiz answers on paper.
e-mail. From
time to time I may send the class a mass e-mail, so be sure to activate and
check your gmu account. If you use a different account for e-mail you can
arrange to have e-mail to your gmu account forward to you. (Incidentally, I have already sent one e-mail
to the class.)
Exams. The
exams will be both multiple choice, and free form problems. You will be
provided with a sheet of formulas to each exam, but not allowed to consult any
other sources. The exams will test both your understanding of concepts as
well as your ability to solve problems, not unlike some of those assigned as
homework. On non-multiple choice questions you will be graded primarily on
using the correct method to solve a problem in addition to obtaining a correct
answer. Note that correct answers
without accompanying correct methods written down will be assigned very little
credit. A good source of typical
multiple choice questions might be the MCAT and practice questions on the Textbook web site
or past year’s PHYS 243 exams on the course web site – see schedule
below. Students who have trouble with multiple choice type questions in
general can find some good tips for taking such exams on this web site. The final exam will be cumulative, but it
will emphasize the last few chapters.
Academic
dishonesty.. You are
expected to observe the GMU Honor Code
on exams. In particular each of the
following actions will be regarded as cheating: (1) copying from another person's work during an examination, (2) allowing
someone to copy from you during an examination, (3) using unauthorized
materials during an examination, e.g., communicating via cell phone, (4) taking
an examination for another or permitting another to take an exam for you, (5)
obtaining or providing to another an un-administered test or answers to an
un-administered test, (6) removing or attempting to remove a test, its answers,
or any portion thereof during or immediately following an exam. Please bring a photo-ID to all exams.
Retests. All three tests will be accompanied by retests.
After handing in your test you may go home and redo the multiple choice portion
of the test, after downloading it from the course web site where it will be
posted. You may do the retest with the help of whatever books, notes and other
materials you wish, and also in consultation with your classmates. Hand in the
SCANTRON for the multiple choice questions at the next class following the
test. You also need to hand in a worksheet showing how you obtained each
multiple choice answer. The test and the
retest will be graded independently and your score on the multiple choice part
of the test will be the average of these two scores. No late retests will be accepted. There is no retest for the final exam.
Extra
credit “Jeopardy Problems”: As a special challenge to the best students,
each chapter has a “jeopardy problem” whose solution is
in the form of a specific question – just like on the TV game show. These problems appear in the notes at the end
of each chapter, and also below at the end of this syllabus. They will be covered in the weekly recitations. Each exam will contain one jeopardy problem
for extra credit, but the particular problem will be different from the sample
ones provided.
The
"Curve": Please do not ask me during the semester what you
need to do on future exams in order to get a particular letter grade. I do
not know ahead of time exactly what numerical average in the course will
convert to a particular letter grade, so in this sense I grade on the
curve. However, I only “curve up” never down. That is, if you have good recitation grades
and the average on all your tests and the final is above 90, you can be sure
that you will get an A, if it is above 80, you can be sure to get at least a B,
etc. To give you a precise idea as to
how you stand relative to your classmates I will post on the course web site a
graph after each test showing the exact ranking based on the average of all
exams up to that point in the course.
Using this information you will be able to know exactly where you stand
in terms of your percentile – provided that you haven’t missed any exams
to that point. (Be aware that I
do use a common curve for both lecture sections.) You can also get an idea toward the end of
the semester about what your letter grade in the course is likely to be by
examining the grade
distribution I used in recent years.
Those students who wish to do well in this course are strongly advised
to read this syllabus thoroughly, and to take seriously the suggestions given
in the document titled: "How to succeed in this
course" posted on the
course web site. You may also find it very helpful to consult
this “how to study
physics” web site.
Courtesy: On days
other than exam days, I have no objection to your attending the other lecture
class for which you are registered.
Also, if you will miss a class, there is no need to notify me of this
fact. You are expected to observe the
rules of courtesy, including avoiding conversation during class, coming to
lecture on time, and not leaving before the end. It can be very
disruptive and discourteous when students come late or leave early. If
you do not arrive on time please enter the class with a minimum of disruption
to other students. If you are very late to the 930 lecture, please
consider coming to the 1030 lecture instead. Your challenges to statements that
are made by the instructor (or by other students) will not
regarded as lack of courtesy, assuming such challenges are made in a respectful
way. In fact, I expect you to challenge me if I say something that you
believe is incorrect. Be certain to turn off cell phones and
pagers before class.
Recommendations: Some students
ask me to write recommendations for graduate school or medical school after the
course is over. If you think that you
may intend to do that, and if you are doing well in the course, it would be wise to meet with me during the
semester, so that I can get to know more about you, and make any possible
recommendation more than just a form letter.
PHYS
243 Schedule -- Fall 2005
The
problems and questions for each assigned chapter are due at the recitation each
week. Recitations will meet the first week.
Week
and topic Date Chapt
Questions
Problems
1) Introduction Aug
29
1 4
5,11,20,42,48 + math
pretest
2) Kinematics in 1-Dimension Sept
7 2
4,10,14
7,14,19,26,32,37,47,51, J2
University
closed for Labor day, Sept 5.
Useful
hint: Reread entire syllabus, and the suggestions contained in the
document “ how to succeed
in this course.”
3) Kinematics in 2-Dimensions Sept
12 3
6,7,20
1,8,14,16,18,20,31,47, J3
4)
Mon, Sept 26: Exam I on
Chapters1-4 (old exam 1)
5) Circular motion and gravitation Sept 26 5 3,13,19 9,22,28,39,50,61,62, J5
Sept 30 is THE LAST DAY TO DROP WITHOUT ACADEMIC PENALTY
6) Work and energy Oct
3 6
2,5,7
3,8,12,16,37,45,52,58, J6
Columbus day recess Oct 10: Mon classes meet on Tues this week.
7) Linear momentum Oct
10 7
1,7,10
12,15,22,35,40,43,47, J7
8) Rotational motion Oct
17 8
1,6,10
19,23,32,34,47,61,67, J8
Mon, Oct 24: Exam 2 (old exam2)
9)
Equilibrium Oct
24 9
1,8,13
3,8,20,25,26,32,39,54, J9
Oct 28 is the last day of the
“effective withdrawal period” – see p.6 of the printed schedule.
10)
Fluids Oct
31 10
5,13,18,22 7,16,22,25,35,43,56,
J10
11)
Vibrations and waves Nov
7 11
2,5,7
3,9,18,32,41,47,56, J11
Mon, Nov 14: Exam 3 (old exam3)
12)
Sound Nov
14 12
5,7
8,11,14,16,38,44,56, J12
13)
Temperature Nov
21 13
14,20 9,23,29,40,42,51,55,
J13
(Thanksgiving
14)
Heat Nov
28 14
7,10
1,6,17,18,28,36,39,49, J14
15)
Laws of Thermodynamics Dec
5 15
4,7,12
1,5,6,16,21,35,43, J15
FINAL
EXAM for 9:30 Lecture: Mon, Dec 19,
FINAL
EXAM for
Jeopardy problems for chapter 1: Answers given at
end for these 3 sample questions.
J1a 8
m/s x (100 cm/1m) x (1 in/2.54 cm) x (1 ft/12 in) x (1 mi/5280 ft) x (3600 s/1
hr) = 17.9 mi/hr
J1b pi
(2r)2 /pi r2 = 4
J1c (100 ft) tan 370 = 60 ft
Jeopardy
questions for chapters 2-15:
J2 24 m/s = 10 m/s + (2 m/s2)
t
J3 -100 m = (10 sin 370m/s)
t – ½(9.8 m/s2) t
J4 100 N cos 37 – f = 10 kg (2 m/s2)
J5 T – (2 kg)(9.8m/s2) =
(2 kg)[2pi x 2.0 m/0.5 s]2 / 2.0 m
J6 4.0 J = ½(2.0 kg)(2v)2
- ½(2.0 kg)v2
J7 F(.001 s) = (2.0
kg)(-10m/s) – (2.0 kg)(+20m/s)
J8 (100 N)(0.5 m) sin 370
– 2.0 N.m = (5 kg.m2)(a /0.5m)
J9 T1 sin 37 + T2
sin 53 = 100 N
T1 cos 37 – T2
cos 53 = 0
J10 ½(1.1 kg/m3)(220m/s)2
- ½(1.1 kg/m3)(200m/s)2 = (1000 N)/ A
J11 400
s-1(2.0m)=[T/(0.01kg/m)]1/2
J12 10 log[P/4pi 5.02] - 120 = 70
J13 (4 N/m2)(5 m3)/[(8.314
J/mol.0K)(300 0K)]
J14 4pi(r/2)2(2T)4
/ 4pi r2 T4 = 4
J15 100 J/273 0K – 100 J/373
0K
Answers
to 3 sample Jeopardy questions for chapter 1:
(J1a) How many miles per hour is a speed of 8 m/s
equivalent to?
(J1b) By what factor does the area of a circle increase
if you double its radius?
(J1c) How tall is a tree if the line of sight to its
top makes a 37 degree angle with the horizontal when you are 100 ft from the
base of the tree?
(Equally
acceptable answer: How long is the height of a right triangle whose base is 100
ft long, and whose hypotenuse makes a 37 degree angle with the horizontal? Unacceptable
answer: How much is 100 ft times the sine of 37 degrees.)