BRAZOSPORT COLLEGE LAKE JACKSON, TEXAS SYLLABUS PHYS COLLEGE PHYSICS II

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1 BRAZOSPORT COLLEGE LAKE JACKSON, TEXAS SYLLABUS PHYS COLLEGE PHYSICS II CATALOG DESCRIPTION: PHYS 1402 College Physics II. CIP Course includes a study of fundamental principles of electricity, magnetism, light, and modern physics. Practical applications of topics will be discussed. (4 SCH, 3 lecture, 3 lab) Prerequisite: PHYS 1401 or the equivalent or approval of the division chair. Required skill level: College-level reading, writing, and math. John Cooper Gary Hicks Ken Tasa June 2010

2 BRAZOSPORT COLLEGE SYLLABUS PHYS 1402 COLLEGE PHYSICS II II. COURSE EVALUATION Student Evaluation In order to determine the student s mastery of the concepts specified in the objectives, the student will be evaluated as follows: 1. Homework problems will be assigned from each chapter. The average of all homework grades will form 40% of the student s course grade. 2. Weekly laboratory exercises will be conducted. The average of all laboratory grades will form 20% of the student s course grade. Additionally, to pass this course, a student must successfully complete the laboratory portion with a grade of D or better. 3. At the end of each unit of chapters, a test will be given, and the average of these test grades will form 40% of the student's course grade. (These percentages are flexible and are determined by the instructor.) Instructor Evaluation In a continuing effort to improve the course, student evaluations will be sought during each semester. This is a standardized evaluation developed by the college. Also, professional journals will be studied for ideas on how to improve both the course and the teacher. Department Evaluation Faculty and Division Chairperson will review evaluation results annually. The Course, Competencies, and Perspectives Assessment will also be reviewed. 2

3 BRAZOSPORT COLLEGE SYLLABUS PHYS COLLEGE PHYSICS II III. COURSE CONTENT Objectives The general objectives of this introductory physics course are twofold: to provide the student with a clear and logical presentation of the basic concepts and principles of physics, and to strengthen an understanding of the concepts and principles through a broad range of interesting applications to the real world. In order to meet these objectives, emphasis is placed on sound physical arguments and discussions of everyday experiences. At the same time, an attempt is made to motivate the student through practical examples that demonstrate the role of physics in other disciplines. Outline Typical semester schedule WEEK CHAPTER TOPIC 1 Chapter 15 Chapter 15: Electric forces and electric fields. 2 Chapter 16 Chapter 16: Electrical energy and capacitance. 3 Chapters 16, 17 Chapter 16: Electrical energy and capacitance. Chapter 17: Current and resistance. 4 Chapter 18 Chapter 18: Direct-current circuits. 5 Test 1, Chapter 19 Test 1 covers chapters 15, 16, 17, & 18. Chapter 19: Magnetism. 6 Chapter 19 Chapter 19: Magnetism. 7 Chapter 20 Chapter 20: Induced voltages and inductance. 8 Chapter 20, Test 2 Chapter 20: Induced voltages and inductance. Test 2 covers chapters 19 & Chapter 22 Chapter 22: Reflection and refraction of light. 10 Chapters 23, 24 Chapter 23: Mirrors and lenses. 11 Chapter 24 Chapter 24: Wave optics (interference & diffraction). 12 Test 3, Chapter 27 Test 3 covers chapters 22, 23, & 24. Chapter 27: Quantum physics. 13 Chapters 27, 28 Chapter 27: Quantum physics. Chapter 28: Atomic physics. 14 Chapters 28, 29 Chapter 28: Atomic physics. Chapter 29: Nuclear physics. 15 Chapter 30 Chapter 30: Nuclear energy. 16 Final Exam Test 4 Test 4 covers chapters 27, 28, 29, & 30. 3

4 The schedule will vary from semester to semester. The above schedule is based on a 16 week schedule where each week equates to 6 contact hours. In summer sessions the schedule will be adjusted to have more contact hours per week to accommodate the shorter semester. This course is designed to teach the student to: Electrostatics 1. Describe the fundamental properties of electric charge and the nature of electrostatic forces between charged bodies. 2. Describe the process involved in charging a conductor by contact and by induction. 3. Use Coulomb's law to determine the net electrostatic force on a point electric charge due to a known distribution of a finite number of point charges. 4. Calculate the electric field E (magnitude and direction) at a specified location in the vicinity of a group of point charges. 5. Visualize qualitatively the electric field throughout a region of space in terms of electric field lines. 6. Describe quantitatively the motion of a charged particle in a uniform electric field. Electric Potential 1. Understand that each point in the vicinity of a charge distribution can be characterized by a scalar quantity called the electric potential, V. The values of this potential function over the region (a scalar field) are related to the values of the electrostatic field over the region (a vector field). 2. Calculate the electric potential difference between any two points in a uniform electric field. 3. Calculate the electric potential energy at a point in space in the vicinity of a group of point charges. 4. Calculate the work done by an external agent in moving a charge q between any two points in an electric field when the charge distribution giving rise to the field is known. Capacitance 1. Use the basic definition of capacitance and the equation for finding the potential difference between two points in an electric field in order to calculate the capacitance of a capacitor for uniform electric fields (parallel plate capacitors). 2. Determine the equivalent capacitance of a network of capacitors in series and parallel combinations and calculate the final charge on each capacitor and the potential difference across each capacitor when a known potential is applied across the network. 3. Make calculations involving the relationships among potential, charge, capacitance, and stored energy for capacitors, and apply these results to the particular case of a parallel plate capacitor. 4. Calculate the capacitance, potential difference, and stored energy of a capacitor which is filled with a dielectric. Current and Resistance 1. Calculate the current and quantity of charge passing a point in a given time interval in a specified current-carrying conductor. 4

5 2. Determine the resistance of a conductor using Ohm's law. Also, calculate the resistance based on the physical characteristics of a conductor (via resistivity). 3. Calculate the power dissipated by a resistor. 4. Describe the classical model of electrical conduction in metals. Direct Current Circuits 1. Calculate the current in a single loop circuit and the potential difference between any two points in the circuit. 2. Calculate the equivalent resistance of a group of resistors in series and parallel combinations. 3. Use Ohm's law to calculate the current in a circuit and the potential difference between any two points in a circuit which can be reduced to an equivalent single-loop circuit. 4. Calculate the power dissipated by a resistor or a group of resistors in a circuit. 5. Apply Kirchhoff's rules to solve multiloop circuits; that is, find the currents and the potential difference between any two points. 6. Calculate the charging (or discharging) current and the accumulated (or residual) charge during charging (or discharging) of a capacitor in an R-C circuit. 7. Calculate the energy expended by an emf while charging a capacitor. Magnetic Fields 1. Use the defining equation for a magnetic field B to determine the magnitude and direction of the magnetic force exerted on an electric charge moving in a region where there is a magnetic field. Understand clearly the important difference between the forces exerted on electric charges by electric fields and those forces exerted on moving charges by magnetic fields. 2. Calculate the magnitude and direction of the magnetic force on a current-carrying wire when placed in an external magnetic field. 3. Determine the magnitude and direction of the torque exerted on a closed current loop in an external magnetic field. 4. Calculate the radius of the circular orbit of a charged particle moving in a uniform magnetic field, and also determine the period of the circulating charge. 5. Understand the essential features of the mass spectrometer and the cyclotron, and make appropriate quantitative calculations regarding the operation of these instruments. Note that these two devices are special applications of the motion of charged particles in a magnetic field. Sources of Magnetic Fields 1. Calculate the magnetic field due to steady current in a long straight wire, a flat coil of wire, and a long solenoid. 2. Calculate the magnetic flux through a surface area placed in a uniform magnetic field. 3. Understand that magnetic fields are produced both by conduction currents and by changing electric fields. Faraday's Law (Induced Emf) 1. Calculate the induced emf (or induced current) in a circuit when the magnetic flux through the circuit is changing with time. The variation in flux might be due to a change in (a) the area of the circuit, (b) the magnitude of the magnetic field, (c) the direction of the magnetic field, or (d) the orientation/location of the circuit in the magnetic field. 5

6 2. Calculate the (motional) emf induced between the ends of a conducting bar as it moves through a region where there is a constant magnetic field. 3. Apply Lenz's law to determine the direction of an induced emf or current. 4. Calculate the instantaneous values of the sinusoidal emf generated in a conducting loop rotating in a constant magnetic field. Inductance 1. Calculate the magnitude and direction of the self-induced emf in a circuit when the current changes with time. 2. Determine instantaneous values of the current in an L-R circuit while the current is changing with time. 3. Calculate the magnetic energy stored in the magnetic field of an inductor. Alternating Current Circuits 1. Given an RLC series circuit in which values of resistance, inductance, capacitance, and the characteristics of the generator (source of emf) are known, calculate: the instantaneous voltage across each component; the instantaneous current in the circuit; the phase angle by which the current leads or lags the voltage; the power expended in the circuit; and the resonance frequency of the circuit. 2. Understand the manner in which step-up and step-down transformers are used in the process of transmitting electrical power over long distances. 3. Make calculations of primary to secondary voltage and current ratios for an ideal transformer. Electromagnetic Waves 1. Summarize the properties of electromagnetic waves. 2. Give a brief description (related to the source and typical use) of each of the "regions" of the electromagnetic spectrum. Geometric Optics, Part I (The Nature of Light) 1. Understand Huygens Principle and the use of this technique to construct the subsequent position and shape of a given wavefront. 2. Determine the directions of the reflected and refracted rays when a light ray is incident obliquely on the interface between two optical media. 3. Understand the conditions under which total internal reflection can occur in a medium and determine the critical angle for a given pair of adjacent media. Geometric Optics, Part II (Lenses and Mirrors) 1. Calculate the location of the image of a specified object by a plane mirror, spherical mirror, thin lens, or a combination of these devices. 2. Understand the relationship of the algebraic signs associated with calculated quantities to the nature of the image and object: real or virtual, erect or inverted. 3. Construct ray diagrams to determine the location and nature of the image of a given object when the geometrical characteristics of the optical device (mirror or lens) are known. 4. Describe the cause of each of the most frequently encountered lens aberrations. 5. Understand the geometry of the lens combination for each of several simple optical instruments: camera, compound microscope, astronomical telescope. 6

7 Wave Optics, Part I (Interference) 1. Describe Young's double-slit experiment to demonstrate the wave nature of light. Account for the phase difference between light waves from the two sources as they arrive at a given point on the screen. State the conditions for constructive and destructive interference in terms of each of the following: path difference, phase difference, distance from center of screen, and angle subtended by the observation point at the source mid-point. 2. Account for the conditions of constructive and destructive interference in thin films (for both reflected and transmitted light) considering both path difference and any phase changes due to reflection. 3. Describe the technique employed in the Michelson interferometer for precise measurement of length based on known values for the wavelength of light. Wave Optics, Part II (Diffraction and Polarization) 1. Determine the positions of the maxima and minima in a single-slit diffraction pattern. 2. Determine whether or not two sources under a given set of conditions are resolvable as defined by Rayleigh's criterion. 3. Determine the positions of the principal maxima in the interference pattern of a diffraction grating. 4. Understand what is meant by the resolving power of a grating, and calculate the resolving power of a grating under specified conditions. 5. Describe the technique of x-ray diffraction and make calculations of the lattice spacing using Bragg's law. 6. Understand how the state of polarization of a light beam can be determined by use of a polarizer-analyzer combination. 7. Describe qualitatively the polarization of light by selective absorption, reflection scattering, and double refraction. Relativity 1. State the principle of Newtonian relativity, and describe coordinate and velocity transformations, and their limitations. 2. Discuss Einstein's two postulates of special relativity. 3. Describe some consequences of the Lorentz transformation equations; specifically, the effects of time dilation and length contractions. 4. Understand the idea of simultaneity, and the fact that simultaneity is not an absolute concept. That is, two events which are simultaneous in one reference frame are not simultaneous when viewed from a second frame moving with respect to the first. 5. State the relativistic expressions for momentum, kinetic energy, and total energy of a particle. 6. Discuss the principle of energy-mass equivalence, and its impact in the field of nuclear physics. 7. Discuss the Michelson-Morley experiment, its objectives, and the significance of its outcomes. 7

8 Quantum Physics 1. Discuss the spectral characteristics of blackbody radiation, and the limitations of the classical model predicted by the Rayleigh-Jeans law. 2. Describe the formula for blackbody radiation proposed by Planck, and the assumption made in deriving this formula. 3. Discuss the conditions under which a photoelectric effect can be observed, and those properties of photoelectric emission which cannot be explained with classical physics. 4. Describe the Einstein model for the photoelectric effect, and the predictions of the fundamental photoelectric effect equation for the maximum kinetic energy of photoelectrons. 5. Recognize that Einstein's model of the photoelectric effect involves the photon concept (E = hf), and the fact that the basic features of the photoelectric effect are consistent with this model. 6. Describe the Compton Effect (the scattering of X-rays by electrons) and be able to use the formula for the Compton shift. Recognize that the Compton Effect can only be explained using the photon concept. 7. Discuss the origin of line spectra associated with elements such as hydrogen, and the usefulness of such spectra in modern analyses. 8. State the postulates of the Bohr theory of the hydrogen atom, and use the Bohr model to derive the energy levels of hydrogen, the radii of the allowed orbits, and the allowed wavelengths corresponding to the various series in the hydrogen spectrum. 9. State the correspondence principle first postulated by Bohr, and its significance in bridging the gap between classical physics and quantum physics. Wave Mechanics 1. Discuss the wave properties of particles, the De Broglie wavelength concept, and the dual nature of both matter and light. 2. Describe the manner in which the uncertainty principle makes possible a better understanding of the dual wave-particle nature of light and matter. Atomic Physics 1. For each of the quantum numbers (n, l, m, s), qualitatively describe what each implies concerning atomic structure, state the allowed values which may be assigned to each, and give the number of allowed states which may exist in a particular atom corresponding to each quantum number. 2. State the Pauli Exclusion Principle and describe its relevance to the periodic table of the elements. Show how the exclusion principle leads to the known electronic ground state configuration of the light elements. 3. State the necessary conditions for laser action. Describe briefly the operation of a heliumneon gas laser in terms of energy level diagrams. 4. Describe the process of fluorescence and its application in a fluorescent light. 8

9 Nuclear Structure 1. Use the appropriate nomenclature in describing the static properties of nuclei. 2. Describe the experiments of Rutherford which established the nuclear character of the atom's structure. 3. Discuss nuclear stability in terms of the strong nuclear force. 4. Account for nuclear binding energy in terms of the Einstein mass-energy relationship. Describe the basis for energy released by fission and fusion in terms of the shape of the graph of binding energy per nucleon versus mass number. 5. Identify each of the components of radiation that are emitted by the nucleus through natural radioactive decay and describe the basic properties of each. 6. State and apply the formula which expresses decay rate as a function of decay constant and number of radioactive nuclei. 7. Write typical equations to illustrate the process of transmutation by alpha and beta decay and explain why the neutrino must be considered in the analysis of beta decay. 8. Describe the process of carbon dating (and its limitations and assumptions) as a means of determining the age of an object. Nuclear Physics Applications 1. Write an equation which represents a typical nuclear fission event and describe the sequence of events which occurs during the fission process. 2. Use data obtained from the binding energy curve to estimate the disintegration energy of a typical fission event. 3. Describe the basic design features and control mechanisms in a fission reactor including the functions of the moderator, control rods, and heat exchange system. 4. Identify some major safety and environmental hazards in the operation of a fission reactor. 5. Describe the basis of energy release in fusion and write out several nuclear reactions which might be used in a fusion reactor. 6. Describe briefly the basis of radiation damage in metals and living cells. 7. Describe the basic principle of operation of the Geiger counter, photographic emulsion, cloud chamber, and bubble chamber detectors of ionizing radiation. Particle Physics 1. Be aware of the four fundamental forces in nature and the corresponding field particles or quanta via which these forces are mediated. 2. Understand the concepts of antiparticle, pair production, and pair annihilation. 3. Know the broad classification of particles and the characteristic properties of the several classes (relative mass value, spin, decay mode). 4. Determine whether or not a suggested decay (or reaction) can occur based on the conservation of baryon number, lepton number, and strangeness. 9

10 BRAZOSPORT COLLEGE SYLLABUS PHYS COLLEGE PHYSICS II IV. LEARNING OUTCOMES PHYS 1402 OUTCOME 1. Understand and apply method and appropriate technology to the study of natural science. 2. Demonstrate knowledge of the major issues and problems facing modern science, including issues that touch upon ethics, values, and public policies. METHOD OF ASSESSMENT Almost all of the concepts of mechanics reduce to the three fundamental measurements of length, mass, and time. Measurements in the lab are often combinations of these three quantities. Scaled masses, mass balances, electronic timers, and metersticks or calipers are appropriate for this course. In the measurements of electrical circuits, voltmeters and ammeters (both analog and digital) are used. Radiation detectors (Geiger-counters) are used in the study of radioactivity. Graded lab reports determine the student s competency in the use of this equipment. Students must score 70% or greater on their average lab grade. The benefits of science and technology are paired with risks and these are discussed both in class and in the textbook. Technologies involving different risks for different people, as well as differing benefits, raise questions that are at times not easy to answer. Which medicines should be sold over-the-counter, and which require a prescription from a doctor? Should food be irradiated to put an end to food poisoning that kills more than 5000 Americans each year? Should nuclear power plants replace fossil fuel power plants? Textbook examples of these subjects are discussed, and students must score 70% or greater on their average homework grade. 10

11 3. Demonstrate knowledge of the interdependence of science and technology and their influence on, and contribution to, modern culture. Science is concerned with gathering knowledge and organizing it. Technology lets humans use that knowledge for practical purposes. All of modern electronics (computers, cd players, cell phones, global positioning satellites) would not exist without the knowledge of quantum physics, and even older technologies (like TV sets and automobiles) use a wealth of physics principles. These are discussed in both the textbook and in classroom presentations and demonstrations. The student must score 70% or greater on their average homework grade. 11

12 Course Competencies, Perspectives Assessment Course Prefix & Number: PHYS 1402 Semester Credit Hours: 4 Course Title: College Physics II Component Area for this Course:* Communication Mathematics Natural Sciences Social & Behavioral Sciences Humanities & Visual or Performing Arts Institutionally Designated Option Intellectual Competencies for this Course: Reading Writing Speaking Listening Critical Thinking Computer Literacy INTELLECTUAL COMPETENCIES FOR THIS COURSE Intellectual Competencies Reading: Reading material at the college level means having the ability to analyze and interpret a variety of printed materials - books, articles, and documents. Listening: Listening at the college level means the ability to analyze and interpret various forms of spoken communication. Critical Thinking: Critical thinking embraces methods for applying both qualitative and quantitative skills analytically and creatively to subject matter in order to evaluate arguments and to construct alternative strategies. Problem solving is one of the applications of critical thinking used to address an identified task. Method of Assessment Students are required to read a collegelevel textbook. Articles from professional journals are used to supplement the textbook. Handouts prepared by the instructor are also used. Assigned homework for each chapter and periodic tests judge the student s understanding of the material. Students must score 70% or greater on selected labs. To fully succeed in the course, a student must listen during classroom presentations. These presentations include lecture, demonstrations with accompanying explanations, and purchased videos. Students must score 70% or greater on their average test grade. Homework and test problems are not graded merely by the student getting the correct answer, but mostly by the procedure used by the student. Did they write down the given data? Did they include a diagram when appropriate? Did they apply the correct physical equation? Did they manipulate the algebra correctly to isolate the desired quantity? Is there a logical sequence of thought demonstrated in their work? Students need to score 70% or greater on their average homework grade. 12

13 Course, Competencies, Perspectives Assessment Course Prefix & Number: PHYS 1402 Semester Credit Hours: 4 Course Title: College Physics II Component Area for this Course: Communication Mathematics Natural Sciences Social & Behavioral Sciences Humanities & Visual or Performing Arts Institutionally Designated Option Intellectual Competencies for this Course: Reading Writing Speaking Listening Critical Thinking Computer Literacy PERSPECTIVES FOR THIS COURSE Perspective Method of Assessment 1. Individual, political, economic, and social The public is bombarded by pseudoscience - aspects of life; being a responsible member - psychic phenomena, medical fads, UFOs, of society astrology, and many topics which range from silly to dangerous. Separating sense from nonsense requires an understanding of science in order to realistically evaluate the claims. Various homework problems and textbook discussions address these issues. Students need to score 70% or greater on their average homework grade. 2. Technology and science: use and understanding The application of physics to technologies is discussed throughout the semester, and many textbook examples emphasize this linkage. Students need to score 70% or greater on their average test grade. 13

14 3. Logical reasoning in problem solving The following procedure is given to the students as a guide to solving most of the problems encountered in the course. 1. Read the problem carefully and analyze it. Write down the given data and what you are to find. 2. Draw a diagram where appropriate. 3. Determine which principle(s) and equation(s) are applicable to this situation. 4. Simplify mathematical expressions as much as possible before inserting actual values. 5. Check units. 6. Substitute given quantities into equation(s) and perform calculations. 7. Consider whether the result is reasonable. Tests, homework, and laboratory reports are graded heavily on the procedure used by the student. Students need to score 70% or greater on their average homework grade. 4. Integrate knowledge from and understand The major areas of science are the physical, interrelationships of the scholarly biological, behavioral, and earth sciences. It disciplines. is important for students to appreciate that many scientific disciplines cross the boundaries of these categories. There is a broad spectrum of subject matter, and sometimes science is hindered by the arbitrary categorization of fields of study. In choosing homework and test questions, preference is given to those problems which expose the student to various practical applications of physical principles to other disciplines. Students must score 70% or greater on their average homework grade. 14

15 Brazosport College Syllabus for PHYS 1402 College Physics II Instructor: John Cooper Office Phone: Office: B234 V. INFORMATION FOR STUDENTS COURSE DESCRIPTION Course includes a study of fundamental principles of electricity, magnetism, light, and modern physics. Practical applications of topics will be discussed. PREREQUISITES PHYS 1401 or the equivalent or approval of the division chair. COURSE GOALS The general objectives of this introductory physics course are twofold: to provide the student with a clear and logical presentation of the basic concepts and principles of physics, and to strengthen an understanding of the concepts and principles through a broad range of interesting applications. In order to meet these objectives, emphasis is placed on sound physical arguments and discussions of everyday experiences. At the same time, an attempt is made to motivate the student through practical examples that demonstrate the role of physics in other disciplines. TEXTBOOK Required Text: College Physics (Eighth Edition, Volume 2), Serway & Vuille, Brooks/Cole Publishing, LAB REQUIREMENTS Students must make at least a D in the laboratory portion of this course in order to pass the course. STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES Brazosport College is committed to providing equal education opportunities to every student. Brazosport College offers services for individuals with special needs and capabilities including counseling, tutoring, equipment, and software to assist students with special needs. Please contact the Special Populations Counselor, , for further information. ACADEMIC HONESTY Brazosport College assumes that students eligible to perform on the college level are familiar with the ordinary rules governing proper conduct including academic honesty. The principle of academic honesty is that all work presented by you is yours alone. Academic dishonesty including, but not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, and collusion shall be treated appropriately. Please refer to the Brazosport College Student Guide for more information, this is available online at click on the link found on the left side of the homepage. 15

16 ATTENDANCE AND WITHDRAWAL POLICIES Administrative Policy states that it is the responsibility of the student to withdraw from a class (if this option is what the student wants) by completing the appropriate paperwork with the registrar. However, a faculty member may drop a student for excessive absences. COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND GRADING POLICY Your grade will be determined by your work on tests, laboratory exercises, and homework. Partial credit may be given for work done. The average of your test grades will count 40% of the course grade. Homework will count 40% of the grade, and laboratory performance will complete the grade (20%). (These percentages can vary for different instructors.) Your grade is determined according to the following scale: 90% A 100% ; 80% B < 90% ; 70% C < 80% ; 60% D < 70% ; 0 F < 60%. TESTING Tests occur at the end of groups of chapters, and the test s problems are similar to problems students have worked for homework. (The exact number of tests, and their content, can vary by instructor.) MAKE-UP POLICY If you are absent, do not wait until the next class meeting to contact me. You are responsible for any homework assignments given during your absence. Call me (or another student) and obtain the assignment. I do not give makeup homework. If your absence occurs during a test, call me and we will schedule a time you can take the test in the L.A.C. (prior to the next class meeting, if possible). Make-up tests are given at the discretion of the instructor, usually only for excused absences. STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES Students are expected to fully participate in this course. The following criteria are intended to assist you in being successful in this course: a. understand the syllabus requirements b. use appropriate time management skills c. communicate with the instructor d. complete course work on time, and e. utilize online components (such as WebCT) as required. PROJECTS, ASSIGNMENTS, PORTFOLIOS, SERVICE LEARNING, INTERNSHIPS, ETC. Homework will be assigned for each chapter. Since the course progresses through the semester according to a schedule, it is important that students complete the homework on time. Consequently, late homework is not accepted. Each homework assignment has a due date. It is due at the beginning of class on that date. (A chapter s homework is due the day we start the next chapter, or, if a test occurs before the next chapter, then the homework is due on the day of the test.) These specific requirements may vary by instructor. 16

17 OTHER STUDENT SERVICES INFORMATION Information about the Library is available at or by calling Information about study skills and tutoring for math, reading, writing, biology, chemistry, and other subjects is available in the Learning Assistance Center (LAC), see or call To contact the Physical Sciences & Process Technologies Division, call The Student Services Office provides assistance in the following: Counseling and Advising Financial Aid Student Activities To reach the Information Technology Department for computer, , or other technical assistance call the Helpdesk at

18 WHY AM I IN THIS CLASS? This course could be one of the most challenging experiences that you will ever have -- except for first grade. But then you were too young to notice. What happened in first grade? Well, you learned to read and that was really, really hard. First you had to learn the names of all those weird little squiggles. You had to learn to tell a b from a d from a p. Even though they looked so much alike, you did it, and it even seemed like fun. Then you learned the sounds each letter represented, and that was not easy because the capitals looked different but made the same sound, and some letters could have more than one sound. Then one day your teacher put some letters on the board: First, the letter C, and you knew it could make a Kuh or Suh sound; then the letter A, which had lots of possibilities; finally, a T, which luckily had only one sound. You tried out several combinations, including Kuh-aah-tuh. Then suddenly someone shouted out in triumph, That isn t kuh-aah-tuh! It s a small furry animal with a long skinny tail and says meow. And your world was never the same again. When your car paused at an eightsided red sign, you sounded out stop and understood how the drivers knew what to do. You saw the words ice cream on the front of a store and knew you wanted to go inside. If this course works, you will become aware of a whole world you never noticed before. You will never walk down a street, ride in a car, or look in a mirror without involuntarily seeing an extra dimension. There are times when you will have to memorize what symbols mean -- just as in first grade. There will be times when you will confuse things that seem as much alike as b, d, and p once did, until you suddenly see how different they are. And there will be times when you will look at a combination of events and equations helplessly reciting Kuh-aah-tuh in total frustration. This has happened to all of us. But then the moment of insight will come, and you will see whole new images fitting together. You will see the C-A-T and will experience fully, and consciously, the exhilaration you felt in first grade. Physics is the most basic of the sciences, and is used by all the other physical sciences. Chemistry, biology, geology, astronomy, and meteorology all apply physics. Life sciences use physical principles as well (for example, the understanding of the circulation system requires the understanding of fluid dynamics). Many technologies are direct applications of physics. Workers in heating, ventilation, and refrigeration technologies must understand thermodynamics and the behavior of fluids. Civil engineers, who design roads, bridges, and dams, require an understanding of the equilibrium of forces. Computer technicians must be knowledgeable of electrical circuits as well as the principles that apply to optical fibers. If I had more space I could tell you about smart buildings, body mechanics, sedimentation of atmospheric pollutants, wind turbines, power trains, R-values, ultrasonics, the greenhouse effect, the structure of electric cells, flat-screen TVs, how to get more miles per gallon from your car, and much more. So, welcome to physics. 18