Syllabus for PHYS 105
Physics I - Fundamentals Connected to Common Experience (Mechanics)
Did you ever notice that Cheerios in milk cluster together? Make a hypothesis as to why this might be the case,
then check it out! Put two Cheerios in, and watch!
Come to class ready to discuss what you observe,
and how you might extend your measurements!
"So many things seem, at first, to be like magic.
As you begin to try to understand them, they become Physics,
...and you become the magician."
A pocket calculator will be needed for exams, but for in-class problem sets, and in the lab, you would much be better served by using the Wolfram|Alpha app, on your phone.
Location and times:
Regular Meetings: MWF 10:00 - 10:50 in room C102 of CNS.
Field trips are possible, if there is sufficient clamoring for them, to nearby facilities. This course will expose you to possible new interests via ongoing exploration of cutting-edge projects and, critically, we will enter into (both oral and written) conversation about those projects that you identify as "cool." Connect these to what's already going on locally, whether via student clubs or on-campus research groups and fabrication facilities, or our Mark Evans Observatory. There are a number nearby facilities of relevance, such as FermiLab and CU Aerospace, or Zentech, Inc. (formerly CAMtek), which is focused on advanced electronics manufacture and assembly. There are many advances taking place at Caterpillar, Mechanical Devices Company, G3 Machining, the Bridgestone tire manufacturing facility, the State Farm Vehicle Research Facility, the State Farm Building Research Unit, and the local branch of the Army Corps of Engineers. Wolfram is outstanding at innovating computation. Driver assistance technologies are just one focus of AutonomouStuff, and we also have Rivian Automotive, the electric vehicle manufacturer and advanced battery developer. The Ameren Microgrid facility integrates (intermittent) renewable energy sources including wind and solar with backup strategies such as natural gas turbines and battery-based storage facilities. Such research can be traced back to the Department of Energy's Argonne National Lab, which is a critical national asset, moving forward. The Ecology Action Center aims at community involvement, while our shared IWU GreeNetwork is an action-oriented open group for members of our community who are interested in Environmental issues. Some of our students interested in Architectural/Structural/Civil Engineering have been particularly involved in our on-campus projects. The next big one will have to do with co-generation of energy, through our on-campus GreeNetwork. We also expect field trips will play an important role in this process: e.g., one to Caterpillar and another to the Department of Energy's Argonne National Lab; next term, we expect the follow-up course (PHYS 299) will integrate interactions at FermiLab and at AutonomouStuff. Pay close attention to the explorers and makers in your community!
Grading:
Laboratory 20% [Note: ALL labs must be completed to pass the course!]
Written exercises 12%
In-term exams add up to a total of: 45%
Final Exam: 15%
Zotero/Field Trip/Participation: 8%
Laboratory: pseudo-notebooks and lab summaries will be due one week after your lab section. This remains true for the final lab meeting, and for any weeks where there is a break in the lab schedule.
Written exercises: the following simple scheme emphasizing understanding
over details will be applied to each problem or substantial part thereof:
4 points will be awarded for a correct numerical answer, logically arrived at; 3 points for correct application of concepts; 2 points for a significant attempt with conceptual
errors; and 1 point for any attempt.
Exams: conceptual understanding of the underlying principles is key, but you will also need to be able to use these concepts to quantitatively solve problems about the physical world. On the exams, partial credit may be awarded for sensible efforts even without completely correct answers. Policies on lateness and absences:
Follow the schedule of assigned readings and pre-meeting activities, which is designed to prepare you for active participation during class meetings. It is important that you attend all class meetings in order to benefit from this course and fulfill your responsibilities as a participant. There will be a 20% penalty for any unexcused absence from the regularly scheduled laboratory period, and unexcused absences from other class meetings will also be noted, impacting your grade.
Labs must be completed and turned in on the due dates unless cleared
in advance by the lab instructor.
Homework: You are permitted a single one week extension without
any penalty during the semester when you are stressed out with work; however,
in order to receive the extension you must, at the time the homework is
due, turn in a dated sheet of paper indicating that you are giving yourself
a "free extension." Save it for when you really need it.
Otherwise, work turned in by the start of the next class following the due date
will be assessed a modest 15% penalty.
Work handed in anytime after that,
but before the end of the semester deadline, will not be graded but will
be given about 1/3 credit for a reasonable effort.
Please do not split
up the assignments.
Exams must be taken at the stated times, except by prior agreement.
Honor code matters:
We value Illinois Wesleyan's honor code for the integrity it fosters
and the pedagogical flexibility it affords. The important guiding principle
of academic honesty is that you must never represent the work of others
as your own. The following guidelines should govern your behavior in the
course; please request clarification if you find yourself in any doubtful
situations.
You may seek assistance from the instructors, at the Physics clinic
or from your fellow students with the weekly assigned exercises and with
preparing for class discussions. You may also work together with other
members of the class on these assignments, and this is often quite beneficial. (It is worth noting that research on study groups suggests that the most effective group size is likely 3 or 4 people, and that all-male groups are the least effective.)
For your own good, avoid situations in which you contribute either
too much or too little to such collaborations. Just copying someone else's
work is clearly a representation of another's work as your own and is a
violation of the community. [This includes copying the homework solutions
when preparing your extension homework.] Your textbook gives the answers
for most of the odd-numbered questions and problems. These are given so that you will
know if you have solved problems correctly. It is not sound learning procedure
to try to work backwards from given answers, but doing so is not a violation
of the honor code.
Solutions to a number of the written exercises will periodically be added to a binder placed on reserve in the room C005 of CNS. (If you are doing a late set for 1/3 credit, you may consult the solutions, but you may not copy them.)
Exams must be entirely your own work. Detailed instructions will be given
on the exams themselves and discussed in advance. You will be allowed to
use a page of notes prepared in advance and a calculator, but no other
materials will be permitted. No collaboration of any sort is allowed once
an exam begins.
Our primary electronic form of communication is not email, but is via the Class Discussion Page on Piazza, so please check the desktop version of this site regularly. (There is also a free smartphone app for Piazza, and while it will display equations beautifully, it is not as useful as the desktop version when you wish to enter equations yourself.)
