Rutgers University Department of Physics and Astronomy
PHYSICS 106 – SPRING 2012
CONCEPTS OF PHYSICS FOR HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCE STUDENTS
COURSE OUTLINE
TIME & LOCATION
Monday/Thursday
11:30 a.m. – 12:50 p.m.
Van Dycke 211, CAC
INSTRUCTOR
Dr. Slawomir Piatek
Office: Serin Labs (West) 335, Busch Campus
Phone: (732) 445-5500 x8250
Email: piatek@physics.rutgers.edu
Office hours: Monday and Thursday, 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
TEACHING ASSISTANT
August Krueger
Office: Serin Labs (East) 372, Busch Campus
Email: akrueger@physics.rutgers.edu.
For questions about homework and mini-labs, send email to August and please be sure to include "Phys 106" in the subject line of your email.
Office hours: Monday, 2:00 PM - 4:00 AM
TEACHING ASSISTANT (VOLUNTEER)
Mr. William DeBuvitz
Office hours: Friday, 10:00 AM - 12:00 AM, Scott Hall 105, CAC
TEXTBOOKS
There are two required textbooks:
· Hobson, Physics: Concepts and Connections, 5th Edition, Pearson, 2009
o Unbound 3-hole: ISBN 978-0321-696-045
–or–
o Bound paperback: ISBN 978-0-321-66113-5
· Muller, Physics for Future Presidents, Norton, 2009
o Bound paperback: ISBN 978-0-393-33711-2
Hobson is the main text. Note that the campus bookstore will carry the unbound version for sale; this has the advantage that you can carry just the pages needed for the current topics in your own binder, mixing in your own notes, etc. If you prefer a regular bound copy of the text, please buy the paperback version from an online bookseller (or you could try to buy it used, but if you do, be sure it is the 5th edition!)
Muller will be used for occasional assigned readings and homework questions. It is also available at the campus bookstore.
MINI-LABS
There will be seven Mini-Labs due during the semester, or about one every two weeks. You should buy a "Composition Book" to use as a lab notebook; each mini-lab and its results should be recorded in this lab notebook. These will be collected and graded twice; once on March 1 (for Mini-Labs 1-3) and again on April 26 (for Mini-Labs 4-7), but within those parameters you can schedule your labs as you see fit. You will do most of these at the Math/Science Learning Center (MSLC), but some may be done at home. Please see the Mini-Lab Guidelines for how your lab assignments should be written.
COURSE WEB PAGE
We will be using the Sakai system for this course. Go to sakai.rutgers.edu and log in using your RUID and password. Click on the “Phys 106” tab to enter the course site. If you have trouble logging in, please send me or my teaching assistant an email. Homework assignments, important information about the course, and useful links to websites will be posted here, so check it regularly. You can access Sakai using your own computer, or any of the student computing center machines (for locations and hours, see rucs.rutgers.edu/services/instruction/index.html).
MATH/SCIENCE LEARNING CENTER (MSLC)
The Math/Science Learning Centers, located on the Douglass and Busch campuses, are there to assist students studying physics and related subjects. It is your center and is mostly student run. You will find convenient study space and small classrooms for discussions and experiments. Tutors are available during the day and evening hours. Note that the assigned mini-labs should be done at the Busch MSLC, not the Douglass one.
HOMEWORK
Homework questions will be assigned each week, through the Sakai system. Each assignment will consist of several multiple-choice and written-answer questions. Homework will be due by 5:00 am Monday of each week, and no late submissions will be accepted. Do not wait until the last minute to complete and submit your homework assignments!
EXAMS
There will be two exams: an in-class midterm exam on March 3 and the final on May 3 (Thursday) 8:00 AM - 9:30 AM in Van Dyck 211. Both exams will be closed-book format, and will consist of multiple-choice, computer-graded questions. Material from the text, lectures, and homework assignments will be used in selecting exam questions. The final exam will not be cumulative. A make-up exam will be offered for each exam for those with excused absences.
GRADING
Your course grade will be determined by: midterm – 30%, final – 30%, homework – 30%, lab notebook – 10%. No extra-credit assignments will be offered. The course grade will be assigned based on the following grade matrix:
85% -100% A
80% - 85% B+
70% - 80% B
65% - 70% C+
50% - 65% C
40% - 50% D
0% - 40% F
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
If you have a disability, you are urged to speak to me early in the semester to make the necessary arrangements to support a successful learning experience. More information is available here.
CLASS CALENDAR
|
LECT. |
DATE |
TOPIC |
HOBSON READING |
MULLER READING |
ITEMS DUE |
MSLC MINI-LAB |
|
|
1/19 |
WHAT IS PHYSICS? |
1 |
- |
|
VISIT MSLC |
|
1/23 1/26 |
ASTRONOMY: ANCIENT, MODERN SOLAR SYSTEM |
- - |
15 - |
|
||
|
1/30 2/2 |
UNIVERSE ATOMS, MOLECULES, & MATTER |
- 2 |
17 - |
HW 1
|
|
|
|
2/6 2/9 |
GALILEO, MOVING BODIES NEWTON'S LAWS I |
3 4 |
- - |
HW 2
|
||
|
2/13 2/16 |
NEWTON'S LAWS II CIRCULAR MOTION |
- - |
- - |
HW 3
|
|
|
|
10 11 |
2/20 2/23 |
GRAVITY & ASTROPHYSICS ENERGY |
5 6 |
16 - |
HW 4
|
|
|
12 13 |
2/27 3/1 |
CONSERVATION LAWS TEMPERATURE & HEAT |
- 7 |
- - |
HW 5 LAB NOTEBOOKS |
|
|
14 15 |
3/5 3/8 |
MIDTERM EXAM (LECTS. 1-12) ENTROPY, HEAT ENGINES |
- - |
- - |
|
|
|
- - |
3/12- 3/19 |
SPRING BREAK |
- - |
- - |
|
|
|
16 17 |
3/19 3/22 |
(ELECTRICITY DEMOS) ELECTRICITY & MAGNETISM |
8 - |
- - |
HW 6
|
|
|
18 19 |
3/26 3/29 |
MOTORS AND GENERATORS WAVES AND SOUND |
- 9 |
- - |
HW 7
|
|
|
20 21 |
4/2 4/5 |
LIGHT & EM RADIATION GLOBAL WARMING |
- - |
18 23-25 |
HW 8
|
|
|
22 23 |
4/9 4/12 |
RELATIVITY - SPACE, TIME RELATIVITY - ENERGY, GRAVITY |
10 11 |
- - |
HW 9
|
|
|
24 25 |
4/16 4/19 |
QUANTUM - HISTORICAL INTRO QUANTUM CONCEPTS |
12-13 - |
- - |
HW 10
|
|
|
26 27 |
4/23 4/26 |
NUCLEI, RADIOACTIVITY FISSION & FUSION |
14 15 |
Two of 8-14 pp. 188-9 |
HW 11 LAB NOTEBOOKS |
|
|
28
|
4/30 5/3 |
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES FINAL EXAM (LECTS. 13-28) |
17
|
-
|
HW 12
|
|