Why do astronauts feel weightless? What causes the International Space Station to orbit the earth and why doesn’t it crash into the earth’s surface? What is gravity and what does it mean to be in free fall? It was questions like these that drove early scientists like Sir Isaac Newton, Kepler and Galileo to investigate and formulate the laws of classical mechanics, the study of forces and motion. Similar inquiries led to the study of quantum mechanics, electricity, magnetism, heat, sound, light, and matter. In this course we will explore the fundamental laws that govern our universe at a conceptual level through inquiry, experiment and discussion. We will use basic mathematics, including ratios, square roots, scientific notation and simple algebra to examine our universe and how it behaves. Each topic will be driven by a series of student generated questions and investigated through peer instruction, online tools including videos and simulations, literature review and inquiry.
Upon completion of this course a student will be able to:
Analyze issues that impact society by applying laws of nature from physics.
Apply physics models and laws to predict the dynamics of physical systems at a conceptual level.
Solve introductory-level physics problems with the application of basic mathematics.
Communicate physics principles and phenomena in oral, graphical and/or written form
PHYC 10 will be taught fully online in Canvas, City College’s learning management system (LMS), with no required on campus meetings.
We will be covering approximately 3 chapters per week, with discussions and quizzes due at the end of each week. For each module you will view a video lecture, participate in a discussion, and complete a module quiz. I've also included chapter notes and Hewitt Drew-it! screencasts for each chapter as an extra resource.
I will not be holding any zoom lectures for this course. The lectures are given as YouTube videos which are included in each module. The lectures are prerecorded and can be viewed any time. So there is no set login schedule for this course, you can complete it any time throughout the week that is convenient for you.
We will have one midterm exam and one final exam covering a large range of topics. You will be given a five day window to take each exam with a one hour time limit. The exams are open book and open notes but must be completed individually.
Here is the exam schedule:
1 hour Midterm Exam available between Wednesday June 25th 12am and Sunday June 29th 11:59pm.
1 hour Final Exam available between Wednesday July 16th 12am and Sunday July 20th 11:59pm.
Physics 10 - Conceptual Physics Online
Jill Evans
Office: Science 192, Ocean Campus
Email: jevans@ccsf.edu
Time
This course is a 3.0 unit course. This means we expect you to work on this course for a little more than 160 total hours during the semester.
Textbook
Conceptual Physics, Paul Hewitt, 11th, 12th, or 13th Edition (or any older edition). Reliable and convenient access to the textbook is required.
Calculator
You will need a basic calculator for this course. The calculator on your computer or mobile device should suffice.
An overview of physics. Content is taught at a conceptual level using basic math such as ratios, square roots, scientific notation, graph interpretation, slope and simple algebra. Topics include mechanics, properties of matter, heat, sound, electricity, magnetism, light, and nuclear physics.
Advisory: Math 40
Quizzes, 25%.
Discussions, 25%
Midterm Exam , 25%. Timed and submitted online.
Final Exam, 25%. Timed and submitted online.
For documented school functions for which you must miss a scheduled exam you may arrange to take it earlier. For an exam missed due to a documented emergency or illness you must contact me via phone or email as soon as possible to schedule a make-up, and you must provide written documentation of the emergency within 24 hours. What constitutes an emergency is the sole discretion of the instructor. Make-up exams will be different than the regular exam, and may be more difficult.
Students who need academic accommodations should request them from the Disabled Students Programs and Services (DSPS) located in the Rosenberg Library, Room 323 on the Ocean Campus. Telephone: 415-452-5481 (V) 415-452-5451 (TDD). DSPS is the campus office responsible for verifying disability-related need for academic accommodations, assessing that need, and for planning accommodations in cooperation with students and instructors as needed and consistent with course requirements. You may get more information at Disabled Students Programs and Services Web Page: https://www.ccsf.edu/student-services/support-programs/disabled-students-programs-services
You may use any resources available to you and you may work with other students on the weekly discussions and quizzes.
You may use your notes, your textbook, and any course material I've provided during the exams, but you are not allowed to look for answers on the internet and you are not allowed to ask for help from others during exams. The exams are meant to showcase what you have learned to do.
Cheating is, for example:
seeking help from another person with or without their knowledge on an exam
giving help to another student with or without their consent on an exam
sharing notes during an exam
looking at another student's paper during an exam
Cheating will be dealt with severely in this course. All work you submit should be your own work. If you are caught cheating during an exam (copying, using extra notes, providing assistance, etc.) you will be given a grade of zero for that assignment and will be referred to the Office of Instruction for further discipline.
I will drop students who are enrolled in the class but fail to turn in any of the homework associated with module 0 and module 1 . After that, I will drop a student who fails to turn in two consecutive weeks' worth of work.
However, it is ultimately the student's responsibility to drop the class to avoid fees or a failing grade.
CCSF operates the online learning management systems (LMS) called Canvas. You access Canvas at http://ccsf.instructure.com (more details and links below). Please check your official school email account regularly throughout the semester for notifications from Canvas.
Unless your instructor has made a special arrangement, you cannot view or enter your course until the course start date listed in the schedule of classes. If you have just added, you will be enrolled in your online course within the next business day. Please wait 24 hours before contacting the Ed Tech Department. NOTE: You will use your RAM-ID to access Canvas.
Logging in to Canvas for course access:
Login to Canvas HERE- http://ccsf.instructure.com
For more information or help, use the student guides below:
Student Services (including information about special accommodations)
Once you log into Canvas, you can access more help at the Canvas Help Menu in the left sidebar including 24-hour phone support.