PHYSICS 0105

Fundamentals of Physics

Note: This syllabus is available on the WWW at

http://www.phyast.pitt.edu/~cls/courses/p0105

TERM 2001 (Summer 2001)

• • Lecturer: Dr. Chandralekha Singh

  • Office: 218 A Allen Hall

  • Office hours: stop by anytime

  • Phone: 624-9045

  • E-mail: singh@bondi.phyast.pitt.edu

  • Lectures: Mon, Tues, Wed 6-8.15 pm, recitation Thurs 6-8.15 pm (104 Thaw Hall)

  • Text: Fundamentals of Physics, Halliday, Resnick and Walker, 5th edition, Wiley, 1993

  • Teaching Assistant: Yosef Zlochower

  • Teaching Assistant E-Mail: yezst@pitt.edu

Course Description

The major goal of this physics course is to enable you to develop logical reasoning skills to explain or predict diverse phenomena in everyday experience, and to become good problem solvers and independent learners. I encourage you to participate fully in class discussions. Physics knowledge is hierarchical: new concepts rely heavily on solid understanding of prior material. I strongly encourage you to ask questions to clarify your doubts. Remember that all questions are good questions, and there is a good chance that if you are having trouble understanding a concept, others are also struggling with the same concept. "Plug-and-chug" approaches to physics are neither useful for developing problem solving, reasoning and higher order thinking skills that I hope you will develop nor likely to produce satisfactory results on examinations. I also want you to remember that struggling is a very natural part of learning. Do not get discouraged. The lecture material will follow the text fairly closely, and most of the assignments will be drawn from the text. Hence it is a good idea for you to purchase the text or have regular access to it. There will be a copy (or copies) on reserve in the Physics Library in OEH. In this course we will cover most of Chapters 15, 19-30 which includes material on Fluids, Heat, Thermodynamics, Electricity and Magnetism. It is highly recommended that students read the relevant chapter ahead of time. Occasionally there may be material covered in lecture which is not in the textbook; students will be responsible for such material. Students are expected to have a working knowledge of calculus.

Homework

Homework is an integral part of learning the material of this course. There will be regular reading assignments questions, exercises, and numerical problems assigned every Monday. This assignment is to be handed in the recitation section the same week. Two of the problems will be graded at random by the recitation instructor and a record kept of these scores. Recitation performance will count approximately 15% in determining the final grade.

Due to the importance of the homework in helping you learn and apply the conceptual matter under discussion, and to prepare for examinations, you are highly encouraged to try as many of the assigned problems/questions as possible before they are discussed in the recitation and solutions presented. The in-term examinations will involve problem solving to demonstrate mastery of the material, and conceptual understanding. The best preparation will be a thorough understanding of the assigned problems and questions. I expect to schedule some review time during the term.

Grading Policy

There will be three in-term exams and a 1.50 hour cumulative final examination. The final examination will be in the classi on August 2. The in-term exams are expected to fall on:

• • Exam #1 Mon, July 9

  • Exam #2 Mon, July 16

  • Exam #3 Tues, July 24

The lowest performance of the three in-term exams will be dropped. The course grade is expected to be determined by two in-term exam grades (25% each), the final exam (35%), and the recitation grade (15%). In practice the recitation performance often determines which side of a borderline (e.g., A to B or C- to D) the final grade will fall on. There will be no make-up midterm examinations.

Assignments

Assignments will be given in class on Mondays.

If you have any questions, please contact me at: singh@bondi.phyast.pitt.edu