Introduction to Physics 250 - Introduction to Physics 260

							Introduction to Physics 250

        Dr. Phil Womble
        womble@wku.edu
        Applied Physics Institute 270 781 3859
        Office Hours: MWF 8:00-9:00 TCCW 232




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Are you in the right place?

    This is University Physics I
      9:10-10:05 am MWF
      Co-requisites: Physics 251 and Math 126




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What is different than High School
Physics or College Physics?
    More Mathematically based
        By that, I mean calculus




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Syllabus
    Contact Info:
        Dr. Phil Womble
        womble@wku.edu
        On MWF afternoons and TR, I am at Applied Physics Institute,
         270 781 3859
        I travel A LOT! Email is the best way to find me.
        I usually don’t read my email at home so usually email after 5
         pm is not answered until the following morning.
             Particularly on Homework Night!
        I usually leave all my material at my TCCW office so it is best
         to contact/meet me there.
        You are always welcome to come out to the API and ask
         questions.


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Overall Goals
    University Physics I is an introduction to Kinematics, Mechanics,
     and the Principle of Least Action for students in the physical
     sciences (including chemistry, computer science, geology,
     mathematics, physics, and engineering related degree programs.
     The emphasis will be on developing problem solving skills and
     understanding the basic concepts and definitions used in the
     study and application of these areas.
    Also an understanding that these concepts are not independent
     of other fields of physics but part of the larger picture of physics
     will be emphasized.
    Finally, we wish to give the student confidence to tackle simple
     problems in their home and their work environments. Of course,
     we will not be held liable for any fires, deaths, and general
     mayhem which may result




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Grade Weighting Factors

  3 In-class exams are worth 60% (20%
   each)
  Final Exam is worth 25%
  Homework is worth 15%




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3 In-class Exams
  Each worth 20% of your final grade
  Usually, 5 problems long.
  I supply all the formulae that you need (and
   some that you don’t need)
  30 minutes of the class period before an exam
   is dedicated to test review
  I hand out old exams for you to review
        These “practice” exams are examples of problems
         and problem-types that I have previously given.
        Do not expect a problem to be repeated in its
         entirety from a practice exam.


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Exams Cont’d

    Exams consist of 80% of
     homework/class examples
        Again, these are not exact copies but very
         close
    20% of the material is based on
     classwork/homework but will be an
     entirely new situation
        I call it “the joker problem”


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Exam Schedule (tentative)

  Wednesday, October 5th
  Friday, October 21st
  Wednesday, November 16th




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“The More Work Shown, The More
Credit Given”
  This phrase is repeated at the beginning
   of EVERY test
  It means that I grade on your problem-
   solving capabilities not an answer.
  I could care less if you ever got a correct
   answer in this class.
  BUT YOUR PROBLEM-SOLVING
   TECHNIQUE SHOULD BE GOOD!

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Final Exam

  Essentially a two-hour in-class exam
  We will review during the final class
   period
  Consists of 10 questions

           Comprehensive!


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Final Exam Schedule

    MWF 9:10-10:05
        Friday, December 16th , 8:00 am – 10:00 am


                          YUCK!




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Textbook
    University Physics 11th
     Ed
       Young and Freedman

    Available thru University
     Bookstore, Amazon, etc.
    Expensive Text for ALL
     University Physics
     courses




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Homework

    Submitted through the Mastering Physics
     Server
      New Texts have codes associated with
       them
      You can purchase access from the
       Mastering Physics website.
      9:10 MWF class is MPWOMBLE0005




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HW Due Dates

  HW Due Dates have a tendency to “slide
   back” but never “forward”.
  While I (usually remember to) announce
   the change in dates in class, I
   sometimes forget
  The due dates on the server are the
   correct dates and you are responsible for
   them

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 Homework cont’d
       Each student is required to keep a hard-copy of the
        problem and its solution
VERY
           These will be taken up randomly and graded.
IMPORTANT!      Failure to submit a written version of the problems will zero
                 your homework grade to that point.
                Your points will be returned to you when you submit a
                 written record of ALL the homework problems to-date.
           I don’t just want a print-out of the MasteringPhysics, I would
            like you to show me how you worked through the problem and
            gave the answers that you submitted to the server.
           I refuse to help any student on a homework solution unless
            he/she has a write-up of the physics problem.




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Collaboration is more than Copying

  As adults, you are on your honor to ensure
   that you do not copy your homework
  There will be no one to copy from on a test.
   Therefore it is in your best interest to
   understand the homework.
  It is in your best interest to be selfish.
  It is in your best interest to help your
   classmates
        No one really knows a subject until they explain it to
         someone else.


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Attendance

  I don’t have an attendance policy
  YOU are responsible for everything that I
   say in class
        I have a tendency to ad-lib from these notes
         and these “ad-libs” may also on the exams.
    These notes will be placed on the
     Physics 250 server (under “Course Info”
     on the Physics website)

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