Physics 1500
Preparation for College Physics
Spring 2008
Tuesday, Thursday, 9:10-10:30 AM.
JFB 103
Course Description
Course Format
Homework and Grading Policy
Problem Solving Format
Instructor:
Z. Valy Vardeny, Distinguished Professor of Physics
Office: JFB 215
Phone: (801) 581-8372
Fax: (801) 581-4801
E-mail:
Course website:
http://www.physics.utah.edu/~val/phys_1500
Office Hours:
Immediately after class (T, TH 10:30-11:00 AM). However, before midterms a block of hours will be announced separately for review of the material.
Note: I make extensive use of the course website. Homework & solutions (which
contains lecture schedule, homework assignments and solutions, as well as
exam info) and important announcements
are posted and updated continuously.
If I spot mistakes in the text or in my solutions, I will announce these and post the corrections. Please check the website frequently (at least weekly) for announcements and other updated information regarding this course.
This is especially important in light of the fact that we meet only twice a week!
Course Description:
The goal:
Physics 1500 is designed as a one-semester preparation for one of the introductory physics sequences starting 2010/2020, 2110/2120, and 2210/2220. The material covered includes kinetics in one and two dimensions, Newton's laws of motion, gravity, energy, momentum and collisons, and rotational motion (Chapters 1-8 of the textbook ).
Homework & Solutions (lecture schedule, homeworks
and dates they are due, exams dates)
How to achieve the goal:
Physics 1500 is about problem solving , which is the principle skill you will need to succeed in the introductory sequences. We emphasize study habits, basic math skills, a format for solving problems, and lots of practice in order to get you ready for future physics courses. This methodology (particularly the format for working problems) is stressed as much as the physics content in homework and in exams. The format may seem a bit rigid at times, but it is designed to help you to get at least a start on every problem, to avoid mistakes, and to present consistently clear and cogent written solutions. If you are already good at solving math word problems, you should come and see me to discuss whether you should just start right in with the appropriate introductory physics sequence.
Expect serious workload: to keep
up with the lectures and homework schedule
(usually 2 homeworks per week ), expect to spend at least 4 hours
studying and preparing for the class every week . I am glad to help you
(see my office hours above) but no outside help
can ever replace the time and efforts you invest in this class.
Course requirements:
There are no formal prerequisites to this course, but you need to have a basic knowledge of algebra and trigonometry.
Note on calculators:
You will need to have a calculator that can handle trigonometric functions and scientific notation.
Required text:
R.A. Serway and J.S. Faughn, College Physics,
(7th edition), Brooks/Cole-Thomson Learning, 2006; ISBN: 0534997236.
Because we will only be covering Ch. 1-8, you can purchase Vol. 1 of the textbook rather than the full volume if you'd like. The ISBN for Vol. 1 is: 0534999182.
The textbook has a COMPANION WEBSITE.
For students with disabilities:
The University of Utah Department of Physics seeks to provide equal access to its programs, services and activities for people with disabilities. If you will need accommodations in this course, reasonable prior notice must be given to the instructor and to the Center for Disability Services,
162 Olpin Union Bldg, 581-5020 (V/TDD) to make arrangements for accommodations. I strongly encourage you to come and talk to me about your disability and necessary accommodations within the first two weeks of the semester.
We will spend two to three lecture days on each chapter in the textbook,
and there will be homework due every day. The most important thing I can do for
you is to teach you how to succeed in your main physics sequence.
The way to succeed is to develop certain habits, that consist mainly of working
problems every day. It is for this reason that homework counts more than any
one midterm exam and almost as much as the final exam toward the final course grade.
This daily regimen will help you develop the following habits:
Habits of Successful Physics Students:
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Budget your time. Schedule 1-2 hours of studying each day for Physics 1500.
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Concentrate while you study. Re-read summary sections of each chapter before you read material in the chapter. Pay close attention to the worked out examples.
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I cannot emphasize enough that the most important thing you can do in reading the textbook is to DO YOUR READING OF SCHEDULED ASSIGNMENTS BEFORE THE CORRESPONDING LECTURE! Lectures help you to fill in gaps, make additional connections, and see more worked problems. But they are no substitute for focused reading of the textbook.
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That all said, the only way to understand physics concepts well enough to use them is to practice on problems. Physics is similar to music and sports in this regard. You cannot learn to play the piano by watching someone or by having someone tell you how. You have to practice. A physics student who knows the textbook but cannot do problems is like a beautiful flower with no petals.
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Check your homework against the solutions posted on the webpage. I will do my best to return all homework prior to exams, but may not always succeed. You should make a copy of your homework to compare with solutions and to study from for the exams.
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Rework problems you missed on the last assignment as soon as you get the assignment back, and again when you study for exams. Reworking means starting with a blank piece of paper and writing every step just as you would if you were writing the original assignment. When you get stuck, review the list of relevant formulas and examples. If still stuck, peek at the solution, and then start over from the beginning. Practice the problem until you can work it from beginning to end without looking at the solutions.
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Review each step in the examples worked in class and ask yourself which formula was used, and if you understand the algebra. Write the additional formulas and algebra in your notes.
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Try every problem in the assignment. You will have to limit the amount of time you spend on any problem to 20-30 minutes in order to do this.
- Homework is due essentially every lecture; the precise schedule can be found on the
homework & solutions page. Homework is turned in in the class on the due date. If you attend office hours after class you may turn in homework at the end of office hours.
- I am planning on about 25 homework assignments throughout the semester.
The lowest four (4) homework grades will be dropped.
- Late homework will not be accepted; no exceptions.
Homework is due so often that there is no time for it; solutions have to be posted right away. Consider that you have up to 4 chances to miss homework without penalty (regardless of the reason) and that any one homework is only worth about 1% of your final grade.
- Graded homework will be available after lecture. I will do my best to get it back in less than a week,
but this will not always be possible, particulary just before midterm exams. You are advised to make a photocopy of your homework so that you can compare it to the solutions, which will be available
in the evenings of the due date.
- Suggestions for turning in clear and gradeable homework:
- Label homework carefully with your name and the assignment number.
- Write clearly, use lots of space and lots of paper. Illegibility is grounds for losing points.
Remember: what can not be read can not be graded.
- Follow the steps described in Problem Solving Format below.
Grading Policy:
Please note: If you have a problem with how a homework or an exam is graded,
you must see me (not the grader) within one week from the date of the grade
. I will not consider questions on re-grading of any kind after one week time.
There is a methodology to doing physics problems that will help you to get to the answer even when you can't see the answer when you start, and also help you avoid mistakes on those problems for which you can see the answer when you start. This methodology is simply a format for working problems, which, in the interest of your later success, I am requiring from you.
These steps are an expanded version of those listed in Section 1.9 of Serway and Faughn ,
which you should read carefully.
- Remember to answer the question that is being asked. Read the problem through carefully two or three times and ask yourself what physical principles are involved.
- You must make a diagram of the problem with all of the variables used in the solution labeled on the diagram. The diagram should also show the coordinate axes (indicating positive and negative directions), where appropriate.
- Follow the diagram with a list of facts you know, usually in the form of
a variable followed by an equals sign and a number with units, for example,
velocity v=5 m/s.
- Write down and underline what (usually a variable) you are trying to find.
- All numbers that are not dimensionless must always be written with units.
- Select a basic relationship or equation that can be used to find the unknown.
- Always work your problems algebraically all the way to the end, meaning you have the variable whose value you want on one side of an equals sign, and the algebraic expression in terms of things that you know on the other.
- Substitute numbers and units into the algebraic formula when
calculating the final answer.
- You must box the final solution of the problem. If a problem has more than one part, the solution of each part must be boxed.
- Check your result: Do the units match? Is the answer reasonable? Is the plus or minus sign proper or meaningful?
Last updated December 27, 2007.