PHYSICS 101: Introductory Physics I
Sections 6, 7 Fall 2011
Lecture: Monday, Wednesday and Friday
Location: Rita
Hollings Science Center, room 125
Time: MWF 10:00
am - 10:50 am
Instructor: Dr.
George Chartas
Office: 129 RHSC
Office
hours: MWF 11:00 am - noon
Phone: (843)
953-3609
Email: chartasg@cofc.edu
A preliminary outline of the course can
be found at the SCHEDULE website. Some of this material is subject to change
and this site will be constantly up-dated so please check it before each class.
_____________________________________________________________
Syllabus
Required materials:
The textbook for the course is Physics (4th
Edition), Volume 1, by James S. Walker, Addison-Wesley (PEARSON). The textbook sold at the bookstore is
bundled with WebAssign and a study guide and sells
for $152.75. We will not be using WebAssign for the
course so you may also choose to purchase the book elsewhere without the WebAssign option. You will also need a scientific calculator capable of
computing exponential functions.
Course Objectives:
One of the main goals
of this class is to reveal to you the underlying laws of physics that explain
the various physical phenomena in our Universe. Introductory physics 1 will focus on the laws that describe
the motion of objects, kinetic and potential energy, the conservation of energy,
linear and rotational dynamics, Gravity, the properties of waves and sound, and
the properties of fluids. The course concludes with a brief introduction to
thermodynamics.
In addition to
learning the laws of physics, students in this class will be provided with the
skills necessary to solve quantitative problem.
I recommend that you
review the material before it is presented in class. This will help you to
better understand the concepts and enjoy the class. I expect your active
participation in the class.
Midterm Exams Homework and Quizzes:
There
will be 3 midterm exams over the semester. The worst score of the three may be
dropped. Homework will be assigned after each chapter and I expect it to be turned
in by the assigned due date listed on the schedule web site. Several quizzes
will be given during lectures. The quizzes will be based on material already
presented in lectures. There will be a final exam that will cover most of the
material presented in the lectures.
Grades
Your
final grade will be calculated as follows:
Homework |
10% |
Quizzes |
15% |
Participation |
10% |
Midterms |
40% |
Final |
25% |
Your
number grade will be converted into a letter grade as follows.
>85% |
A |
80-84% |
A- |
76-80% |
B+ |
72-76% |
B |
68-72% |
B- |
64-68% |
C+ |
60-64% |
C |
56-60% |
C- |
52-56% |
D+ |
48-52% |
D |
44-48% |
D- |
<44% |
F |
Special Needs
If you have any special needs or disabilities that
might require special arrangements to be made for any aspect of this course,
please let me know at the beginning of the semester or as soon as you become
aware of them.
Class Policies:
Cellular technology: Please respect your classmates and keep
your cellular devices off.
Cheating:
Violations of the College of Charleston
Honor Code (including cheating or attempted cheating) will be referred to the
Office of Student Affairs for adjudication. Examples of cheating include
copying test or quiz answers, using cellular technology to communicate
information during a test or quiz, copying homework answers verbatim from an
external source.