Physics 1 Introductory Physics I for Biological Sciences Fall 2008

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Physics 1 Introductory Physics I for Biological Sciences Fall 2008 Course Description This calculus-based course introduces you to Classical Mechanics—kinematics, forces, work, energy and momentum, rotational motion, elasticity and fluids. Relevant issues in the biological sciences motivate study of each physics topic. This course is appropriate for physics students pursuing careers in biology and medicine, or those interested in the interdisciplinary nature of biology and physics. Lectures TR, 10:30am-11:45am, Kolligian Library, Room 209 Discussion/Labs Section 1 Tuesday, 6:00pm – 7:50pm, COB 129 Mark Thursday, 6:00pm – 7:50pm, S&E 115 Section 2 Wednesday, 11:00am – 12:50pm, COB 113 Mark Friday, 11:00am – 12:50pm, S&E 115 Section 4 Wednesday, 3:00pm – 4:50pm, COB 286 Igor Friday, 3:00am – 4:50pm, S&E 115 Instructor Dr. Carrie Menke, [email protected] TAs Mark Kerfoot, [email protected] Igor Goncharenko, [email protected] Office Hours The hour immediately following lecture every Tuesday and Thursday, or by appointment. For the time being, we’ll meet on the second floor of the Science & Engineering Building. There are tables in an open area where the two wings of the S&E building meet. (Mark and Igor’s office hours will be posted on UCMCROPS.) Textbook (required) Physics for Scientists and Engineers 6th ed. by Paul A. Tipler and Gene Mosca Additional Books (not required) • Biomedical Applications of Introductory Physics by J.A. Tuszynski & J.M. Dixon • Physics in Biology and Medicine by Paul Davidovits • Biological Physics: Energy, Information, Life by Philip Nelson UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, MERCED

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Physics 18

Introductory Physics I for Biological Sciences

Fall 2008

Course Goals • This course will enable you, the student, to learn basic physics principles of Classical Mechanics and apply them to various real-world situations. ‘What on earth does that mean?’ you ask? [[Remembering basic optics principles can help you create a fire with a polished chunk of ice—good to know if your winter explorations in Yosemite get hairy.]] • This course should also help you (further) develop an appreciation of, and hopefully excitement for, physics. Learning Outcomes These tell you what you should be able to do by the end of this course. They prove that you’ve accomplished the course goals in measurable ways. • Learning the physics Given qualitative & quantitative, introductory-level physics problems in: Kinematics, Forces, Work, Energy, Momentum, Rotational Motion, Elasticity, & Fluids

you should be able to: calculate classify compare compute critique define demonstrate describe diagram estimate explain formulate justify solve summarize etc.

in the following situations:

lecture exercises homework assignments discussion sessions & worksheets lab exercises & worksheets quizzes exams

• Appreciating physics: How does one gauge this, especially when ‘I hated physics!’ is commonly heard when the topic comes up? An interest in physics can be demonstrated by taking additional courses, attending physics presentations, enjoying physics-themed shows or videos, reading books or articles for the fun of it, finding yourself pondering the physics in situations, and myriad other ways when it’s not required. At the very least, I hope this course helps take some of the hate out of physics. Suggestions & feedback are welcome. UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, MERCED

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Course Structure Look in this section for detailed information on what to expect from lectures, discussions, labs, homework, quizzes, and exams. In general, the course is structured on a points system so that you are always in control of your grade. Lectures (preparation & participation) Prepare by reading assigned sections for the lecture. Each lecture will begin with a 4point, short reading quiz consisting of definitions, multiple-choice, and fill-in-theblank problems. Lectures will be very interactive—ask questions, participate in thought experiments & demos (predict what will happen if…). At the end of every lecture, a question will be posed for the following lecture. This gives you a hint about a question on the next reading quiz. The lowest 3 lecture quiz scores will be dropped. Lectures will include PowerPoint slides and stuff on the whiteboard. I will do my best to post the slides on UCMCROPS before lecture. Reading quizzes will be posted after lecture. Total lecture points come to 100, which accounts for almost 10% of your final grade. Bonus points may be awarded for exceptional participation during lectures. Discussions Attendance, participation, and thoughtful work are rewarded in discussion sections. You will review material and work complex problems with the guidance of your teaching assistant. Print out and bring the discussion worksheets, which will be posted to UCMCROPS. One problem from the discussion worksheet will be graded on a 3point scale. Attendance is rewarded with one point. Participation is rewarded with two points at the discretion of your teaching assistant. This gives 6 possible points for each discussion section. The two lowest discussion scores will be dropped. Total discussion points come to 120 points, comprising 10% of your final grade. Worksheet solutions will be posted to UCMCROPS after all applicable discussion sections are over. Bonus points may be awarded for exceptional participation during discussion sections. Homework & Quizzes • Weekly homework assignments will be posted to UCMCROPS (usually on Monday evenings) and due at the beginning of lecture on Tuesday of the following week. Additionally, there may also be a quiz. There will be no advance notice for quizzes. • Each homework assignment will have 5 required problems and a few additional, recommended ones. Problems will be assigned from the textbook as well as interesting, biologically relevant ones from other sources. • Work together on homework! Yes, I encourage you to work together on homework, but the work you hand in should be your own. Academic integrity rules apply, so please do not copy solutions from peers or a solutions manual. You must list any student you work with on your homework. It is unethical to not acknowledge help!

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, MERCED

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Fall 2008

• Grading when there is NO quiz. The homework will be scanned for completeness, and you will receive up to 2 points for working each of the required problems. Then one problem will be graded more thoroughly for 6 points. Therefore, the maximum score for any homework assignment is 16 points. • Grading when there IS a quiz: The homework will be scanned for completeness, and you will receive up to 2 points for working each of the required problems. The quiz, worth 6 points. The total number of points for the homework-quiz combo is 16. • Due to midterms and the final exam, 11 homework assignments will be collected over the course of the semester. The lowest homework score will be dropped. • The total number of homework/quiz points is 160 (15% of your final grade). • Homework solutions will be posted to UCMCROPS in a timely manner. • No late homework will be accepted and there will be no make-up quizzes. Seriously. Labs There are 7 labs for Physics 18, and they’re on Thursdays or Fridays depending on your section. Hands-on experience is extremely important, so each lab is worth 20 points! The lab sheets will be posted on UCMCROPS; make sure to print them out and bring them with you to lab. You will hand them in at the end of the lab session. Due to the extremely busy schedule for all the physics labs, make-up labs cannot be accommodated. The lowest lab score will be dropped. The point total for labs is 120 (10%). Bonus points may be awarded for exceptional participation or performance during labs. Lab 1: Kinematics I Lab 2: Kinemataics II Lab 3: Dynamics Lab 4: Collisions Lab 5: Balloons Lab 6: Rotations Lab 7: Oscillations Lab

Section 1 Sept. 11 Sept. 18 Oct. 9 Oct. 30 Nov. 6 Nov. 20 Dec. 4

Sections 2, 4 Sept. 12 Sept. 19 Oct. 10 Oct. 31 Nov. 7 Nov. 21 Dec. 5

Exams All exams will consist of qualitative and quantitative problems. The final exam is comprehensive. Bring your student ID and a calculator to each exam. Review problems and a mini-practice exam will be posted approximately one week before each exam. And exam solutions will be posted in a timely manner. There will be no early or make-up exams. Seriously. Tentative Exam Schedule Exam Day Date Midterm 1 Tuesday Sept. 30th Midterm 2 Tuesday Nov. 4th Final Exam Thursday Dec. 18th UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, MERCED

Time in class in class 11:30am- 2:30pm

Points/Percentage 175/15% 175/15% 300/26% 4

Physics 18


Fall 2008

Exam Regrading • If your score was tabulated incorrectly, please let me know and I’ll correct it. Once you leave the room after picking up your exam, you may not request a correction. • I will be happy to regrade exams or problems that you believe have been unfairly graded. Attach a sheet to the front explaining why you want a regrade. Please note that the entire exam will be regraded, which may result in a higher score, a lower score, or no change. Once you leave the room after picking up your exam, you may not request a regrade. Grades The table below gives the weight and total points for each portion of the course. All scores will be posted on UCMCROPS. It is your responsibility to check that scores are recorded accurately. Portion of Course Points Percentage (Approx.) (points per quiz, HW, etc.) Lectures (4 each) 100 9% Discussion (6 each) 120 10% Labs (20 each) 120 10% Homework/Quizzes (16/each) 160 15% Midterm 1 175 15% Midterm 2 175 15% Final Exam 300 26% Total 1150 100% Final grades will be determined by the percentage of the total course points earned throughout the semester. Percentage of Course Points Number of Course Points Grade (approximate) > 80 > 920 A-, A, A+ 60-79 690 – 919 B-, B, B+ 40-59 460 – 689 C-, C, C+ 30-39 345 – 459 D