Physics 131 - General Physics I Course Syllabus Fall 1999 Instructor: Bob Cadmus email:cadmus@grinnell.edu  Office: 1030 Science Observatory ph.: 269-3014  Phone: 269-3016 Home: 236-8398  Office Hours: 3:00 - 4:00 M & W, 1:00 ­ 2:00 T & Th, and by appointment     Text: Fundamentals of Physics, 5th ed., extended version (Halliday, Resnick, Walker). Also required: calculator, quad-ruled lab book.   This course is an introduction to some of the processes that the make our world the way it is. The emphasis is on how and why things move, but these ideas form the foundation for much of the rest of physics. Our objectives will be: (1) to discover the fundamental principles that govern how things behave, (2) to see how these principles can be applied to help us understand all sorts of stuff, and (3) to use physics as a vehicle to develop analytical and problem-solving skills. You will notice that the order of the material is different than that in the text and in most introductory physics courses. The approach that we will take is more like how we learn things in our everyday lives. We learn a little bit about something first, and then come back and learn more about it later, hopefully with the perspective gained from having learned about other things in between. In this course you will get some limited experience with all of the major ideas early in the semester, and then come back to expand upon and integrate these ideas later within the framework of your comprehensive awareness of all of the topics. On the Detailed Schedule you will see the course divided into three parts ­ "foundations", "development", and "extensions" ­ reflecting this approach. You will get an outline for each class that will reduce your dependence on the text and help you to navigate the text in an unconventional way. Approximate Grading Scheme: Total of 3 hour exams 50% Homework and quizzes 15% Lab 15% Final exam 20% Homework will be due each Friday and (hopefully) will be returned on the following Monday. I will try very hard to make sure that the material needed for doing the homework has been discussed in class by Wednesday. In doing the homework, take advantage of the resources that are available to you (me, your fellow students, and the Science and Math Learning Center), but also bear in mind that you will learn best if you practice a combination of collaborative and individual work. There are elements of learning to do physics that demand that you face ideas and problems on your own (remember that you will be on your own on the exams!). While I encourage you to work with your fellow students, work that you submit must be entirely your own. If you are unclear about this distinction, please ask. Some homework problems will be identified as "individual" problems and these must be done without consulting anyone other than me. A few words about grading: I will do my best to keep you informed of your grade as we go through the semester, but feel free to ask me whenever you would like to know. I do not grade "on a curve" (the practice of shifting the grade distribution to match the student performance distribution, usually resulting in an A for the strongest student in the class and an F for the weakest, independent of their actual levels of performance) because it makes your grade dependent on the performance of other students. You will receive a grade that reflects your performance, regardless of what other students do. Approximate Class Schedule: Detailed Schedule  Week of  Chaps.  Topics  Lab PART 1 -- FUNDAMENTALS Aug. 27  ----- What is physics about? none Aug. 30 2, 4, 5 Basics of forces and motion Data and Calculations Sept. 6  7, 8, 9 Basics of energy and momentum Introduction to Motion Sept. 13 10, 11, 12 Basics of linear & angular momentum Velocity and Acceleration     Exam Sept. 20   PART 2 -- DEVELOPMENT Sept. 20 5, 6 More on one-dimensional motion Falling Mass Sept. 27 7, 8, 9, 10 More on energy and momentum Centripetal Force Oct. 4 4 2 and 3-dimensional motion Projectile Motion Oct. 11 4, 11, 12 Rotational motion 2-D Collisions I  * * * BREAK * * *   Oct. 25 11, 12 More on rotation 2-D Collisions II   Exam Nov. 1   PART 3 -- EXTENSION Nov. 1  13, 16 Equilibrium, Oscillations Moment of Inertia Nov. 8 16 Oscillations Vibrations Nov. 15 17, 18 Wave motion Simple Pendulum Nov. 22 14 Mixed situations, gravity None (Thanksgiving) Exam Dec. 1  Nov. 29 14, 15 Gravity and fluids Waves on Strings Dec. 6 19, 20, 21 Thermal physics Absolute Zero FINAL EXAM: 9:00 AM, Monday, December 13 Back to top

Physics Faculty/Staff ~ Physics Courses ~ Physics Research ~ Physics Events ~ Physics Links ~
Back to the Physics Department Homepage ~ Visit the Grinnell College HomePage.
Page last updated on January 20, 2001.
Please contact the WebEditor with site-related questions.