Two Mid-Term Examinations (20% Each); Final Examination (30%); Homework (10%); Laboratory

Physics 201 Fall 2010 Professor Marshall Onellion, 263-6829, [email protected]

This course teaches you basic physics in mechanics, fluids, and waves. Lectures are Tu/Th in room 2103 Chamberlin Hall at 9:55- 10:45am. Mathematics taught include vector analysis and practical use of calculus. Your classes in engineering, life sciences and the physical sciences will use the information and ideas covered in this class. For that reason, my standards are high. On the one hand, you have an excellent chance to pass the class (which means a “C” grade or higher) if you study at least 10 hours per week and ask questions. On the other hand, it is difficult to get an “A” in this class; only the top students will do so. Your grade is determined by an algorithm: Two mid-term examinations (20% each); final examination (30%); homework (10%); laboratory (10%); discussion (10%).

In addition to the lectures, which I will send to you, I make several other ‘extra’ efforts, including four hours of office hours per week (11am- noon, M- Th, room 4314 Chamberlin- the laboratory room), meeting with you individually if you ask, reviews before each examination, examinations that are written problems, not multiple choice (and thus more of a chance for you to get partial credit), and a focus on what will help you get a better grade. That focus is (a) on the material and how to do the problems, and (b) teach you that physics is, essentially, about recognizing what ideas to apply to a given situation. In other words, pattern recognition. If you blindly apply formulae, you will fail this class. If you learn how to recognize what is applicable, you will pass this class; it is as simple, and as difficult, as that.

Schedule of lectures and laboratories by week Lectures Laboratory

Measurement and vectors (9/2 & 9/7)

Motion in one dimension (9/9 & 9/14) MC-1 Errors and Motion (9/13- 9/17)

Motion in two and three dimensions (9/16 & 9/21) M-4 Acceleration in Free Fall (9/20- 9/24)

Newton's laws (9/23 & 9/28) M-5 Projectile Motion (9/27- 10/1)

Circular motion and friction (9/30 & 10/5) Make-up laboratories (10/4- 10/8)

Energy and work (10/7 & 10/12) M-6 Uniform Circular Motion (10/11-10/15) Mid-term One (Ch. 1-5, evening of Oct. 7)

Conservation of energy (10/14 & 10/19) MC-7 Simple Pendulum (10/18- 10/22)

Linear momentum and collisions (10/21 & 10/26) MC-11a Collisions (10/25- 10/29) 2

Rotation- rigid object, fixed axis (10/28 & 11/2) MC-9 Angular acceleration & moment of inertia (11/1- 11/5)

Angular momentum (11/4 & 11/9) M-3 Static forces and moment MC-8 Physical pendulum (11/8- 11/12)

Gravitation (11/11 & 11/16) M-10 Young's modulus & Hooke's law (11/15- 11/19) Mid-term Two (Ch. 6-10, evening of Nov. 11)

Static equilibrium and elasticity (11/18 & 11/23) No laboratory 11/22- 11/26

Fluid mechanics (11/30 & 12/2) MC-12 SHO and resonance (11/29- 12/3)

Oscillatory motion (12/7 & 12/9) Make-up laboratories (12/6- 12/10)

Review (12/14) Final exam, comprehensive, as scheduled by Registrar.

The Teaching Assistants are not required to attend lecture since they receive lecture notes as you do. They have authority to run their discussion sections as they see fit. Homework will be assigned using WebAssign and will have the due dates on each assignment. Practice problems, with solutions, will be provided before each examination. The ideas in these practice problems are the possible ideas from which the examination problems are drawn.

The course text is “Physics for Scientists and Engineers,” 8th edition, by Serway and Jewett. This book has earlier editions, of course, and buying earlier editions, especially a used book, is significantly less expensive than buying a new book. In addition, there is an on-line program called Enhanced WebAssign. This program has two choices, two access codes. Both choices provide access to your homework assignments, and all homework assignments are made on-line. You are required to register on-line and use the homework access. One choice, one access code, gives you access only to the homework. The other code gives you access to the homework plus access to an electronic book (called You Book). This means that the range of choices is from a new hardcover copy of the 8th edition plus access to homework and the You Book (most expensive choice) to getting a free copy of an earlier edition of the book from a friend and access to homework only (least expensive choice).

To buy your text and WebAssign access (found at www.webassign.net), you have some choices. First, you can buy volume one only, which covers the material in physics 201 but not in physics 202, and buy the Enhanced WebAssign code to access your homework. This can only be done at two bookstores: University Bookstore or Beat the Books Store. The advantage is that this is cheaper than the alternatives; the disadvantage is that it only covers physics 201.

If you have, or get (used, for instance) an earlier edition of the text, you can also buy the access code to the homework only, with no access to the You Book. Whichever you choose, you will need the course key: wisc 5968 0592