PHYS 10154 - General Physics I with Lab, Sections 101-113

PHYS 20474 - Physics I with Lab: Mechanics,

Sections 180-187

PHYS 20475 - Physics I for Majors, Section 170

Laboratory Component of the Course

 

Semester/Year: Fall 2020
Number of Credits for the Laboratory Component of the Course:
1

Class Location: Zoom; announced separately by graduate Teaching Assistants for each particulate section
Class Meeting Day(s) & Time(s): once a week, depending on a specific section

Instructor Name: Dr. Yuri M. Strzhemechny
Office: SWR 373
Phone: 817-257-5793
Email: Y.Strzhemechny@tcu.edu
Web (with biographical information): http://personal.tcu.edu/ystrzhemechn/
Office Hours: W 8:30-9:20 AM CT, F 4:00-6:00 CT PM & by appointment: https://tcu.zoom.us/j/368852310

Course Description

This course will cover the following physics subjects at an introductory college level: Newton’s laws of motion, the conservation of linear momentum, angular momentum, and energy, the mechanics of fluids, internal energy and heat transport, and wave phenomena.  This laboratory course will provide students with a Zoom virtual classroom and some hands-on experiences that will anchor and reinforce the content of their corresponding lecture-based course.

Learning Outcomes

·         Students will demonstrate a basic understanding of some of the methods of investigation in the natural sciences, physics in particular.

·         Students will demonstrate a basic understanding of some of the great ideas in the natural sciences, physics in particular.

·         Students will demonstrate a basic understanding of some of the relationships among the natural sciences, technology, and society.

·         Students will use the laws of Newtonian Mechanics and Classical Thermodynamics to solve basic problems in classical mechanics and thermal physics. They will obtain solutions to example problems describing the fundamental classical behavior of matter.

·         Students will through a number of experiments explore basic conservation laws resulting from Newtonian mechanics, e.g. conservation of momentum and conservation of mechanical energy.

·         Students will explore some of the historical development of mechanics through the study of ballistic motion first successfully described as parabolic motion by Galileo. Through the introduction of Newton’s laws of motion and gravity students will gain an insight into the refinement and evolution of physical theory through discovery. In related laboratory experiments students will gather data related to ballistic motion, tabulate, graph, and interpret their findings.

·         Students will learn how the concepts of force and torque can be used to analyze the stability of a mechanical system. They will apply this knowledge to models of more or less complex structure found in their daily environment.

Required Texts / Materials

Lab instructions: Will be distributed via the Internet: TCU Online (D2L) as well as http://personal.tcu.edu/ystrzhemechn/Classes/2020/Fall/Fall2020.html

 

Course Policies and Requirements

 

Course Design: This course is designed to provide students’ access to and some hands-on experience with the range of physics phenomena being studied.  A strong emphasis is placed on fundamental concept and skill development.  The structure and intent of all course elements should be understandable and functional.  The course is constructed with the following main components:

  1. Lab Activities are instructor-guided observations of physical measurements, calculations, data analysis, and/or experiment-related questions.  Each activity results in a set of graded Report pages.  Instructions (in the form of WORD and EXCEL files) are downloaded via the Internet, to be studied prior to lab attendance.
  2. In-Lab Quizzes encourage participation in the lab and are given by a TA during the lab section meeting.
  3. Draft Lab Report pages provide a draft record of the individual student’s lab results.  Specifications and questions for each lab report are contained in the downloaded instruction files.  Draft Lab Reports:

a)    are to be turned in BEFORE THE END OF THE CLASS PERIOD to your TA;

b)    should be clearly identified with the student’s name and the lab section number;

c)    will be considered VOID if not turned by THE END OF THE CLASS PERIOD.

  1. Final Lab Report pages provide a summary of the individual student’s lab results and conclusions.  Specifications and questions for each lab report are contained in the downloaded instruction files.  Lab Reports:

a)    are to be turned in WITHIN 24 HOUR PERIOD after the lab class to your TA (unless otherwise specified by the TA or the course supervisor);

b)    should be clearly identified with the student’s name and the lab section number;

c)    will be considered late if not turned by the specified deadline (see above); late lab reports forfeit 10 points immediately and 10 points for each additional hour after the deadline.

 

Grading: The final grade a student earns for this course will be determined by their completion of the assignments on or before the scheduled deadlines.  Each section’s TA will maintain a record of student points.  For each lab grade, the credit breakdown is: In-lab quizzes – 10 %; Draft lab reports – 20 %; Final lab reports – 70 %.  Overall lab course grade will be determined as an average of all the lab grades but one (11 out of 12), with the lowest grade dropped.  Even though the lab portion of the course is only worth 20 % of your overall grade, you must attend at least 11 (out of 12) lab sections and hand in a report for each lab.  If you fail to complete 11 different lab assignments, you will lose one letter grade from your overall course grade per lab you are missing.  Thus, if you have an "A" average in the lecture and miss one lab, your grade will drop to a "B". If you have a "C" average and miss two labs, your grade will drop to an "F".

 

If you miss a lab due to an unexpected absence caused by a documented medical or legal reason, then individual arrangements for make-ups will be made for you.  If you have an excused absence for a lab that makes it impossible for you to attend on that day, you must email documentation to Dr. Strzhemechny.  If you need to make up a missing lab, you will have to arrange this matter with your TA after endorsement by Dr. Strzhemechny.

 

Lab attendance and participation: Students should attend the Zoom lab section they are enrolled in and they should make full and constructive use of the entire assigned lab time.  Under special circumstances, students may attend additional or alternative labs, with the approval of Dr. Strzhemechny and the cooperating TA’s.  Early student dismissal from lab is only warranted if the student has turned in the Draft Lab report page(s) for that lab.  A student who has not attended a lab cannot obtain any credit for the corresponding in-lab quiz and report – an automatic total forfeit of 100 % per lab.

 

Class calendar: We will follow the schedule given below

Dates

Labs

08/24-08/28

1. Accuracy and Error

08/31-09/04

2. Acceleration

09/07-09/11

3. Projectile Motion

09/16-09/18

4. Force Addition

09/21-09/25

5. Frictional Forces

09/28-10/02

6. Energy Conservation

10/05-10/09

7. Momentum

10/12-10/16

8. Torque/Equilibrium

10/19-10/23

9. Fluid Forces

10/26-10/30

10. Oscillations

11/02-11/06

11. Waves

11/09-11/13

12. Thermal expansion

 

·         The last day to drop a class is October 22.

·         The last day to elect the P/NC grading option is October 23.

 

 

Campus Life and the Student Experience will Be Different This Year. The health and safety of students, faculty, and staff is Texas Christian University’s highest priority. TCU has implemented public health interventions, which includes following local and state public health orders and CDC guidelines. These health interventions may impact your experience as a student both inside and outside the classroom. Safety protocols may change during the semester and may result in modifications or changes to the teaching format, delivery method, or the course schedule (e.g., altering meeting times or frequency; changing beginning or ending dates for a term; or partially or completely moving from a face-to-face classroom teaching to an online teaching or remote learning format). Any changes in teaching format, delivery method, or course schedule will not impact the credit hours for the course.

 

Health and Wellness: If you are exhibiting symptoms that may be related to COVID-19 (fever or chills, dry cough, shortness of breath, etc.) or are concerned that you may have been exposed to COVID-19, you must self-quarantine and consult with the Brown Lupton Health Center at 817-257-7949 for further guidance.

In addition, you must notify the Campus Life Office immediately at 817-257-7926. Campus Life will inform your professors that you are unable to attend class, and provide any assistance and support needed. Click here for detailed information concerning COVID-19 symptoms: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus.

If you are unwell, but are not exhibiting potential COVID-19-related symptoms, please notify your instructor as soon as possible that you are ill and will not be attending class.

If you do not feel well enough to attend class in person, but feel well enough to attend class remotely, please notify your instructor as soon as possible before the class begins to arrange attendance via video conferencing.

 

Face Coverings and Physical Distancing:  Face coverings are required on campus, unless you are alone in your private office or dorm room.  Students will be expected to practice physical distancing and wear protective face coverings at all times while in public spaces on the TCU campus. Failing to do so in the classroom could result in the student being asked to leave the room and continue the class through remote access. Additionally, the instructor has the option to terminate the class period and continue it as a remote session. Failure to comply with the instructor’s request to adhere to TCU policy regarding face coverings or repeat violations may be reported to Campus Life.

 

Student Access and Accommodation: Texas Christian University affords students with disabilities reasonable accommodations in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. To be eligible for disability-related academic accommodations, students are required to register with the TCU Office of Student Access and Accommodation and have their requested accommodations evaluated. Students are required to provide instructors an official TCU notification of accommodation approved through Student Access and Accommodation. More information on how to apply for accommodations can be found at https://www.tcu.edu/access-accommodation/ or by calling Student Access and Accommodation at (817) 257-6567. Accommodations are not retroactive and require advance notice to implement.

 

Technology Policies

 

Email

Only the official TCU student email address will be used for all course notification. It is your responsibility to check your TCU email on a regular basis.

 

Course Materials

TCU students are prohibited from sharing any portion of course materials (including videos, PowerPoint slides, assignments, or notes) with others, including on social media, without written permission by the course instructor. Accessing, copying, transporting (to another person or location), modifying, or destroying programs, records, or data belonging to TCU or another user without authorization, whether such data is in transit or storage, is prohibited. The full policy can be found at: https://security.tcu.edu/polproc/usage-policy/.

 

Violating this policy is considered a violation of Section 3.2.15 of the Student Code of Conduct (this policy may be found in the Student Handbook at https://tcu.codes/code/index/), and may also constitute Academic Misconduct or Disruptive Classroom Behavior (these policies may be found in the undergraduate catalog at:

https://tcu.smartcatalogiq.com/current/Undergraduate-Catalog/Student-Policies/Academic-Conduct-Policy-Details).

TCU encourages student debate and discourse; accordingly, TCU generally interprets and applies its policies, including the policies referenced above, consistent with the values of free expression and First Amendment principles.

 

 

Academic Misconduct

Academic Misconduct (Sec. 3.4 from the TCU Code of Student Conduct): Any act that violates the academic integrity of the institution is considered academic misconduct. The procedures used to resolve suspected acts of academic misconduct are available in the offices of Academic Deans and the Office of Campus Life and are listed in detail in the Undergraduate Catalog and the Graduate Catalog Specific examples include, but are not limited to:

·         Cheating: Copying from another student’s test paper, laboratory report, other report, or computer files and listings; using, during any academic exercise, material and/or devices not authorized by the person in charge of the test; collaborating with or seeking aid from another student during a test or laboratory without permission; knowingly using, buying, selling, stealing, transporting, or soliciting in its entirety or in part, the contents of a test or other assignment unauthorized for release; substituting for another student or permitting another student to substitute for oneself.

·         Plagiarism: The appropriation, theft, purchase or obtaining by any means another’s work, and the unacknowledged submission or incorporation of that work as one’s own offered for credit. Appropriation includes the quoting or paraphrasing of another’s work without giving credit therefore.

·         Collusion: The unauthorized collaboration with another in preparing work offered for credit.

·         Abuse of resource materials: Mutilating, destroying, concealing, or stealing such material.

·         Computer misuse: Unauthorized or illegal use of computer software or hardware through the TCU Computer Center or through any programs, terminals, or freestanding computers owned, leased or operated by TCU or any of its academic units for the purpose of affecting the academic standing of a student.

·         Fabrication and falsification: Unauthorized alteration or invention of any information or citation in an academic exercise. Falsification involves altering information for use in any academic exercise. Fabrication involves inventing or counterfeiting information for use in any academic exercise.

·         Multiple submission: The submission by the same individual of substantial portions of the same academic work (including oral reports) for credit more than once in the same or another class without authorization.

·         Complicity in academic misconduct: Helping another to commit an act of academic misconduct.

·         Bearing false witness: Knowingly and falsely accusing another student of academic misconduct.

TCU Online: Our Learning Management System

Getting Started with TCU Online

Technical Requirements: Check your computer is ready by looking at the specifications list. (https://community.brightspace.com/s/article/Brightspace-Platform-Requirements)

 

Log In: (using your TCU Network Credentials)

1.    Access via my.tcu.edu > Student Quick Links > TCU Online

2.    Login at the following website (http://d2l.tcu.edu) my.tcu.edu

*For information about logging into TCU Online, view these instructions. (http://tcuonline.tcu.edu/kb/how-do-i-log-in/).

Student Orientation Tutorial for TCU Online: If you have not yet taken the TCU Online Student Orientation Tutorial, please do so now. To access it, click on the Orientations semester OR view all courses in your My Courses widget visible upon logging in to TCU Online. Click on the "Student Orientation Tutorial” to enter the orientation course. Follow the instructions in the course. You can return to this tutorial at any time.

 

Getting Help with TCU Online

If you experience any technical problems while using TCU Online, please do not hesitate to contact the TCU Online (D2L) Help Desk. They can be reached by phone or chat 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

Phone: 1-877-325-7778

Chat: Chat is available within TCU Online in the Help menu on the navigation bar.

If you are working with the Help Desk to resolve a technical issue, make sure to keep me updated on the troubleshooting progress.

If you have a course-related issue (course content, assignment troubles, quiz difficulties) please contact me.

 

Personal Settings & Notifications for TCU Online

As a student, you should set up your account settings, profile, and notifications. To do this you will login to TCU Online and select your name on the top right of the screen. In the Profile area, you can upload a photo of yourself and add personal information. In the Notifications area, you can add your phone number to receive text messages when grades are given as well as reminder texts for upcoming assignments and quizzes.

 

Student Success Tools for TCU Online

Pulse

Pulse is a phone app which gives you access to the course calendar, assignments, grades, and announcements. This app provides a graph that can help you manage your time. Based on the number of assignments and events on the course calendar for your classes, the graph will display busy times for class work in the upcoming week. You can use this app to manage your daily workload, and it includes the ability to view and access course materials offline. You can download Pulse from the Google Play or Apple Store. You can learn more and download Pulse here: https://www.d2l.com/products/pulse/.

 

ReadSpeaker

ReadSpeaker includes a number of tools that can enhance your understanding and comprehension of course materials. ReadSpeaker can create an audio version of content that you can listen to while on a page within a course or that you can download to listen offline. ReadSpeaker can also read Microsoft Office files and PDFs. There are additional tools and features to assist you with reading and focusing in TCU Online, tools that provide support for writing and proofing text, and tools that can read non-TCU Online content aloud. You can learn more about how to use ReadSpeaker tools here: https://tcuonline.tcu.edu/how-to-hub/instructor-how-to-hub-for-tcu-online/integrations-and-mobile/readspeaker/

 

 

Support for TCU Students

Campus Offices

·         Alcohol & Drug Education Center (817-257-7100, Samuelson Hall basement)

·         Brown-Lupton Health Center (817-257-7938 or 817-257-7940)

·         Campus Life (817-257-7926, Sadler Hall 2006)

·         Center for Academic Services (817-257-7486, Sadler Hall 1022)

·         Center for Digital Expression (CDeX) (cdex@tcu.edu, Scharbauer 2003)

·         Counseling & Mental Health Center (817-257-7863, Samuelson Hall basement)

·         Mary Couts Burnett Library (817-257-7117)

·         Office of Religious & Spiritual Life (817-257-7830, Jarvis Hall 1st floor)

·         Student Development Services (817-257-7855, BLUU 2003)

·         Center for Writing (817-257-7221, Reed Hall 419)

·         Transfer Student Center (817-257-7855, BLUU 2003)

·         Veterans Services (817-257-5557, Jarvis Hall 219)

 

Anti-Discrimination and Title IX Information

Statement on TCU’s Discrimination Policy

TCU prohibits discrimination and harassment based on age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, ethnic origin, disability, predisposing genetic information, covered veteran status, and any other basis protected by law, except as permitted by law. TCU also prohibits unlawful sexual and gender-based harassment and violence, sexual assault, incest, statutory rape, sexual exploitation, intimate partner violence, bullying, stalking, and retaliation. We understand that discrimination, harassment, and sexual violence can undermine students’ academic success and we encourage students who have experienced any of these issues to talk to someone about their experience, so they can get the support they need.

·         Review TCU’s Policy on Prohibited Discrimination, Harassment and Related Conduct or to file a complaint: https://titleix.tcu.edu/title-ix/.

·         Learn about the Campus Community Response Team and Report a Bias Incident: https://titleix.tcu.edu/campus-community-response-team/

 

Statement on Title IX at TCU

As an instructor, one of my responsibilities is to help create a safe learning environment on our campus. It is my goal that you feel able to share information related to your life experiences in classroom discussions, in your written work, and in our one-on-one meetings. I will seek to keep any information your share private to the greatest extent possible. However, I have a mandatory reporting responsibility under TCU policy and federal law and I am required to share any information I receive regarding sexual harassment, discrimination, and related conduct with TCU’s Title IX Coordinator. Students can receive confidential support and academic advocacy by contacting TCU’s Confidential Advocate in the Campus Advocacy, Resources & Education office at https://care.tcu.edu/  or by calling (817) 257-5225 or the Counseling & Mental Health Center at https://counseling.tcu.edu/ or by calling (817) 257-7863. Alleged violations can be reported to the Title IX Office at https://titleix.tcu.edu/student-toolkit/ or by calling (817) 257-8228. Should you wish to make a confidential report, the Title IX Office will seek to maintain your privacy to the greatest extent possible, but cannot guarantee confidentiality. Reports to law enforcement can be made to the Fort Worth Police Department at 911 for an emergency and (817) 335-4222 for non-emergency or TCU Police at (817) 257-7777.

 

Obligations to Report Conduct Raising Title IX or VAWA Issues

Mandatory Reporters: All TCU employees, except Confidential Resources, are considered Mandatory Reporters for purposes of their obligations to report, to the Coordinator, conduct that raises Title IX and/or VAWA (Violence Against Women Act) issues.

Mandatory Reporters are required to immediately report to the Coordinator information about conduct that raises Title IX and/or VAWA issues, including any reports, complaints or allegations of sexual harassment, discrimination and those forms of prohibited conduct that relate to nonconsensual sexual intercourse or contact, sexual exploitation, intimate partner violence, stalking and retaliation involving any member of the TCU community, except as otherwise provided within the Policy on Prohibited Discrimination, Harassment and Related Conduct.

 

Mandatory Reporters may receive this information in a number of ways. For example, a complainant may report the information directly to a Mandatory Reporter, a witness or third-party may provide information to a Mandatory Reporter, or a Mandatory Reporter may personally witness such conduct. A Mandatory Reporter’s obligation to report such information to the Coordinator does not depend on how he/she received the information. Mandatory Reporters must provide all known information about conduct that raises Title IX or VAWA issues to the Coordinator, including the identities of the parties, the date, time and location, and any other details. Failure of a Mandatory Reporters to provide such information to the Coordinator in a timely manner may subject the employee to appropriate discipline, including removal from a position or termination of employment.

 

Mandatory Reporters cannot promise to refrain from forwarding the information to the Coordinator if it raises Title IX or VAWA issues or withhold information about such conduct from the Coordinator. Mandatory Reporters may provide support and assistance to a complainant, witness, or respondent, but they should not conduct any investigation or notify the respondent unless requested to do so by the Coordinator.

 

Mandatory Reporters are not required to report information disclosed (1) at public awareness events (e.g., “Take Back the Night,” candlelight vigils, protests, “survivor speak-outs,” or other public forums in which students may disclose such information (collectively, public awareness events); or (2) during an individual’s participation as a subject in an Institutional Review Board approved human subjects research protocol (IRB Research). TCU may provide information about Title IX rights and available resources and support at public awareness events, however, and Institutional Review Boards may, in appropriate cases, require researchers to provide such information to all subjects of IRB Research.

Relevant reporting phone numbers are: 911 for an emergency and (817) 335-4222 for non-emergency or TCU Police at (817) 257-7777.

 

Statement of Disability Services at TCU

Disabilities Statement: Texas Christian University complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 regarding students with disabilities. Eligible students seeking accommodations should contact the Coordinator of Student Disabilities Services in the Center for Academic Services located in Sadler Hall, room 1010 or http://www.acs.tcu.edu/disability_services.asp.

Adequate time must be allowed to arrange accommodations and accommodations are not retroactive; therefore, students should contact the Coordinator as soon as possible in the academic term for which they are seeking accommodations.

Further information can be obtained from the Center for Academic Services, TCU Box 297710, Fort Worth, TX 76129, or at (817) 257-6567.

Each eligible student is responsible for presenting relevant, verifiable, professional documentation and/or assessment reports to the Coordinator. Guidelines for documentation may be found at http://www.acs.tcu.edu/disability_documentation.asp.

Students with emergency medical information or needing special arrangements in case a building must be evacuated should discuss this information with their instructor/professor as soon as possible.

 

Emergency Response Information

Please review TCU’s L.E.S.S. is More public safety video to learn about Lockdown, Evacuate, and Seek Shelter procedures. (https://publicsafety.tcu.edu/less-is-more/)

TCU’s Public Safety website provides maps that show our building’s rally point for evacuation and the seek shelter location. (https://publicsafety.tcu.edu/)

In the event of an emergency, call the TCU Police Department at 817-257-7777.

Download the Frogshield Campus Safety App on your phone. (https://police.tcu.edu/frogshield/)

 

Student Perception of Teaching (SPOT)

Towards the end of the term you will receive an email asking to complete your SPOT for this course. I appreciate your thoughtful and reflective feedback to help make this course successful for future students. You can fill out the SPOT by clicking on the link in the email or in TCU Online when SPOTs open.

TCU Mission Statement

To educate individuals to think and act as ethical leaders and responsible citizens in the global community.