PHYS 20474 - Physics I with Lab

PHYS 20474-065 - Physics I with Lab: Mechanics Fall 2022

Lectures: TR 3:30-4:50 PM CT @ SWR 357

Instructor: Dr. Yuri M. Strzhemechny

Office: SWR 373

Phone: 817-257-5793

Web: http://personal.tcu.edu/ystrzhemechn/

Office Hours: SWR 373/https://tcu.zoom.us/j/368852310; T 9:00-9:50 AM, F 4:00-6:00 PM & by appointment

Required textbook: “Essential University Physics”, Vol. 1, 4^th Edition, by Richard Wolfson, Pearson, ISBN-13: 978-0134988559, ISBN-10: 0134988558

Lab instructions: Will be distributed via the Internet. Further information will be provided in your Laboratory Syllabi.

Course Description: This is part one of a two-semester calculus-based physics course. We will cover material dealing with classical mechanics and thermodynamics.

Grading: The course grades will be determined as follows:

A: 100 – 90 pts., B: 89.9 – 80 pts., C: 79.9 – 70 pts., D: 69.9 – 55 pts., F: 54.9 and below.

Weekly quizzes: 20 %

Test 1: 15 %

Test 2: 15 %

Test 3: 15 %

Final Exam: 15 %

Labs: 20 %

Weekly quizzes consisting of a few problems (very similar to the homework problems) will be given every Thursday from 3:30 to 3:40 pm and will include material covered during the previous week(s). The quizzes grade will be determined as the average of all the quiz grades but one, with the lowest grade dropped. Three midterm tests will be administered. Final exam will be cumulative. The tests will contain conceptual questions and problems. No electronic devices, graphing calculators, or cell phones on the tests, please. Make-up tests will be provided to students having an Official University Absence. Students with valid reasons for missed tests (e.g. doctor's note) will have to contact me regarding make-up tests as early as possible. Lab is an integral part of the course and the lab grade counts for 20% of the final grade. This grade will be determined as an average of all the lab grades but one (11 out of 12), with the lowest grade dropped. The students must attend and complete at least 11 (out of 12) online experiments, with lab report submissions every week. If a student completes less than 11 experiments, the lab points will still count toward the average course grade, but the letter grade will be reduced by one letter for each missing lab (more details – in your Laboratory Syllabi.). Homework: It is crucial for you to learn how to apply conceptual knowledge for problem solving. The textbook provides excellent guidelines for you to acquire this skill. You are strongly encouraged to go through the solutions of the sample problems. In addition, for each chapter, I will supply a number of recommended problems for your homework. It is in your best interest to solve those problems in a timely manner for several reasons. First, it will provide additional training in self-education. Second, homework problems will be very similar to those given in the weekly quizzes. Third, homework problems will be related to those offered in the tests and the final. I will not be grading your homework assignments but I will sure grade the quizzes and the tests. If you are having difficulty solving the homework problems you may want to contact me during my office hours, or perhaps get a tutor (for tutors available within the department, check our web page at http://www.phys.tcu.edu).

You will have an option of getting up to 5% of extra credit for an extracurricular research. Such assignments will be given on request from a pool of topics on a lottery basis.

Academic Misconduct: I would like to remind you about policies and procedures regarding your rights as well as responsibilities that are published in the TCU Code of Student Conduct. You may have a paper copy but it is also available on line at https://tcu.codes. Specifically I would like you to review sections dealing with academic misconduct, i.e. cheating, plagiarism, etc.

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. If approved for accommodations, students are required to discuss their official TCU Notification of Accommodation with their instructors. Accommodations are not retroactive and require advance notice to implement. The Office of Student Access and Accommodation is located in The Harrison, Suite 1200. 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.