Outline of Physics 311, "University Physics I (Workshop)"

"College should provide an eduation which teaches one to think and to solve problems, to write and speak effectively, to work with people, and to gain a broad view of the world." -- L. Pope

Office Hours 

   Monday     2:00 -  3:00 pm  in 76-3114     
   Tuesday   12:00 -  1:00 pm  in 76-3114 
   Wednesday 10:00 - 11:00 am  in COS Study Center
   Thursday   1:00 -  2:00 pm  in 76-3114
   Friday     2:00 -  3:00 pm  in 76-3114
These are my default office hours, but I am actually available in my office much of the time. If these times do not fit your schedule, you may speak to me after class or call or email to make an appointment at another time, or if you happen to be in the Carlson Building, drop by and knock on my door.

Format:

University Physics will be taught in the Team Physics format, which includes both lab activities and lectures during the two-hour workshop sessions. During the workshops, you will be working with a team of two or three other students on problems, experiments and reports. Since you and your lab partners are responsible for working together and helping each other, it is important to attend every workshop session. Teams may be reassigned periodically by the instructor

Prerequisites:

You must have received credit for Calculus I (1016-262, 1016-271 or 1016-281) before taking this course, and you must be currently enrolled in (or have already received credit for) Calculus II (1016-272 or 1016-282).

Grading

Your course grade will be determined by a professional assessment of the quality and quantity of your work. The following proportions will be used: 
   40  percent  tests 1, 2, 3
   25  percent  final exam 
   20  percent  in-workshop work: worksheets, quizzes, problem sets, lab reports
   15  percent  homework (webassign)
   -----------
  100  percent

There will be three one-hour exams for all sections of Physics 311 held during special 6 PM Tuesday evening periods on the 4th, 7th and 9th weeks. The two-hour final exam, given at the time scheduled by the Registrar, will be cumulative but may have some emphasis on material covered after the last hour exam. All exams will be required (no exam grades will be dropped), but the lowest of the three hour exam grades (in percent) may be replaced by the final exam grade (in percent) if that results in a higher total grade. The exams may cover any homework or workshop materials, including lab techniques.

RIT's Final Exam Policy

Class Activities:

During most workshop sessions, you will receive one or more handouts with instructions for your team's activities. Some of those activities will result in class discussions where you and/or your team will be expected to report your findings to the whole class. Some activity sheets will be filled out and handed in for checking. Some, called "mini labs," will have more extensive write-ups and will be worth more points than other activities. The instructor will choose one sheet from each team to check, and all team members who turn in sheets on time will share the score. However, the abstracts of the mini labs will be collaboratively authored (details of this will be given in class).

Labs:

There will be several long labs during the quarter. In each, you will work with your team to make measurements and analyze the data. Each team will submit one formal lab report for grading, and all team members will receive the same grade (however, there may be an adjustment for students who do significantly more or less work than their fair share).

Graded Work:

You have up to three days after graded work is passed out to ask for it to be re-graded.

Plagiarism:

When you work on assignments cooperatively but turn them in individually (such as activity sheets or short lab reports) you may share data, equations, graphs, calculations and drawings. However, all written work must be expressed in your own words. Thus, you may not copy (even with some modification) things like abstracts, summaries, descriptions, discussions or conclusions. If there is reasonable evidence of copying, it will be construed as an act of plagiarism and each student involved will receive a failing grade on that assignment. Since part of your grade will depend on the work of your team members, it is important for you to work cooperatively with them and help them understand the course material. At the same time, you should check that their written work is different from yours.

Excused Absences:

If you must miss class due to a documentable family emergency, because you are hospitalized, or if a nurse or physician has instructed you not to attend class for medical reasons, the absence will be excused. Other compelling reasons for missing class may be considered excuses if they are approved by the instructor. Notify the instructor in writing or by e-mail either in advance of the absence or immediately afterward. An excused absence for missing an exam will be required before you may take a makeup.

Respect for Equipment:

You are expected to be careful with the lab equipment. At the end of every class period your table should be left with equipment arranged neatly and scrap materials thrown away. If a table is messy after the end of a class, all of the students who worked at that table will lose activity sheet points.

Textbook and Supplementary Materials

Fundamentals of Physics, 7th ed., by Halliday, Resnick and Walker. You might also look at some material describing measurements and calculations based upon them:

Bring to Workshop

Required Math Skills

Additional Resources

For Fun

This page maintained by Dr. Christopher O'Dea. Last modified March 7, 2007.