Instructor: Prof. Frank Zimmermann (fmz@physics.rutgers.edu)

Grader: Liam Lau  (liam.lh.lau@physics.rutgers.edu)

There are no prerequisites for this course.  Physics uses basic common sense to figure out facts about nature.  We will explore these facts, from the sun-centered solar system to the weirdness of quantum mechanics at atomic scales, and how they were established.

• Familiarity with basic arithmetic, and simple high-school level algebra will be assumed.
• Homework and exams will be conceptual as well as quantitative.
• For the homework, students are expected to write short paragraph answers.

Lectures: Mondays and  Wednesdays, 2:00 - 3:20pm, Physics Lecture Hall, except: Jan. 19 - 26 remote (Zoom).

Office Hours:   Mondays 3:30 - 4:30. 

Syllabus

Grading - Section 01:

• Homework: 35%
• Labs: 15%
• I-clickers: 15%
• Final Exam 35%

Grading - Section H1 (honors):

• Homework: 30%
• Labs: 15%
• I-clickers: 15%
• Final Exam 35%
• Term paper 5%

Textbooks: (free) College Physics - OpenStax (We will skip certain sections that are too techincal.)

(optional) Hobson - Physics Concepts and Connections, any Edition, Addison Wesley. 

iClicker: We will use iClicker for polling during the lectures. You can either use the physical remote, or the iclicker web app on your laptop, or the mobile app on your phone. Detailed instructions are here.

Homework: 

• The solutions will be available right after the submission deadline.
• For this reason, there will be NO LATE HOMEWORK ACCEPTED!
• Homework is only accepted by uploading to Canvas. Do not email me homework.
• Homework Guidelines 

Labs:

• There will be four simple labs that you will do over the semester. 
• You will write lab reports according to the Lab Guidelines and upload them to Canvas.

Term Paper - Section H1 only:

• Students in the honors section H1 submit a 4-5 page term paper at the end of the term.
• Detailed instructions in Assignments. 

Academic Integrity

• Students are expected to maintain the highest level of academic integrity.  
• You should be familiar with the university policy on academic integrity.
• Violations will be reported and enforced according to this policy.
• Use of external sources to obtain solutions to homework assignments or exams is cheating and a violation of the University Academic Integrity policy.
• Cheating in the course may result in penalties ranging from a zero on an assignment to an F for the course, or expulsion from the University. 
• Posting of homework assignments, exams, recorded lectures, or other lecture materials to external sites without the permission of the instructor is a violation of copyright and constitutes a facilitation of dishonesty, which may result in the same penalties as explicit cheating.

Course Policies and Student Resources

Please consult this link for more information. 
Also, please consult me as early as possible if you have a disability that might interfere with an optimal learning experience.