Course Syllabus

Welcome to Physics for Sciences 1! (Course number 01:750:193.) This is the first half of an introductory algebra-based physics course. Topics include mechanics, thermodynamics, fluids, and gravitation. My name is Mike Gentile (mgentile@physics.rutgers.edu) and I'm the instructor for the course. This course will be offered in-person and attendance is required.

Pre-requisites: Equivalent of 01:640:112 (pre-calc 2). No physics pre-requisites.

Tech requirements: Laptop/tablet-class device for collaborating on Google docs in lab/recitation.

Learning goals

• Build an understanding of fundamental physics ideas through collaboration.
• Learn to design experiments to investigate new phenomena, test hypotheses, and solve experimental problems.
• Learn to reason scientifically.

COVID-19 procedures

You must wear a mask properly at all times in the Loree Classroom Building (lecture) and in Heldrich Science Building (lab/recitation). We won't have masks for you, you must bring your own. Rutgers expects you to take this seriously. UPDATE: As of Monday Oct. 3rd masks are no longer required but still encouraged as we head towards the winter flu/covid season.

Topics

Here's a more detailed list of topics along with the approximate number of weeks spent on each:

1. Kinematics (2)
2. Newton's laws (2)
3. Uniform circular motion (1)
4. Static equilibrium and rotational motion (1)
5. Momentum and impulse (1)
6. Energy and work (2)
7. Thermodynamics and heating (1)
8. Gases (1)
9. Fluids (1)
10. Projectile motion (1)
11. Gravitation (1)

Course materials

• Textbook: College Physics: Explore and Apply, 2nd Edition, by Etkina, Planinsic, and Van Heuvelen. ISBN-13: 9780134601823 (Print version, see below for other options)
• Online homework system: MasteringPhysics.

The simplest way to get everything you need is to go to the publisher's website, then choose "Mastering" on the right. There are two access options. "18-week access" works for a single semester and includes the eText. "24-month access" also includes the eText and will cover both Physics 193 and Physics 194 this coming spring. If you know you'll be taking the second part of the course then this is the best option. There is also a 2-week grace period where you can use MasteringPhysics before purchasing access. To register for the course in MasteringPhysics you'll need this:

Course ID: gentile19917

You'll be able to access the electronic version of the book within MasteringPhysics, and also through Pearson's "Pearson+" app on iOS and Android. A print version of the textbook is also available through the above website if you prefer that, but it doesn't include MasteringPhysics (which you'll need to do the homework).

Grading

Your grade in the course comes from your weighted average on these parts:

• Lab: 15%
• Recitation: 10%
• Lecture classwork: 5%
• Homework: 10%
• Project 1 (in lab): 10%
• Project 2 (in recitation): 10%
• Exam 1: 10%
• Exam 2: 15%
• Exam 3 (not a cumulative final but held during the final exam period): 15%

Letter grades are determined in the usual way (A is 90%+, B+ is 87-89%, B is 80-86%, etc.). You can track your grade as the course progresses here:

Gradebook

Lecture

Lecture meets Mondays and Wednesdays 2:15pm-3:10pm in the Loree Classroom Building room 022 starting on Wednesday Sept. 7th. During each lecture there will be several group tasks that you'll work on. Form a group of approximately 3 people and work together on the task. Each of you needs to write your own answer on a separate sheet of paper and hand it in at the end of lecture. Make sure your name is written clearly on your work. Lecture classwork is graded entirely on effort out of 10 points.

Group work

Labs, recitations, and projects are all worked on in groups using shared Google Docs. This means you must have your laptop/tablet with you in every lab and recitation charged and ready to go. For privacy reasons you'll need to be logging in to Google services using your scarletmail.rutgers.edu email address (not a personal Google account), so make sure you can do that ahead of time.

"The Agreement"

Before getting started with the course you need to enter into an agreement with the members of your lab and recitation groups. The very first thing in each activity you work on with your group needs to be this statement from each group member:

<your full name> promises to contribute equally to all course activities and to treat everyone in the course with respect.

It is your responsibility to hold yourself to this standard, and for it to be clear to your TA and to your group members that you are doing so. I expect you to take this seriously. This is not optional. You will not be able to receive a grade for an activity until you make your own personal statement of this agreement at the top of the activity.

Lab

Labs start on Wednesday Sept. 7th in Heldrich Science Building, second floor, room 207 (HSB 207). Each lab you'll work with your group to design and perform experiments that will let you make discoveries about the world around you. Labs are scored out of 50 points. You'll learn more about how that breaks down during your first lab. You will also have the opportunity to make revisions to each lab once you've gotten feedback about your work. You'll learn how to do this once you receive your first lab grade. Here are the lab sections. If you need to reach your instructor use the Canvas Inbox.

Recitation

Recitations start on Monday Sept. 12th  in Heldrich Science Building, second floor, room 207 (HSB 207). Each recitation you’ll work with your group on a set of activities involving what you just learned about in lecture. Recitation classwork is graded entirely based on effort out of 10 points. Here are the recitation sections. If you need to reach your instructor use the Canvas Inbox.

Projects

In the two course projects you'll use your scientific reasoning abilities and knowledge of physics to carry out investigations and solve experimental problems in a more independent way. You'll work with your lab group for project 1 and your recitation group for project 2. One of the goals of the course is to train you to design your own experiments and methods to achieve specific scientific goals. The course projects is where you'll do that most. Each project has a unique format and specific details will be provided as the course progresses.

Exams

Three non-cumulative exams will be given to test you on what you have learned during the course. Tentative dates for these exams can be found in the detailed course calendar below. Each exam will consist of 5 free response questions, each worth 10 points for a total of 50 points per exam. Since they are free response questions there will be plenty of opportunity for partial credit. You can bring a calculator (graphing calculators are fine, but no mobile devices/wearables/etc.). You may also bring a single 3"x5" index card to each exam containing whatever useful information you prefer. The exam will include the same sheet of physical constants and data that is included with the practice problems (see below).

Grading Philosophy: Instead of hunting for errors in your work and taking points off, we will give you credit for what you can convince us that you understand. This means that it is possible for you to get full credit even if you make a minor mathematical error somewhere, provided it doesn't lead to an answer that is unreasonable. It also means that even if you arrive at an answer that makes sense you might not get full credit if we can't figure out the reasoning that got you there. It is your responsibility to convince us that you understand what you are doing. Let that guide your work.

Practice problems: Practice problems problems with solutions will be posted approximately one week before each exam. These problems are meant to give you a feel for the style of questions. They are not meant to be a comprehensive reference of the content that is fair game for the exam. Use the sections listed in the detailed course calendar below along with what was emphasized in all parts of the course to prioritize your studying.

Homework

We'll be using MasteringPhysics for our online homework system (see above for the CourseID). Access it here:

MasteringPhysics

An assignment will be posted each week on Thursday and corresponds to what was discussed in lecture that week. It's due the following Wednesday at 11:59pm.

There are two optional assignments. Neither of these are required and they will not affect your grade in any way. Use them in whatever way is helpful to you.

• Introduction to MasteringPhysics: If this is your first time using MasteringPhysics it would be a good idea to work through this so you know how the system works and how grading works.
• Physics Primer: This is a review of basic mathematical skills (scientific notation, basic algebra and trigonometry, calculator use, etc.)

Help sessions

Each week the course instructors are available outside of regular class meeting times if you'd like some additional help. Go to the "BigBlueButton" section, find "Help session", and click join. Here's the schedule. Feel free to attend anyone's help session, even if they aren't one of your TAs.

Detailed course calendar

These are the planned topics and matching textbook sections for each lecture. Exam dates are also listed. I'll update this after each lecture if needed.

University policies and student services

Academic integrity: You will be held to the highest level of academic integrity. Get familiar with the Rutgers policy on academic integrity (Links to an external site.). In particular, the use of external sources to obtain solutions to homework assignments is a violation of academic integrity. Doing this may result in penalties ranging from a zero on an assignment to an F for the course to expulsion from the University. Also, posting of any course materials to external sites without the permission of the instructor is a violation of copyright and can result in the same penalties.

Attendance: Click here (Links to an external site.) for the university's policy on attendance and cancellation of classes. If you expect to miss any please use the University absence reporting website (Links to an external site.) to indicate the date and reason for your absence. An email is automatically sent to me by that website. At that point I will contact you so we can discuss how you can make up the work or be excused from it, if possible. Examples of legitimate reasons for missing class are:

Tutoring: Free academic tutoring is available through the Rutgers Learning Center (Links to an external site.).

Disability services: Rutgers University welcomes students with disabilities into all of the University's educational programs. In order to receive consideration for reasonable accommodations, a student with a disability must contact the appropriate disability services office at the campus where you are officially enrolled, participate in an intake interview, and provide documentation. If the documentation supports your request for reasonable accommodations, your campus’s disability services office will provide you with a Letter of Accommodations. Please share this letter with your instructors and discuss the accommodations with them as early in your courses as possible. To begin this process, please complete the registration form on the ODS web site.

Student wellness services: Rutgers University has several offerings.

• Counseling, ADAP & Psychiatric Services (CAPS): CAPS (Links to an external site.) is a University mental health support service that includes counseling, alcohol and other drug assistance, and psychiatric services staffed by a team of professional within Rutgers Health services to support students' efforts to succeed at Rutgers University. CAPS offers a variety of services that include: individual therapy, group therapy and workshops, crisis intervention, referral to specialists in the community and consultation and collaboration with campus partners. 
• Violence Prevention & Victim Assistance (VPVA): The Office for Violence Prevention and Victim Assistance (Links to an external site.) provides confidential crisis intervention, counseling and advocacy for victims of sexual and relationship violence and stalking to students, staff and faculty.
• Scarlet Listeners: Free and confidential peer counseling (Links to an external site.) and referral hotline, providing a comforting and supportive safe space.