ph 212 (general physics) -...

PH 212 (General Physics)Course Syllabus

Contents

Instructor Contact info Officehoursandschedule Howtorequestaletterofrecommendation

Required materials and resources Prerequisitecourses Requiredskills Requiredtextbook/materials Requiredtechnology

Course format

Grading Scoredwork Gradingscale Academicintegrity

General description Courselevel Bacc.Corecertification Focusandapproach Widerapplications Thescientificmethod Criticalthinking

Specific course content Week1:RotationalMotionandKinematics;CentripetalMotion Week2:MomentofInertia;CenterofMass;AngularMomentum;Torque Week3:Newton’s2ndLawforRotationalMotion;RotationalKineticEnergy Week4:IncompressibleFluids:StaticPressure;Hydraulics;Buoyancy;Bernoulli’sEquation Week5:RayOpticsandImaging:Reflection/Refraction;Mirror/Thin-LensEquations;AbsoluteMagnification Week6:OpticalSystems:Vision/Correction;Simple/CompoundMagnifiers;AngularMagnification Week7:SimpleHarmonicOscillators;1-DTravelingWaveMath/Mechanics Week8:SimpleWaveInterference;Beats;Diffraction;Thin-FilmInterference Week9:StandingSoundWaves(stringsandair);WaveIntensities,DopplerEffects Week10:Newton’sUniversalLawofGravitation;SatelliteOrbitsandEnergies

Lecture (and clicker) policies

Lab policies

HW policies

Exam policies

Grading policies

How to do well: notes from the instructor Commentsonthetopicandthecourse Howtostudyandusethecourse Howtomonitoryourprogress Personalintegrity Lastcomments

Oregon State University PH 212, Winter Term, 2018 Course Syllabus 2

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Instructor

Name: ChrisCoffin

E-mail: [email protected]

Office: Weniger309

Mail box: Weniger301(PhysicsDepartmentoffice)

Office hours: MWF0900-1050and1300-1350,T0900-1150

Daily schedule: (click here)

Letters of recommendation: (click here)

Required materials and resources

Prerequisite courses: MTH252(andcorequisite:MTH254).

Prerequisite skills: Algebra,trigonometry,differentialandintegralcalculus(andcorequisite:vectorcalculus).

Required text: Physics for Scientists & Engineers (either hardcover, softcover/loose-leaf or electronic),byKnight,4th ed.(Pearson,2017).

Required technology: E-mailandinternetaccess. Scientificcalculator,withlog,trigandrootfunctions. “Clicker”handset,byTurningPoint—availableattheOSUbookstore.

Course web site: http://www.physics.oregonstate.edu/~coffinc/COURSES/ph212/

Other online resources: Mastering Physicspracticematerials(click here).

Course format

OSU credit: PH212isa4-creditcourse,includingrequiredlectureandlab.The 1-credit recitation portion is a separate course (PH 222), optional for some majors but required for others.

Lectures: 3hours/week(50minutes–MWF),Weniger151orWngr153(peryourownclassschedule)

Labs: 3hoursperweek(170minutes–MTWRorF),Weniger238,plusatake-homeportion.

Prep Problems: Thesepracticeproblemsetswillbepostedweekly;solutionsdaily.SeetheCourseCalendar.

Homework (HW): HWsetswillbepostedabout1weekpriortoeachexam.RefertotheCourseCalendar.

Exams: 2groupmidtermexams,80min.,Wednesdays(1/31,2/21),8:30p.m.. 1finalgroupexam,110min.,onThursday,3/22,at4:00p.m. AllexamlocationsTBAafewdayspriortotheexams.Nomake-upexams. Allexamsclosed-book,open-notes(1handwrittensheet,8.5”x11”—bothsidesOK).

Religious Holidays: OSUstrivestorespectallreligiouspractices.Ifyouhavereligiousholidaysthatareincon-flictwithanyoftheschedulesorrequirementsofthisclass,pleasecontacttheinstructorasearlyaspossibletomakealternativearrangements.

Alternative accommodations: Accommodationsforstudentswithdocumenteddisabilitiesarecollaborationsbetweenstu-dents,facultyandDisabilityAccessServices(DAS).StudentswithdocumenteddisabilitiesandaccommodationsapprovedbyDASareresponsibleforcontactingthefacultymemberinchargeofthecoursepriortoorduringthefirstweekofthetermtodiscussaccommodations.Studentswhobelievetheyareeligibleforaccommodationsbutwhohavenotyetobtainedap-provalthroughDASshouldcontactDASimmediatelyat541-737-4098.

http://www.physics.oregonstate.edu/~coffinc/COURSES/ph212/OH.pdf

http://www.physics.oregonstate.edu/~coffinc/COURSES/ph212/LOR.docx

http://www.physics.oregonstate.edu/~coffinc/COURSES/ph212/index.html

http://www.physics.oregonstate.edu/~coffinc/COURSES/ph212/MPStart.doc

http://www.physics.oregonstate.edu/~coffinc/COURSES/ph222/index.html


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Grading

Allassigned(scored)worksandduedatesareshownontheCourseCalendar. Scored works (including exams) earn points only; theonlylettergradeisthefinalgradeforthecourse.Atotalof1000pointsisavailablefortheentireterm.

Scored work: Class(lecture)participation(100points). Full lecture details here. Labscores(100points); Full lab details here. HWscores(100points); Full HW details here. Twomidtermexams(250and200points,respectively); Onefinalexam(250points). Full exam details here.

Grading scale: Thefinalcourselettergradeiscomputedviathepercentageearnedbythestudentoutofthetotalpossible(1000)pointsavailable,asfollows(andseebelowforfullgradingdetails):

≥84%=A ≥80%=A- ≥76%=B+ ≥72%=B ≥68%=B- ≥60%=C+ ≥52%=C ≥44%=C- ≥40%=D+ ≥36%=D ≥32%=D- <32%=F

Academic integrity: Labreports(thewrittenworkdoneduringlabitself)aredoneasgroupwork,asmaybeanyexercisesrecommendedforstudybeforeorafterlecture.AlsoOKforgroupworkaresomeitemsrespondedviaclickersduringlecture(othersnot—theinstructorwillsoindicate).

But all homework (HW) sets and exams are to be done on an individual basis.

AnyincidenceofacademicdishonestywillbedealtwithinaccordancewithOSUpolicies—referasneededtotheStatementofExpectationsforStudentConduct.Seealsothelongerdiscussionofpersonalintegrity,below.

http://www.physics.oregonstate.edu/~coffinc/COURSES/ph212/Calendar.pdf

http://studentlife.oregonstate.edu/sites/studentlife.oregonstate.edu/files/code_of_student_conduct.pdf


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General Description

Course level: PH212isa200-levelcourse.Itismorethana“survey”course(it’snota100-levelcourse).Itiscomprehensive,time-intensive,challengingandmathematical,withproblem-solvingthroughout.Itisa4-creditcourseandincludesalaboratory.

Bacc. Core certification: ThiscourseispartoftheOSUBaccalaureateCore(“Bacc.Core”);itfulfillsOregonStateUniversity’srequirementforstudyrelatedtoPhysicalScience.TheBacc.CoreCurriculumrepresentswhattheOSUfacultybelievesisthefoundationforstudents’furtherunderstandingofthemodernworld.Informedbynaturalandsocialsciences,artsandhumanities,theBacc.Coreasksstudentstothinkcriticallyandcreatively,andtosynthesizeideasandinformationwhenevaluatingmajorsocietalissues.Justasimportantly,theBacc.Corepromotesunder-standingofinterrelationshipsamongdisciplinesinordertoincreasestudents’capacitiesasethicalcitizensofanever-changingworld.

Scienceseekstodevelopafundamentaldescriptionandunderstandingofthenaturalworld,fromelementaryparticlestothecosmos,includinglivingsystems.Studentsshouldhavetheopportunitytoexploretheinsightsofscience,toviewscienceasahumanachievement,andtoparticipateinscientificinquiry.Thisexperienceincludesthechallengeofdrawingconclu-sionsbasedonobservation,analysisandsynthesis.Toensureabroadperspective,theBacc.Coresciencerequirementconsistsoftwoparts:physicalscience(includingearthscience)andbiologicalscience.

Morespecifically,PH212isdesignedtoproduceandassess(amongothers)thesethree essentiallearningoutcomes.Students shall be able to:

1. Recognize and apply concepts and theories of basic physical sciences.

2. Applyscientificmethodologyanddemonstratetheabilitytodrawconclusionsbasedon observation, analysis, and synthesis.

3. Demonstrate connections with other subject areas.

Thefollowingdescription/discussionofthecourseoffersdetailoneachoftheseoutcomes.

Focus and approach: PH212continuesthestoryofmechanicswiththeirapplicationstothecircularmotionofparticles,thentherotationofrigidbodies.Majorareasofemphasisincludetheequationsconstant-accelerationkinematics,Newton’sLaws,theImpulse-Momentumtheorem,andthekineticenergyofrotation.Next,thecoursemakesthetransitionfromdirectobservations/measurementsofoneortwolarge,visibleobjectstomacroscopicmeasurementsoftheaggre-gatebehaviorsoflargecollectionsofmicroscopicobjects,specificallyidealfluids(liquids).Asbefore,studentsareaskedtowatchforthesameConservationprinciplestheyencounteredinPH211(classicalmass,momentumandenergy)astheystillmanifestthemselvesinmicro-scopicbehaviors.

Next,studentsexplorecommongeometricphenomenaoflight:reflection,refraction,vision,andlensingsystemsandapplications.(Andtheytypicallycommentthatthisistheirfavoritepartofthewholeyear.)

Thenattentionturnstosimpleharmonicoscillators,theirmotionsandtheireffectsontheuni-verseincreatingsinusoidalwaves.Bothsoundandlightwavesaretreatedhereinasurveyofwavemechanicsandvariousinterferenceeffects.

Finally,asafinalnodtotheNewtonianlegacy(andasaconceptualfoundationforelectro-statics,whichfollowsimmediatelyinPH213),PH212examinesthebasicsoftheUniversalGravitationLaw,includingorbitalmechanicsandenergies.

Atalltimes,thestudentsmustmakesenseoftheconnections—notmerelyswallowformulasforlaterregurgitation;andtoassesstheirsuccess,theyarerequiredonexamstorecognizeandapplythebasicprinciplestosituationstheyhaveneverbeforeencountered—and to justify, in their own words,theirreasoning.


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The scientific method: PH212examinesscienceandthescientificmethodinthreedistinctways.First(fromtheopeninglecture),scienceispresentedasacontinuing,unfoldingprocess,notacollectionoffacts.Onenewobservation(properlyvettedandrepeated)canstillunhingeourcurrenttheo-ries.Wecontinuallyseektoexamineourreasoningandtotesttheconsistenciesweobserve.Weseektogeneralize,simplify,unify.ThestoryoftheConservationLawsdrivesthishome.

Then,too,asindividualtopicsinthatstoryareexaminedtoillustratetheunderlyingprinci-ples,idealizedconditionsandproblemsarehypothesized.Studentsdetectthis,andtheycom-ment/question/complain:“Butwhataboutfriction?”“Whataboutairresistance?”“Whataboutthemassorvolumeofthecontainer?”Fromthatpoint,theybegintoacceptscientificmodeling—evenas“firstapproximation”—asusefulandrevealing;andwemakeapointtoexplicitlystatethesimplifyingassumptionsofanymodelused(andtheresultinguncertain-tiesthatmustaccompanyanyexperimentalresults).Lateradjustmentstotheorysimplymakethosemodelsmorerobust,producingmoreandbetterpredictivepower.Buttheawarenessofthephysicallimitstoactualexperiment/testingbecomesbuilt-inthisway(especiallyaftertheyexperiencetryingtotakeactuallabmeasurements).Theygainabetterappreciationof“howweknowwhatweknow.”

Thehighlyautonomouslabs,alongwithfollow-upquestionsontheexams,areusedtoassessstudents’masteryofthescientificmethod.

Wider applications: PH212isisrichlyconnectedtootherfields—employingexamplesfrommanypartsofcom-monexperience:body-massindex,weightdistributioninphysiology,bloodpressure,cloggedarteriesandaneurysms,knivesandhypodermicneedles,ultrasound,cataractsurgery,theauralcanal,humanhearingandthedecibelscale.Alsosprinkledthroughoutthecoursearenodstothephysicsbehindeverydayobservationssuchastides,pendulumsastimekeepers,hydrauliclifts,airfoilsandlift,curveballs,Dopplereffects,standingwaves(resonance)inmusical(bothstringandwind)instruments,noise-cancelingheadphones,loudspeakersounddispersionandguitarfrets,microwaveheating,radarandtheDopplereffect,rainbows,cameras,projectors,visioncorrection,magnifyingglasses,compoundmicroscopesandtelescopes,andsatellite/celestialorbitsandenergies.

Theseexamplesareofferednotonlyinlecture/demonstrationorreadingbutalsoin assessmentforms:asscoredhomeworkexercisesandasexamproblems.

Critical thinking: Theclickerquestionsinlecturehonestudents’skillsatorganizing,comprehending,andpredicting—distinguishingtheapparentlysimilarfromthelogicallycorrect.Thesamegoesfortheitemscoveredinthelabtake-homeportions(whichtypicallyhoneinontheconceptsmoststudentshavethemosttroublewith).Thelabsessionsthemselvesthenletstudentstestlearnedprinciplesinpractice—dontheskepticismofscienceandre-createknowledge;afterall,noscientificknowledgecameoriginallyfromabook.Theskillsacquiredinthesepartsofthecoursearetestedintheshort-answersectionsoftheexams.

Thenthelonger,morecomplexhomeworkproblemssharpenstudents’application,analysisandproblem-solvingskills—testedsubsequentlyinthelong-form(“write-out”)problemsoneachexam.Inthoseproblems,studentsmustsynthesize(fromknownprinciples)theirownsolutionstomulti-partsituationstheyhaveneverbeforeencountered.Todoso,theymustfirsttakethesesituationsapartandidentifythebasicphysicalprinciplesatwork(“spotthephysics”).Thentheymustapplywhattheyknowaboutthoseprinciples(equations,relation-ships)toconstructeitheranumericordescriptivesolution.

Inthisway,PH212helpsbuildinstudentsaskillsetthat,whileshapedviatraininginoneareaofscience,impactstheirlivesmoregenerally—andmanystudentsbecomeawareofthisandcommentonitbytheendofthecourse:Theylearntothinklogicallyandcritically,tolistenandevaluate,toapplyandsynthesizeinnewsituations,andtoorganize—andgetthedetailsright.Theylearnscienceliteracyandwalkawaywithanewvocabulary(andconfi-dence)andawarenessofscienceinthenews:darkmatter,windandwaveenergycapture,anewparticlecollider.Theyseetherelevanceandconnectionsofthesetotheirlives.Theyarebetterpreparedtobevotingcitizens,taxpayers,professionals—andparents—inthefuture.


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Specific Course Content (See the Course Calendar for details on topics, assigned work, due dates and exams.)

Topic(s) Learning Objective(s)/Outcome(s)*

Week 1: Rotationalandcirculartranslationalposition, Distinguish/describeangularposition,velocityand velocityandaccelerationandtheir1-Dvector accelerationofaconstantly-acceleratingobjectin1-D descriptions. rotationalmotion. 1-Drotationalkinematicsofconstantly Correctlypredictthe1-Drotationalmotion(position, acceleratingobjects. velocity,acceleration)ofaconstantly-acceleratingobject. Centripetalmotionofaparticle,inboth Defineandcalculatetheradialandtangentialportions. uniformandnon-uniformcircularmotion. ofanobject’scircularmotion.

Week 2: Momentofinertia;centerofmass. Defineandcalculatethecenterofmassofanobject. Defineandcalculatethemomentofinertiaofanobject. Conservation:Angularmomentumasa Defineandcalculatetheangularmomentumofanobject “currency”oftheuniverse;angularcollisions (aboutafixedaxisoraxisofsymmetry);usetheprinci- andexplosions(alongaxesofsymmetry). pleofConservationofangularmomentum. Torque. Defineandcalculatethetorqueactingonanobject; Recognize/usetorqueasagentinanobject’schangeof angularmomentum.

Week 3: Newton’s2ndLawforrotationalmotion. CorrectlyapplyNewton’s2ndLawforbothequilibrium andnon-equilibriumcases. Definerotationalkineticenergy(KR). Correctlyapplywork-energyequationincludingKR term,andaccountingforUGchangeduetorotationof

Week 4: Pressure;staticfluidpressure;devices Correctlycalculatestaticpressureinincompressible andapplications. Dynamicsofamovingfluid; fluid;correctlyusehydraulicprinciples,Archimedes’

Principle,andBernoulli’sequation;

Week 5: Rayoptics:reflection,Snell’sLaw(refraction), Correctlycalculatewithmirror/thin-lensequationand andimagingwithsphericalsurfaces. (abs.)mag.;correctlytraceraysinreflection/refraction.

Week 6: Multiple-lensimagingsystems:visioncorrection, Explain/analyzebasicsofhumanvision/correction magnifyingglasses,microscopes,telescopes. Explain/analyzesingle-andmulti-lensinstruments: magnification(abs.andangular)andimagelocation.

Week 7: Simpleharmonicoscillators,theircharacteristic Correctlyrelatemass,period,motionandlinearrestoring features,motionsandeffectsonnature. action insimpleharmonicoscillators Themathematicsof1-Dtravelingwaves. Correctlycalculatewiththe1-Dtravelingwaveequation.

Week 8: Simpleinterferenceoftravelingwaves;beats. Correctlypredictsimpleconstr./destr.interference;beats. diffractionthroughapertures(soundandlight) interference,beatsanddiffractionthroughapertures. Waveoptics:Diffraction,thin-filminterference. Explain/analyzelightdiffractionandthin-filmbehavior.

Week 9: Standingsoundwavesonstringsandintubes; Correctlyanalyzestandingsoundwavesinstrings/tubes. Wavepower,intensities,energies,Dopplershifts. Correctlycalculatewaveenergies,intensities,Doppler. Week 10: Newton’sUniversalLawofGravitation; Givenplanetaryandtimeorradialdata,predictanypart satellitesandorbits(circularvs.elliptical); ofasatellite’sorbit;orthegravitationalforceexerted generalizedgravitationalpotentialenergy(UG). betweentwoobjects;orthechangeinUGduringorbit.

*Note: For all application, modeling and calculation objectives and outcomes, an accompanying outcome is also required of (and explicitly stated to) the student: That he/she be able to summarize/restate the physical situation in words (including the recognition of when there is insufficientinformationoridentifyingrelevantinformationamidstanexcess),constructamathematicalrepresentationfromwhichhis/her numericalmodelisthenderived;stateanyassumptionsorsimplificationsinherentinthemodel,recognizethelimitationsand/orshortcomings of the model, and defend his/her overall reasoning, approach and conclusions.

See the Course Calendar for complete details on all topics, assigned work, due dates and exams.




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Lecture (and clicker) policies

Seeing and hearing: Thelecturehallislarge(andthecenterboardareaissmall).Theviewingscreensaregood,buttheoverheadlightscansometimeswashoutdetails.Ifyouhavetroubleseeingorhearing,pleasetrytofindoptimalseatingforyourneeds.Also,pleaseadvisetheinstructorifthere’sanythinghecando(e.g.speaklouder,writelarger,moveoutofyourviewoftheboard,etc.).

Courtesy and etiquette: Atalltimes,youareexpectedtoshowmaturecourtesytowardeachotherandtheinstructor.Justlikeyou,everystudentaroundyouhaspaidrealmoney($15-25)foreachclasssession.Ofcourse,you’refreetouseyourowntuitionpurchasehoweveryouwish,butyouareNOTfreetopreventothersfromgettingthemostfortheirmoney.Inparticular:

–Beprompttoclass.It’sdisruptivetoeveryone(includingtheinstructor)toarriveand “unpack”afterclasshasstarted.Andifyouknowyoumustleaveearlyonedayfora specificreason,pleasesitneartheback,sothatyoucangoquietly.

–Unlessauthorizedbytheinstructor:Silenceallcellphonesandotherelectronicdevices.

–Refrainfromconversingexceptduringgroupdiscussions.Infact,refrainfromanyactivity thatdistractsyourfellowstudents(ortheinstructor).

–Theinstructorwilldismissyouat(orusuallybefore)10minutesbeforethehour.DoNOT begintopackupbeforebeingdismissed,asitmakesitverydifficultforotherstudentsto hearthelastpartofthelecture(whichisoftenakeypoint).

Class format: Theclasssessionsareamixofconventionallecture,small-groupdiscussionamongclass-mates,andinteractiveresponse(usingaclicker—anelectronicremoteresponderownedandoperatedbyeachstudent).Atypicalsessionwillinclude2-5clickerquestions,oftenwithonesuchquestionatthestartofthehour.

Scoring: Afull10%oftheentirecoursegradeisforclassparticipation—scoredviaclickerquestions.Youearn3pointsperquestionsimplybyresponding—regardlesswhetheryourresponseiscorrect.Ifitiscorrect,youearn4points.However,themaximumnumberofpointspossibleforthetermissimply3N,whereNisthenumberofclickerquestionsasked.Thusyoucangetallpossibleclickerpointssimplybyalwaysattendingandparticipating.Butanextrapointisawardedforeachcorrectanswertoallowforsome“insurancepoints;”incaseyoumustmissclassforanyreason.(Anysuch“insurance”pointsleftoveratterm’sendarediscarded).Thenforfinalgradecalculation,yourclickerpointtotalisdividedby3N,andtheresultismultipliedby100toconvertyourscoretotheproperpointsweightingforthewholecourse.

(Clickersare10%ofthegrade:100pointsoutofthe1000totalavailableinthecourse.)

Frequently asked questions:

“If I miss my regular lecture time, can I drop in on the other section?”Yes(solongastherearespareseats),butyouwon’tgetanyclickerpointsthatday.Yourclickerisactivatedonlyforyourregisteredlecturetime(either1100,1400or1500).

“What if my clicker fails or runs low on batteries during class?”Duetothesizeoftheclass,it’snotfeasibletonoteindividualcircumstancesforthis—sorry,youwon’tgetclickerpointsthatday.Butjustaswithunforeseenabsences,thisiswhyanextrapointisofferedforeveryrightanswer:it’suptoyouto“bank”thoseextrapointsasinsuranceagainstsuchcontingencies.(Andofcourse,besuretogetyourclickerrepaired/rechargedpromptlyfornexttime.)

“Can I use my cell phone or other P.E.D. instead of the Turning Technologies handset?”Yes,solongasyouhavepaidthelicens-ingfee(i.e.thepriceofthehandset)andregisteredthehandsetanditsaccompanyingapp,thatoptionshouldbeopentoyou.

“How can I get the answers to the clicker questions we do in class?”You’llhavetobetheretonotethemyourself(orgetthemfromaclassmateifyoumisslecture).Withsomeexceptions,theyareusuallynotposted.


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Lab policies

Overview: Noteveryweekhasalab,butforeachlab,allpertinentmaterialswillbepostedontheCourseCalendar—numberedtomatchtheweekoftheterminwhichthatlabstarts.Forthatweek,youshouldreadand/orprepareinadvanceforthecominglab’sexpectations.Youwillthengotoyourlabsession,doalabactivitiesaspartofasmallgroup(3students,typically—butlabteamsmaychangeweektoweek),andcompleteawrittengroupLabReport.

Yourlabsessionisthreehours(170minutes,actually).Somelabsrequireallthistime,soifyoudon’treadthelabactivityaheadoftime,you’llrunoutoftimeandhavetoscheduleamake-uptime.Beready!ThelabTAwillfillyouinondetailsaboutequipment,etc.,butyoushouldwalkinalreadyknowingthebasicactivityitself.Thelabsoffer(demand)ahighdegreeofautonomyfromyouandyourlabgroup.Neither the TA nor the written lab material will offer you a “cookbook” guide as to what to do; you will be, to a large degree, designing your own experiments.

Lab reports: Thelabactivityisindeedgroupwork,andyourgroup’sresponsesintheLabReportmustbeputintoyourandyourlabpartners’ownwords.Turninyourgroup’sreport(containingeachpartner’sname)toyourlabTAbeforeanyofyourgroupleavesthelab.

Take-home portions of lab: Many(butnotall)labswillincludeatake-homeexercisetobedonelater—individually—andturnedin(toyourLabTA’sbox).DuedatesareshownontheCourseCalendarandoneachexercise.Do not confuse these take-home lab portions with Homework (HW) assignments! Anyassignmentwiththeword“lab”attachedtoitispartoflabandshouldbesubmittedtoyourLabTA,nottotheHWsubmissionbox.

Scoring: YourlabTAwillscoreyourgroup’sLabReportduringtheweekafterthatlab,returningitthefollowinglabsession.Certainrandomlychosenitemsfromeachreportwillbescored,sotherawtotalpointspossiblemayvaryfromweektoweek.However,thisrawtotalwillberecali-bratedto100pointstotalpossiblefortheterm(whichincludesthetake-homeportionsofthelabsthatarescoredseparatelyandhandedbackwithinaweekoftheirduedates).

Lab Zeroes: Ifforanyreasonyouearnzeropointsforeitherthelabreportorthetake-homeportionofanylab,thatwillresultina“LabZero”forthatweek.You do not want any Lab Zeroes.Why?BecauseforeachLabZeroyouhaveattheendoftheterm,yourtotalcoursescoreisreducedby5%.Example: Suppose, after the entire term is done, you have earned 540 points out of 1000. Normally this would be a C grade for the course, but if, in accumulating those 540 points, you had one Lab Zero (say you were absent one week and didn’t make that up in Week 10—or say that you failed to turn in a take-home portion), you would lose 27 points. That’s 5% of 540. This would then give you 513 points, a C– for the term. Bottomline:Don’t miss labs (andofcourse,thenprepare/participatefully), and don’t skip the take-home portions. You have to do both parts each week!

Making up lab reports: Week10(Tuesday-Friday)isdesignatedaslabreportmake-upweek.LabTAswillbeinthelabduringallnormallabtimes,andtherewillbevariousapparatusfromtheterm’spreviouslabsarrangedandavailableforyoutodothelabsandpreparethereports.You are allowed to make up no more than 2 (two) lab reports during any make-up week.(Note,youdonotneedtorestrictyourselftothelabhoursofyourownlabTAduringmake-upweeks.)

Making up take-home lab work: Theduedatesforthetake-homeportionsoflabarefirm.Ifyouarelatewithanysuchassign-ment,youcanstillgetsomecreditbyturningitinno later than March 16 at 5:00 p.m.,butthecreditwillbejust1/4ofwhatitwouldhavebeenotherwise.Beyondthatpoint,you’veearnedaLabZeroforthatlab.


“If my group gets a really low score on a lab report, may we re-do it?”Yes.Butthat,too,isamake-uplab(oneoftwomaxi-mum)thatyoucoulddoonlyduringthemake-upweekwherethatlabissetup.

“Are lab activities/procedures covered on exams?”Notthelabreports.Allevaluationsofyourworkinthelabcomefromthelabreports.However,thetake-homelabportionscoverbasiccourseconceptsandmethods—thosearefairgameontheexams.




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HW policies

Overview: TherearePrepproblemsetspostedeachweek(orsometimesadoublesetovertwoweeks)—lookforthebluelinksontheCourseCalendar.ThesearetohelpyoupreparefortheactualHWsets(oneHWsetpostedperexamunit—orangelinksontheCourseCalendar).YouwillnotturninanyPrepproblemsolutions,butyouwillturninyourcompletedHWsets(tothe

HWTA’sbox—seetheContactspageonthecoursewebsiteforthatinformation).

Solutions: Prepproblemsolutionsareposted24-48hoursafterthatproblem’s“do”date(shownontheCourseCalendar).HWsolutionsarepostedveryshortly(withinminutes)aftertheirturn-indeadlines.


“Why do we have both Prep problem sets and Homework (HW) sets?”ThePrepproblemsareforyourpractice—youdon’tturnthoseinforcredit,andyoushouldbedoingtheseafewatatime,pacingasindicatedontheCourseCalendar(andtheirsolutionswillbepostedonthatsamepace,about1-2daysaftertherecommended“do”datefortheproblems). You will NOT have good success with the HW sets—or the exams—if you haven’t worked Prep problems! (They’reallfromexamsinpastyears—asaretheproblemswewillbeworkingtogetherinclass.)

TheneachHWsetispostedaboutaweekbeforeanexam.Thisisintentional,becausetheHWsetislikeapracticeexam—brand-newproblemswithalltheconceptsmixedtogether—soyouwon’tbereadyforituntilwehavecoveredalltheconceptsfirst.ConsidertheHWsetstobeyourfinalprepforexams(andnotethatyouwillhavefullaccesstostudylastyear’sactualexamandsolutions,too).

“How will I know my HW scores?”TheHWTAgraderwillscoreyourworkandthenreturnittome—pickthatupinmyoffice.Butthatmaynotbeforuptoaweekafteryouturnitin,andtherewillbetheexaminthemeantime.SoyoushouldalwayskeepacopyofyourcompletedHW,becauserightaftertheHWduedeadline,allofthoseHWsolutionswillbeposted.

“So, what’s the best way to study using the Prep problems?”Firstandforemost:Workafeweachday—do NOT put off all your Prep practice until a few days before the midterm.Thatisarecipeforfailure.This is why the Course Calendar shows a few recommended Prep problems each day—that’s the pace you should try to follow—and you won’t be able to do well on the HW or the exams without this work! Definitelytryeachproblemforyourselffirst—withoutlookingatthesolution(ifthatsolutionisindeedalreadyposted).Reallyworkituntilyou’vedoneitorgoneasfaraspossible—andthatmeansseekout“partial”help,withclassmates/studypartnersorofficehoursvisits.(Notehere,too:Often,issuesrelatedtoPrepproblemswillbepartofthelecturehour—bringyourclickerandbepreparedtotearintothetoughpartsinagroupsetting.)

“DoIneedtofinishallofeachPrepsets?”“Need”istherightwordtousehere.YoushoulddoPrepproblemsuntilthetopicsaremakingsense—untilyou’re“conversant”ifnot“fluent”withthephysicstoolsyou’repracticing.Thatmaybetrueafterafewitems;itmaynot.You’llneedmorepracticeonsometopicsthanothers(andeachpersonisdifferent).Soyou work them until you don’t need any more practice—only then should you try last year’s exam and the HW set.

Exam policies

Overview: Therearetwogroupmidtermexams,each80minutesinduration.Thereisonegroupfinalexam,110minutesinduration.(Checkthecoursecalendarforallexamdatesandtimes.)Midterm1isworth250points.Midterm2isworth200points.Thefinalexamisworth250points.Eachexamemphasizesthemostrecentmaterial,butall exams are cumulative;useofmaterialthatwasbasictopreviousexamsisfairgame.

Allexamsareclosed-book,butyou’reallowedone8.5”x11”sheetofpaper,withanynotesyouwantonit(bothsides),so long as they’re in your own handwriting.You’realsoallowedacalculatorofanytype,providedthatitdoesn’tsendorreceivewirelesscommunications(nolaptops,palmtops,PDAs,cellphones,etc.).Always bring pencil(s), eraser, and your OSU ID.

Scoring: TheexamsarescoredbyTAs—oneTApersectionorproblem,sothatscoringforthatitemisconsistentacrossthewholeclass(andpointvaluesareshown,tohelpyoubudgetyourtime)..

Reviewing your exam: Ittakesaweektoscoreandrecordexams.Thenthey’reavailableforpick-up(inWngr309).YoumustpresentyourOSUIDtopickupscoredwork.Whenyougetyourexamback,besuretocheckthescoringagainstthesolutions(whicharepostedshortlyaftertheexam).Ifyoufinddiscrepancies,do not make any marks on your exam.Instead,fileanexamappeal.



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Exam Appeals: TofileanexamappealyoumustusetheExamAppealFormandfollowallofitsinstructions.Asyouwillreadonthatform,youmustidentifytheproblem/itemandspecificallywhythescoringisincorrect,etc.ItisNOTsufficientsimplytosay“IthinkIdeservedmorepointsforthis.”Youhavetosaywhy.Andastheformrecommends,thebestapproachforthisistouseaphotocopyofyourexamandbasically“re-score”theprobleminquestion,asifyouwerethegrader,showinghowyourversionofthescoringismorealignedwiththepostedsolution.

LeaveyourappealfortheinstructorinWngr301(thePhysicsDepartmentoffice).Hewillac-ceptforreviewallappealsthatarefiledbythedeadline(andmakeeveryefforttoreviewandreturnthempromptly),butnoappealswillberevieweduntilafterthedeadlinehaspassed.

Theinstructor’sdecisionsonappealsarefinal;therearenore-appealsatthecourselevel.Ifyouwishtore-appealatahigherlevel,youshouldpromptlynotifyinwriting(anemailisfine)theHeadofthePhysicsDepartment—andcopytheinstructoronthisnotice,aswell.Youwillthenreceiveinstructionsonthenextstepinthatprocess.


“What are the exams like?”About4-5daysbeforeeachexam,fulldetailsarepostedaboutit:examroomlocations,whattoex-pect,what’s“fairgame,”whatinformationwillbeprovided(andwhatwon’t).Lastyear’sexamisalsoposted.The best guides as to the scope and depth of the exams are the Prep problems and the HW. EachexamisalotlikeaHWproblemset,actually(butagain,withall-newproblems).Labactivitiesaregenerallynotcoveredonexams;take-homelabconceptsare,however.

“Theexamsdon’treflectwhatIknow.Istudyhard,andIthinkIreallygetthisstuff,butthenIgettotheexamsandIjustfreezeup or make mistakes I wouldn’t normally make. How can I improve my exam performance?”Alotofdifficultiescomefromsim-plylosingconfidenceandpoiseintheexams—yourushandmisreadthingsyouwouldn’twhennotundertimepressure.SousetheHWsettopractice!Putyourselfundertimedconditions—seehowyoudo,correctyourmistakes,scoretheresults,identifythemissingconcepts.Themoreyoudothis,thebetteryou’llget.Andthentheotherquestionis:AreyougettingfromthePrepandclassproblemswhatyoushouldbe?They’renotjustbusywork—they’reintendedforyoutostudyandgeneralizefrom,sothatwhenyouencountertestquestionswithnewsituations,youcanrecognizethesamephysicsprinciplesoperatingthere,too.

“Whyaretheexamssodifficult?”Physicsisadifficultsubject—noquestionaboutthat(butseethecommentsbelowabouthowtodowell).Theexamsareactuallywrittentobeasbriefandaseasyaspossiblewhilestilltestingtoseeifyoureallyunderstandthematerial.But“understandthematerial”doesn’tmeansimplymemorizingcertainproblemsorsituationsorrecognizing/regur-gitatingformulas.Itmeanscorrectlyapplyingthephysicsprinciplesyou’velearned—andthe only way to test that is to ask you to apply those principles in situations you’ve not seen before.Thisisadifferentsortoflearningandadifferentkindofexamthanwhatyoumaybeusedtoinothercourses,sotherawclassaveragesontheexamsaretypicallybetween40and50%—butdon’tpanicaboutthis.Youmaybeusedtogetting70-90%onexamsinothercourses,butalowerpercentageexamaverageheredoesnotmeanyou’refailing—noreventhatyou’reheadedforalowergrade:Note the grading scale—andtrackyourprogress!

“WhenwefirstencounteratopicinreadingorBeforeClassitems,itseemsfairlysimpleandeasybyitself,butthenwhenitap-pears on exams, it’s all mixed up with other topics. Why?”That’stheonlywaytotellifyoucanunderstandwhen/howacertainphysicsprincipleisoperating:whenyoucandistinguishitcorrectlyfromothers.BeforeClassitemsandtextbookmaterialsalonearenotsufficientpreparationforexams.Lecturesarehopefullygoingtoshowyouhowto“thinkoutloud”asyouapproachnewproblems,butyoustillneedtocontinueonyourown,throughthe Prep problems, and the HW sets.YouwillnotdowellinthecoursesimplybydoingtheBeforeClassandclassactivities.Youneedtogoin-depthandpractice.(Consider:Adictionaryisasuccinctlistofwordsanddefinitions,butyoudon’tlearntoreadandwritebystudyingadictionary.Youneedtoseeexamplesofwriting,andthenpractice—andpracticesomemore.Youlearnbydoing—notbyseeing.)

“The problems on the exams take so long—they’re like the HW problems. How can you expect us to do them in the time allowed on the exams?”Beforeworryingaboutfinishinganyproblem—grindingoutthemathandgettingananswer—youshouldbesetting up the problem.About70-80%ofthecreditforanyHWorexamproblemisfordoingthat—notforcrunchingdowntoananswer.Thesetup--that’sthe“SpotthePhysics”skillwe’llbeworkingoninclassalot.Sounless/untilyouaregettingallthesetupscorrectonexamproblems,youshouldn’tbeworryingabouthowlongtheytaketofinish—the partial credit you’ll be getting will add up to excellent exam scores anyway.The“finish”portionofmostphysicsproblemsisessentiallymath—butthat’saftertherealworkhasbeendone:Eachexamproblemisaboutranslatingthephysicssituationfromonelanguage(English)toanother(math)inordertounderstanditmoreclearly.Physicsisthestory;mathismerelythelanguagewetellitin.

http://www.physics.oregonstate.edu/~coffinc/COURSES/ph212/Exams/ExamAppeal.pdf


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Grading policies

General discussion:

Besidestheexams(worth700pointsovertheterm),therearethreeotherpartstothecourse(clickers,labandHW)inwhichyouearnpoints.Afull30%(300points)isofferedintheseways,abuilt-inincentivetoactivelyparticipateinallthosepartsofthecourse,whereyou’relearningthinkingandcommunicationsskills,inadditiontophysicsprinciples.Ingeneral,ifyoudowellwiththethreenon-examparts,itwilltypicallyraisesyourgradeatleasthalfaletterabovewhatyou’dhaveasaresultofyourexamaveragealone.Sousethoseotherpartsofthecourseasintended:“Maxout”thosepointsbyworkinghardandmonitoringyourunderstandingasyougo,anditwillserveyoutwofold:Theextrapointsyouearninthecourse;and(moreimportantly)theworkhabitsandpreparationitgivesyou.Bytheway,note:ThepercentagesyouwillearnforclickerandHWforthetermwillneverbelowerthanyourexamaverage.Say,forexample,thatyouhaveearneda75%examaverage(525pointsoutof700),butonly,say,50%(50/100)forclickers.Yourclickerscorewouldbeadjstedautomaticallytomatchyourexamaverage(75%)—you’dgetcreditfor75/100forclicker.AndlikewiseforHW.Butthis is NOT true for lab—only for clicker and HW.Note,too:Thegradingscalehasa“borderline”policy.Undercertainconditions,if your earned point total for the term is within 10 points of the next grade cutoff line,you’removedtothatgrade.Thoseconditionsareasfollows(youmustsatisfythemall):(i)Completeallyourworkinlab(noLabZeroes);(ii)turninallthreeHWassignments,allreasonablyattemptedandoriginalwork;(iii)maxoutyourclickerscore(100/100—nothardtodo—seepage7here);and(iv)showsteady/improvedexamperfor-manceduringtheterm(soyourfinalexampercentagemustequalorexceedyouroverallexampercentagefortheterm).


“Are the exams—or the course overall—graded on a curve?”No.Butsometimesadjustmentsaremadefordifficulty.Here’sthedistinction:A“curve”meansthattheinstructorlooksatthedistributionofpointsearnedbyallstudentsandarbitrarilydividestheA’sfromtheB’sfromtheC’s,etc.--basedon“natural”cutoffpoints(i.e.wheretherearen’tverymanyscores,and/orwherethehighestandlowestscoreslanded).That’snotdoneinthiscourse;thegradingscaleisfixed.Buteachmidtermexammayhaveanadjustment—pointsaddedtoeveryone’sscore,basedupontheinstructor’sestimationofthatexam’sdifficulty.Thisgivesyoutheclearestpossiblepictureofwhereyoustandasthetermgoesalong.Thenthefinalexamadjustmentisnotonlyforthedifficultyofthatexambutalsoasaretrospectivejudgmentforthetermasawhole.Thisfinaladjustmentis,byinstructorpolicy,alwayssufficienttogettheclassaveragetoC.Butthereisnoattemptto“shape”acurveanddivideitintoA’sthroughF’s.Everyone can earn a high grade in this course;there’sno“minimumquota”ofD’sorF’s.“I got an F on my exam. Am I going to fail the course?”No,youdidn’tgetanFonyourexam.Youdidn’tgetanylettergradeatall—it’salljustpointsinyourtotal,andthere’snolettergradeassociatedwiththattotaluntiltheendoftheterm.Anddon’tforgetthatafull30%ofyourcoursegradeisearnedvialecture,labandHW—yourexamsareNOTthewholepicture.To see where you really stand,you’llneedtocalculateyourcurrentgradecorrectly.It’syourresponsibilitytodothis.“My lab TA is a tough grader, but other TAs are easier. My friends are getting more points for their groups’ lab reports than I am for mine, and yet I know we had similar results. How is this fair? Those points affect our grades!”Yes:SomeTAsaremoreparticularininsistingthatyougivemorecompleteanswers.Theyallgetthesameanswerkeys/rubricsfromtheinstructor,butofcourse,they’reallhuman;eachhashis/herownstyle.Sotheinstructor’sspreadsheetisdesignedtodetect,week-by-week,if/whencertainTAshavebeentoughergradersthanothers.Andtheplayingfieldisthenautomaticallyre-leveled—byaddingsomepointstothestudentswithtoughTAs—soessentiallyyou’reallbeinggradedbythesame(themostlenient)measuringstick.SobegladifyouhaveastrictTA,becauseifyoucanlearntogetgoodscoresfromhim/her,thenwhenthespreadsheetaddspointstocompensateyoufortheextrarigor,you’llhave“icingonthecake,”points.SitdownwithyourTAandgooveryourscoredlabreportsandfindoutwhereyoumissedpoints.Youhavetheanswerkeysalready—therubricsthatappearinyourlabmaterials.“This course is so hard—aren’t you causing a lot of students to fail?”No,actually.AccordingtoAcademicRegulation17,agradeof“C”(GPA2.00)issupposedtobetheaveragegrade.Soifthegradingscaleweremoreconventionalinhowitinter-pretedanormaldistributionofscores(i.e.areasonablysymmetric-lookingbellcurve),only about half of the students would be getting grades of C or better in this course.ButlastterminPH211,forexample,ofthe461studentswhoenrolled,305ofthem(that’s66.2%)gotagradeofCorhigher.Inotherwords,wereportedthat2outofevery3studentswere“average”orbetter.“But still, this course is way too hard and too much work for a 200-level course!” Thatcommentsimplyreflectsunrealisticex-pectationsbroughtfromothercoursesorschools.There’snothinginanyOSUARthatsays200-levelcoursesare“supposedto”requireonlyacertain(modest)leveloftimeandeffort.Physicsisadifficultsubject—moresothanmanyothers.Buteventhen,itsworkloadisnotoutofline:OSU’sownAcademicSuccessCenterlistsguidelinesforaveragetimebudgetinginanycourse attheuniversity—2-3hoursofstudytimeforeveryhourinclass.That’sexactlywherethiscourseis,if you spend your time studying in the manner prescribed (which is quite different than you may be accustomed to).


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How to do well: notes from the instructor

Comments on the topic and the course:

Whatisthepurposeofthiscourse?Foralmosteveryone,it’sarequiredcourse;fewtakeitasanelective.Andnowonder:It’sintense,fast-paced,wide-ranging,time-consuming—andmoredifficultthanmostothersciencecourses.

So,whyisthiscourserequiredforyourmajoratall?Whatdo“we”(whoever“we”are—youradvisors,professors,admissionsofficers,futureresearchorindustrycolleaguesandemployers)wantyoutowalkawaywithfromacourseinGeneralPhysics?Oneover-archinggoalisoneyoumaynothavefullyconsidered(orencountered)beforenow:Wewantyoutobeabletothinkclearlyaboutcomplexproblems—onesyou’veneverencounteredbefore—usingthefamiliarprinciplesandpracticalreasoningaboutthephysicalworld:“Whatisthisnewsituationsimilar—tothatI’vealreadyseen?”“WhatmustthesolutionapproachifIsimplifyit—orletitproceedtosomelogicalextreme?”Wealsowantyoutobeabletoclearlyandcompellinglycommunicateanddefendthisreasoningtoothers,includingacknowledgingyourassumptions,yourmodels,andtheirinherentlimitations.

Theothermajorgoalhere,ofcourse,isthebasiccontentitself:Wewanttogiveyouathoroughgroundinginbasicphysics—mechanics,fluids,electricity/magnetism,optics,etc.—sothatinyourprofessionalcareers,youcanrecognizeandworkwiththeprinciples,terminologyandunitsofphysics.

Inotherwords,wewantyoutobecome“literate”inbasicphysics.Ifyouareliterateinagivenlanguage,itmeansyoucanreadandwriteit,synthesizingand/orrespondingtonewideaswithunderstandingandflexibility.Itwouldnotbecorrecttosay,forex-ample,thatsomeoneis“literate”ifhe/shehasmerelymemorizedthespellingandpronunciationofalistofwordsorphrases.Youcantrainaparrottodothat—andthebirdhasnoideaofthemeaningofthesoundsorsymbols(nor,ofcourse,howtocombinetheminnewwaystodealwithnewsituations).

Sothiscourseisnotaboutmemorizingformulasorverbatimdefinitions.Thatwouldbelikememorizingalistofspellingwords.Thiscourseismorelikeacourseinvocabulary,grammarandphonetics—aboutgraspingthemeaningsandconnectionsbetweentheprinciplesandformulasofphysics.That’swhytheT/F/Nitemsontheexamsaskveryexactquestionsaboutthemeaningsandimplicationsofwhatyou’velearned—oftenwithnocalculationsinvolved.Andthat’swhythelongerPrep,HWandexamitemsarebuiltthewaytheyare:Theywillputtogethertheideasthatarepresentedseparatelyinclassandinthetext—togetherinwaysthatshould be recognizabletoyouifyou’retrulygraspingthemeaningoftheprinciples,ratherthanjustmemorizingtheformulasandsymbols.Inotherwords,ifyoureallyknowyourvocabulary,grammarandphonetics,thenyou’llhavenotroubleonanexamcomprehendinganewsentencemadefromfamiliarwordsandideas(andlikewise,you’llhavenotroublespellingorpronouncingawordyou’venotencounteredbefore)—noranytroubleexplainingyourselfandjustifyingyourreasoning.

Now,thinkabouttheothersciencecoursesyou’vehad:chemistry,biology,etc.Withoutquestion,itisnecessarytodoaLOTofmemorizationinthosesubjects,becausetherearejusttoomanycomplexphenomena—andyourpurposeisnottoreduceallthebehaviorsyouseetoafewunderlyingprinciples.Butphysicsistheconverse:It’sthestudyofthe(very)fewprinciplesthatap-parentlyoperatewithoutexceptiononeverythingintheuniverse—andwhichgiverisetotheastoundingvariationyouseeinsay,chemistryandbiology.Physicsistheonefieldwherewecanlookatabaseball,aplanetandaparticleasbasicallythesamesortof“thing”whenitcomesto,say,motion.Eachisjustanobject—andeachobeysthesameprinciplesofmotion.

Physicsisthesciencewherewetrymosttoseeprinciplesinaction—togeneralize—notmemorizephenomena.Andthatiswhatcanmakephysicsdifficultifyou’vebeenimmersedawhileinothersciences.Youhavetostartthinkingdifferently—startseeingthesamephysicsinactionbehindlotsofdifferentsituations(andofcourse,it’sallexpressedintermsofmathematicalrelation-ships,soyourmathneedstogetsharpagain,too)—situationswhichmayormaynotcontainenoughinformation(ortoomuch,somebeingirrelevant).Yourtaskinthisregardis“SpotthePhysics.”

Ultimately,ofcourse,Ihavetojudgewhetheryou’velearnedbasicphysics“literacy”here—andhowtocommunicateitanddefendyourreasoning.

IwishIcouldofferyouacompletelyindividualized,self-pacedandself-guidedcourse,whereyoucouldstudyandprepareonyourownschedule,thenarrangeatimetocomeinandtakeanexamoneachtopic(includingquestionsthatrelatethattopictoothersyou’vealreadystudied,etc.).Andyoucouldtakeasmuchtimeasyouwishedoneachexam—andrepeatituntilyougotitright.Itwouldbegreat,wouldn’tit?Well,resourcesbeingwhattheyare,ofcourse,wehavetogetyoutherewithjustafewexams.Andmakenomistake,Idolettheexamsguideyourgrade—about70%ofit.ButIdorecognizehowhighthestakesbe-comeforthoseexams—andthey’rerigidlytimed,too.That’salotofpressure,andIknowthatfewofusdoourbestundersuchcircumstances.Undersuchpressure,it’softenhardtodemonstratehowmuchyoudounderstand.Iknowthis.Iacknowledgethis.Iamnodifferent.


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Withthatinmind,I’vegatheredsomethoughtsonhowtodowell—startingwiththese....

–Thisisachallenging4-creditcourse,withlab.Takeitseriously,getorganized,andgetfocused.Doallthereading,allthewriting—anddon’tletup.Thisisagoodpreviewofwhatprofessionalleveldedicationandconcentrationfeelslike(which,afterall,iswhereyou’reheadedwithyoureducation).Itwillrequire12-18hoursperweekofyourtime—spentproperly,asdescribedhere—outsideofclass).Getready,acceptthis,andplanonit.There’s no shortcut.

–Usethewebsitedailytostaycurrent—announcementsappearregularly,andthereisacompletecoursecalendar.Donotgetbehind!Thereisalotofmaterialtocover;thepaceisrelentlessanddemanding.It’shardtocatchup.

–Seekhelpearlyifyou’rehavingtrouble!Besidesmyofficehours,there’shelpfromTA’sinWeniger334.OfficehoursfortheTA’sinthiscoursearepostedundertheContactslinkonthissite,too.

–Allthesewarnings;allthiswork—whybother?Whatarethebenefitstomotivateyou?These:Dothiscourseright—reallygetyourtuitionmoney’sworth—andyou’llwalkoutasamoreroundedscientist,asharperproblem-solver,abetterthinkerandcommunicator.Andyou’llknowit;you’llhaveanewconfidence.Don’tsettleforless.

How to study and use the course:

Timeexpenditurealonedoesnotguaranteesuccessinthiscourse(rather,it’sguaranteedtobeimpossibleifyoudon’tspendthetime).Youneedtospenditintherightways.Asksuccessfulstudentswhohavebeenthroughthiscourse,andthey’relikelytogiveyouthefollowingadvice:

Watchforannouncementsdaily(includingweekends)—usuallysentviaCanvas,buttime-stampedonthecoursehomepage,too.

Dothematerial/exercisesrecommendedintheBeforeClass(andAfterClass)links.This(notinlecture)iswhereI’lldomuchofthetraditional“storytelling”—introducingthephysicsconceptsandtryingtoguideyourindividualstudyofthem.No,noneofthatmaterialis“required”(scoredforcreditinanyway).Butbelieveme,everythingwillmakefarmoresenseifyoufollowmyrecommendations.MUCHofthestoryiswhatIleadyouthrough“afterhours”(online),andI’llbeaskingaboutitwithclickerquestions.I’msavingourclasstimemorefordiscussing/developingourreasoning—thestuffthatwereallyneedtoseelive-and-in-personandtalkabout.Soplease:Do not skipthepre-andpost-lecturematerial/recommendationsIpostonline.Yes,thisisalotoftimetospendonthecourse—andyes,Iknowyouhavetobalanceyourtimewithothercoursesyou’retaking.Buttruly,IthinkI’msavingyoutimeinthelongrunoverthewholeterm.Thisisfarbetterthanputtingthingsoffandtryingto“cram”beforeexams—thatjustdoesn’tworkwithphysics.Andbytheway:Thisguidedstudyandextramaterialisinresponsetomanyconstructivestudentevaluationcommentsfrompastyears,wishingforbetterguidanceonhowtospendindividualstudytime.(“I spend so much time, but I don’t think I’m studying what I should be—I thought I knew this stuff, but when exam time came, I didn’t.”)SoIwanttodoabetterjobinguidingwhatyouthinkabout—andinwhatorder—asyoustudyonyourowntime.That’smyover-archinggoal—butI’mreviewing/preparing/postingmaterialaswego,sobearwithme.

Cometoclass.Thisshouldgowithoutsaying,butIneedtosayit.Iwilloftenposttheclassnotespriortolecture,certainlyaf-terward.ButthatwillbetheonlyrecordIleavewithyouastowhathappenedinclass—youreallygottabethere,inotherwords.DoIrecommendyoutakenotesduringclass?That’suptoyou,ofcourse—everyonelearnsdifferently—butjustrealizethattheformatofwhatwedoin“lecture”won’treallybetraditionallecture.Iwon’toftenstandupthereanddispensephysicscontenttoyouintheconventionalformatofalecture.Themainreasonweallgettogetherinoneroomistopracticeourreasoningandcommunicationsskills.Yes,thetopicwillbephysics,buttheagendaisreallylearningtocommunicatescientificandtechnicalunderstanding—tootherhumanbeings.Sodon’ttrytoplaystenographerofalltheconversations—you’llbetoobusyrecordingittoparticipatefullyyourself.Andit’sintheparticipationwheretheconceptswillsinkin—takethemhomein your mind already,notjustonpaper.

Beanactivelistenerandlearner.Don’tbelieveanythingIsayoranythingyouread(orhear/see)untilyou’vecheckeditoutforyourself—untilyou’veconfirmedit.That’showyoulearn—byre-creating(re-teaching)ittoyourself—evenifit’sjustmullingitoverinyourmindandrestatingitaftersomeoneelsehasstatedit.Theaphorismisabsolutelytrue:“You don’t really learn a subject well until you try to teach it to someone else.”Activelearningmeans,essentially:Beyourownteacher.Itworks.Ithastowork.Nobodycanteachyouasubjectlikephysics(ormath,ormostconceptualtopics,forthatmatter).Youcanhearthestoryfirstfromsomeoneelse,butthentoreallygraspitsmeaning,youhavetore-tellittoyourself.Obviously,ourclassformat—lotsofdiscussionandsmall-andlarge-groupdebates—aremeanttoencourageyoutouseyourownwordsalot.Takethatideaandgeneralizeittoyourstudysessions,too:Talktothewall,yourroommate,yourparakeet,whatever—justforceyourselftoformwordstoexpressyourideasandunderstandingofthephysics.It works.

Onegoodstepontheroadtoself-teaching,ofcourse,istoencounterthematerialandideasmultipletimes—fromdifferentanglesandperspectives.Everyterm,IgetcommentsthatthematerialmadesomuchmoresensewhentheTAsexplaineditlater(afteryouworkedthroughmymaterials,wenttoclass,workedPrepproblems,didtheHWassignments,etc.).Yes. That’s exactly how it works. You’llneedtohearthisstuffmultipletimes.That’snormal.


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Usetheclickerquestionsasthey’reintended:tohelppromptyourthinkingandgetthewordsflowingbothways—toyouandfromyou.Ipurposelyasksomeclickerquestionswhichmaynotseemfullyclear(orhavetoomuchextraneousinformation),orsometimeswherethebestanswerisamongthemostcommonwronganswers—the common mistakes and misconceptions.Idon’tdothistobe“tricky”orannoying.Idoitsothatyoucanmonitorwhetheryou’rereallygettingitorjustthinkyou’regettingit—that’sthepoint.Manyconceptsanddefinitionsinphysicsareeasytoconfuseifyou’renotcareful.That’swhatI’mtryingtoletyoudetectearly—sothatitdoesn’tshowuplater(ontheexam).Sotreateachclickerquestionasatruechallenge.Nomatterwhetherit’saconceptquestionoraconversationstarter,don’tjustbuzzinwithsomerandomanswerjusttogetcreditforbeingthere.That’sbeingpenny-wiseandpound-foolish.CountingclickercreditandthereasoningyoumustshowonallHWandexamproblems,fully half the points available in this course are for conceptual reasoning and for defending that reasoning.Don’toverlookthis.Andconsider:Youcangetreallygoodattheconceptsandcommunicatingthemevenifyounevergetthehangofwrite-outproblem-solving;butyouwon’tgetfaronthewrite-outproblemsifyoudon’tknowtheconceptsbehindthem.(Aha!)

Readeachlabbeforeyoucometothesession—withtheselabsespecially,youdon’tgetalotofspecificinstructions;essentiallyyoudesignyourownexperiments.Thelabsareoftenlengthy,soifyouspendtoomuch“get-up-to-speed”time,youwon’tfinish,andthenarrangingamake-uplabtimeisahassle.A word to the wise.

Usethetake-homeportionsofthelabsasthey’reintended:Theseareessentiallyworksheetswhereyoucanreallycrystallizeandcheckyourunderstanding—shoreitupbeforedivingintoPrep/classproblems(letalonetheHWsetsandexams).

Useallthehumanresourceswehaveavailable.TheTAsandIhavealotofOfficeHourseachweek(andbydefinition,OfficeHoursareopen—noneedforanappointment—thedoorwillbeopen,andyoucanjustdropin).AndrememberthatIamjustthelead“story-teller”andmain“discussionfacilitator”inthiscourse.AndIknowthathearingastoryjustonceseldomdoesitinphysics(itsuredidn’tforme).SoI’mnothurtorinsultedoranythingtoknowthatyou’regoingtogetthingsclarifiedbyoneofthemanyexcellentTAswehave.Iknowthesefolks.Ofthosereturningwithexperience,I’vespecificallyaskedthemtoworkwithmeinthiscourse.Icountonthemtoofferyoudifferentexplanations,differentwordsandpictures.Theyareterrific,asIhopeyou’llsoondiscover—andyoushouldfeelwelcomeintheirofficehours(andofcourse,mine).Donoteverforget:Wetogether—theTAsandI—areyourbiggestfans.We want you to do well.WewanteveryonetogetanA,infact(yes,that’spossible).Andwe’retheoneswhowriteandscoreyourexams(notsomefacelessbogeymanwitharedpensomewhere),andwe’rerootingforyouall—everyoneofyou.Ofcourse,we’renotgoingtogivepointsawaywithoutyoushowingyouknowyourphysics,butwe’recertainlygoingtolookbeyondgoofyarithmeticerrors,forexample,toappreciatewhatyoureallydotodemonstratethatyougraspedthephysics.Soifyou’rehavingdifficulties,comeonintoofficehoursand“thinkoutloud”withoneofus(andwithotherstudentswhoareinthesameboat—oftenthebestsessionsarewhenyouworktogetherinsmallgroupsandbouncetheideasaround).You teach each other—betterthanIcouldeverdo.

How to monitor your progress:

Thekeyinallthisistomonitorwhereyouare—andwhatyou’renotgetting.Usecoloredpens,stickynotes,whatever—makeapointtocomeinduringofficehourstocheckyoursolutionsandyourthinkingandtoironouttheroughspots,sothattheHWproblemscomemoreeasily.Theyareyour“dress-rehearsal”fortheexamproblems(andlabandlecturearedesignedtosharpenyourphysicscomprehensionandreasoning/communicationsskills.Andifyou’redoingalloftheabove,you’llhavenotroublecreatingameaningfulandusefulsheetofexamnotessheet—whichisthefirst,bestwaytostudyforeachexam.Thestudentswhodidtheaboveregularlydidbetterandbetterallterm—andallyear.They learned how to learn and communicate physics.

Successfulstudentsalsomonitortheirprogressandstandinginthecourse,so that they aren’t worried/distracted by it.Thelinkbelowtakesyoutoanexamplecalculationsheetyoucanusetoestimatefairlycloselywhereyoustandduringtheterm.Only YOU are responsible for knowing where you stand in the course.Sobesuretokeepaccuraterecordsofallyourscoredwork—includingyourclickerquestionsansweredinclass—regardlesswhetheryouwererightorwrong.

YourTAsshouldhandbackyourlabassignmentsaweekafteryouhandedthemin.Then,withallyourscoresinfrontofyou,youcanreadilycalculateyourstandingandprogressinthecourseatanyparticulartimeyouwish.Thebestexplanationofhowtodothatistoseeanexample—click heretodownloadthat.Theneitherdothearithmeticonpaper(aworksheettemplateisprovided),orclick hereforanExcelspreadsheetthatwillaccomplishthesamething(andnoticetheotherinformationofferedbythespreadsheet).

Tohelpyouinyourmonitoring,IwilloccasionallyusetheCanvasgradebookfeaturetopostallthescoresIhaveforyouto-date,plusanestimateofyourcurrentcoursepercentage,plusaroughcalculationofhowyouneedtoscorefromthenoninordertoachievecertainbenchmarkgrades.Thiswillhappenatleasttwiceaterm:oncenolaterthantheendofWeek3;againnolaterthantheendofWeek6.(AndifIhaveanyconcernsaboutyourprogress,Imayemailyou,too,aroundthosetimes.)

http://www.physics.oregonstate.edu/~coffinc/COURSES/ph212/Progress.pdf

http://www.physics.oregonstate.edu/~coffinc/COURSES/ph212/Progress212.xlsx


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Personal integrity:

ThissectionoftheSyllabusisincludedbecauseofafewincidents,bothlargeandsmall,thathaveoccurredovertheyearsinthiscourse.LetmeassureyouthatIamverywellaware—andveryappreciative—thatmostofyoudon’tneedthisreminder.IfIthoughtotherwise,Isimplywouldn’tdothiswork.ButIwanteveryonetoreadthis.

We(theverydedicatedTAsandotherstaffandI)choosethiscourse,despitethelonghours,mainlybecauseofthequalityofpeopleinit—that’syou.WorkingwithstudentslikeyouisthebestjobI’veeverhad.ButI’mverywellaware,too,ofthepres-sureofthiscourse—ofgradesandofthemajorsandcreditloadsyou’reallworkingunder.I’vebeenthere,too—andsohaseveryTAandeverymemberofthisdepartment.AndI’mheretotellyouthatnothing—nothing—isworththepriceyoupayifyoubuckleunderthatpressureandgiveintothetemptationtotakeunethicalshortcuts.Forthesakeofafewpoints,oranincreaseinagrade,youriskyourfuturecareer,thetrustofyourfriendsandcolleagues,yourownintegrity—andyourself-respect.Goodtrade?Noway.That’smathwecanalldo.

Nevertheless,apatternhasemergedinuniversityacademicsoverthepastfewyears.It’sapatternofthought,ofassumptionsaboutwhatshouldbeadjustedwhenthegoinggetstough.Therightassumptionisthatyouractions/habitsshouldbeadjusted.Thewrongassumptionisthattherulesshouldbeadjusted.Iamheretocautionyounottoslidetowardthatwrongassumption.Letmegiveyousomeexamplesofpastinstancesinthiscourse—again,notmany,butenoughforthisconcernandcaution:

Cheatingrarelystartswithsomeonethinking,“I’m going to cheat!”Ratheritstartswith,“I know this is against the rules, but—this one time—I really need to be an exception!”Inotherwords,itstartswiththeideathatoneneednotbearthefullconsequenc-esofone’sactionsifonecanjustfigureouthowtoduckthoseconsequences.That’swhattroublesmemost—it’sthatstartofareallyinsidioushabit,awayofthinking:“slidingby”issomehowOK,aslongasyoucangetawaywithit.

—Ihaveheardfromthoseaskingforpartial/fullcreditfornon-partial-credititems(“see, if I’d only used the right units or read that part of the question, I’d have answered it correctly”).(Yes,butyoudidn’t,soit’swrong.)Thereareplentyofportionsofthiscourse—abouthalfthetotalpoints—wherejudgmentiscalledforandforwhichpartialcreditisawarded.Butsomepartsareeitherrightorwrong.Aslongasthequestionsarewordedclearly(andIdothrowthemoutwhenIfailatthat)eitheryouansweritrightandgetallthepoints,oryoudon’tgetany.Everyoneofyouisaprofessionalintraining.Andprofessionalsdon’tgetpartialcreditfortheirscrew-upswhereit’simportanttogetitexactlyright.Professionalsadmittheirmistakes,fixthem,takefullresponsibility,andthenworkhardtofigureouthownottodoitagain.

—Ihaveheardstudentsmakingexcusesformissingdeadlines,assignments—orevenexamtimes(“I wrote it down but lost my notes” or “my web access went down”or“Icouldn’tfinditonthewebsite”or“I couldn’t be in class that day”).It’ssomeversionoftryingtoblameotherparties/circumstances—anythingexcepttheirownfailurestostayontopoftheirresponsibili-ties,tomanagetheirtime,andtoverifyortootherwisehaveaPlanBforallcrucialtimes/dates.Anyversionofthatblame-deflectingisveryunprofessional.Thisisn’thighschool.

—Ihaveheardfromthosewhoforgottowritetheirnamesontheirpapers,whoputtheminthewrongTAboxes,whoforgettobringclickersorcalculatorsorIDorpencils/eraser.(Insomecases,TAscametotherescue,buteventhen,afewwentsofarastoaskalsoforleniencyingrading“because of the distraction/time lost”tryingtofind/replacetheirmissingitems).

—Ihaveheardfromthosewholosttheirexamnotessheet(orotherwisedidn’thavetimetopreparetheallowedONEsheetofhandwrittennotes—whatpartofthatisunclear?),soasquickreplacementnotestheybroughtmultiplesheetsintoexams,expectingtherulestolooktheotherwaybecauseitwasan“emergency.”

Yougettheidea.Ineachsuchcase,thebadchoicewhenthingsgowrongistolookforanotherwayout—ratherthantosimplystandup,admititandfacethemusic.Can’trememberyourTA’snameorsection#orbox#?Forgetyournotessheetoryourcalculator?Doyourbestwithoutit(orwithjustonesheetofwhateveryoucanwritedownin30minutes)—itwillremindyoutopreparebetternexttime.Thesamegoesforlearningtoalwaysputyourcalculator(andleaveyourclicker!)inyourbackpack--andtotapeacopyofthecoursecalendarandyourTA’sinfoinyournotebook.Inotherwords,therightchoiceistotaketheconsequencesfornotyethavingadoptedtheresponsiblehabitsofaprofessional.

See,it’sthehope/assumptionthatonecanarrangetobeforgiven—tobeanexceptiontotheruleswhichlinkactionstotheirfullconsequences—that’stherealdangerhere.Notonlydoesavoidingtheconsequenceletyouavoidlearningtodobetterinthisparticularinstance,butthatwayofthinkingbecomesahabitinitself—it’samindsetthatisverydestructive.Allregulationssomehowstarttolooknegotiable—orevadable.Andsoonerorlateritboilsoverintooutrightcheating—takingrulesintoone’sownhands(“these don’t need to apply to me in this case”)andsettingthemaside.

Isthissobad—cheatingagainst“arbitrary”or“artificial”rulesinanacademicsetting?What’sreallyatstake,afterall?It’sjustafewmarksonapaperortranscript,right?Sure—andit’salsojustafewmarksonaledger,aresearchdatasheet,adesignspec.You’retrainingtobecomethenextgenerationofphysicalscientistsandengineeringprofessionals.Whomwouldyouratherhaveresearchingyourfuture—orbuildingyourcities,oradvisingyourgovernment?Someonewhoisinthehabitofbendingrulesand“slidingby”—orsomeonewhoisinthehabitof“sweatingthedetails”tomakesuretogetthemright?That’sthedifferencebetweenmediocrityandexcellence—betweenmakingthingsworseorbetter.


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Forminggoodhabitsforexcellencestartswithassumingthattheresponsibilityisonyoutochange,toadjust.Mostlawsandrulesthatyouencounterinlifedon’tcomewithclear,simpleexplanationsastowhythey’regoodandnecessary.Butmost—includingthoseinthiscourse—dohavegoodreasonsbehindthem.I’vegonetosomelengthsinthisSyllabustoexplainthosereasons.Butwhetherornotyou’vereadthose—oragreewiththem—isreallybesidethepoint.

Thepointis,thisisnotagame.Acollegedegreeisnotjustanartificialhoopyouhavetojumpthroughinordertoqualifytopursueaprofession.Thereisrealcontenthere—andit’snotjustthestuffinthetextbook.Thiscourseistough,noquestionaboutthat.Itspace,itssubjectmatter—everything—isverydemanding.Butassuch,itfunctions,too,asasortof“bootcamp”—forallsortsofprofessionalandlifeskillsthathavenothingtodowithphysics,butwhichareveryimportant:Communication,timemanagement,attentiontodetail,logical/analyticalthinking,clearandaccuratereading,settingpriorities,activelearning,self-disciplineandself-monitoringofunderstandingandcapacity.Itmaybeacoursecalledphysics,butalltheseaspectsendupbeingthereasanecessarysub-curriculumallthesame.Infact,thoseskillswillstickwithyoumuchlonger—andserveyouandevery-oneyouservemuchbetter—thanunderstandingNewton’sLawsorArchimedes’Principle,oranythingelseaboutphysicsitself.

Yes,it’spossibletogetthroughthiscourse,stayingwithinallitsrules,withoutfullydevelopingsuchprofessionalandlifeskills.Ifyoudo,you’recheatingyourself(andyouprobablywon’tscoreverywell,either)—it’suptoyou.Butifyoutrytoactually“navigate”aroundthecourserules,too,you’recheatingeveryone—andnotjusthereandnow,butdowntheroad,whenyouapplythatsamemindset,thatsamehabittoyourfuturework(i.e.toallofus).

Thisisnotgoingtohappenonmywatch—notifIcanhelpit.Idon’tliketoplaysecuritycop;Iliketoassumethebestofinten-tionsbyall,andusuallythatisthecase.ButIwanttobeveryclear:Ifwe(IoranyTAorotherinstructor)dodetectandcanverifyanyofthefollowing,theveryleastthatwilllikelyhappenisazeroforthatworkorforpartofthecourse:

—Bringingandusingotherstudents’clickers(orotherwiseimpersonatingthem)inclass.IfIseethis,IwillnoteallIDsin-volved,notifyallparties,andIwillrecommendthatallthosepartieswillreceiveazeroforclickerfortheentireterm.

—Takingexamsforsomeoneelse,orcopyingonexams—viawanderingeyesorothermethodsordevices(includingchanginganswerswhilewaitinginlinetoturninexams).Iftheyseethis,proctorswillconfiscatetheexam(s)inquestion—dependingonthecomplicityofthe“copyee”(somemaybeunaware).Anexamsoconfiscatedmaygetazeroscoreandpromptfurtherinvestigation.

—Usingillegalnotesorillegalcalculators/computers/communicationdevicesduringanexam.Azeromaybescoredforthatexamandpromptfurtherinvestigation.

—“Doctoring”ascored(returned)exam,thenappealingit.Letmebeclear:Iamveryhappytoreviewthescoringoryourexams.Wetrulywantyoutolookthemoveranddemonstrateanypointsthatyouearnedbutweremistakenlyomitted.Notonlydowewantyoutohavethepointsyoudeserve,butit’sagreattimetolearn/reviewthematerial.ButIdoaskyounottowriteonyourscoredexamforthisveryreason(andtheexamappealsprocessdescribeswhatyouneedtodo).Andpeoplegenerallyfollowthiswithnoproblems.AtOSU,Ihavedetectedonlyafewcasesofthissortofdishonesty—whichiseasilydocumented(we now photocopy all scored exams before returning them).Asoutrightfraud,thisisespeciallyegregious.

Learningisallaboutmakingmistakes.Thisisaplaceoflearning,soit’saplaceespeciallyfullofmistakes.Ioughttoknow:Imakeabunchofthemeveryday.Wealldo.Nobodyisheretoridiculeorhammeronyouformakinghonestmistakes,nomat-terhowcarelessorboneheaded.Weallgettired,distracted,frazzled.WhatI’mtryingtosayisthatNOmistakeofthatkindisunfixable—infact,that’swhatwe’rehereinlargeparttodo:tofigureoutwhat’sgoingwrongandmakeitright—not to pretend that it didn’t go wrong.

Soit’sfarbettertojustsayquietly,“I messed up—and I want to learn to do better.”Andaspartofthat,youmustaccepttheconsequencesofthatmistake.Ifyoudon’tfeeltheconsequences,youwon’tlearntoavoidthemthenexttime.Butthosecon-sequencesarealwayslessthanwhatcomesoftryingtoavoidthem(tryingtoputtheblameelsewhereorhidingtheerror).Andthereisnothingmoreimportant,morevital,thanhavingbeenunsuccessfulatsomethingfirst,butthen—throughMUCHeffortandfrustration—honestlyworkingitoutandfinallygettingitright.Nothingfeelsbetter—or is better.Idon’tcarewhatyourtranscriptsays,that’sthedefinitionofawinnerandasuccess—andthatqualitywilltakeyoualotfartherinlifethananyGPA.Ifyoudoubtme,justliveafewmoreyears.Butmeanwhile,please,don’tbargainawaythatqualityinyourself.Thatqualityisreallywhatyou’reheremosttodevelopandpolish—andwhyIsoenjoyworkingwithyou.


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Last comments:

Therearemanyofyouandjustoneofme,andIregretnotbeingabletospendmoretimewitheachofyou.Idotrytolearnnames,and(overthecourseofthreeterms),Idogettoknowmanyofyou,andtruly,that’sthebestpartofthecourseforme.AndIdon’tgettiredoftellingthisstory—Ilearnsomethingneweverytime.Thisisthe“grandtour”ofphysics—alongandevent-filled“busride.”I’myourdriverandtourguide—welcomeaboard.

Whatwillbethebestpartofthetripforyou?Idon’tknow—Ijustwanttomakesurethatthereisabestpartforyou.Iknowthatphysicsoftenloomsupassimplyahugemountainofworkandstruggleforstudents.Butit’sreallyhearteninghowoftentheywillsaytomeattheendofthecoursethateventhoughitwashardwork,theyenjoyeditandfoundatleastsometopicsreallyinteresting.Thatmakesitallworthwhile.Amidstalltheworkandhecticpace,mypersonalgoalisnotonlytoconveythemate-rialtoyoubuttohelpyoufindsomemeaninginitforyourself.Forallyourtimespentinthiscourse,Ireallyhopeyou’lltakesomethingwithyoumoreenduringthanjustagradeonatranscript.It’sanincrediblybeautifuluniversewefindourselvesin,andthestoryofthatbeautystartswithphysics.

ph 212 (general physics) -...

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