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- WELCOME! -
This is the web-page for PHYS 111, General Physics 1 (section 1, fall 2018). Materials on this webpage are meant to supplement information given to you in class itself. I'm not a big fan of OAKS, therefore any on-line supplementary material for the course you need can be found here. To the left and below, you'll find important links/syllabi/etc.If you'd like to find out more about me or the research we do in my lab, check out my main webpage.
- IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS!!!! -
September 17th, 2018 -- Tomorrow we return to campus to resume classes. This means we have missed exactly one week of classes. At present, it is difficult for me to give you definite dates for homework assignments, tests, etc. because the univerity's administration still hasn't informed us as to when our make-up days will be. We have 2 storm makeup days on the calendar (so I would assume those days will be on the list), but apart from that I don't know when the makeup days will be -- and where those occur in the semester will have major impact on how we revise our due-date and test schedules. For right now, here are the only things I can tell you for sure: Homework 4, originally assigned September 7th and originally due September 14th will now be due September 21st. Additionally, homework 5, given out in your lab section on September 14th, will NOT be due September 21st. Those problems will still be due at some point (perhaps they will be combined with another assignment), but they are not due in the next few days -- so don't fret about them yet. More information will be forthcoming in class -- especially once the administration lets us know the revised instructional schedule. Thank you for your patience while we wait on them.September 12th, 2018 -- No real new news, other than the fact that the storm track now seems to suggest that Hurricane Florence may be sticking around and affecting the South Carolina coast longer than we would have hoped. Please make sure you are somewhere safe and don't ignore any evacuation orders.
In regards to our class, we will adjust our schedule as need be as soon as we know when we can get back to class and develop some sense of normalcy. Homework 4 will be due the first Friday after we return to classes (whenever that is). Homework 5's due date will be TBA until we figure out when classes resume. It could be as soon as the first Friday after we return to classes, or it could be sometime after that. I will let you know when I can.
I have changed the date codes on the readings/videos/applets charts to be ???. I'll adjust those dates when I can -- but the topics listed are the next topics we will be covering upon returning to campus: forces continued, then a bit of a deeper dive into the force of friction, then on to an investigation of gravity in more detail (including Newton's Law of Gravitation), and then on to work and energy. Note that this ordering of topics may be different than the order in some textbooks you may be using.
This is likely the last update I will be able to make before landfall. Stay safe, and try to check this webpage if/when you can to see if I am able to update you on anything related to the course.
September 10th, 2018 -- I write this a few hours after it was announced that the Governer of the state of South Carolina has ordered a mandatory evacuation of all South Carolina coastal areas starting noon tomorrow. As such, CofC has cancelled classes until further notice. I have been given no information above and beyond what you have heard, but it is probably reasonably safe to speculate that we will be unlikely to start classes anytime yet this week, as landfall isn't expected until Thursday and it will take at least a little time after landfall for everyone to make it back to town. That being said, if the hurricane takes an abrupt left-turn and for some reason we are brought back to the Charleston area sometime this week, I will post a revised plan here.
Thus, assuming that we won't be meeting again until September 17th, here's the revised plan: (1) Continue working on your current homework set (HW 04) and the additional homework set I handed out in class today (HW 05). As of right now, we'll say that HW 04 AND HW 05 are due on Friday, September 21st. It is possible that the due date for HW 05 will be pushed back, but for the time being we will continue to operate under the assumption it will be due on the 21st.
I still plan to have an exam on September 28th. The content of that exam will become clearer as we get closer to the date of the exam, but it is safe to assume that the exam will include content from dimensional analysis/units, vectors, one-dimensional kinematics, and two-dimensional kinematics. I also think it is quite likely there will be exam content on dynamics/forces, but how much of that content will be on the exam will be made clearer as we near the exam date.
Besides working on the homework, what else should you be doing? The best thing you can do is read the content from your book and/or watch the videos and play with the applets in the chart below. Whenever we come back, these will be our next topics and I hope to cover those slightly quicker than normal to make up for some lost time. As such, the more reading and/or video watching you can do to stay up on the content, the better.
If/when I hear more information about coming back to campus, I will post it in this part of the webpage. Good luck and stay safe.
Departmental Tutors List. Each semester, the Physics and Astronomy Department provides a list of advanced students who might be interested in tutoring. Here is that list for Fall 2018. Please read the material on the top of the sheet before contacting one of these potential tutors to know the context.
- About This Course -
This course is the first in a two-semester survey of Calculus-based General Physics. Throughout this year, you will be introduced to most of the major areas of Physics including Mechanics, Thermodynamics, Oscillations and Waves, Electricity and Magnetism, Special Relativity, Quantum Mechanics, and various other elements of Modern Physics like Atomic and Nuclear Physics.The first semester of the sequence (this course) is devoted to the study of mechanics (kinematics and dynamics of solids and fluids), thermodynamics, and oscillations/waves.
This course is meant to be introductory in nature (in that you aren't expected to be familiar with the basic concepts we will be discussing prior to taking the class), but that does not mean it will be easy. (100 level courses do not mean easy -- they mean little prerequisite knowledge expected). This is a challenging course that may require continuous and substantial effort to achieve success. I will do everything within my power to assist you in the learning process, and I desperately want you to succeed. That being said, Physics is a quantitative and objective discipline -- you will be evaluated on your success in applying the principles we will be introducing in this course in a problem solving context. Some of you will excel at this, others will struggle. Effort alone is not enough to ensure a good grade.
- When you are struggling.... -
Part of maturing as a thinker is learning how and when to get help. When I was a student, I had an aversion to seeking extra help from my professors and classmates and ultimately I now know this was to my detriment. I encourage you to work with your classmates on the homework, form study groups, come to office hours/help sessions, and make use of the tutoring opportunities available to you. Make use of these resources! You don't get bonus points for figuring it out totally on your own, and you'll be surprised how much you can gain out of the process of talking through this stuff with other people, whether they are your professors, your classmates, or your pets. If, at any time, you feel like things aren't going like they should in this class -- see me immediately! I can help you get the assistance you need, or maybe even put you on the right path myself.- Step by Step Guide in How to Succeed in PHYS 111 -
Like all classes, what you ultimately will get out of taking this class is directly related to how much effort you put into the course. This material is challenging -- especially for a 100 level course -- but it CAN be done, if you put in the necessary effort.- Attend class daily, pay attention, and be an active participant. (Take notes, ask questions, etc.)
- Read your textbook and/or watch the linked videos
before class! (It may be confusing on this first exposure, but this way when you hear it in lecture you'll be hearing it for the second time. If you hear it in lecture the first time, you will almost certainly be confused. If you are kind-of/sort-of familiar with the content in advance, then -- when hearing it in lecture -- you can identify what things are still confusing and ask effective questions). Reading a textbook -- especially before hearing the lecture on the topic -- is likely the most important thing you can do to succeed in this class. - Complete all homework (
including reading a text! ). - When confused or lost, seek help
right away! (Via office hours -- normally scheduled or by appointment, sessions at the tutoring center, attending and participating at the regularly scheduled problem solving sessions, or through help from private tutors. There are many resources available for extra help if you need it, but you can't wait until the end of the semester to turn things around!) - When preparing for tests, rework problems you've seen before -- the ones done in class, during problem solving sessions, or non-assigned questions in assorted texts (most introductory physics texts have at least some of the answers in the back of the book). Get help on any questions you do not understand. I'm happy to work any problems for you independently, except for assigned homework problems before they are do. (I will give you help/hints on these problems if you come see me, but I won't just do the homework for you.)
- Don't wait until the last minute to start your homework! Sometimes you'll struggle for a while with a problem, and need to come back to it several times to develop a plan of attack. You can't do that if you're starting it 6 hours before it is due.
My homework is not easy! Sometimes, successfully solving a single problem is a productive evening's work. Budget your time accordingly! (If you have any doubts about this, ask around the Physics upper-classmen; they will vouch for the seriousness of my homework sets).
- Class Readings / Videos -
As mentioned above, you should be reading the appropriate parts of a text and/or watching the videos posted here BEFORE class. Success in class may depend on it, so don't take this lightly. Even though the only graded homework is listed below, that doesn't mean that this is less important. All readings are described by basic topic, since I suspect you might use a variety of different texts to support your learning in this class.(Chart will be updated through the semester.)
- Homework Assignments -
Assignment 1(PDF) (due date: 8/24/18)Assignment 2(PDF) (due date: 8/31/18)
Assignment 3(PDF) (due date: 9/7/18)
Assignment 4(PDF) (revised due date: 9/21/18)
Assignment5 (revised version)(PDF) (due date: 10/5/18)
Assignment 6(PDF) (due date: 10/12/18)
Assignment 7(PDF) (due date: 10/19/18)
Assignment 8(PDF) (due date: 11/2/18)
Assignment 9(PDF) (due date: 11/9/18)
Assignment 10(PDF) (due date: 11/16/18)
Extra Homework (Not Graded)(PDF)
- Test Information -
We plan to have 3 in-class midterms as well as a final exam. To give you as much time as possible to complete these exams, I will allow you to start the exams no later than 7:30 AM in our normal classroom. Our expected exam dates are as follows:Friday, September 28th, 2018
Friday, October 26th, 2018
Friday, November 30th, 2018
The (cumulative!) final exam is scheduled for Wednesday, December 5th, from 12-3 PM
Last updated: 11 November 2018