Welcome to the Hughes discussion section of Phys101a, conducted by Walter Smith. Meeting two additional days per week, this section is intended to offer extra insight, discussion and review about the fundamentals of classical and modern physics.
On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, in a room TBA, Froney Crawford will teach class material that includes both sections together. The schedule for these meetings, including lectures, requirements and tests, for which both sections are responsible, is included on the main webpage for Phys101a. The schedule for the discussion section will be maintained on this webpage. As principal sources of information for the course, please check both webpages regularly. Each student in either section of Physics 101 will have a lab that meets roughly every other week on either Tuesday or Wednesday, 1:15 to 4pm in room KINSC H105.
On Tuesdays and Thursdays, in a room TBA, I will teach only the students in the discussion section. These meetings will include interactive learning segments that engage students in problem solving and analysis of concepts. Grouping itself, on occasion, into smaller units the class will discuss alternative solutions to physical dilemmas, actively learning about the principles and methods that underlie physics.
Hints for effective problem
solving:
Hecht has many good suggestions for improving your
problem solving ability and it is definitely worth reading these in each of his
chapters and trying to adopt them. Here are a few additional ideas (courtesy of
S.Amador Kane):
·
If possible, make a sketch of the situation.
·
Explain your answers briefly, even when not
asked to do so.
·
Watch out for extraneous information. Hecht
gives you more information than you need in some problems to help you learn to
wade through confusing masses of information and fasten onto only what is
needed. (This is an important part of problem solving in any discipline, not
just physics.)
·
In using equations, first write the
equation(s) symbolically, then do any algebraic
manipulations with the equations still in symbolic form. When you have them in
the desired form substitute in the numerical values including units. Then do
the calculations and make sure the units come out correctly. This is a very
important check on your answer.
·
You are allowed to consult the answer and
solutions in the back of the book and use them in solving the problem. It is
best to use these as a check on your work, however, rather than an inspiration
for how to proceed.
·
Do not hesitate to make an appointment to
discuss problems individually with any of the instructors.
What I'd like you to get out of
this course:
·
Understanding the specific physics and other
scientific concepts we study in this course.
·
Getting a better understanding of how science
is done: how to pose and think about scientific problems (both qualitatively
and quantitatively, both exactly and using estimates), how to apply tools from
the sciences in solving problems, and how to analyze scientific results when
you see them in your eventual profession, in the newspaper, at the doctor's
office, etc.
·
How to communicate your ideas clearly and
effectively, in and beyond scientific contexts.
·
How to work with some typical pieces of
scientific equipment, so as to have better hands-on problem solving skills in
general.
·
How to analyze experimental data, especially
with respect to understanding uncertainties.
·
How to convert a scientific idea into an
actual experimental design, and how to carry out such an experiment.
·
How to work on problems individually and as
part of a team, both under time pressure and with unlimited time. (All
situations typical of what you will eventually encounter post-college!)
Course Schedule:
Tues., Aug. 30: Units, Unit Conversion, Estimation and Significant Figures
Thurs., Sept. 1: Distance vs. Displacement; Introduction to Vectors & Vector Addition
Tues., Sept. 6: Practice with Vectors; Derivatives, Graphing, Dot & Cross Products
Thurs. Sept. 8: Velocity vs. Acceleration
Tues., Sept. 13: Projectile
Motion and other Constant Acceleration Examples; Discussion of
Thurs. Sept. 15: Discussion of Forces; Free Body Diagrams, Force Problems without Friction
Tues., Sept. 20: Force Problems with Friction
Thurs. Sept. 22: Problems with Circular Motion and Centripetal Force
Tues. Sept. 27: Review for Midterm Exam #1
Thurs. Sept. 29: Discussion
of Gravitation and Kepler's Laws
Tues. Oct. 4: Practice Problems
and Conceptual Discussions Related to Work and Energy
Thurs. Oct. 6: Conservation
of Energy Examples
Tues. Oct. 18: Discussion
of Conservation of Momentum; One-dimensional Collision Problems
Thurs. Oct. 20: Problems
with Elastic vs. Inelastic Collisions
Tues. Oct. 25: Concept of
Torque; Rotational
Kinematics Problems
Thurs. Oct. 27: Rotational
Dynamics and Center of Mass Problems
Tues. Nov. 1: Fluid Statics
Problems
Thurs. Nov. 3: Fluid Dynamics Problems
Tues. Nov. 8: Review for Midterm Exam #2
Thurs. Nov. 10: Ideal Gas
Law and Thermal Expansion Problems
Tues. Nov. 15: Problems
with Heat and Temperature
Thurs. Nov. 17: Change of
State Problems
Tues. Nov. 22: Carnot Cycle
Discussion and Problems
Tues. Nov. 29: Entropy
and Kinetic Theory Problems
Thurs. Dec. 1: Discussion
of Special Relativity
Tues. Dec. 6: Problems with
Special Relativity
Thurs. Dec 8: Extra Review
for Final Exam
Honor code matters:
· We value Haverford's honor code for the integrity it fosters and the pedagogical flexibility it affords. The important guiding principle of academic honesty is that you must never represent the work of others as your own. The following guidelines should govern your behavior in the course; please request clarification if you find yourself in any doubtful situations.
· You may seek assistance from the instructors, at the Physics clinic, or from your fellow students in doing the assigned exercises and preparing for class discussions. You may also work together with other members of the class on these assignments and this is often quite beneficial. For your own good, avoid situations in which you are either contributing either too much or too little to such collaborations. Just copying someone else's work is clearly a representation of another student's work as your own and is a violation of the Code. This applies to copying down results worked out on a blackboard by other students as well as solutions written down on paper.
· Your textbook gives the answers for most of the odd-numbered exercises. These are given so that you will know if you have done a problem correctly. It is not sound learning procedure to try to work backwards from given answers, but doing so is not a violation of the honor code.
· Solutions to the written exercises will be made available on the due date. (If you are doing a late set, after one week you may consult the solutions, but you may not copy them. However, we encourage you strongly to give the problems an honest effort on your own first, so as to learn from them most effectively. Copying a solutions set slavishly IS a violation of the Honor Code.)
· Take-home, in-class and self-scheduled exams must be entirely your own work. Detailed instructions will be given on the exams themselves and discussed in advance. You must use only those materials allowed in the instructions given on the exam. No collaboration of any sort is allowed once you start an exam. The allowed time (a single contiguous block) must be strictly observed.
· Honor code guidelines for the lab are contained in the lab manual.
Accommodations:
Students who think they may need accommodations in
this course because of the impact of a disability are encouraged to meet with
me privately early in the semester. Students should also contact Rick
Webb, Coordinator, Office of Disabilities Services (rwebb@haverford.edu, 610-896-1290)
to verify their eligibility for reasonable accommodations as soon as possible.
Early contact will help to avoid unnecessary inconvenience and delays.