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General course information:

Course description.
This course is the first half of a one-year introduction to physics.  The sequence is suitable for students interested in the physical sciences or mathematics.  We will discuss Newtonian mechanics (including kinematics, force, energy, and rotational motion) as well as wave phenomena and fluid motion.  You should have received advice through the placement process as to the suitability of your background.  Generally, a semester of college level calculus equivalent to Math 113 is expected, and a year of high school physics (any level) is desirable though not required.

Many students will have studied some (but not all) of this material before.  You should still achieve a deeper understanding from this course, and there will be supplementary material (e.g. rotating systems, chaos, and fluid motion) that is new to all members of the class.  

Physics is very satisfying once mastered.  We will do our best to help you learn, and to reveal the fun side of physics. 

Instructors.
Jerry Gollub (lecture)
Office: KINSC L109 (telephone 896-1196)
E-mail: jgollub@haverford.edu
Please feel free to drop in at my office any time, or make an appointment if you prefer.  I will also be happy to reply to your e-mails.  Do not hesitate to contact me.  If you are having trouble understanding the material or solving the homework problems, come and see me as soon as possible!  Also, please let me know right away if you have any concerns about the course or ideas about how to make it better.

I will announce my office hours after everyone's schedules have settled in.

Scott Shelley (laboratory)
Office: KINSC L207(telephone 896-1310)
E-mail: sshelley@haverford.edu

Location and times:
Classes: MWF 11:30 am - 12:30 pm in KINSC Hilles 108

Laboratory: Tuesday or Wednesday 1:15 - 4:00 pm in KINSC Harris 105. You will be assigned to one day or the other on the basis of a questionnaire to be distributed in class on the first Wednesday.  The results will be announced in class.  You may not switch sections without approval because we need to keep the sections approximately equal in size for logistical reasons.

The laboratory does not meet every week; a schedule is contained in the lab manual.

During the first week of classes, 90-minute lab sessions will be held on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

Physics clinic: An optional physics clinic staffed by experienced and friendly physics majors is run each Wednesday and Thursday evening, 7-10 pm, in the Physics Lounge, KINSC H107. We will hold one meeting of Clinic the first week of classes on Thursday, Sept. 1, 7-10pm, then start the regular schedule the second week of classes.

Textbook and supplies.
The required text is Physics for Scientists and Engineers (third edition) by Richard Wolfson and Jay Pasachoff. (This is available in the bookstore, and you may be able to find used copies of this edition there or elsewhere.)

A calculator will be needed for homework and exams and in the laboratory. (You will not need graphing or symbolic manipulation features.)

You will also need to purchase a laboratory manual for this course from the bookstore.  All other supplies needed in the laboratory will be provided.

A selection of other texts and useful references is on reserve in Stokes library.

Requirements.
Regular attendance: It is essential that you come to all classes to master the concepts and material in this course.  If you are ill or expect to miss class due to an athletic event or other special circumstances, you should send Prof. Gollub an e-mail message explaing your situation.  Excessive absences can result in a grade reduction.

Labs: You are also expected to attend every lab on the schedule; any departures from the schedule must be discussed in advance with the instructor.  (Experiments are normally not kept set up after the week in which they are used.)  You must complete and report on all labs in order to pass the course.  You will only be able to complete the lab in the allotted time if you have read the instructions thoroughly and made a good effort to understand them in advance. You are therefore required to come to each lab fully prepared, having read the manual and having answered all pre-lab questions beforehand.

Homework: There will be weekly homework assignments.  You are expected to give clear and coherent solutions to the problems and to hand in your solutions at the beginning of class on the assigned date (ordinarily the next Friday).  Each student is permitted a single one-week extensions with no loss of credit.  Hand in or e-mail your extension requests on the regular assignment due date.  Save it for when you really need it, and don't fall behind on the following assignment!  Aside from this extension, assignments turned in late will be assessed penalties as follows:  10% for the first day; 25% after that for the first week.  After that, homework will not be graded, but you can get 50% credit for a reasonable effort.  Missing homework can have a big effect on your course grade.  We cannot accept split assignments handed in on different occasions.

Reading: Reading assignments will be given to prepare you for class discussion.

Exams: There will be two midterm exams plus a self-scheduled final exam.  Exams must be turned in by the specified times, except by prior agreement.  You may get an extension on an examination only with a Dean's excuse.

E-mail: We expect you to read your e-mail and we will occasionally send you announcements and messages in this way.

Submission of class work by e-mail is not permitted without prior approval of the instructor.

Final deadline: All homework and lab work must be turned in by 5pm, Last Day of Classes: December 15, 2006.

Grading.
The grade for the course will be based on the following weighting:
 

Homework assignments:	20%
Midterm exams:	20% each
Final exam:	20%
Laboratory:	20%
Absences over 2 :	0.1 grade point each (4 point scale)

Note: you must complete and report on all labs to pass the course.

Accommodations for Disabilities
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.

Honor Code.
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.

• Review your class notes between lectures, and come prepared to ask questions.  Annotate your class notes as you read them.  When you take notes in class, don't just write down equations!  Qualitative information is often essential!
• Stay up to date on the reading; preferably read the assigned material twice, for example, once before the relevant lecture and once after.
• Read with pen in hand to work out things described only briefly in the text or lecture.  Ask yourself "what is the main point of each section", and answer the question.  Highlighting the text as you read is no substitute for this exercise in thinking and reinterpreting what you have read!
• Make drawings of the physical situations we discuss in class or the ones you encounter in problem sets (and real life!).  This helps you understand just what is going on much more than merely thinking about it.
• Don't spend more than one hour on a single homework problem.  Show clearly where you're stumped and just move on.  Don't feel badly if this happens occasionally, or worry about the effect on your grade.  Consistency in doing the homework is more important.
• Try the homework problems first yourself, but do get help in clinic or during office hours if you need it.  That's why these resources are provided.  We expect you will make use of them as additional learning tools.
• You need to allocate roughly 5 hours for study and homework per week (plus class time and lab responsibilities).  This isn't merely a time budget.  It's also how much time you need to allow the ideas and methodology to really sink in so that you have truly mastered the subjects.
• When you are studying for an exam, first perform new problems and redo as many old problems as you have time for.  Only after you have done so is it a good idea to then review the solutions to problems and previous exams.  You always learn more from engaging in problem-solving than reviewing how someone else (even yourself in a previous week!) solved a problem.
• Study for the exams in advance.  Your brain tackles problems differently if you have given it time to mull over new material and new approaches to problem-solving.  You really think differently (and better) once you have literally slept on new ideas.  Remember that if the material is new or unfamiliar for you, learning will take time, just as learning a new language takes time.  Try not to become discouraged if the going is rough at times, and don't prejudge your ability to master the material.  Generations of students have done it before you.  There is no magic method of presenting the material that we can use to make it easy.

Final deadline: All homework and lab work must be turned in by 5pm, Last Day of Classes: December 14, 2007.