Physics 1011
Ideas in Physics
Fall 2010
Tuesday, Thursday 13:30-14:45 Alan Geale 112
Instructor: Alec Habig
Office: Alan Geale 111
Office Hours:12:00-13:00M, 11:00-12:00W
(or by appointment)
Telephone: 0121-415-8451
email: ahabig@umn.edu
http://neutrino.d.umn.edu/phy1011
Prerequisites: None. This course is in Liberal Education category 5, Physical and Biological Sciences without a Lab.
Text: Art Hobson's
Physics: Concepts and Connections (5th ed.)
w/ “Physics Place” website
Additional readings or assignments from other texts or the web might be assigned over the course of the semester, but arrangements will be made so you do not have to buy more books. This one is expensive enough.
Course Objectives: Liberal Education Objectives - Successful completion of this course will develop and exercise abilities in critical and creative thinking. It will also provide a conceptual understanding of physical phenomena that is important for substantive participation in public policy debates in an increasingly technological world.
This course introduces you to different topics in physics and make you more aware of the physics around you in everyday life so that you may appreciate and better understand the universe in which we live. We will concentrate on “Modern” rather than “Classical” physics, as that covers more of the cool new discoveries you'll see happening currently.
The topics to be covered include the following:
The scientific method.
Special and General relativity
Quantum Mechanics.
Nuclear and Particle physics.
Grading: Course grades will be determined based on the following five areas, with their respective weights:
Tests 40%
Class Participation 10%
Other Stuff .....20%
Final exam 30%
Letter grades will be assigned based upon the weighted average on a non-competitive curve. In order to keep the students informed as to their progress, a letter grade will be assigned after the mid-term exam or guesstimated upon request.
Homework: Homework in this class is in the form of reading assignments in the textbook and on the web, making use of the PhysicsPlace website's online questions and quizzes. Occasional written assignments, quizzes, or other exercises will also be assigned throughout the semester in conjunction with the reading assignments, and will form the “Other Stuff” part of the grade. Reading the assignments is important. You will hear about concepts in class. It is expected that the students will have read over what will be presented in class beforehand - lectures will be a lot more useful to you if you read in advance!
Tests: There will be two tests during the semester, given during the normal class period. The final exam is in the regular class time on December 16th. Make-up tests will be available only for documented medical or family reasons or mandatory university-sponsored events necessitating absence
from class.
Class Participation: Here in the SIE program, we have the luxury of a tiny class, so should make the most of the ability to have a much more interactive learning environment than is usual in a LibEd survey course. How this will be defined will by its very nature highly subjective, but not hard – come to class and participate, and you'll not lose any points. Short presentations are probably in the cards.
Note on disabilities: Individuals who have any disability, either permanent or temporary, which might affect their ability to perform in this class are encouraged to inform the instructor at the start of the quarter. Adaptation of methods, materials, or testing may be made as possible to provide for equitable participation.
Important Dates:
Final Exam, Thursday December 16, 13:30-14:45
Note: the final exam will not be available earlier
|
Date |
Topics |
|
Week 1 (10/5,10/7) |
Ch.1.1-8 Scientific Method |
|
Week 2 (10/12,10/14) |
Ch.5.5-6 Newtonian Worldview |
|
Week 3 (10/19,10/21) |
Ch.7.4 The Law of Entropy |
|
Week 4 (10/26,10/28) |
*Test #1 (10/26) |
|
Week 5 (11/2,11/4) |
Ch.10 Special Relativity |
|
Week 6 (11/9,11/11) |
Ch.11 General Relativity, Cosmology |
|
Week 7 (11/16-11/18) |
Ch.13 Quantum Mechanics |
|
Week 8 (11/23-11/25) |
*Test #2 (11/25) Ch.14.1-4 The Nucleus, Radioactivity |
|
Week 9 (11/30-12/2) |
Ch.15.1-5 Fusion and Fission |
|
Week 10 (12/7-12/9) |
Ch.17.1-6 Quantum fields, gravity, and the Standard Model |
|
Week 11 (12/14) |
Review *Final Exam (12/16) |
We will also bounce back to earlier chapters in the book as needed, to explain the concepts needed to understand the main topics. e.g., Newton's Laws and Gravity is needed to understand the Newtonian Worldview.
Course outline subject to change to meet the needs of the class, especially the test dates might wiggle around to better match what's been covered or not