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Course Objective:
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This course is primarily about motions of objects and
forces, which underlie these motions.
Some particular examples of the motions you will study
include "free fall",
collisions between objects (such as cars),
rolling and spinning.
The theory that describes the above phenomena was developed
by Isaac Newton in the 17th century and is called "classical
mechanics".
Historically, this theory gave a foundation for development of all
modern physics. Therefore, this course is an introduction to
physics in general.
Physics in turn provides a foundation for most other natural sciences
and engineering.
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Text:
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Young & Freedman, University Physics (Volume 1 is sufficient), 14th edition,
with Student Access Code to Mastering Physics (ISBN:9780133978216, Pearson 2016)
- Everybody must purchase access to Mastering Physics, which gives electronic access to the textbook for the duration of the semester. You can buy the access code at SU bookstore for $129.40 or pay online when registering at masteringphysics.com (class ID is SUPHY211FALL2019).
- If you wish to have a hardcopy of the textbook you may be able to purchase one, for example, on Amazon.com or work with the SU bookstore on special order.
Printed versions tend to be expensive. Even if you get one, you still have to buy access to Mastering Physics which will be used as online homework assignment system.
Older (12e, 13e) or newer (15e) editions of the textbook have similar but not identical content, and numbering of sections/problems can be different.
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Instructor:
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Prof. Tomasz Skwarnicki
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Office: Physics Building, Rm. 317
Phone: 443-5979
E-mail:
tskwarni@syr.edu
Office hours: Tue 2:15-4:15pm.
Faculty Page
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Pre- and Co-requisites:
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Working knowledge of high school level algebra and trigonometry
is required. Calculus will also be used. Calculus is covered in the co-requisite course
(MAT 285 or MAT 295).
Useful formulae are summarized in Appendix B of the textbook.
The math department runs Math Clinic in
Carnegie 120 (hours are posted on the door) if you need assistance
with math.
Students are required to enroll
in the laboratory course PHY 221 (see below),
unless your program does not have the lab requirement.
Your grade in PHY 211 may be withheld if you don't
co-register for the laboratory.
Prof. Sampere
(E-mail: smsamper@syr.edu )
is in charge of the PHY221 course.
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Lectures:
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Twice a week:
Tuesday, Thursday
11:00am-12:20pm, Stolkin Auditorium, Physics
Building.
See the course calendar
for lecture topics.
You are expected to attend the lectures.
Talking or distracting other students in any other way during the lectures
will not be tolerated. Violators will be asked to leave the lecture hall and their
course grade will be lowered.
Three Midterm Exams
will be given at the lecture hours.
The Final exam will be given at special time listed below.
Seats will be preassigned for each midterm and the final exam.
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Electronic Clickers or Internet-based Response Methods
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To fully participate in lectures you must either get an
electronic clicker (Turning Technologies ResponseCard RF LCD),
or use a smart phone or laptop with help of the software provided by Turning Technologies.
More details can be found on
the web page dedicated to the lectrure response methods.
Your responses will be recorded and used to assign
bonus participation credit .
Each clicker has a unique Device ID (see the back of the clicker), which you
will register with your name on the class website
(please be aware that this is different than registration at the manufacturer's web page).
No registration is needed when using the app or web based interface.
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Reading assignments:
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Reading assignments for each lecture are given on the course calendar.
You are strongly encouraged to do the reading in advance,
since the lectures will not contain a complete
presentation of all material but instead emphasize important
(and possibly difficult) points.
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Workshops (recitations):
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There are two one-hour workshops each week.
You will be asked to work on problem solving.
Assignments will be handed out in workshop.
Bring a scientific calculator to the workshops.
You are expected to work in groups of 3 or 4 students.
These workshops are an essential part of the course.
Attendance is required and will affect your final grade at the 5% level.
You can miss up to 2 workshops (including medical and family emergencies!)
with no penalty.
A graduate Teaching Assistant (TA) will be in charge of the workshop
sessions. He/she will collect and grade your Problem Set homework assignments and record
your attendance. An undergraduate coach may also be assisting
students during the workshop.
Times of different workshop sections, their locations and instructor names
are listed elsewhere .
You are not allowed to attend a different workshop section than the one you are
registered for.
You will not receive credit for attendance or homework turned in at a wrong section.
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Homework:
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Homework will consist of web-based Mastering Physics (MP) assignments and
written assignments called "Problem Sets".
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Mastering Physics homework assignments
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You will access them via internet at masteringphysics.com.
To register for the MasteringPhysics class you will need to supply e-mail address (please use SU email address), course id SUPHY211FALL2019 , and purchased access code.
New assignments (2 MP sets each time) will be usually released on Wednesday
and they will be due in a week.
The four lowest scores for the assignment sets (equivalent of two weeks of work) will be dropped.
Mastering Physics homework will contribute 15% to your final grade.
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Problem Sets
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They will be handed out at Friday workshops and posted on the course
web page. They will be collected a week later at the beginning of the Friday
workshop. The solutions you turn in must be in your own handwriting.
If you are going to miss the Friday workshop but you want to turn in your
homework early you can do it but you need to arrange for that with your workshop instructor.
Late homework will not be accepted.
The lowest two Problem Set scores will be dropped.
Problem Sets homework will contribute 15% to your final grade.
Solutions to Problem Sets will be posted on the course web page
after the due date. Teaching Assistants will not always be able to
write down detailed comments on your written homework assignments.
It is your responsibility to check your work against the posted
solutions.
Late homework will not be accepted. In particular, the MP homework
expires automatically at 8pm on Wednesday (partial credit is given for
assignments completed until midnight; percentage of the credit decreases linearly
from 100% to 0% between 8pm and midnight). Work on the on-line assignments well ahead
of the deadline, since computer or network problems may prevent you from
submitting solutions at the last minute.
You are encouraged to seek help if you cannot understand
a problem by yourself.
Discuss the problem with your peers,
or come to Physics Clinic (see below).
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Midterm Exams:
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Three mid-term exams will be given at the lecture hours
as specified in the
course calendar.
The lowest mid-term exam score
for each student will be dropped.
The remaining two exam scores will contribute
35% towards your final grade.
There will be no make-up exams.
All exams are closed book, however,
you are free to bring a single double-sided sheet
of handwritten notes (no photocopies).
Bring a scientific calculator to the exams.
Use of cell phones, laptop computers and other electronic devices other
than a calculator is strictly forbidden.
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Final Exam:
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Comprehensive Final Exam is scheduled
for Wednesday, Dec 11th, 3:00-5:00pm (Stolkin).
It will contribute 30% towards your final grade.
It cannot be missed. There will be no make up final.
Three double-sided sheets of handwritten notes will
be allowed at the final exam.
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Academic Integrity Policy:
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Syracuse University Academic Integrity Policy reflects the high value that we, as a
university community, place on honesty in academic work. The policy defines our
expectations for academic honesty and holds students accountable for the integrity of all
work they submit. Students should understand that it is their responsibility to learn about
course-specific expectations, as well as about university-wide academic integrity
expectations. The policy governs appropriate citation and use of sources, the integrity of
work submitted in exams and assignments, and the veracity of signatures on attendance
sheets and other verification of participation in class activities. The policy also prohibits
students from submitting the same work in more than one class without receiving written
authorization in advance from both instructors. Under the policy, students found in
violation are subject to grade sanctions determined by the course instructor
and nongrade sanctions determined by the School or College where the course is offered as
described in the Violation and Sanction Classification Rubric. SU students are required
to read an online summary of the University academic integrity expectations and provide
an electronic signature agreeing to abide by them twice a year during pre-term check-in
on MySlice.
While you are encouraged to seek help on the homework assignments,
it is a violation of the academic code to seek or give assistance
during the exams.
The instructor is the only person you can communicate with during the tests.
Please do not make any changes or marks to the graded exams,
if you want to preserve a right to appeal grading mistakes.
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Disability-Related Accommodations:
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Syracuse University values diversity and inclusion; we are committed to a climate of
mutual respect and full participation.
If you believe that you need accommodations for a disability,
please contact the Office of Disability Services (ODS),
http://disabilityservices.syr.edu ,
located in Room 309 of 804 University Avenue, or call (315) 443-4498, TDD: (315) 443-1371
for an appointment to discuss your needs and the
process for requesting accommodations.
ODS is responsible for coordinating disability-related accommodations
and will issue students with documented
Disabilities Accommodation Authorization Letters, as appropriate.
Since accommodations may require early planning
and generally are not provided retroactively, please contact ODS as soon as possible.
If you take exams at ODS office, you must take them at times overlapping with the class time.
People eligible for extra time on tests must take the exams at the ODS office
at the regular exam time by either staying beyond the class time or starting
up to an hour and a half early.
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Religious Observances Policy:
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Steps to follow to request accommodations for the observance of religious holidays) can be found at:
http://supolicies.syr.edu/studs/religious_observance.htm
Please plan to use our drop policy when you have to miss an exam because of your religious observance.
If for some reason, this is not possible, any make up exams may be in oral form.
The homework assignments (both Mastering Physics and Problem Sets) must be submitted early if religious
observance will prevent you for submitting it on the due date.
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Grading:
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The final course grade will be determined as follows:
MasteringPhysics homework assignments: 15%
Problem Sets homework assignments: 15%
Workshop attendance: 5%
Midterm Exams: 35%
Final Exam 30%
Please notice that 2/3 of the final grade is based on credits you
can earn only during the semester. You cannot pass this course
just by scoring high on the final exam.
The following grading scale will be used:
Your score (%) Letter grade
93- A
90-93 A-
87-90 B+
83-87 B
80-83 B-
75-80 C+
70-75 C
60-70 C-
50-60 D
0-50 F
If an average cumulative class score drops below
81.5% (mid range of B-), the cumulative numerical scores
of all students will be scaled up to restore
the average class grade to B-.
This rarely happens in practice!
Only cumulative scores will be curved in this way.
Individual exam scores will not be curved,
but the exam score distributions will be posted.
Compare yourself to the class average to find out how well you did.
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Absence Policy:
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In general late homework will not be accepted, and
missed lectures, workshops and exams cannot be made up.
Since we drop two lowest written homework scores,
four on-line assignment sets (equivalent of 2 weeks of on-line homework),
one midterm exam score, and we excuse two missed workshops,
medical and family emergencies
should not affect your grade.
Please do not contact the instructor to document excused absences
unless you miss more than allowed in our drop policy.
Contact Prof. Skwarnicki immediately if you get sick for extended
periods of time.
Do not skip exams, workshops and homework assignments
early in the semester - save the drop policy for real
emergencies which may come later.
No accommodations will be made if you get sick, but skipped
other classes or assignments.
The final exam cannot be missed.
See also Religious Observances Policy.
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Physics Clinic:
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Physics Clinic is operated in room 112S of the Physics Building.
Hours are posted on the door.
The clinic is staffed by graduate
Teaching Assistants who can help you
with this course.
Preferably come to the clinic when one of the TAs
assigned to this class holds his hours.
However, this is not a requirement and
you can drop in at any time for help.
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Laboratory Course PHY221:
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You must co-register for the
laboratory course PHY221
(1 credit hour)
unless you passed it previously or your program does not require it.
Your grade in PHY211 may be withheld if you don't
co-register for the laboratory.
PHY221 will provide you with hands-on experience with the
physical phenomena discussed in this course (PHY211) and introduce you to
the measurement process.
The PHY221 course is graded separately.
Prof. Sampere
E-mail:
smsamper@syr.edu )
is in charge of the PHY221 course.