PHYS 1010 PHYSICAL SCIENCE FALL 2010

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1 PHYS 1010 PHYSICAL SCIENCE FALL 2010 Professor: Loris Magnani Office: Physics 238 Phone: Web Page: Class Hours: MWF 01:25-02:15 PM in Physics 202 Office Hours: MWF 10:15-11:30 AM (or by appointment) Final Exam: Friday, 10 December, 2010 noon - 03:00 PM in Physics 202 INTRODUCTION Welcome to PHYS This course is a general introduction to physical science for non-science majors. The principal aim of the course is to give you an idea of how the physical sciences work and to present some classical and some current ideas in the major branches of physics. Some of the topics we will cover are motion, energy, waves, relativity, atomic physics, quantum mechanics, and cosmology. We will only look at each topic superficially, but in enough detail to give you the type of understanding of the phenomenon that a well-educated person in the 21 st century should have. In addition, we will look at the role of science in modern American society, and the role of the citizen in dealing with scientific issues. Physics is a quantitative science. However, the emphasis in PHYS 1010 is on the qualitative aspects of physics. While we will not completely neglect the quantitative aspects and will do some numerical problems, the only math preparation that is required for this course is high-school algebra. COURSE MATERIALS The following materials are all REQUIRED for this course: Physics for Poets, 5 th edition Robert H. March, (McGraw-Hill) Lies, Damned Lies, and Science Sherry Seethaler (FT Press) A simple scientific calculator, to be used for arithmetic ONLY. The use of calculator graphing, algebraic, or programming functions will NOT be permitted for any exam, nor will PDAs, cellphones, or other electronic equipment. ResponseCard RF LCD (clicker-type device available at bookstore)

2 STUDENT RESOURCES The course web site at will have course information and announcements, homework assignments and solutions, exam solutions, etc.. If you cannot come to my regular office hours, or need additional help, please set up an appointment (by , phone, or in person). Tutors are available either through the UGA Tutorial Program at Milledge Hall, or directly through the Department of Physics and Astronomy. (This should not be construed as an endorsement, recommendation or requirement for this course.) GRADING POLICY At the end of the semester, your overall grade will be determined from your performance on 3 midterm exams; 10 short, in-class, quizzes; group notes (explained below); attendance (explained below); and the final exam. The weight for these components is as follows: 3 in-class exams 18% each for a total of 54% Group notetaking 6% 10 quizzes only the best 5 scores used; 3% each for a total of 15% Cumulative final exam 25% Note that there is an attendance policy and your grade may be affected by not attending class see below. Letter grades will then be assigned following the standard scale: A is for a score of or above, A- is for the range , B+ is for , B is for , B- is for , C+ is for , C is for , C- is for , D is for , and F is for any average below Note: Grades will NOT be rounded up to two decimal places: is a B+ and will not be considered an A-. Any requests for a re-grade of a quiz or exam must be made no later than ONE WEEK after the item is returned in class (whether you are there to pick it up or not).

3 EXAMS & QUIZZES There will be 3 in-class exams during the semester as well as a cumulative final exam. The format of the exams will be multiple-choice. All the exams will be closed-book and closed-notes and based on the class lectures and the book Physics for Poets. Most of the questions will be qualitative but, for the few quantitative questions, you may use a calculator for arithmetic only. The quizzes will be in-class and based on the reading of the book Lies, Damned Lies, and Science. During a brief portion of class time, I will ask you 2-4 question based on the assigned reading of the book and you will respond using the ResponseCards. Since I will select only your 5 best scores, you can afford to miss one or two of these (even 5, at most), so there will be no make-up for the quizzes. If you miss one of the exams due to serious illness or family emergency, a make-up exam will be administered within one week of the missed exam at a mutually convenient time. However, you will be asked to provide evidence of such illness or emergency and I am the final arbiter as to what constitutes an emergency. GROUP NOTE-TAKING Six percent of your grade will be based on group note-taking. The class will be divided into groups of 7 or 8 students. I will assign members to each group after the first week. Each group will be responsible for coming up with a set of notes at the end of the week based on the three classes for that week. The notes should be based on the input of all the members of the group. You might want to break the task up into taking the actual notes each class, collating the best notes into one set, and writing or typing up that set for submission. The notes can be turned in directly to me or left in my mailbox by 4 PM on the following Monday afternoon (so you can have the weekend to work on them). If the notes are deemed (by me) to be satisfactory, your entire group will receive one point of credit to a maximum of six points. The best notes each week will be posted on the website. HOMEWORK I will assign homework, though I will neither collect it nor grade it. Your incentive to do the homework is that some of the exam questions will come directly from it. Solutions to the homework will be posted online the day after the homework is due. You should feel free to discuss the homework problems with me during office hours if you find yourself having difficulty with them.

4 ATTENDANCE I expect you to be in class all semester. After the first week, we will take attendance using the ResponseCards. I will allow 5 absences with no penalty, but any unexcused absence greater than 5 and up to 10 will result in a unit decrease in your grade (i.e., from an A to an A-, from a C+ to a C, etc.). More than 10 absences will result in decreasing your grade by one full letter (i.e., from an A- to a B-, from a C to a D, etc.). STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES Please make a reasonable attempt to arrive on time. If you must leave earlier than the scheduled end of class, please use the upper exits at the top of the lecture hall. Class disruptions or distracting behavior will not be tolerated. You are responsible for all topics discussed in class, as well as class announcements. You are encouraged strongly to read the material that is to be covered in class ahead of time. You are responsible for the material covered for homework even though it will not be collected or graded. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of doing the homework. I will be happy to discuss any homework problem with you during office hours (or at a mutually arranged time). Ask for clarification on anything you find unclear, ambiguous, or unspecified. This includes both course policies and physics topics. Know the rules concerning withdrawals and incompletes, published in the UGA Undergraduate Bulletin. Note that I will NOT withdraw you from the course for excessive absences. Note also that after the midpoint of the semester, a withdrawal is assigned a grade of WF, except in those cases in which the student is doing satisfactory work and the withdrawal is recommended by the Office of Student Affairs because of emergency or health reasons.

5 PHYS 1010 PHYSICAL SCIENCE FALL 2010 Professor: Loris Magnani Office: Physics 238 Phone: Web Page: Class Hours: MWF 01:25-02:15 PM in Physics 202 Office Hours: MWF 10:15-11:30 AM (or by appointment) Final Exam: Friday, 10 December, 2010 noon - 03:00 PM in Physics 202 CLASS SCHEDULE The schedule below is approximate and subject to modification, possibly including the exam dates. Significant schedule changes will be discussed in class. You are expected to read the relevant textbook sections before the material is discussed in class. Note that the midpoint withdrawal deadline is Thursday, October 21, PP Physics for Poets LDLS Lies, Damned Lies, and Science Class Date Reading Topic M 16 August W 18 Aug. F 20 Aug. Ch. 1 PP Ch. 1 LDLS Motion M 23 Aug. W 25 Aug. F 27 Aug. M 30 Aug. W 1 Sept. F 3 June M 6 Sept. W 8 Sept. F 10 Sept. M 13 Sept. W 15 Sept. F 17 Sept. M 20 Sept. W 22 Sept. F 24 Sept. M 27 Sept. W 29 Sept. F 1 Oct. Ch. 2 PP Ch. 2 LDLS Ch. 3 PP Ch. 3 PP Ch. 4 PP Ch. 4 PP Ch. 5 PP Ch. 3 LDLS Ch. 5 PP Ch. 4 LDLS Ch. 6 PP Ch. 7 PP Ch. 8 PP Ch. 9 PP Ch. 9 PP Ch. 5 LDLS Ch, 5 LDLS Course Introduction Ancient Astronomy Mechanics Scientific Revolutions Newton Newton s Law Celestial Mechanics The Clockwork Universe LABOR DAY HOLIDAY Tradeoffs in Science Work and Energy EXAM #1 Taking things out of context. Electromagnetic Theory Waves The Ether The Coming of Relativity Einstein Cause & Coincidence Correlation is not Causation

6 M 4 Oct. W 6 Oct. F 8 Oct. M 11 Oct. W 13 Oct. F 15 Oct. M 18 Oct. W 20 Oct. F 22 Oct. M 25 Oct. W 27 Oct. F 29 Oct. M 1 Nov. W 3 Nov. F 5 Nov. M 8 Nov. W 10 Nov. F 12 Nov. M 15 Nov. W 17 Nov. F 19 Nov. Ch. 10 PP Ch. 11 PP Ch. 12 PP Ch. 12 PP Ch. 6 LDLS Ch. 13 PP Ch. 14 PP Ch. 15 PP Ch. 7 LDLS Ch. 15 PP Ch. 16 PP Ch. 16 PP Ch. 8 LDLS Ch. 17 PP Ch. 17 PP Ch. 9 LDLS Spacetime E = mc 2 General Relativity A Pillar of Modern Physics EXAM #2 The limits of data The Atom More on the Atom Quantum Mechanics Statistics Quantum FALL BREAK Particles? Waves? The Movie Particles? Waves? The Lecture Ethics Probability in Quantum Mechanics Probability Skepticism EXAM #3 Ch. 18 PP Paradoxes & Puzzles Ch. 19 PP The Subatomic World Nov. Thanksgiving Break M 29 Nov. W 1 Dec. F 3 Dec. M 6 Dec. Tu 7 Dec. F 10 Dec. Ch. 10 LDLS Ch. 19 PP Ch. 20 PP A Balanced Perspective The Subatomic World Cosmology Ch. 20 PP Cosmology Epilogue Physics for Poets FINAL EXAM

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