PHY 3 Section 3: University Physics       Class Log

This has been modified during the semester (shown in green), but the original version is available.
Class Schedule: T Th 11am-1:50pm Professor: Steve Liebling
Classroom: Pell Hall 203 Office:  Pell Hall 210
Text: Young and Freedman's University Physics 11th Edition Office Hours: M W 12:30-1:30pm
Web: http://relativity.liu.edu/steve Phone: 299-3439
Email:

Course Objective: Students will learn the principles and applications of mechanics and fluid dynamics through classroom lectures, problem solving sessions, and laboratory work.  Student knowledge will be evaluated through the use of quizzes and tests. Ultimately, this class should improve your: Grading Policy: Grades will basically follow the traditional divisions at 90% (A or A-), 80% (B+, B, B-), 70% (C+, C, C-), and 60% (D), with minimal adjustments based on how the class proceeds.
Labwork 20%
Quizzes 20%
Classroom Work & Participation 10%
Test 1 15%  
Test 2 15%
Final Exam 20%
Extra Credit: There will be no extra credit or extra credit papers, Do the homework, labs, and take the quizzes and tests, and everyone can do well in this class. As the semester progresses, there is less and less to be done to increase your grade.

Class Work & Participation: Everyone starts with 90% participation grade. Subtractions are made for being disruptive (excessive talking, ringing phones, being late, etc) as well as excessive absences. Additions are made for contributing (questions or answers) to class discussions. Problems will also be given to be done in class. These graded problems can be done in groups (up to 3 people). The intent of these is to have you benefit both from working in groups and have my (limited) assistance at making it past the stumbling blocks of problem solving.

Homework: Homework assignments will be presented in class and will generally consist of problems from the required text. The homeworks will not be graded. Instead, quizzes will cover the material and problem solving skills. Even though the homework will not be graded, the homework problems must be done in order to gain mastery of the material and skills necessary for both the quizzes and tests.

Quizzes: Quizzes will be 20 minutes long given in class. The intent of the quizzes is to insure: (1) that you have read the chapter to be covered that day and (2) that you can solve problems from the previous material. Hence, questions on the new material that you are to have read will be very straightforward covering, for example, new vocabulary. Questions on the older material will be more along the lines of the easier homework problems. I will drop your lowest quiz grade.

Tests: The class will have two tests as scheduled on the syllabus. Each test will cover the material presented since the previous test (to be precise, much of what we will learn applies throughout all the chapters, however, the questions will be geared towards specifically covering material presented between the tests). The tests will be given during classtime.

Final: The final will be held during the time dictated by the Registrar during Exam Week.

Lab: The lab is integral with the lecture. You receive a single grade for the class which represents the work you do in lecture and lab. I will drop your lowest lab grade.

Cheating: You are encouraged to work on homework problems with others. However, you must work alone on quizzes and tests. On quizzes and exams you may use only a calculator (not a cell phone's calculator) and writing utensils; I will give you an equation sheet.

Other Resources: Tutors, library books, office hours, supplemental texts, and consult the web page: How to Study Physics.

Syllabus: Below is the anticipated schedule of what we'll cover. The dates of the tests are fixed; on principle I do not change them so that students can plan for them. Near the end of the semester, I generally have flexibility in what we cover. If you have a preference for what we might cover, please feel free to provide feedback.

Week 1 Sept. 5 Units, Physical Quantities, and Vectors   Course Overview; Ch. 1 Introduction to Lab 
Sept. 7   Ch. 1   L1: Measurement  
Week 2 Sept. 12 Motion Along a Straight Line   Ch. 2    
Sept. 14   Ch. 2  L2: Force Table  
Week 3 Sept. 19 Motion in 2 Dimensions   Ch. 3    
Sept. 21   Ch. 3   L3: Pulleys  
Week 4 Sept. 26 Newton's Laws of Motion   Ch. 4    
Sept. 28   Ch. 4   L4: Air Track 1  
Week 5 Oct. 3 Applying Newton's Laws   Ch. 5    
Oct. 5   Test 1 L5: Hooke's Law 
Week 6 Oct. 10   Ch. 5    
Oct. 12 Work and Kinetic Energy   Ch. 6   L6: Centripetal Force  
Week 7 Oct. 17   Ch. 6    
Oct. 20 Potential Energy & Energy Conservation   Ch. 7   Computer Lab TBA 
Week 8 Oct. 24   Ch. 7    
Oct. 26 Momentum & Impulse   Ch. 8   L7: Ballistic Pendulum  
Week 9 Oct. 31   Ch. 8    
Nov. 2   Test 2  
Week 10 Nov. 7   Election Day--NO CLASSES   Election Day--NO CLASSES  
Nov. 9 Angular Motion  Ch. 9   L8: Moment of Inertia (Last day to withdraw 11/10) 
Week 11 Nov. 14 Torque & Angular Momentum   Ch. 10    
Nov. 16 Gravitation   Ch. 12   L9: Simple Harmonic Motion  
Week 12 Nov. 21   Ch. 12    
Nov. 23   Thanksgiving--NO CLASSES   Thanksgiving--NO CLASSES  
Week 13 Nov. 28 Periodic Motion   Ch. 13    
Nov. 30 Fluid Mechanics   Ch. 14   L10: Waves on a String  
Week 14 Dec. 5 Mechanical Waves   Ch. 15   
Dec. 7   Ch. 14 & 15   L11: Speed of Sound  
Week 15 Dec. 12-18   Final Exam Period   Scheduled: Tuesday 12/12 10:55am-1:35pm  

Last updated August 23, 2006.
Steve Liebling (home)