Course: Physics 101 (Tuesday / Thursday 8:30 – 9:45pm)

Instructor: Dr. Michael Loverude

Tutorial hours in McCarthy Hall Rm 600 (Tu / Th 11:30am –12:30 pm).

Office hours in MH-688 (Wed 12 – 1 pm and by appointment).

Email: mloverude@fullerton.edu Phone: x2270 (278-2270)

Course web page: chaos.fullerton.edu/~mloverud/p101.html

Required texts: Physics 101 Lecture Notes (available from Titan Bookstore)

General Course Description:

This course is a survey of topics in physics with an emphasis on the importance of physics in everyday life. There will be a strong focus on thinking skills and qualitative and quantitative reasoning. Explanations will be required in class and on exams! The course will focus on several important contexts, though which several aspects of physics and scientific reasoning will be explored. There is a laboratory associated with this course, which is not required.

Important Dates:

Tuesday, September 4, 2001 Last day to Drop a class without W grade

Friday, November 9, 2001 Last day for Withdrawal (W grade)

Week of November 19-23, 2001 Thanksgiving break (No class)

Thursday, December 13, 2001 Final Exam for the semester (9:30 – 11:20 am)

Course expectations:

It will be assumed that you have done the assigned reading before class. Class time will not in general be spent on repeating the discussion in the book. Rather, key ideas and areas of special difficulty to students will be emphasized in the lectures. On a regular basis, we will do interactive tutorial lectures in class, in which you will be asked to discuss ideas with your classmates. Materials for these interactive tutorial lectures will be distributed as needed.

Student conduct: Students are expected to comply with the university rules of student conduct, which can be found on pages 449-451 of the 1999-2001 University Catalog. Neither academic dishonesty nor disruptions of the learning environment will be tolerated. While in class, please turn off all cellular telephones, beepers, pagers, or other potentially disruptive devices.

Special Accommodations: If you have special needs for testing, writing, etc., please contact the instructor well in advance of any special accommodations that are needed.

Grading:

Your grade for Physics 101 will include several components. The approximate weight of these components is:

Quizzes (graded & ungraded) 25%

Midterms 25% each

Final exam 25%

Components of course grade:

Homework:

Homework exercises will include problems chosen from the text and more conceptual problems from the supplementary materials. Problems will not be graded but solutions can be found in the lecture notes. It is recommended that you do the problems before consulting the solutions. Some homework questions will closely resemble problems on exams and quizzes.

Quizzes:

The course will include both graded and ungraded quizzes. Graded quizzes will take place approximately once every other week (not including exam weeks). They will be announced one class period in advance. Your lowest quiz score will be dropped. Ungraded quizzes will be checked for participation only. Only the graded quizzes will be returned.

Exams:

Exams will be free-response and/or multiple-choice. You will be allowed one sheet of notes for each exam (three for the final). Because everyone has bad days, and no makeup exams are provided, you may drop your lowest midterm score. You may not, however, drop the final exam score or the quiz average.

Schedule of topics:

Please note that this schedule is tentative and subject to change

Topics:

· Underpinnings (1-2 weeks)

· Global Warming (5-7 weeks)

· Motion and Forces (5-7 weeks)

· Lightning (0-4 weeks)

Tentative schedule of course examinations:

Please note that this schedule is tentative and subject to change

Exam 1	Sept. 25	8:30 – 9:45 am
Exam 2	Oct. 30	8:30 – 9:45 am
Exam 3	Dec. 13	9:30 – 11:20 am
Final Exam	Dec. 13	9:30 – 11:20 am