Wonders of Technology - PHYS 107

Spring 2008

Syllabus

VCU Honor System

Please read the VCU Honor System statement located at: http://www.students.vcu.edu/rg/policies/honor.html

Clear and convincing evidence of honor system violations in this class will result in the submission of formal written charges to the Office of Judicial Affairs & Academic Integrity. Under these circumstances the instructor does not give warnings or ask students for explanations.

Accommodations for the Disabled

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 requires VCU to provide an "academic adjustment" and/or a "reasonable accommodation" to any individual who advises us of a physical or mental disability. If you have a disability that requires an academic adjustment or accommodation, please arrange a meeting with the instructor as soon as possible. Additionally, if your course work requires you to work in a lab environment, you should advise the instructor or department chairperson of any concerns you may have regarding safety issues related to your limitation(s). Please contact the appropriate Coordinator of Service for Students with Disabilities to obtain an official memo detailing the academic adjustments or accommodations which you need.

Student Conduct

Students should familiarize themselves with the guidelines for appropriate student conduct as outlined in the VCU 2006-2007 Resource Guide. During class it is expected that inappropriate electronic devices (cell phones, pagers, etc.) are turned off.

What to Know and Do To Be Prepared for Emergencies at VCU

1. Sign up to receive VCU text messaging alerts (http://www.vcu.edu/alert/notify). Keep your information up-to-date.

2. Know the safe evacuation route from each of your classrooms. Emergency evacuation routes are posted in on-campus classrooms.

3. Listen for and follow instructions from VCU or other designated authorities.

4. Know where to go for additional emergency information (http://www.vcu.edu/alert).

5. Know the emergency phone number for the VCU Police (828-1234). Report suspicious activities and objects.

 

General and Announcements

Features and Requirements of the Course

Schedule of Activities

Weekly Homework

Information on the Term Project

Note to the students:

It is your responsibility to be familiar with all the details regarding the handling of the course. Make sure you examine them carefully before your first day of classes.  

You are responsible for all announcements made on the web, during lecture, and during studio. These announcements will include any schedule changes and assignments.

The webpage of the course is an integral part of the course. It is your responsibility to access it regularly in order to get all the relevant information as the semester progresses.

General and Announcements

Instructor: V. Adam Niculescu 

Office: Oliver Hall - Physics, room 2008.

Office hours:  Monday: 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm in Oliver Hall - Physics, 2008,

Other times by appointment

 

e-mail: vanicule@vcu.edu

Note: When sending an e-mail, please write in the subject line:

                                                   Phys107 spring 2008

Due to the very high volume of spam e-mail, only the e-mail with the above subject line will be checked and replied to.

I check my e-mail Monday through Friday between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm.

Course Web Page: http://www.people.vcu.edu/~vnicule/index.html

The course consists of lecture and studio. They are to be taken together the same semester.

The lecture will be held as follows:

                    Sections 002- 010: Monday 12:00 – 12:50 PM, LFSC0151

                    Sections 902 – 904: Monday 5:00 – 5:50 PM, Temple 1165

The studio will be held in Temple 3316.

The studio instructors and the sections their will be in charge for are listed below:

 

Pat Goolsby: pgoolsby@vcu.edu

Bill Geiszler: wageiszler@vcu.edu 

George Reid: gbreid@vcu.edu

Pat Fishback: pdfishback@vcu.edu

Al Opengart: aopengart@vcu.edu

Frank Kane: frkane@comcast.net

 

Time

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

 9:00 - 11:55 AM

004 - Reid 007 - Fishback 010 - Opengart

12:00 – 2:55 PM

002 - Goolsby 005 - Reid 008 - Fishback 904 - Opengart

  3:00 – 5:55 PM

003 - Goolsby 006 - Geiszler 009 - Kane

  

  6:00 – 8:55 PM

902 - Geiszler 903 - Kane

 

What you will need for the course:

The textbook: Wonders of Technology, Fourth Edition, by Adam Niculescu, Kendall Hunt, ISBN #  978-0-7575-3863-6

The studio manual: Wonders of Technology, Peter Martin.

A CPS keypad (see instructions below)

A notebook

Calculator

Note: During the classes (lecture and studio) all cell phones should be turned off.

 

The CPSOnline information

During the lecture, after a major point is covered or reviewed, a question about that point will be displayed and you will be asked to use your CPS keypad to respond. Remember:

Buy a CPS keypad from the VCU Bookstore.

Register your clicker through CPSOnline. (Please see the instructions in the link - use only the ones for CPSOnline - do not register through Blackboard!):

CPS instructions.pdf

The class key is K35426G336

Bring your keypad to every lecture!

CPS - users guide and troubleshooting can be accessed at:

http://www.vcu.edu/cte/resources/cps/index.htm

          http://www.vcu.edu/cte/resources/cps/troubleshooting.htm

      

Course Features and Requirements

Wonders of Technology’ is a General Education Course in Science. This is a 4 credit studio-based course. It is an introduction to physics concepts involved in everyday technological applications. The course covers selected topics in mechanics, heat, optics, electricity and magnetism by depicting their roles in common devices.

Segment I: The Lecture component is multimedia and interactive. During this period you are introduced to topics from life-related experiences.

During the lectures you will take lecture quizzes (by using a CPS RF) that contain questions from the homework and also from the material discussed at the lecture during that period. The lecture quizzes are worth 6% of the final grade.

There are no make-up lecture quizzes!

In order to pass you are not to miss more than three lecture quizzes. If you miss more than three lecture quizzes, you will earn an F in the course, regardless of the rest of your grades.

Segment II: The Studio

II A - The studio Projects (33% of the grade)

You will work on projects that have relevance to the topics discussed during the lecture. All students must participate in the studio projects and reach conclusions based on their own experimental results.

It is expected that you will perform the projects at the scheduled times, and hand in the reports within one week from the time of completion of the studio session.

Students must attend the studio and perform the experiment in order to receive credit for the project.

Reports for projects are to be done on the pages or copies of the pages in  the studio manual, or in some cases on handout sheets that will be provided during the class.

In order to pass you are not to miss more than 3 studio projects. If you miss more than 3 studio projects or you fail to hand in more than 3 studio project reports at the due dates, you will earn an F in the course, regardless of the rest of your grades. More details regarding the handling of the studio will be given at the studio.

II B -  Studio Quizzes (30% of the grade)

During the studio you will take studio quizzes, containing questions from projects already performed, the instruction given at the beginning of the studio, and also the demos the instructor will show you from time to time.

In order to pass you are not to miss more than 3 studio quizzes. If you miss more than 3 studio quizzes, you will earn an F in the course, regardless of the rest of your grades.

Segment III: Enrichment components are included in the homework, reading assignments, and during the studio component. During the hands-on projects, discussions of the topic, its relevance to personal life, technology, and other sciences will be conducted. The discussions focus on the interdisciplinary nature of the phenomena.

Homework will be assigned weekly and posted on the webpage of the course and will be due on the Monday following the week it is assigned. It is to be handed in at the lecture. Except for documented emergencies, homework assignments that are handed in more than one day late, will receive a grade of zero for the assignment.The homework is to be done as carefully and thoroughly as possible. Questions from homework are included in the lecture quizzes and final written exam

The homework is worth 6% of the final grade.

In order to pass you are not to miss more than 3 homework assignments. If you miss more than 3 homework assignments, you will earn an F in the course, regardless of the rest of your grades.

Note:

Because  of the full schedule, make-up projects and studio quizzes are not scheduled. If you miss a studio because of documented extenuating circumstances, e.g. illness, a family bereavement, you may attend another studio section during that week, provided you have received written approval from that instructor, and have notified your assigned studio instructor of this one-time change.

Under exceptional circumstances and with appropriate documentation, the instructor may allow you to make up one project and/or one studio quiz at the end of the semester.

Segment IV -  Term Project (13% of the grade) to be chosen and developed by the student with instructor supervision and assistance as needed.

A written outline is required by mid-semester, as shown on the schedule of activities. The written report on the project and the oral presentation are required at the last studio session of the semester. The project should have relevance to physics and to the extent possible, to the student's major or his/her other interests. All term project topics MUST be approved by the studio instructor. You are strongly encouraged to discuss your term project with your instructor well before the final presentation. For details on the organization of the term project, go to the end of this document.

A student who does not complete the term project earns an F for the course, regardless of the rest of the grades. There will be no make-up term project.

Segment V - Final Written Exam (12% of the grade) is comprehensive and contains questions from material covered at the lecture and the studio during the semester. It will be handled in a similar fashion with the studio quizzes. This is scheduled for the end of the semester.

A student who does not complete the final written exam earns an F for the course, regardless of the rest of the grades. There will be no make-up final written exam.

SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES

Below is the schedule of activities for the semester. You should expect changes and adjustments to this schedule, thus, check it regularly .

Week of

Lecture

Quiz

Instruction (I)

Project

  Week of Jan 14 (1)

Lecture 1 - Introduction -  and Ch. 1

No studio this week. Use this time to read carefully ALL the features and requirements for the course.

January 14 - 20: Add/drop and late registration period

  Week of Jan 21 (2)

No lecture

Pre-course survey

I 1 - Hypothesis, efficiency, errors, averages, graphs

Proj. 1 - Sprinkler

 Week of Jan 28 (3)

Lecture 2 - Ch.1 continued .

Quiz 1 - Proj. 1

I 2 - Areas, volumes, density, mass, conversion of units, indirect measurements.

Proj. 2 - Direct and Indirect Measurements

 Week of Feb 4 (4)

Lecture 3 - Ch. 2 & 3

Quiz 2 - Proj. 2,

I 3 - Stress, strain, elastic modulus

Proj. 3 - Elasticity

  Week of Feb 11 (5)

Lecture 4 -  Ch.  5, 6, 7

 Quiz 3 - Proj. 3,

I 4 -  Experimental design, heat, temperature, loss of heat

Proj. 4 - Harried Cup of Coffee

 Week of Feb 18 (6)

Lecture 5 - Ch.  8

 Quiz 4 - Proj 4

I 5 - Velocity of light, ray diagrams, reflection and refraction of light

Proj. 5 - Reflection and Refraction

 Week of Feb 25 (7)

Lecture 6 - Ch. 8 - continued

Quiz 5 - Proj. 5

I 6  - Images and objects, plane mirrors

 Proj. 6 - Image formation

 Week of Mar 3 (8)

Lecture 7-  Ch. 9

Quiz 6 - Proj.6

I 7 -  Demo of laser light properties, sources of light

Proj. 7 - Color and Light Sources

Week of Mar 10 (9)

 Spring break

Week of Mar 17 (10) 

Lecture 8 - Ch. 11 Quiz 7 - Proj.7 I 8 - Demo. on charge and electrostatics, series and parallel connections Proj. 8 - Making a Battery
March 21: Last day to withdraw from class with a mark of "W"
Week of Mar 24 (11)  Lecture 9 - Ch. 11 continued

Quiz 8 - Proj. 8

I 9 - Electrical circuits and equipment

Proj. 9 - Electrical circuits

Term Project draft due (it will be handed in at the studio).

Week of Mar 31 (12) Lecture 10 - Ch. 12

Quiz 9 - Proj. 9

I 10 - Demo. of relation between electricity and magnetism

Proj. 10 - Electromagnet

Week of April 7 (13) Lecture 11- Ch. 13

Quiz 10 - Proj 10

I 11 - Speed, velocity, acceleration, energy and work Proj. 11 - Motion

 Week of April 14 (14)

Lecture 12 - Ch 14, 16

 Quiz 11 - Proj. 11

I 12 - Buoyancy, Archimedes's law

Proj 12 - Flotation

Week of April 21(15)

Lecture 13 - Review lecture on the internet (link from this page)

Term Project  Report and Presentation
Week of April 28 (16)  Below are the links to the 11 studio quizzes and the key. They will remain posted till May 4 at 12 noon.

May 1 - 9

Final exams

Sections 002 - 010 will have the final on Friday, May 9 in LFSCB 151, from 1:00 to 3:50 pm.

Sections 902 - 904 will have the final on Monday, May 5, in Temple 1165, from 4:00 to 6:50 pm.

 

Weekly Homework

Although the homework assignments have been posted for the entire semester, you should expect changes from time to time, so before you start doing the homework double check its content here.

Questions from the homework will be placed in the quizzes administered the week when they are due.

The homework assignments from the textbook should be done and handed in on the pages of the textbook or photocopies of those pages. Homework done on loose sheets of paper will not be accepted.

The homework will be handed in at the lecture.

Each assignment should have your name, studio section number (001, 002, etc) , date when handed in, and assignment number (HW 1, HW 2, etc).

 

  Date due

Assignment

week of Jan 14  

HW 1

 

due

Jan 21

Read carefully and become familiar with the the following:
1.  Features and requirements of the course (read it before the add-drop day - Jan 20)
2.  Syllabus
3.  Read carefully chapter 1 (pages 1-1 to 1-18) from  the textbook

You will have no written assignment to hand in at this time

week of Jan 21

HW  2 

due Jan 28 This assignment is to be handed in at the lecture (on Jan 28). Read carefully and fill in the blanks for the questions "Do You Know" at pages 1-27 and 1-28, and also work out as best you can Project 1-2A at pages 1-29 to 1-31. (do not write your answers on a separate sheet of paper). Make sure you write your name, section number and letter on the top of page 1-27. 

 

week of Jan 28

HW 3 

due

Feb 4

This assignment is to be handed in at the lecture . Answer the questions 1 and 2 at page 1-40, 1-3 at pages 1-41 and 1-42 and questions 1-5 at pages 1-52 and 1-53.(do not write your answers on a separate sheet of paper.).

week of Feb 4

HW 4 
due

Feb 11

1. Read carefully chapter 2 (pages 2-1 to 2-22) from the textbook.

2. This part of the assignment is to be handed in: Work out the best you can Project 2-1 at page P2-23 to 2-28.(do not write your answers on a separate sheet of paper). Make sure you write your name, section # and letter on the top of page 2-23 

week of Feb 11

HW 5 
due

Feb 18

1. Read carefully chapters 5-7 from the textbook.

2. This part of the assignment is to be handed in at the lecture.

Answer the questions at page 5-12, 6-8 and 6-15. Write your name, etc., on the top of page 5-12. (do not write your answers on a separate sheet of paper).
Answer the question at page 7-11.

week of Feb 18

HW 6 
due

Feb 25

1. Read from chapter 8 from the textbook pages 8-3 - 8-34.

2. This part of the assignment is to be handed in:

Work out Project 8-1B at pages 8-43 and 8-44. (do not write your answers on a separate sheet of paper). Make sure you write your name, etc.,  on the top of page 8-43.

week of Feb 25

HW 7

 

due

Mar 3

This part of the assignment is to be handed in: Read carefully the information at page 8-51 on ray diagrams for a converging lens. You will be using the sheet at pages 8-52 and 8-53 to draw the ray diagram. The length of the optical axis at page 8-52 is 7 inches. Place an imaginary lens with focal length 1 inch and the size the height of the segment in the center of the line (see drawing below). The small balls indicate the position of the focal points of the lens.

 Note: For practice purposes you may want to use graph paper. On segment #1, place an object (about 1/4 in tall) at 1.5 in. from the lens, and using the ray diagram as described at page 8-51, find the position, orientation and size of the image. Repeat the diagram on segments 2 - 5 for positions of the object 2 in, 2.5 in 3 in and 3.5 in from the lens. In the space at page 8-53 write your comments, such as: when the object is moving away from the lens, the image.......

When done, read carefully the conclusions at page 8-53 and 8-54 top.

Do not forget to write your name, etc., at the top of page 8-51.

week of Mar 3

HW 8

 

due

Mar 17

1. Read carefully from chapter 9 pages 9-1 to 9-20.

2. You will have no written assignment to hand in at this time.

week of Mar 17

HW 8

 

due

Mar 24

1. Read from chapter 11 pages 11-1 to 11-22. You do not have to do the project, however read all the comments and conclusions. Also, read carefully the questions and answers at pages 11-24, 11-27; 11-29 - 11-30.

2. Read Project 11-1D at pages 11-33 to 11-36. You do not have to do the project, just read carefully the class discussion sections. Read the example with the doorbell at page 11-40.

3. To the extent possible, answer question 2 at page 11-44 and hand  it in. Do not forget to write your name, etc., at the top of page 11-44.

week of Mar 24

HW 9

 

due

 Mar 31

1. Read from chapter 11 pages 11-34 to 11-36, the introduction to Project 11-2 at page 11-37, the class discussion at pages 11-39 to 11-40.

2. Read the "Workings of a Diode" page 11-69 and the transistor, page 11-71 and 11-72. You do not have to perform the project.

3. Read Project 11-6 at pages 11-79 and 11-80. You do not have to perform the project.

4. You will have no written assignment to hand in at this time.

week of  Mar 31

HW 10 
due

Apr 7

1. Read chapter 12 from the textbook (pages 12-3 - 12-22).

2. Hand in a piece a paper with the answers to the following questions. (click on the link)

week of  Apr 7

HW 11

due

Apr 14

1. Read chapter 13 (pages 13-3 - 13-18; 13-19 13-20).

2. This part of the assignment has to be handed in: Project 13-1B: 13-21 to 13-24, including Table P13-3. Do not forget to write your name on top of page 13-21.

week of Apr 14

HW 12

due

Apr 21

Note: Because we will not meet in the classroom on April 21, please drop off the assignment in the box set up in front of my office.

1. Read from chapter 14 pages 14-3 to 14-16 and 14-29 - 14-30.

2. Hand in a piece of paper with the answers to the following questions (click on the link)

3. Read chapter 15 from the textbook (pages 15-3 to 15-20).

4. Read chapter 16 from the textbook (pages 16-3 to 16-10).

 

 

The course grade will be computed this way:  

Studio projects 33%

Lecture quizzes 6%

Studio quizzes 30%

Homework 6%

Term Project 13%

- outline 2%

- Term project report (content and presentation) 11% 

Final written examination 12%

 

   If your final course grade is:

90 - 100, you will receive an A,

80 - 89.9, you will receive a B,

70 - 79.9, you will receive a C,

60 - 69.9, you will receive a D,

  0 - 59.9, you will receive an F.

 

Information on the Term Project is given below.

Science for non-majors offers an important chance to reach out to students outside the sciences, and try to give them some appreciation for the scientific process.  The benefits of analytical thinking learned from this process reach far beyond the realm of scientific inquiry.  A term project will allow each student to personally experience the scientific process.   

 

The term project is done by each student, outside the class, and is in the form of an actual experiment involving measurements of two variables.  Pure research papers are unacceptable.  Your lab instructor will give you specific guidance on selecting a topic and must approve the topic.

 Projects should follow the scientific method:

 1)     Pick a topic and conduct research in books or on websites

2)     Write a hypothesis based on your research

3)     Develop and describe an experimental procedure

4)     Perform the experiment with measurements

5)     Analyze the data, draw conclusions with regard to your hypothesis, describe sources of experimental error.

 Part I- Preliminary Draft

A preliminary draft of the project will be due week of March 24, 2008..  This typed draft will include the first three elements of the scientific method:  1) pick a topic and conduct  research on that topic   2) write a hypothesis   3) develop and describe the experimental procedure.

 Section One:  Topic and Summary of Research

Select a topic dealing with  physics and summarize the background research of the planned experiment.    

Section Two: Hypothesis

Use the information from Section One to state the objective of your project in the form of a hypothesis.  The hypothesis should relate to the information that you found in the reference sources.

 Section Three:  Procedure

This section will describe the method and equipment of the planned experiment.  The focus here will be on consistency and validity.  You will be manipulating variables and measuring the results. Your primary concern should be the restriction of outside effects.    The reader should be able to repeat your experiment based solely on your description. 

References (Mandatory!)

At least two scientific references must be provided to support your preliminary research. References usually cover the theory behind your project topic, applications of the science, or a description of what others have found while conducting a similar experiment.

 The preliminary draft will be returned with instructor comments week of March 31, 2008..  The remaining elements of the scientific method will be included in the final project.  All revisions must be included in the final project. Do not conduct the experiment until you have received written approval from your instructor.

 Part II- Term Project Report

The term project report is  due week of April 21, 2008.   This typed report will include a revision of the preliminary draft as well as the last two elements of the scientific process.

 Section Three:  Data

This section will present all data from the experiment.  Remember to use procedures learned in class: multiple measurements, averages, metric units, graphs and charts.  Charts and graphs should be correctly labeled and titled.  Units are a necessity. 

 Section Four:  Conclusion

This final section will provide an argument, based on your data, supporting or denying your original hypothesis.  This argument should also include comments on data accuracy and experimental error.

 Format

All reports must be typed and should be 5-10 pages in length including charts and graphs. 

·        Your name

·        Section #

·        Date

·        Title

·        Hypothesis and Summary of Research

·        Procedure

·        Data

·        Conclusions and experimental error

·        References        

 

Part 3- Oral Presentation

The term project will be presented at the lab week of April 21, 2008. This presentation will entail a 2 minute summary of the hypothesis, experimental procedure,  the resulting data, and conclusions.  Acceptable visuals shall include but are not  limited to poster boards, transparencies and PowerPoint.

 Use of VCU Equipment

With prior notification, your lab instructor can allow you to use VCU measuring equipment and lab space to conduct your experiment. Notify your instructor well in advance of your needs. No lab equipment can be removed from the building.