Course Syllabus
Physics 301 Unique number 54890
Fall 2020, Monday, Wednesday, Friday from 11am-12 noon, over the internet
This syllabus is subject to change; you are responsible for learning about any in-class or electronic communications about changes to the syllabus.
Instructor: Professor Vernita Gordon (she/her/hers), gordon@chaos.utexas.edu. Student Drop-in Hours, also known as Office Hours, will be held over Zoom, at times determined by a poll sent to the class at the beginning of the semester. If you do not get this poll, please let me know immediately. You do not need to make an appointment or check with me ahead of time to come talk with me during drop-in hours. You do need to have a fairly specific idea of what you want to talk about. You can use drop-in hours to ask me questions about the course material or assignments, or to talk about what it is like to be a scientist, or to talk 100about opportunities for undergraduate research, or to talk about how to have a good experience in college, or to talk about how to prepare for graduate school.
Update: Professor Gordon’s drop-in hours (on Zoom) have been set for Tuesdays 11am-1pm, Thursdays 1-2pm.
If the regularly scheduled drop-in hours do not work for you, I will also meet with you by appointment. Email me to request an appointment. If I need to cancel some office hours, I will announce this via Canvas or email.
Update: Graduate Teaching Assistant: Stacie Moltner (she/her/hers), staciemoltner@utexas.edu. Drop-in hours (on Zoom) Mondays 4-7pm, Tuesdays 6-7pm, Wednesdays 5-7pm.
Undergraduate Learning Assistants:
Daniel Young, drop-in hours (on Zoom) Sundays 4-6pm, Fridays 4-6pm, Saturdays 4-6pm.
Zack Cartwright, drop-in hours (on Zoom) Tuesdays 2-3pm, Thursdays 2-3pm, Fridays 2-4pm.
Chris Pham, drop-in hours (on Zoom) Thursdays 5-8pm, Fridays 2-4pm.
Required Textbook: OpenStax University Physics, Volume 1. This is an online, free textbook (https://openstax.org/details/books/university-physics-volume-1). This textbook is required. It comes with several guides to help you with studying, problem-solving, and time management.
Pre-requisites: High school physics or consent of the undergraduate advisor; Mathematics 408C, or 408K and current enrollment in or credit for 408L.
Math Refreshers: The Sanger Learning Center offers math refresher courses early in the semester. They are free for UT students, and you can register here: https://utdirect.utexas.edu/apps/ugs/my/events/. There are three-day calculus refreshers 8/31 – 9/2. There is a three-day trigonometry refresher 9/8 – 9/10, 6-7:30. There is a 3-day algebra refresher 8/31 – 9/2.
The Sanger Learning Center also offers other courses on better studying, time management, and test-taking.
Course Mode: This course will be administered entirely online. Lectures will be pre-recorded and available on Canvas before the assigned day for that topic. Live, interactive problem-solving sessions will be delivered synchronously over Canvas during the scheduled class time. You will have a choice of participating in problem-solving sessions using either Zoom or the TOWER live-stream – links to both options are available on Canvas. Students can watch recorded problem-solving sessions on Canvas. Reading quizzes will be administered via Canvas. Homework assignments, unit quizzes, and exams will be administered using Quest. In addition, Piazza is offered to students as a place to ask questions and discuss.
Technological Requirements: Because this course is offered entirely online, the following are required:
- Computer or laptop computer with video camera (either a built-in camera or an attached external camera)
- A stable internet connection for accessing exams
If you are unable to obtain any of these, you are urged to message Professor Gordon ASAP. You are also urged to contact Student Emergency Services, which may be able to aid you in acquiring necessary materials.
Reading Quizzes: Each reading quiz will have the same weight toward your final grade. Reading quizzes are due at 10:30am on the due dates. Late reading quizzes will not be accepted.
Homework: Each homework assignment will have the same weight toward your final grade. Homework is due at 11pm on its due dates. Late homework assignments will not be accepted. Solutions to homework will be available on Quest 13 hours after the due time.
Working with other people on reading quizzes and homework: You are encouraged to discuss problems with your classmates, LAs, the TA, and Professor Gordon. The purpose of these assignments is to teach you concepts and ways of approaching and solving problems. However, each student must do his or her own work when turning in reading quiz answers on Canvas or homework answers on Quest. Copying another student’s work or having another student do the work for you is academic dishonesty.
Unit Quizzes: Unit Quizzes will be done online, using the Quest Proctor. You must do these on your own, with no aids other than the provided equation page and a scientific (not graphing) calculator. These will have flexible start times in a two-day window of Saturday and Sunday, and will have a time limit of 30 minutes. Late Unit Quizzes will not be accepted. Solutions to quizzes will be available on Quest after all quizzes have been graded. If you wait to start the Unit Quiz until homework solutions are released at noon on Saturday, you can use those to study before you take the quiz.
Midterm exams and Final exam: Midterm exams and the final exam will be done online, using the Quest Proctor. You must do these on your own, with no aids other than the provided equation page and a scientific (not graphing) calculator. These will be given at the days and times listed in the schedule at the end of this document. Solutions to midterms will be available on Quest after all tests have been graded.
Silence: Students are strictly prohibited from communicating with other people during unit quizzes and exams. This includes in-person exchanges as well as any exchange via electronic means.
Presence: Students are expected to remain present in front of their computers during unit quizzes and exams. Students are allowed to take a bathroom break during the unit quiz or exam. Students may also leave their workspace within the first five minutes of the unit quiz or exam if they forgot something.
Proctoring: The online unit quizzes and exams will have proctoring functionality, provided by Quest, enabled to monitor students while they are taking exams and to enforce the above rules. For this to work, students must have a camera that is facing them. The camera must show as much of the student and their workspace as possible. Allowable setups include devices with a built-in camera, as well as computers with an external webcam or other camera. Students who do not provide video access during exams may have their exams invalidated and assigned a score of zero. Students who are unable to provide a camera are urged to contact Professor Gordon.
Grading: Plus/minus grading will not be used. Course grades will be determined from assignments and exams as follows: 10% homework, 10% reading quizzes, 20% unit quizzes, 40% midterm exams, 20% final exam. The lowest homework score will be dropped. The lowest two reading quiz grades will be dropped. The lowest unit quiz grade will be dropped. The lowest midterm score will be dropped. The final exam is required and will not be dropped.
At any point in the semester, you can calculate your grade as follows:
Current average =
Honor Code: The core values of the University of Texas at Austin are learning, discovery, freedom, leadership, individual opportunity, and responsibility. Each member of the University is expected to uphold these values through integrity, honesty, trust, fairness, and respect toward peers and community.
Academic dishonesty: Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, copying answers on quizzes, exams or homework, having another person do quizzes, homework, or exams for you, or bringing non-allowed aids to exams. Collusion in another’s academic dishonesty is itself academically dishonest. Generally speaking, academic dishonesty is any activity that misrepresents another person’s work as one’s own, or that is intended to circumvent the intended purpose of evaluation tools like exams, homework, and iClicker quizzes. Don’t do this. Cases of suspected academic dishonesty will be reported to the Office of the Dean of Students.
Cell phones, graphing calculators, calculators that can store text in memory, and other electronic devices with potential for facilitating cheating are not allowed during quizzes or exams. The use of any un-allowed website during quizzes or exams is cheating. Scientific calculators that are NOT capable of graphing or storing text are allowed during exams.
Sharing of Course Materials is Prohibited: No materials used in this class, including, but not limited to, lecture hand-outs, videos, assessments (quizzes, exams, papers, projects, homework assignments), in-class materials, review sheets, and additional problem sets, may be shared online or with anyone outside of the class unless you have my explicit, written permission. Unauthorized sharing of materials promotes cheating. It is a violation of the University’s Student Honor Code and an act of academic dishonesty. Faculty are well aware of the sites used for sharing materials, and any materials found online that are associated with you, or any suspected unauthorized sharing of materials, will be reported to Student Conduct and Academic Integrity in the Office of the Dean of Students. These reports can result in sanctions, including failure in the course.
Class Recordings: Class recordings are reserved only for students in this class for educational purposes and are protected under FERPA. The recordings should not be shared outside the class in any form. Violation of this restriction by a student could lead to Student Misconduct proceedings.
Quest: You will do your homework, unit quizzes, and exams in Quest. Homework will be assigned and graded through the online QUEST system: https://quest.cns.utexas.edu/. Quest has some quirks, including not handling significant figures correctly (https://wikis.utexas.edu/display/questla/Numbers+and+Scientific+Notation ). Please read the link above and the introduction to Quest (https://wikis.utexas.edu/display/questla/Students ) carefully before beginning work. You don’t want to lose points because of a Quest quirk.
Paying for Quest: This course makes use of the web-based Quest content delivery and homework server system maintained by the College of Natural Sciences. This homework service will require a $30 charge per student for its use, which goes toward the maintenance and operation of the resource. Please go to http://quest.cns.utexas.edu to log in to the Quest system for this class. After the 12th day of class, when you log into Quest you will be asked to pay via credit card on a secure payment site. You have the option to wait up to 30 days to pay while still continuing to use Quest for your assignments. If you are taking more than one course using Quest, you will not be charged more than $60/semester. Quest provides mandatory instructional material for this course, just as is your textbook. For payment questions, email quest.billing@cns.utexas.edu.
Failing to satisfy Pre- and Co-requisites: Students who do not meet the pre- and co-requisites will get an email on the first and fifth class days telling them to come into the Physics department to resolve the problem. Failing to satisfy pre- and co-requisites can result in students being automatically dropped from the course.
Students with disabilities: Students with disabilities may request appropriate academic accommodations from the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement, Services for Students with Disabilities, 512-471-6259, http://www.utexas.edu/diversity/ddce/ssd. Students who need special accommodation must notify the instructor no later than the 12th day of class.
Religious holidays: If you will miss class because of a religious holy day, you must notify the instructor of your pending absence at least fourteen days prior to the date of observance of a religious holy day and no later than the 12th day of class. If you must miss a class, an examination, a work assignment, or a project in order to observe a religious holy day, you will be given an opportunity to complete the missed work within a reasonable time after the absence.
Adding and Dropping the Course: See the UT Austin Academic Calendar, https://registrar.utexas.edu/calendars/20-21. During the first four class days, students may add and drop courses using the Registrar’s online service. During class days 5-12, students may drop courses online but must get departmental permission to add the course. For this course, you should contact the physics department. Some departments may not allow add/drops after the fourth class day.
Academic Q-drop: See the UT Austin Academic Calendar (in Fall 2020, the deadline is October 29). If you want to drop this course after the 12th class day and before the Q-drop deadline, you can do that here: https://onestop.utexas.edu/registration-and-degree-planning/registering-for-classes/add-drop-a-course/.
Nonacademic Q-drop: Students who have substantiated nonacademic reasons, as determined by the Dean’s Office, may be able to drop a course. Students with significant nonacademic problems, such as extended health difficulties or family emergencies, are encouraged to contact the Dean’s Office. The course instructor cannot give permission for a nonacademic Q-drop.
One-Time Exemption Drop: Once in his/her undergraduate career, a student who has completed at least two long semesters at UTAustin can drop a class or all classes in a semester at any point until the last class day. You can start that process here: https://onestop.utexas.edu/registration-and-degree-planning/registering-for-classes/add-drop-a-course/
Quantitative Reasoning Flag: This course carries the Quantitative Reasoning flag. Quantitative Reasoning courses are designed to equip you with skills that are necessary for understanding the types of quantitative arguments you will regularly encounter in your adult and professional life. You should therefore expect a substantial portion of your grade to come from your use of quantitative skills to analyze real-world problems.
Title IX is a federal law that protects against sex and gender-based discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual assault, sexual misconduct, dating/domestic violence and stalking at federally funded educational institutions. UT Austin is committed to fostering a learning and working environment free from discrimination in all its forms. When sexual misconduct occurs in our community, the university can intervene to prevent harmful behavior from continuing or escalating, provide support and remedies to students and employees who have experienced harm or have become involved in a Title IX investigation, and investigate and discipline violations of the university’s relevant policies (https://titleix.utexas.edu/relevant-polices/).
Beginning January 1, 2020, Texas Senate Bill 212 requires all employees of Texas universities, including faculty, report any information to the Title IX Office regarding sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence and stalking that is disclosed to them. Texas law requires that all employees who witness or receive any information of this type (including, but not limited to, writing assignments, class discussions, or one -on-one conversations) must be reported. I, Professor Gordon, am a Responsible Employee and must report any Title IX related incidents that are disclosed in writing, discussion, or one-on-one. Before talking with me, or with any faculty or staff member about a Title IX related incident, be sure to ask whether they are a responsible employee. If you would like to speak with someone who can provide support or remedies without making an official report to the university, please email advocate@austin.utexas.edu. For more information about reporting options and resources, visit www.titleix.utexas.edu, contact the Title IX Office via email at titleix@austin.utexas.edu, or call 512-471-0419.
Although graduate teaching and research assistants are not subject to Texas Senate Bill 212, they are still mandatory reporters under Federal Title IX laws and are required to report a wide range of behaviors we refer to as sexual misconduct, including the types of sexual misconduct covered under Texas Senate Bill 212. The Title IX office has developed supportive ways to respond to a survivor and compiled campus resources to support survivors.
Safety in Emergency Situations: Occupants of buildings on The University of Texas at Austin campus are required to evacuate buildings when a fire alarm is activated. Alarm activation or announcement requires exiting and assembling outside. Familiarize yourself with all exit doors of each classroom and building you may occupy. Remember that the nearest exit door may not be the one you used when entering the building. Students requiring assistance in evacuation shall inform their instructor in writing during the first week of class. In the event of an evacuation, follow the instruction of faculty or class instructors. Do not re-enter a building unless given instructions by the following: Austin Fire Department, The University of Texas at Austin Police Department, or Fire Prevention Services office. If you have concerns about the behavior of a member of the campus community, you may call the Behavior Concerns Advice Line (BCAL): 512-232-5050. Link to information regarding emergency evacuation routes and emergency procedures can be found at: www.utexas.edu/emergency
How to Succeed
This course is calculus-based mechanics that is intended for physics majors and for astronomy majors. There are other introductory mechanics courses for engineering students, pre-medical students, and to meet the general education science requirement. Some of these are calculus-based and some are not. Please double-check your major’s requirements to see if this class is required, or if there is another course you should take that would be a better fit for you.
How to study for this class (Please read these sections carefully!):
Before coming to class, read the assigned material. Daily reading is indicated in the schedule at the end of this document. Work through the “Check Your Understanding” questions at the end of each section as you read though. Once you’ve gotten an answer you think is right, check it against the answer at the end of the textbook. It is important to understand the reasoning behind the answer, and not just be satisfied with getting the “right” answer through erroneous reasoning. Make note of what concepts are giving you difficulty. Reread those parts of the textbook. If you get an end-of-section question wrong, or you get it right with the wrong reasoning, that’s a signal to you that you need to study that concept more. Review the Examples from the textbook. These provide concrete illustrations of the concepts discussed, starting from simple examples and going to more complex.
In class, participate actively by taking notes, asking questions, and volunteering answers. If the instructor asks the class a question, don’t be afraid to try and risk getting it wrong. We’ve all gotten things wrong and that’s an important part of the learning process.
After class, review your notes. Discuss concepts and work on homework with your classmates.
If a concept or concepts is giving you trouble, come talk with the instructor, the TA, or a LA. Don’t wait until just before the test – seek out help as soon as you realize that you’re not understanding a concept properly. You can come talk with us during office hours or you can make an appointment to see Prof. Gordon outside office hours. Her email address is gordon@chaos.utexas.edu.
Before a quiz or exam, work through the “Check Your Understanding” questions at the end of each section again. Work through the Conceptual Questions at the end of the chapter (odd-numbered questions have answers at the end of the textbook). Remember it is important to have the right reasoning. If you get the answer or the reasoning wrong, re-study that concept. Review the notes you took in class. Work through extra problems on concepts that are giving you trouble (odd-numbered end-of-chapter problems have solutions at the end of the textbook).
Some additional study resources that you can use:
The Sanger Learning Center (https://ugs.utexas.edu/slc ) offers unlimited hours of drop-in (group) tutoring for this class, for free. Students also get a limited number of one-on-one tutoring sessions for free, with additional tutoring available for free.
Physics for Engineers and Scientists, by Ohanian and Markert. This book was developed for this class. There are copies in the UT Library, and electronic rentals are available through online retailers for about $35. This book comes bundled with online tutorials on the concepts that students historically have found the most troublesome and online checkup quizzes that you can use to make sure you are understanding things correctly.
Conceptual Physics, by Hewitt. There are copies in the UT library.
MIT OpenCourseWare has several versions of this course. https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/physics/8-012-physics-i-classical-mechanics-fall-2008/ is a traditional version with lots of problem-solving examples. https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/physics/8-01x-physics-i-classical-mechanics-with-an-experimental-focus-fall-2002/ has a hands-on focus with many take-home experiments. If you are interested in a different, more unified perspective on the topics covered in this class, https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/physics/8-01sc-classical-mechanics-fall-2016/ could be a good choice for you.
There are online Java applets, called “Physlets,” that can act as tutorials or simulations for problems in physics. Some of these can help you learn concepts because you can watch how things happen. There are many sites of these online. A good place to start is http://webphysics.davidson.edu/physletprob/ch8_problems/default.html
There are online, interactive, research-based simulations of many of the concepts we will study: phet.colorado.edu. These can also act as tutorials for problems in physics. Some of these can help you learn concepts because you can watch how things happen.
You can have Quest create custom reviews for you (https://wikis.utexas.edu/display/questla/Creating+a+Custom+Review ).
How to know how well you understand concepts:
Try tackling problems on your own. Then ask yourself, explicitly, what do I need to know to solve this? What are the things I do know? Articulate more specifically than just “I need to know how to solve this problem.”
Go over the homework, unit quiz, or midterm and discuss or write about where you went wrong. Use your own words to describe where you got stuck and what a strategy would be for you to get un-stuck and solve the problem. You can do this with other students, and/or during office hours with the instructor, TA, or LA.
For the homework, unit quiz, or midterm questions that gave you trouble, try doing them again from copies of the exam or homework that don’t have answers or explanations. Can you do these problems now? Can you make up similar problems of your own? Can you figure out how to test the same concepts or problem-solving ideas with different problems? Make up your own problems and then discuss them with other students or the instructor/TA/LAs. If you disagree about what concept(s) a problem tests, talk about this and find what is different between the problems and what is similar.
Time Management: Poor time management is an obstacle to academic success for many students, but you can overcome this. Using your time efficiently and proactively will make your college experience more productive AND more enjoyable. Dates for all assignments and exams for this class are listed in the schedule at the end of the handout. If you don’t use a calendar already, buy a paper calendar or use a calendar on the Internet (Professor Gordon uses Google Calendar for her time management). Mark ALL your classes and ALL your assignments and exams on your calendar. Mark all your other important commitments as well. Check your calendar daily to see what you have coming up so you can plan how best to use your time. Explicitly block out time for studying, meals, recreation, socialization, and sleep.
Communication: The instructor will sometimes communicate with the class through email, Quest, and/or Canvas. These are official communications and may include information that could affect your grade in the course. You are responsible for checking email, at least daily, at the address the University has on file for you. You are responsible for checking Canvas and Quest at least daily.
Hard things happen. Sometimes, through no fault of your own, a circumstance may arise that hurts your ability to do well in class. Examples include, but are not limited to, the death or serious illness of a family member or close friend, your own serious illness (physical or mental), a serious accident or natural disaster. I hope nothing like this happens to you this semester. If it does, I want to help (and, likely, so do your professors in other courses). You should contact Student Emergency Services (http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/emergency/) and discuss your situation with them. If they decide it is warranted, based on information, and possibly documentation, that you provide, they will contact me and your other professors, and tell us that your circumstances are such that I would be justified in being flexible with the course requirements in your case. They will not give me any specifics about your situation, so your privacy will be protected. Then, you and I can have a conversation about what adaption would be most appropriate in your case.
Fostering Diversity: Physics is a subject that concerns itself with the natural world. The laws of physics exist independent of human beings. Professor Gordon aims to ensure a learning environment that is accessible and welcoming to all students regardless of their race, ethnicity, nationality, gender identity, or sexual identity. Words or acts of discrimination do not have a place in this course. If a student objects to any speech or action that undermines their sense of inclusion, they are urged to contact Professor Gordon. If the student is not comfortable approaching Professor Gordon, the student is urged to report the behavior to the university’s Behavior Concerns Advice Line.
Counseling and Mental Health Center: This is a difficult class. Do your best to maintain a healthy lifestyle this semester by eating well, exercising, avoiding drugs, getting enough sleep and taking some time to relax. This will help you achieve your goals and cope with stress. Yet despite your best efforts, you may find yourself struggling. If so, do not disappear. You are not alone. Ask for help. You are encouraged to schedule a one-on-one appointment with Professor Gordon. Also, you can consult the Counseling and Mental Health Center. If you or anyone you know experiences any academic stress, difficult life events, or feelings like anxiety or depression, please seek help. http://www.cmhc.utexas.edu/individualcounseling.html.
Appropriate Communications: Learning how to communicate appropriately and professionally with professors and others in positions of authority is likely to give you a better experience in college and in your post-college career. “Professor LastName” or “Dr. LastName” are appropriate ways to address faculty, in person or over email. My last name is “Gordon” and I like to be addressed as “Professor Gordon” or “Doctor Gordon”. Think of writing emails to professors as if you were writing a letter, not a text message or IM. In writing emails, please use the subject line to tell me, as specifically as possible, what the email is about. Begin the email with a salutation, and use standard English spelling and grammar throughout. Please be as concise as you can while still saying what you need to say. End with a closure and your name.
Group study sessions: You are encouraged to organize a group study session. You may ask a Learning Assistant to lead such a section. Contact Professor Gordon or the Learning Assistant directly about this.
Private tutors: The Physics undergraduate adminstrator in RLM 5.116 can put you in touch with private tutors. Rates and other arrangements are made directly between tutors and students.
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Please see the next page for the course schedule. |
Lecture, Homework, Quiz, and Exam Schedule:
PLEASE DO EACH DAY’S ASSIGNED READING BEFORE YOU COME TO CLASS.
You are responsible for material in the assigned reading, regardless of whether it is discussed in class. You are responsible for material discussed in class, regardless of whether it is in the assigned reading.
PLEASE NOTE THAT:
There are reading quizzes the first week of class.
There is homework due the first Friday of class.
There is a unit quiz due the first Monday of class.
While most homeworks are due on Fridays, this is not always the case. Homework will be due on some non-Friday days to avoid being due on exam days.
Solutions to HW and Unit Quizzes will be available on Quest at noon the day after they are due.
How to do well in this class: You should expect to spend, at a minimum, three hours studying outside of class for every hour you spend in lecture. Read the material to be covered in class before coming to class, and a second time afterwards. Review your lecture notes after each lecture. Make written notes of things that you do not understand from the reading and lectures, and come talk with the instructor, the TA, a LA, or a physics graduate student coach about the things you do not understand. Start working on your homework as soon as possible. The homework assignments are difficult and they will take substantial time to do. This course moves rapidly, and students who fall behind are often not able to catch up. Test your understanding by answering questions and working problems from the textbook in addition to the assigned homework.
Course Summary:
| Date | Details | Due |
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