Course Syllabus
Physics 301 Unique number 54995, 55000, 55005, or 55010
Depending on which discussion section you’re in.
Spring 2024, Tuesday, Thursday from 9:30am-11am, PAI 2.48
Discussion sections are Friday afternoons in PMA 7.116
55000 meets 3-4pm
55005 meets 4-5pm
55010 meets 5-6pm
Instructor drop-in hours: PMA 14.212 on Wednesdays 2-3pm and Thursdays 1-1:50pm.
TA Pablo Espinosa Argaiz drop-in hours: PMA 7.202 on Mondays 2-3:30pm, Wednesdays 3-4pm, and Thursdays 2-3:30pm. Email: pabloea@utexas.edu
LA Kyla Wong: Tuesdays 1-2pm on Zoom (https://utexas.zoom.us/j/95485447852) and Thursdays 5-6pm in PMA 14.318.
LA Nathan Ward: On Mondays, 5:30-6:30pm in PMA 14.318; on Wednesdays, 12:30-1:30pm at the coaching tables on the 5th floor of PMA.
This syllabus is subject to change; you are responsible for learning about any in-class or electronic communications about changes to the syllabus.
Learning Outcomes
The learning outcomes for this course are:
Students will use physical concepts correctly to evaluate and answer conceptual questions on the topics detailed in the schedule at the end of this handout.
Students will use physical concepts and mathematical operations correctly to calculate numerical answers to problems on the topics detailed in the schedule at the end of this handout.
Students will integrate understanding of physical concepts and mathematical operations to correctly answer conceptual questions and calculate numerical answers to problems, with more than one course topic combined.
For all types of questions and problems described above, students will be able to correctly set up, calculate, and answer when the type of question or problem posed is new to them.
Instructor: Professor Vernita Gordon (she/her/hers), gordon@chaos.utexas.edu. I care about the success of each student in this class.
Student Drop-in Hours, also known as Office Hours, will be held in PMA 14.212 on Wednesdays 2-3pm and Thursdays 1-1:50pm. 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 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 about 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.
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.
Struggle and Belonging in Physics: I made a video about my journey in physics. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlEIhMMuvxI
This was the hardest part of my physics career arc:
When I was an undergraduate, I sometimes felt out-of-place or like I didn’t belong in physics, primarily when I really struggled with some concept or calculation that seemed like it came really easily to my classmates. However, by far my worst experience with feeling like I didn’t belong came in graduate school, so that is what I am going to focus on here.
When I started graduate school, I was woefully under-prepared compared to my incoming cohort in physics. All of them (except me) had had a full year of rigorous undergraduate quantum mechanics, and many of them had taken graduate physics courses as well. My undergraduate institution only offered one semester of undergraduate quantum mechanics, and I had not taken any graduate coursework as an undergraduate. My first year in graduate school, I struggled mightily with the classes and only barely managed to pass, whereas I had classmates who seemed to be soaring through everything with ease, and they even had ample leisure time. I was very worried that I wouldn’t be allowed to join any research group because my first-year grades were so bad.
Then, I joined a research group, and it quickly became clear that it was a very hostile environment, but I was scared to leave because I didn’t think I was good enough to get in anywhere else. I stayed in that group until near the end of my fourth year in grad school, when I was fired. For context, fourth-year graduate students almost never get fired. This is almost unheard of and it was an awful feeling. Throughout these four years of time, my poor classwork performance and my difficulties with research and the research environment, made me feel like I didn’t belong. After a while, I didn’t care that I didn’t belong because I just wanted to get out of physics completely. After I was fired I thought about just dropping out of graduate school.
Things got better when I switched to a new research group. I made a much better decision of what group to join this time, because I had a much stronger sense of what was important to me (supportive people around me, other women, windows, more-applied science). I worked very hard in that new group, both to get research accomplished and to change my scared/defensive mindset so that I could trust and relate to the people around me in a good way.
I also was very conscious and intentional about building in healthy things to my life that I had not done while I was part of the previous group (investing time in friends and community outside of work, regular exercise). After about a year of working in that new group, I suddenly realized that I really enjoyed the work that I was doing. Having it be more applied was satisfying to me. More importantly, being in an environment where I enjoyed the people around me and felt like I was in a supportive community really shifted my perception of how much I belong, and how much I was happy to belong because I liked where I was. That is why I stayed in physics and eventually wound up in a faculty position.
Here is a letter that a student who took PHY 301 in Fall 2019 wrote to you.
How we should treat each other:
In this class, we have ethical obligations to each other to promote a respectful community through our discussions. To this end, these are the norms you should follow in any discussion:
Share time equitably. Know yourself. Balance your listening and talking.
Value differences. Remember that your perspective is not the only one. Work to understand the perspectives of others when they are different from yours.
Use evidence. Back what you have to say with data.
Make sure everyone feels safe. Safe is not the same as comfortable.
Discomfort is okay. Identify your learning edge and push it.
Own your impact. Your intentions may not be the same as your impact.
My general expectations for behavior in this course revolve around two phrases: 1) treat each other well, and 2) tell the truth. We are all in this course together to provide a community that supports your individual learning and growth.
Student Rights & Responsibilities
- You have a right to a learning environment that supports mental and physical wellness.
- You have a right to respect.
- You have a right to freedom of opinion and expression.
- You have a right to privacy and confidentiality.
- You have a right to meaningful and equal participation.
- You have a right to learn in an environment that is welcoming to all people. No student shall be isolated, excluded or diminished in any way.
With these rights come responsibilities:
- You are responsible for taking care of yourself and communicating with the instructor if things start to feel out of control or overwhelming.
- You are responsible for acting in a way that is worthy of respect and always respectful of others.
- Your experience with this course is directly related to the quality of the energy that you bring to it, and your energy shapes the quality of your peers’ experiences.
- You are responsible for creating an inclusive environment and for speaking up when someone is excluded.
- You are responsible for holding yourself and each other accountable to these standards.
Preferred Names and Pronouns: If your preferred name is not the same as the name that appears on the university-provided roster for the course, please let me know so that I can use your preferred name. Similarly, if you want to tell me your preferred pronouns so that I can use those, please do so.
Caregiver Responsibilities Policy: I have great respect for students who are balancing their pursuit of education with the responsibilities of caring for children or other family members. If you run into challenges that require you to miss a class, or if your caregiving responsibilities are interfering with your ability to engage in learning, please contact me. There may be some instances of flexibility I can offer to support your learning.
School-Life Conflict: Many students face obstacles to their education as a result of work or family obligations or unforeseen personal difficulties. If you are experiencing challenges throughout the term that are impacting your ability to succeed in this course, or in your undergraduate career more broadly, please reach out to me immediately so that we can work together to form a plan for your academic success. If you are unable to attend my drop-in hours, please email to set up a time that works for you or arrange a meeting by Zoom.
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.
I chose this textbook because it is available for free from anywhere with an internet connection. I want everyone to be able to make full use of the textbook without finances being an impediment.
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 January 22-24. There is a three-day trigonometry refresher January 20-31.
The Sanger Learning Center also offers other courses on better studying, time management, and test-taking.
Technological Requirements: Because part of this course involves watching online videos and turning in assignments the following are required:
- Computer or laptop computer
- A stable internet connection
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 in person, during the discussion sections. These will have a time limit of 30 minutes. If you arrive late to discussion sections, you may not get the entire 30 minutes. You must do these on your own, with no aids other than the provided equation page and a scientific (not graphing) calculator. Solutions to quizzes will be available on Quest after all quizzes have been graded. Unit Quizzes are given after the corresponding homework assignment(s) have been graded and solutions released on Quest, so that you can use them to study for the Unit Quiz.
Midterm exams and Final exam: Midterm exams and the final exam will be done in person; in the case of midterms, these will be during the regularly scheduled class time and location, and in the case of the final, this will be at the time and location announced on the Registrar’s website. You must do these exams 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. Exams are given after the corresponding homework assignment(s) and Unit Quizzes have been graded and solutions released on Quest, so that you can use them to study for the exams.
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.
Grading: Plus/minus grading will not be used. Course grades will be determined from assignments and exams as follows: 10% homework, 10% reading checks, 20% unit quizzes, 40% midterm exams, 20% final exam. The grading scale is: 90-100 = A, 80-89 = B, 70-79 = C, 60-69 = D, Below 60 = F.
The lowest homework score will be dropped. The lowest two reading check grades will be dropped. The lowest unit quiz grade will be dropped.
At any point in the semester, you can calculate your grade as follows:
Current average =
Growth and Grading: Sometimes you may attain a much better understanding of some topic, or how to do a type of problem, after we have finished covering that topic in lecture and homework. I want to encourage this growth. Therefore:
If your midterm grade is higher than your unit quiz average for the corresponding unit quizzes, I will replace your unit quiz grades with your midterm grade. Unit quizzes 1.x correspond to the first midterm, unit quizzes 2.x correspond to the second midterm, and unit quizzes 3.x correspond to the third midterm. This allows you to view the unit quizzes as a learning tool, and as practice exams so you can identify what you need to work on to do better on the midterm.
If your final exam numerical grade is higher than your course numerical average, I will assign your grade based on the final exam grade instead of the course average. This is intended to give you scope to master material even after we have taken the midterm.
I want you to do really well in this class, and what I care about is that you learn the material really well, not whether it takes you a few weeks longer than the course timeline. These grading policies are intended to reflect that.
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 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.
If you are concerned about how well you are doing in this course, please come speak with me instead of considering academic misconduct.
Working with other students: You are strongly encouraged to work with other students on the reading checks and the homeworks. You can also use your textbook on these, and you are very welcome to discuss them with the instructor or a TA or LA. However, the answers you finally submit must be your own. It is okay if another student teaches you how to do a problem or think about a question, as long as you become able to do it yourself, independently, and that is the answer you turn in.
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.
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. I aim 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 me. If the student is not comfortable approaching me, 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 me. 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.
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: Many students (and staff and faculty) have visible or invisible disabilities, and UT offers accommodations that allow them to achieve their full potential. Students with disabilities may request appropriate academic accommodations from the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement, Disability and access, 512-471-6259, https://community.utexas.edu/disability/. 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 https://physlets.org/pp/start.html
There are online, interactive, research-based simulations of many of the concepts we will study: https://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/Custom+Reviews).
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.
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 checks the first week of class.
There is homework due the first Sunday after class starts.
There is a unit quiz, in discussion sections, on the second Friday of class.
Solutions to HW and Unit Quizzes will be available on Quest after they are graded.
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Date |
DAILY Reading check due at 9:30am (modified deadlines for the first two class meetings) |
HW and Unit Quizzes |
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01/16 Tues |
Belonging and Struggle – the Instructor’s story https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlEIhMMuvxI
Chapter 1, Units and Measurement (reading quiz due 01/17 at 10:30am) 1.1-1.5; 1.7 Introduction https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/1-introduction 1.1. The Scope and Scale of Physics 1.2. Units and Standards https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/1-2-units-and-standards 1.3. Unit Conversion https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/1-3-unit-conversion 1.4. Dimensional Analysis https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/1-4-dimensional-analysis 1.5 Estimates and Fermi Calculations https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/1-5-estimates-and-fermi-calculations 1.7 Solving Problems in Physics https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/1-7-solving-problems-in-physics |
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01/18 Thurs |
Growth – Grading in this class
Chapter 2, Vectors (reading quiz due 01/19 at 10:30 am) 2.1-2.4 Introduction: https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/2-introduction 2.1. Scalars and Vectors https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/2-1-scalars-and-vectors#26536 2.2. Coordinate Systems and Components of a Vector 2.3. Algebra of Vectors https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/2-3-algebra-of-vectors 2.4. Products of Vectors https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/2-4-products-of-vectors |
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01/19 Fri (discussion section) |
Belonging Discussion – extra credit written assignment
Group homework |
Extra Credit Opportunity |
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01/21 Sunday |
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HW 0121 due 12 midnight |
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01/23 Tues |
Belonging – How are we feeling?
Chapter 3, Motion Along a Straight Line 3.1-3.3 Introduction: https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/3-introduction 3.1. Position, Displacement, and Average Velocity 3.2. Instantaneous Velocity and Speed 3.3. Average and Instantaneous Acceleration |
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01/25 Thurs |
Growth Story – Bella Chavez was a student in PHY 301 in 2020
Chapter 3, Motion Along a Straight Line 3.4-3.6 3.4. Motion with Constant Acceleration 3.5. Free Fall https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/3-5-free-fall#2753 3.6. Finding Velocity and Displacement from Acceleration (integrating equations of motion) |
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01/26 Fri (discussion section) |
Unit Quiz 1.1 (Chapters 1 and 2)
Group Homework |
Unit Quiz 1.1 (Chapters 1 and 2) |
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01/28 Sunday |
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HW 0128 due 12 midnight |
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01/30 Tues |
Belonging - Fast Friends activity
Chapter 4, Motion in Two and Three Dimensions 4.1-4.3 Introduction: https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/4-introduction 4.1. Displacement and Velocity Vectors https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/4-1-displacement-and-velocity-vectors 4.2. Acceleration Vector https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/4-2-acceleration-vector 4.3. Projectile Motion https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/4-3-projectile-motion#12332 |
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02/01 Thurs |
Growth and Belonging Story – Eva Kahn was a student in PHY 301 in 2020.
Chapter 4, Motion in Two and Three Dimensions 4.4-4.5 4.4. Uniform Circular Motion https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/4-4-uniform-circular-motion#43846 4.5. Relative Motion in One and Two Dimensions
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02/02 Fri (discussion sections) |
Unit Quiz 1.2 (Chapter 3)
Group Homework |
Unit Quiz 1.2 (Chapter 3) |
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02/04 Sun |
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HW 0204 due 12 midnight |
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02/06 Tues |
Growth story – Warren Wegener was a student in PHY 301 in 2020
Chapter 5, Newton’s Laws of Motion 5.1-5.5 Introduction: https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/5-introduction 5.1. Forces https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/5-1-forces#17818 5.2. Newton’s First Law https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/5-2-newtons-first-law 5.3. Newton’s Second Law https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/5-3-newtons-second-law 5.4. Mass and Weight https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/5-4-mass-and-weight 5.5. Newton’s Third Law https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/5-5-newtons-third-law
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02/08 Thurs |
Community and Belonging – the Physics Information Repository physics information repository
Chapter 5, Newton’s Laws of Motion 5.6-5.7 5.6. Common Forces https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/5-6-common-forces 5.7. Drawing Free-Body Diagrams https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/5-7-drawing-free-body-diagrams Chapter 6, Applications of Newton’s Laws 6.1-6.2 Introduction https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/6-introduction 6.1. Solving Problems with Newton’s Laws 6.2. Friction https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/6-2-friction |
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02/09 Fri (discussion sections) |
Unit Quiz 1.3 (Chapter 4)
Group Homework
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Unit Quiz 1.3 (Chapter 4) |
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02/11 Sunday |
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HW 0211 due 12 midnight |
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02/13 Tues |
Growth Story – Mahan Khanlari was a student in PHY 301 in 2020
Chapter 6, Applications of Newton’s Laws 6.3-6.4 6.3. Centripetal Force https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/6-3-centripetal-force 6.4. Drag Force and Terminal Speed https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/6-4-drag-force-and-terminal-speed |
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02/15 Thurs |
Review Chapters 1-6 for Midterm 1 |
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02/16 Fri (discussion sections) |
Belonging - Group Work and Collaboration – extra credit assignment
Unit Quiz 1.4 (Chapter 5) |
Extra Credit Opportunity
Unit Quiz 1.4 (Chapter 5) |
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02/18 Sunday |
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HW 0218 due 12 midnight |
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02/20 Tues |
Midterm Exam 1 - Chapters 1-6 In-class exam |
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02/22 Thurs |
Struggle Story – The time Professor Gordon scored 27% on an exam in her freshman physics class
Growth and grading in this class
Chapter 7, Work and Kinetic Energy 7.1-7.4 Introduction https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/7-introduction 7.1. Work https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/7-1-work#15606 7.2. Kinetic Energy https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/7-2-kinetic-energy 7.3. Work-Energy Theorem https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/7-3-work-energy-theorem 7.4. Power https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/7-4-power
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02/23 Friday (discussion sections) |
Purpose – Personal Values extra credit assignment
Group Homework |
Extra credit opportunity |
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02/25 Sunday |
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HW 0225 due 12 midnight |
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02/27 Tues |
Values – what’s important to us, and how that relates to this class
Chapter 8, Potential Energy and Conservation of Energy 8.1-8.5 Introduction: https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/8-introduction 8.1. Potential Energy of a System https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/8-1-potential-energy-of-a-system#85264 8.2. Conservative and Non-conservative Forces 8.3. Conservation of Energy https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/8-3-conservation-of-energy 8.4. Potential Energy Diagrams and Stability 8.5. Sources of Energy https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/8-5-sources-of-energy |
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02/29 Thurs |
Struggle and Growth – Emma Tyler https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GzPQfzq6NMFoJdd0xnCkzvZ6TANUw8wD/view
Chapter 9, Linear Momentum and Collisions 9.1-9.3 Introduction: https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/9-introduction 9.1. Linear Momentum https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/9-1-linear-momentum#62169 9.2. Impulse and Collisions https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/9-2-impulse-and-collisions 9.3. Conservation of Linear Momentum https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/9-3-conservation-of-linear-momentum
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03/01 Fri (discussion sections) |
Unit Quiz 2.1 (Chapter 7)
Group Homework |
Unit Quiz 2.1 |
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03/05 Tues
Prof. Gordon out of town. |
Struggle Story – The time Professor Gordon forgot how to conserve momentum on a final exam.
Growth and Grading in this class
Chapter 9, Linear Momentum and Collisions 9.4-9.7 9.4. Types of Collisions https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/9-4-types-of-collisions 9.5. Collisions in Multiple Dimensions https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/9-5-collisions-in-multiple-dimensions 9.6. Center of Mass https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/9-6-center-of-mass 9.7. Rocket Propulsions https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/9-7-rocket-propulsion |
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03/07 Thurs
Prof. Gordon out of town |
Review Chapters 1-9 for Midterm 2 |
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03/08 Fri (Discussion Sections) |
Unit Quiz 2.2 (Chapter 8)
Group Homework |
Unit Quiz 2.2 (Chapter 8) |
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Spring Break March 11-15 |
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03/17 Sunday |
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HW 0317 due 12 midnight |
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03/19 Tues |
Midterm Exam #2 - Chapters 1-9 In-class exam |
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03/21 Thurs |
Growth and Grading in this class
Chapter 10, Fixed-Axis Rotation 10.1-10.5 Introduction: https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/10-introduction 10.1. Rotational Variables https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/10-1-rotational-variables#27452 10.2. Rotation with Constant Angular Acceleration 10.3. Relating Angular and Translational Quantities 10.4. Moment of Inertia and Rotational Kinetic Energy 10.5. Calculating Moments of Inertia https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/10-5-calculating-moments-of-inertia |
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03/22 Fri (discussion sections) |
Purpose – What kind of the person do you want to be in the future? extra credit assignment
Group Homework |
Extra credit opportunity |
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03/24 Sunday |
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HW 0324 due 12 Midnight |
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03/26 Tues |
Purpose – how learning in college will help us be the people we want to be
Chapter 10, Fixed-Axis Rotation 10.6-10.8 10.6. Torque https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/10-6-torque 10.7. Newton’s Second Law for Rotation https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/10-7-newtons-second-law-for-rotation 10.8. Work and Power for Rotational Motion Chapter 11, Angular Momentum 11.1 Introduction https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/11-introduction 11.1. Rolling Motion https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/11-1-rolling-motion#17391 |
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03/28 Thurs |
Chapter 11, Angular Momentum 11.2-11.4 11.2. Angular Momentum https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/11-2-angular-momentum 11.3. Conservation of Angular Momentum https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/11-3-conservation-of-angular-momentum 11.4. Precession of a Gyroscope https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/11-4-precession-of-a-gyroscope |
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03/29 Friday (Discussion sections) |
Group Homework |
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03/31 Sunday |
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HW 0331 due at 12 midnight |
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04/02 Tues |
Struggle and Growth – Ravi Koka took PHY 301 in 2020
Chapter 12, Static Equilibrium and Elasticity 12.1-12.4 Introduction https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/12-introduction 12.1. Conditions for Static Equilibrium 12.2. Examples of Static Equilibrium https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/12-2-examples-of-static-equilibrium 12.3. Stress, Strain, and Elastic Modulus https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/12-3-stress-strain-and-elastic-modulus 12.4. Elasticity and Plasticity https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/12-4-elasticity-and-plasticity |
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04/04 Thurs |
Chapter 13, Gravitation 13.1-13.2 Introduction: https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/13-introduction 13.1. Newton’s Law of Universal Gravitation 13.2. Gravitation near Earth’s Surface https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/13-2-gravitation-near-earths-surface |
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04/05 Friday (Discussion section) |
Unit Quiz 3.1 (Chapters 10 and 11)
Group Homework |
Unit Quiz 3.1 (Chapters 10 and 11) |
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04/07 Sunday |
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HW 0407 due 12 midnight |
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04/09 Tues |
Chapter 13, Gravitation 13.3-13.4 13.3. Gravitational Potential Energy and Total Energy 13.4. Satellite Orbits and Energy https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/13-4-satellite-orbits-and-energy |
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04/11 Thurs |
Review Chapters 1-13 for Midterm 3 |
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04/12 Friday (Discussion Section) |
Unit Quiz 3.2 (Chapter 12)
Group Homework |
Unit Quiz 3.2 (Chapter 12) |
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04/14 Sunday |
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HW 0414 due 12 midnight |
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04/16 Tues |
Midterm 3, Chapters 1-13
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04/18 Thurs |
Struggle and Growth – Hailey Currie took PHY 301 in 2020
Chapter 15, Oscillations 15.1-15.4 Introduction https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/15-introduction 15.1. Simple Harmonic Motion https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/15-1-simple-harmonic-motion#16114 15.2. Energy in Simple Harmonic Motion https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/15-2-energy-in-simple-harmonic-motion 15.4. Pendulums https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/15-4-pendulums
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04/19 Friday (discussion sections) |
Group Homework |
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04/21 Sunday |
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HW 0421 due 12 midnight |
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04/23 Tues |
Chapter 15, Oscillations 15.5-15.6 15.5. Damped Oscillations https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/15-5-damped-oscillations 15.6. Forced Oscillations https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/15-6-forced-oscillations
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04/25 Thurs
Last day of lecture. Discussion sections still happen tomorrow. |
Review Chapters 1-15, excluding 14, for final exam
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04/26 Friday (discussion sections) |
Unit Quiz 4.1 (Chapter 15)
Group Homework |
Unit Quiz 4.1 (Chapter 15) |
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04/28 Sunday |
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HW 0428 due 12 midnight |
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TBA |
Final Exam - Chapters 1-15, excluding 14
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Final exam date, time, and location to be announced – Check the Registrar’s Website about four weeks before the semester ends |
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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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