Instructor: Dr. Kelly Cline E-mail: kcline@carroll.edu Office: SH 119 Office phone: 447-4451
Office Hours: MWF 2-3, TR 9-11 or by appointment.
Course Description:
PHYS 205 and 206 are a two-semester calculus-based introduction to physics designed for mathemematics and engineering majors.
In this semester we will begin with a study of conservation laws, including the conservation of linear momentum, angular momentum, and energy.
We will next study the universality of physics in describing all motion, how Newtons laws apply to
statics, kinematics, and the dynamics of particles and rigid bodies.
Finally we will study how the laws of physics are frame independent, arriving at Einstein's theory of special relativity.
This course will consist of three lecture hours and one two-hour laboratory per week (W 3:00 - 4:50 or Th 3:45 - 5:35, SH 121).
Prerequisite: MA 232.
Textbook:
Six Ideas That Shaped Physics Second Edition by Thomas L. Moore, volumes C, N, and R.
Grading:
Unit C Exam: 10%
Unit C Homework: 10%
Unit N Exam: 10%
Unit N Homework: 10%
Unit R Exam: 10%
Unit R Homework: 10%
Lab: 20%
Final Exam: 20%
There will be three exams in this class, a midterm on Unit C on Friday, October 3,
a midterm on Unit N Friday, November 14, and a comprehensive final emphasizing Unit R
at the end of the term. In order to pass this class, all students
must take all three exams and receive a passing grade on the lab.
I will use a no-curve grading policy to assign final grades, so you are not competing
with anyone but yourself:
above 90% = A, 80% - 89% = B, 70% - 79% = C, 60% - 69% = D, below 60% = F.
Homework:
There will be homework due at the beginning of almost every class.
I will not accept any late homework unless you make some arragement with
me before the date when the homework is due. I will drop your
two lowest homework scores, so you can miss two homeworks without any penalty.
Homework problems will be graded on a five point scale:
0: no effort
1: very poor effort
2: a fair effort involving modest conceptual errors or a good effort involving serious conceptual errors
3: a good effort with modest conceptual/math errors or a fair effort with minor errors
4: a good effort with minor errors or a fair effort with no conceptual/math errors
5: good effort with correct results and reasoning
After homeworks have been returned to you, I will post solutions to the problems.
At this point you may correct any errors you may have made and submit a revised
version of any problems that you choose.
You have one week after the original assignment was due to turn in this revision.
I will then add up to two points to your grade on each problem based on the correctness
of your revision.
In Class:
I will assign a section of the text for you to read before each class.
Rather than lecturing, I prefer to ask you questions about what we've read, and guide
a class discussion about the material, so if you haven't done the reading it is very
obvious! There will also be many short assignments that you will do in small groups
during class.
| Topic | Assigned Reading | Date |
| Introduction to the Course | M 8/25 | |
| 21st Century Physics | C1 | W 8/27 |
| Vectors | C2 | F 8/29 |
| Momentum | C3 | W 9/3 |
| Particles and Systems | C4 | F 9/5 |
| Conservation of Momentum | C5 | M 9/8 |
| Energy | C6 | W 9/10 |
| Potential Energy | C7 | F 9/12 |
| Forces and Energy | C8 | M 9/15 |
| Rotational Energy | C9 | W 9/17 |
| Thermal Energy | C10 | F 9/19 |
| Energy in Bonds | C11 | M 9/22 |
| Impacts | C12 | W 9/24 |
| Angular Momentum | C13 | F 9/26 |
| Conservation of Angular Momentum | C14 | M 9/29 |
| Unit C Review | W 10/1 | |
| Unit C Examination | F 10/3 | |
| Newton's Laws | N1 | M 10/13 |
| Vector Calculus | N2 | W 10/15 |
| Forces from Motion | N3 | F 10/17 |
| Motion from Forces | N4 | M 10/20 |
| Statics | N5 | W 10/22 |
| Linear Motion | N6 | F 10/24 |
| Coupled Objects | N7 | M 10/27 |
| Circular Motion | N8 | W 10/29 |
| Noninertial Frames | N9 | F 10/31 |
| Projectile Motion | N10 | M 11/3 |
| Oscillatory Motion | N11 | W 11/5 |
| Intro to Orbits | N12 | F 11/7 |
| Planetary Motion | N13 | M 11/10 |
| Unit N Review | W 11/12 | |
| Unit N Examination | F 11/14 | |
| Principle of Relativity | R1 | M 11/17 |
| Synchronization | R2 | W 11/19 |
| The Nature of Time | R3 | F 11/21 |
| The Metric Equation | R4 | M 11/24 |
| Proper Time | R5 | M 12/1 |
| Transformations | R6 | W 12/3 |
| Lorentz Contraction | R7 | F 12/5 |
| The Cosmic Speed Limit | R8 | M 12/8 |
| Four-Momentum | R9 | W 12/10 |
| Conservation of Four-Momentum | R10 | F 12/12 |
| Unit R and Final Examinations | 1:00 - 2:45 p.m. | M 12/15 |