Instructor:
Dr. Michael Pravica
Website:
http://www.physics.unlv.edu/~pravica
Office: BPB
136 Phone
(with Voice Mail): 895-1723
Office Hours: T
and R 1:00pm – 2:00pm and or by
appointment.
E-mail: pravica@physics.unlv.edu, or
pravicam@unlv.nevada.edu
Lecture: Tuesdays and Thursdays 10:00am – 11:15am Location: BPB-102
Text: Sears
and Zemansky’s College Physics Vol. One, 8th Ed, with
Mastering Physics (ISBN: 0-8053-9214-9), by H.Young & R.Geller (Pearson/Addison
Wesley 2006)
Mastering Physics Online Course ID: MPRAVICA0004
(http://www.masteringphysics.com)
Content: We
will be studying mostly classical mechanics.
Topics will include the SI system of units, one and dimensional
kinematic motion, vectors,
Grading:
15% Homework
(including online assignments from Mastering Physics®),
25% Laboratory Grade
20% Midterm Exam (Wednesday,
March 13th, 2008)
20% Quizzes
20% Inclusive Final
Exam (Tuesday, May 13, 2008 from 10:10am – 12:10pm)
Grading Scale:
90 → 100: A- → A+; 80 → 89: B-
→ B+; 70 → 79: C- → C+; 60 → 69: D- → D+; Below 60: F
DO NOT AUTOMATICALLY EXPECT A CURVE!
ATTENDANCE FOR THE FINAL EXAM AT THE SCHEDULED TIME IS
REQUIRED.
Attendance:
You are expected to attend all lecture and laboratory periods. You are
responsible for all assignments and announcements given in class. Missed exams will result in a grade of
zero. In the event of an extreme
emergency (e.g. hospitalization), make-up exams may be given only with the
written permission of the Chair of the Physics Department or the Dean of Arts
and Sciences. You may be asked to
provide written documentation to justify your request to make up material. For example, often an excuse such as “I had a
death in the family” is given for an absence.
If such is the case, then proof of death and proof of close family
relation must be supplied in order for the work to be made up. If you represent UNLV at any official
extracurricular activity, you shall have the opportunity to make up assignments,
but you must provide official written notification to the instructor no less
than one week prior to the missed class. A student missing a class or laboratory
assignment because of observance of a religious holiday shall have the
opportunity to make up missed work. The
student must notify the instructor of anticipated absences by the last day of
late registration (
Homework: Homework
will be assigned weekly and due one week later. Physics cannot be mastered
without working out physics problems.
Don't be discouraged when the material initially seems unfamiliar or the
homeworks are difficult. You are not
expected to understand the material immediately. Your mastery of physics will
be a gradual process that will develop through diligent practice (i.e.,
homework). Hopefully, you will learn
that this is not an unpleasant but intellectually engaging experience. Although each homework assignment is
numerically worth the least in terms of your overall grade, it is the most
important part of your studies. You
should plan to spend an average of two hours on homework for every hour of
lecture. Although we will discuss homework problems occasionally in lecture,
questions on homework can always be raised with your instructor during his office
hours. Practice makes perfect!!
Laboratories:
Physics is an experimentally-driven science and laboratory work is essential to
its understanding as theoretical concepts are tested in the laboratory,
allowing you the chance to develop an intuition for natural laws. You must
receive a C or better grade in PHY 151L to pass PHY151.
Exams: Each
student must be prepared to present a pictured ID if requested during an exam. The Final Exam will encompass ALL of the
material covered in the class.
Cheating: Any
person caught cheating on an exam will be dropped from the course. You are
permitted, and even encouraged, to work together discussing homework assignments
however, you are required to write up your homework alone. Blatant copying on
homework will be punished with a grade of zero for the work in question and may
result in further disciplinary action.
Per the Dean of the
For those with disabilities: The
Disability Resource Center (DRC) coordinates all academic accommodations for
students with documented disabilities. If
you have a documented disability that may require accommodations, you will need
to contact DRC for coordination in your academic accommodations. The DRC is located in the Student Services
Complex (SSC), Room 137. The phone is VOICE
702-895-0866, or TTY 702-895-0652, and FAX 702-895-0651. You may also visit their website at: <http://studentlife.unlv.edu/disability/>.
Copyright violations: The University
requires all members of the University Community to familiarize themselves and
to follow copyright and fair use requirements.
You are individually and solely responsible
for violations of copyright and fair use laws. THE UNIVERSITY WILL NEITHER PROTECT NOR DEFEND
YOU NOR ASSUME ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR EMPLOYEE OR STUDENT VIOLATIONS OF FAIR
USE LAWS. Violations of copyright laws
could subject you to federal and state civil penalties and criminal liability,
as well as disciplinary action under University policies. The University encourages you to visit its
copyright web page:
http://www.unlv.edu/committees/copyright/.
Final Note:
Physics has a reputation of being a difficult subject. However, hopefully I will be able to convince
you that it is not really that bad! You
will find that the knowledge and problem solving skills that you learn here
will be extremely valuable no matter what career path you follow. Therefore, don't be intimidated, try hard,
and never be afraid to ask questions. This syllabus may change as the course
progresses. The instructor will provide
advance notice if and when this happens.
Tentative Schedule:
Week 1 (1/22,
1/24) Chapter 1 Models,
Measurements, and Vectors
Week 2 (1/29,
1/31) Chapters 1 & 2 Motion along a Straight Line
Week 3 (2/5,
2/7) Chapter
2 Motion
along a Straight Line
Week 4
(2/12, 2/14) Chapter 3 Motion
in a Plane
Week 5
(2/19, 2/21) Chapter 4
Week 6
(2/21) Chapter 5 Applications
of Newton’s Laws
Week 7
(2/26, 2/28) Chapter 6 Circular Motion and Gravitation
Week 8 (3/4,
3/6) Chapter 7 Work and Energy
Week 9 (3/11,
3/13) Chapter 8 & Midterm Exam Momentum
Week 10
(3/18, 3/20) SPRING BREAK
Week 11
(3/25, 3/27) Chapter 8 Momentum
Week 12
(4/1, 4/3) Chapter 9 Rotational
Motion
Week 13
(4/8, 4/10) Chapter 10 Dynamics of
Rotational Motion
Week 14
(4/15, 4/17) Chapter 14 Temperature
and Heat
Week 15 (4/22,
4/24) Chapter 15 Thermal Properties
of Matter
Week 16 (4/29,
5/1) Chapter 16 The
Second Law of Thermodynamics
Week 17 (5/6,
5/8) Review
FINAL EXAMS: Tuesday,
May 13 from 10:10am - 12:10pm.