Syllabus: Physics: Introductory: Calculus-Based: PHYS 195 - Physics for Scientists and Engineers A
Semester: 2025: Spring / Summer / Fall
Instructor: David Jeffery

Caveat lector: This syllabus might need some adjustments in the course of this semester.

Items:

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    2. EOF
  3. Catalog Description:
    1. PHYS 195 - Physics for Scientists and Engineers A: Calculus-based lecture in kinematics (Ch01--04), forces, particle dynamics (Ch05--07,Ch13), work and energy (Ch08,Ch13), momentum and collisions (Ch09), angular momentum and rotations (Ch10--11), elasticity (Ch12) and oscillations (Ch15--17), fluids (Ch14), and thermophysics (Ch01_2--04_2).
    2. Note the catalog topics must be covered in the course by UNLV policy.
  4. Library: See also Library Search. There are NO library and NO specific external information resources recommended for this course---except the course course textbook: see below.
  5. Artificial Intelligence (AI): To Google AI or not to Google AI: that is the question. For the moment, the answer is YES and NO for AI. YES for explaining concepts. NO for solving particular problems. What you need to do for exams and all of scientific/engineering life is to develop the skills to do a problem on your own OR engaging, roughly speaking, in the Socratic method with someone else including the instructor and/or study friends.
  6. Course Website / Extended Syllabus: None so far for this course.
  7. Course Textbook (Ling): Ling: OpenStax: University Physics: Volume 1: pdf, Ling: OpenStax: University Physics: Volume 2: pdf: It is free online and can be found by googling "OpenStax University Physics Volume 1 and 2".
    ONLY some of the full answer questions will be marked. A full answer needs few or no words and does NOT need to be lengthy, but it has to be detailed enough that it is convincing to yourself, your fellow students, and the grader. The multiple-choice questions will NOT be marked, but some will occur on exams, and so you should always answer them as if you writing exam and had to pull the answer out of memory or by deduction.
    Textbook Contents:
    1. Contents: Volume 1: Add 12 to cited pages to get the pdf page number.
    2. Ch01: Units and Measurement: p. 1--42: Homework 1, Solutions 1, Notes 1.
      1. Relativity file: light_speed_earth_moon.html
      2. Relativity file: relativity_light.html.
      3. Physics file: physics_branches.html.
      4. Derived units examples. But you need physical constants to relate quantities with incompatible units in formulae.
    3. Ch02: Vectors: p. 43--98: Homework 2, Solutions 2, Notes 2.
      1. Physics file: vector_field.html.
      2. Physics file: vector_field_field_lines.html.
    4. Ch03: Motion Along a Straight Line: p. 99--148: Homework 3, Solutions 3, Notes 3.
      1. Alien Abduction gravitron ride at Bluegrass Fair Lexington (June 19th, 2021) | 2:14: Once the door closes, there is no escape. Used to illustrate the centrifugal force which is the cause of the latitude variation in Earth's gravity g = 9.8 N/kg = 9.8 m/s**2 (fiducial value).
      2. Galileo's "falling bodies" experiment re-created at Pisa | 4:02.
      3. Hammer and feather drop on moon | 0:49. Note the acceleration due to gravity on the Moon is ∼ 1/6 of that on Earth's. More exactly it is 1.622 m/s**2 = (0.1654 times g_0 = 9.80665 m/s**2). So free fall times are longer on on the Moon.
    5. Ch04: Motion in Two and Three Dimensions: p. 149--194: Homework 4, Solutions 4, Notes 4.
      1. Mechanics file: center_of_mass_fosbury_flop.html: Parabolic trajectory videos.
      2. Physics file: physical_law_solution.html: For projectile motion animation.
    6. Ch05: Newton's Laws of Motion: p. 195--250: Homework 5, Solutions 5, Notes 5.
      1. Relativity file: frame_reference_spacetime.html.
      2. Mechanics file: frame_inertial_free_fall.html.
      3. Mechanics file: tidal_force.html.
      4. Mechanics file: tide_earth.html.
      5. Earth file: earth_oblate_spheroid.html.
      6. Mechanics file: frame_rotating.html.
      7. Mechanics file: coriolis_force.html.
      8. Mechanics file: pendulum_foucault.html.
      9. Mechanics file: frame_hierarchy_astro.html.
      10. Cosmology file: expanding_universe.html.
      11. Mechanics file: center_of_mass_1d.html.
      12. Mechanics file: center_of_mass_hanging.html.
      13. Mechanics file: center_of_mass_balancing_bird.html.
      14. Mechanics file: stability_mechanical.html.
      15. Mechanics file: center_of_mass_fosbury_flop.html: Parabolic trajectory videos.
      16. Alien Abduction gravitron ride at Bluegrass Fair Lexington (June 19th, 2021) | 2:14: Once the door closes, there is no escape.
    7. Ch06: Applications of Newton's Laws: p. 251--314: Homework 6, Solutions 6, Notes 6.
      1. Table of friction coefficients.
      2. Homework 6: Example problems explicated in class.
    8. Ch07: Work and Kinetic Energy: p. 315--346: Homework 7, Solutions 7, Notes 7.
    9. Ch08: Potential Energy and Conservation of Energy: p. 347--384: Homework 8, Solutions 8, Notes 8.
    10. Ch09: Linear Momentum and Collisions: p. 385--460: Homework 9, Solutions 9, Notes 9.
    11. Ch10: Fixed-Axis Rotation: p. 461--526: Homework 10, Solutions 10, Notes 10.
    12. Ch11: Angular Momentum: p. 527--564: Homework 11, Solutions 11, Notes 11.
    13. Ch12: Static Equilibrium and Elasticity: p. 565--610: Homework 12, Solutions 12, Notes 12.
    14. Ch13: Gravitation: p. 611--664: Homework 13, Solutions 13, Notes 13.
    15. Ch14: Fluid Mechanics: p. 665--712:
    16. Ch15: Oscillations: p. 723--766: Homework 15, Solutions 15, Notes 15.
    17. Ch16: Waves: p. 767--822: Homework 16, Solutions 16, Notes 16.
    18. Ch17: Sound: p. 823--868: Homework 17, Solutions 17, Notes 17.
    19. Contents: Volume 2: Add 12 to cited pages to get the pdf page number.
    20. Ch18: Temperature and Heat: p. 5--66: Homework 18, Solutions 18, Notes 18.
    21. Ch19: The Kinetic Theory of Gases: p. 67--108: Homework 19, Solutions 19, Notes 19.
    22. Ch20: The First Law of Thermodynamics: p. 109--142:
    23. Ch21: The Second Law of Thermodynamics: p. 143--178: Homework 21, Solutions 21, Notes 21.
    The html versions: Ling: OpenStax: University Physics: Volume 1: html, Ling: OpenStax: University Physics: Volume 2: html.
    Daily Routine: M--F, 8:00--9:40 am for class in BPB 106 and the rest of the day for study.
    1. Lecture: ∼ 50 minutes.
    2. Group Activity ∼ 5 minutes: People form groups and answer onscreen multiple-choice questions: Unmarked but you better do it seriously.
    3. Break: ⪅ 10 minutes: Group activity plus break ≤ 15 minutes always.
    4. Lecture: ∼ 35 minutes.
    5. Office hours: 10:30--12:00 am in faculty office BPB 244, 2nd floor, far west small corridor, moving to BPB 250 if there is a crowd.
    6. Office hours: 1:00--4:00 pm in faculty office BPB 244, 2nd floor, far west small corridor, moving to BPB 250 if there is a crowd.
  8. Required Readings: The relevant parts of the chapters of the textbook being lectured on.
  9. Homework Due Dates: Homeworks are due at the BEGINNING of the class the day after the corresponding chapter of the textbook has been completed in class. Late homeworks are allowed only in the case of extenuating circumstances.
  10. Evaluation:
    1. Homeworks: 10 %.
    2. Semester Exams: 25 % each for a total of 50 %.
    3. Final: 40 %.
    Final grades are always set by instructor drawing grade lines by personal judgment in order to get a fair distribution on the 12-point scale: A,A-,B+,B,B-,C+,C,C-,D+,D,D-,F. However, before final grades, the instructor just uses satisfactory S for above 60 % and D+,D,D-,F for below.
  11. Exam Schedule Including Final Exam:
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  12. Student Learning Outcomes:
    1. Learn the topics included in the catalog description.
    2. Be able to apply those concepts in those topics to problems, and thereby solidify the concepts.
    3. There are more concepts to learn than can be tested. So it is NOT just what is on the exams, it's what you need to know for the rest of your professional careers.
    4. Learning requires multiple modes:
      1. Learning is by following the lecture in your mind and questioning/challenging it in your mind as much as you can. Asking questions too. It's hard over 50 minutes, let alone 100 minutes.
      2. Learning is by understanding notes (your own or the instructor's), NOT just relying on the textbook (which is the opposite of compact: it's verbose). The instructor's notes are their personalized mnemonics. If you want to rely on them, you still make your own notes even if they are just written right on top of the instructor's notes.
      3. Learning by thinking and talking a subject. There's really no other way. Our neural networks, NOT AI's, need the workout.
      4. Learning is by spending ∼ 3 times more time on the course out of the lecture period than in it if at all possible. Going over the textbook, notes, concepts, homework problems, homework solutions.
    5. Have some fun with some of the most profound concepts of the universe.
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