Class: Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 11-11:50 am, Darwin 031; Thursday, 11-11:50 am, Darwin 030

Instructor: Dr. Hongtao Shi

Phone: 664-2013

Email: hongtao.shi@sonoma.edu

Office: Darwin 300J

Office Hours: Tuesday 4-5 pm, Friday 2-3 pm, or by appointment

Learning Objectives

Course Description and Goals: Physics 114 meets 4 units of your General Education requirements in areas B1 or B3. This is the first of three basic sequential courses in physics for science and mathematics majors in which we will learn how to think and work like physical scientists to solve problems in mechanics and thermodynamics. We will be working on vectors, classical mechanics, simple harmonic motion, thermal dynamics and kinematics. Our ultimate goals are to develop logic skills, problem solving skills, and to build competency in Physics.

I encourage you to take the accompanying laboratory course, Physics 116, Introductory Laboratory Experience, whether or not your major requires it. It meets an additional unit and your laboratory requirement (GE category B1), if you take it.

You can get help for this course at the SSU Tutorial Center.

Prerequisite: You should have satisfactorily completed one semester of calculus, such as Math 161 at Sonoma State. We will use derivatives and integrals throughout the course, as that is the way that physics is most effectively expressed.

Text: Physics for Scientists and Engineers, 7th Edition, by Raymond A. Serway, and John W. Jewett, published by Brooks Cole.

Make sure the book has the access code so you can use the "Enhanced WebAssign" feature to complete and submit the on-line homework assignments. The access code comes in a new textbook (ISBN: 0495429295). If you decide to buy a used textbook, you need purchase the access code seperately. The stand-alone cost is $25 per semester. Deadline to get the access code: Monday, February 11, 2008 at 11:00 am PST. After that you will no longer be able to see your WebAssign assignments or grades, until you enter an access code.

WebAssign Login

Course Schedule

Grading Policy:

A few things to remember:

1. Homework problems are due on the date indicated in the syllabus, typically 1 week after the lecturing on the materials is finished. The lowest homework grade will be dropped when I compute your term grade.You are encouraged to work in a study group in doing the homework. Make sure you thoroughly understand the problems.

2. All quizzes, exams are closed book/notes and must be taken at the assigned time. You may bring a single page of formulae into the quiz or the exam. No makeup quiz or exam will be given without a legitimate reason such as medical emergency. So arrange accordingly. Be aware the makeup quiz or exam may be entirely different from the original one.

3. I reserve the right to raise your grade if exceptional effort and class participation are observed throughout the semester.

Strategies to succeeding in this course:

• Try your best to attend every class. Participate and ask questions. Your grades will suffer if you often miss the classes.
• Read subject material before each class.
• Start homework problems early. Never fall behind!
• Study and understand every pertinent example in the covered topics. Try to understand which principles or laws are employed, and how.
• Come to my office at my office hours with questions. Please remember that I am here to help you in any way I can so that you can do well.

Important University policies, such as add/drop classes, cheating and plagiarism, grade appeal procedures, etc., can be found here.

Email me if you have questions or comments.