Instructor: Dr. Shyamal Mitra
Office: GDC 6.320
Office Hours: M 10:00 AM - 10:50 AM, WF 1:00 PM - 1:50 PM or by appointment

Teaching Assistant: TBA
E-mail: TBA
Office Hours:
Location:

Required Text: Physics of Everyday Phenomena by W. Thomas Griffith
Publisher: McGraw Hill. ISBN: 978-130905-619-6

Scope of the Course

This course is designed to prepare you for the rigors for Engineering Physics. This is a discussion and experiment based course with an emphasis on problem solving. We will mostly work on problems using algebra and sometimes calculus. But the goal of all the exercises that we do in class is not to gain mathematical expertise but a deeper understanding of the concepts in physics.

We will be covering a wide range of topics in physics: Mechanics, Behavior of Fluids, Heat and Thermodynamics, Electricity and Magnetism, Wave Motion and Optics. The course is divided into four sections, followed by a test at the end of each section.

1. Unit One: Mechanics
• 2: Describing Motion
• 3: Falling Objects and Projectile Motion
• 4: Newton's Laws - Explaining Motion
• 5: Circular Motion, the Planets and Gravity
• 6: Energy and Oscillations
• 7: Momentum and Impulse
• 8: Rotational Motion of Solid Objects
2. Unit Two: Fluids and Heat
• 9: Behavior of Fluids
• 10: Temperature and Heat
• 11: Heat Engines and the Second Law of Thermodynamics
3. Unit Three: Electricity and Magnetism
• 12: Electrostatic Phenomena
• 13: Electric Circuits
• 14: Magnets and Electromagnetism
4. Unit Four: Wave Motion and Optics
• 15: Making Waves
• 16: Light Waves and Color
• 17: Light and Image Formation

Lecture Schedule

Home Work

There will be several homework assignments during the semester. They will be assigned on Quest. The homework sets will be mostly numerical problems and some conceptual ones. I encourage students to discuss homework problems with each other but not copy each others work. The due date for each homework assignment will be posted on Quest. The grades for each assignment will be on Quest.

Class Work

There will be group exercises in class during every lecture period and some lab periods. These exercises will be in Quest. You will have to bring your laptop to class everyday.

Quizzes

There will be a quiz at the beginning of class every day. It will consist of a single numerical problem taken from the previous day's lecture material. The quiz will be either administered in Quest or hand written.

Tests

There will be four tests and no final examination. The tests will consist of a mixture of short answer questions and numerical problems similar to the ones given as homework assignments. The questions will be drawn primarily from the lecture material and the reading assignments. The tests are equally weighted.

The test will be held during the following class period:

• Test 1: 01 Mar 2017
• Test 2: 22 Mar 2017
• Test 3: 12 Apr 2017
• Test 4: 05 May 2017

Make-up tests will be given only for the following reasons. In all cases you must provide some form of documentation.

• Ill health
• Family emergency
• Official UT conflict

Questions concerning test grades should be given to me in writing along with your test within the next class day that the test is handed back. We will not entertain any disputes after that time.

Grades

• Quizzes: 10%
• Class Work: 10%
• Home Work: 10%
• Four Tests (10% each): 40%
• Labs: 30%

I will drop the lowest score on the quizzes, Classwork, and Homework. The scores on all the tests and labs will be taken into account while computing the weighted average. Your final grade will be determined by your performance through out the semester.

Study Groups

Academic Misconduct Policy

The quizzes and tests must be the sole work of the students turning them in. University policy (see Dean of Students' policies on academic integrity) will be followed strictly.

Acts that exceed the bounds defined by the approved collaboration practices will be considered cheating. Such acts include:

• Copying answers from someone else or giving someone else your solutions during quizzes and tests
• Copying answers from the internet during quizzes or tests
• Sending or receiving text during quizzes or tests
• Taking restroom breaks to review notes or communicate with someone during quizzes and tests

University Code of Conduct: 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 towards peers and community.

University Honor Code: As a student of The University of Texas at Austin, I shall abide by the core values of the University and uphold academic integrity.

Your Responsibilities in This Class

• Your performance in this class will be determined by you! It will require a strong dedication to learning the material and may require a substantial time commitment to complete the assignments.
• You are expected to show up on time for class and stay for the whole lecture. You are late if you come to class 5 minutes after the start of the class period. You may not participate in the lecture quiz if you are more than 10 minutes late. If you arrive more than 20 minutes late for a lab period then you will get a penalty of having your score for that lab be reduced by 20%.
• You are required to have your cell phones off at all times during the class and out of sight. You may not make or receive calls on your cell phone or send or receive text messages during lectures.
• You may not use a laptop in class unless told to do so.
• You are responsible for all material posted to the web site and sent as email. Ignorance of such material is no excuse.
• You are responsible for all material presented in the lectures and reading assignments. Note that lectures will include some material that is not available in your book.
• You are responsible for protecting your work from being copied by others during quizzes and tests.
• Your conduct in class should be conducive towards a positive learning environment for your class mates as well as your self.

Course Time Table

• 18 Jan 2017: Classes begin
• 01 Mar 2017: Test 1
• 13 - 17 Mar 2017: Spring Break
• 22 Mar 2017: Test 2
• 12 Apr 2017: Test 3
• 05 May 2017: Test 4 and Classes end

General Policies

Students with disabilities who need special accommodations should contact the Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) Office (471-6259 or 471-4641 TTY).