Website for PHYS231 - University Physics I - MWF
Content of this Site:
If you need help, I highly recommend you go to the Physics
Learning Center
If you think you might need a tutor
for more in-depth help with this
class, check out this
web page.
... and
here
are 8 important nuggets of wisdom for all of you
Some really neat and useful Physics Web sites to look at - highly
recommended:
This is it!
Here is my
solution for the Final Exam. I wish y'all the best...
Good luck in your future endeavors and
happy holidays!
1) Is this course for me?
The purpose of this course is to gain a fundamental understanding how
Physics
can describe the world around us with an amazingly small collection of
concepts and models. To really see how powerful this science is, we
will
have to use some pretty advanced math (vectors, derivatives, functions
like cos, sin and exp, integrals and the like - i.e. calculus!).
We will develop some very abstract ideas (energy, momentum, force) that
have precise meanings (as opposed to the loose everyday meanings we
associate
with some of these words). We will also have to "unlearn" some of the
"obvious"
things we thought we knew about the physical world and how it works.
Finally,
to demonstrate the relationship between the abstract concepts and
models
and everyday phenomena or technical applications, we will have to study
a variety of examples and observations and solve problems.
All this means: If you aren't fairly firm in math (calculus, algebra and trigonometry), this
will be a very hard course to take. Make sure that you do not only
fulfill
the pre/corequisite (Calculus I - Math 211), but that you
actually
have
mastered most of the material. If you haven't had much experience with
abstract and geometrical reasoning, you will need to invest a lot of
time
doing extra problems, studying and getting help. And if you haven't had
any Physics in high school or college before, you may be overwhelmed by
the quite enormous amount of material we will cover. In that case, it
might
be a much better investment of both your time and your tuition
dollars
to take a conceptual Physics course (101/102) first, so you can get
acquainted
with the many phenomena and results of Physics without having to deal
with
the heavy mathematical machinery right away.
However, if you are fairly well prepared and ready to commit
substantial
time and effort to this course, you should be rewarded with a deeper
understanding
of the world around you (not to mention a reasonable grade). In that
case,
this course is definitely for you!
2) Suggestions for Homework
Homework problems are to be submitted using Mastering
Physics. Make sure you submit all problems on time.
Some general suggestions:
I realize that this course is rather hard and demanding, both in terms
of work and time commitment. The initial learning curve is rather
steep;
I understand you must be feeling like someone lugging around a toolbox
that gets filled with a never-ending stream of newer and heavier tools,
and then you are asked to use these tools to solve problems without
enough
time to really get familiar with any one of them.
Here are some suggestions how to tackle this task:
- Typically, HW problems are keyed towards new "tools" covered in
the
chapter
they are attached to. If a problem in Chapter 7 asks you to calculate
the
speed of an object after falling in Earth's gravitational field,
chances
are you must use "Potential Energy and Energy Conservation" to solve
this
problem (which is the chapter title).
- If you don't have enough time to thoroughly study the book, at
least
make
sure you go over several of the examples treated in detail for each
chapter.
Try to "think ahead", by covering up the "solution" and first trying
your
own hand at it. If you are really pressed for time (HW deadline), try
to
find examples that look similar to the problem at hand and see which
tools
are applied how (and why).
- Use the Recitation Sections to your advantage. Stop the
instructor if
there
is a step that you didn't understand - (s)he is there to help you where
your
difficulties are. Of course, this works best if you come prepared with
specific questions and/or sample problems.
- For extra practice,
you should do additional problems/exercises (some are included in the
weekly "Mastering Physics" assignments). You can assume that the
first
few "exercises" after each section
heading in the book
are simple applications of the main result(s) of that section, so those
are good training tools. Choose one which has an answer in the back of
the book (odd numbered so you can check yourself - they are also solved
in detail in the available solution manual), then try to do it as far
as you
get,
and then ask the recitation instructor for help where you need it.
- I can not do more than one sample problem every now and then in
class.
However, make sure you benefit at least from the ones I do by
interrupting
me (yell at my back if necessary) if I'm doing something you can't
follow.
I'd rather have you understand ONE worked-out example than getting only
a glimpse of several.
- If you don't remember which "tools" you really have, take a look
at the formula
sheet handed out for the exams. This is a very condensed collection
of all the really important formulae. Of course, you still need to
figure
out which one is the right one to apply (sometimes, there are more than
1 possibility).
- Doing problems is not easy, but you will get better at it with
practice.
Unfortunately, there is no shortcut or a simple collection of
"recipies"
- that's why Physics is a fundamtental science.
- Often it helps to work with other people and/or in the Learning
Center.
Bouncing ideas and questions of each other may clear things up - and
there's
often someone experienced around to ask if you really get stuck.
Hopefully this will help a little. But to help yourself and your class
mates even more, you have no choice but getting involved: Tell
me
(via email, office hour, note, in the learning center) what you would
like
me (or the TA or the Recitation Instructor) to do or change to make the
learning easier for you. However, don't expect miracles: We can't
simply
reduce the material to be covered by a large fraction, so be prepared
to
give us trade-off options ("do more of this and less of that").
Remember,
if you never go to office hours, the Learning Center, Recitations etc.,
we can't help you. And, yes, the time investment recommended for this
course
(15 - 20 hours a week) is really necessary for most students (see my Syllabus
for suggestions how to use that time).
3) Suggestions on
how to prepare for exams
Many of the suggestions above for the homework also apply for the
preparation
for a midterm or final exam (e.g., doing sample problems, following the
examples in the text very carefully,"Mastering Physics" etc.).
In particular, the best
preparation
for exams is to do both your regular homework and maybe a couple extra
"exercises" every week. But to get anything out of that, you really
have
to work hard at getting the answer on your own. Don't expect the
recitation
instructor, your fellow classmates or the learning center to "just do
the
problems for you". Not only is this against my intentions, but it also
deprives you of the learning process. Even if you don't get the final
answer
(right), if you at least have made a serious attempt, you will
understand
the correct solution better and be able to see where you may have
troubles
or weak areas.
And now some other "good advice":
- When you study the book, focus on the summary at the end of each
chapter. Make sure you understand
the
methods and concepts listed there (read the relevant part of the
chapter
in the book or my lecture notes if in doubt) and find at least one
example
in the text that illustrates each concept/technique.
- Go over past homework problems. Often an exam problem is just a
variation
of a previous homework problem. Try to remember (or reconstruct) which
concepts where used and how you could tell those were the relevant ones.
- Again, take a look at the formula
sheet
handed out for the exams. It contains many equations and formulae that
you might need during the exam (and a few more general, "upper level"
ones).
Try to recollect where and how each of these equations were introduced,
and what situations they apply to (again, look for examples in the
book).
- Remember, midterm exams will cover the chapters in the book
covered in
class up to the day before the exam, beginning with the first chapter
treated
after the previous midterm (for the second). However, some "background
knowledge" from all of 231 may be needed to answer a given question.
The
final exam covers all material equally.
- Check out this
additional advice.
Finally, don't wait until the last moment. Spend a couple hours each
week
reviewing material and maybe 1-2 hours each day before the exam to
prepare
yourself. This is more efficient than cramming for one night (not only
will you be tired, you will also forget everything more quickly again).
Click here for the Syllabus.
Solutions to
previous Homework Problem Sets and Quizzes
Lecture Notes
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
Week 11
Week 12
Week 13
Week 14
Week 15
Summary ("Ultimate Clicker Quiz")
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