Latest News
NOT CURRENTLY IN SESSION
Next Offered in 2011-2012
(past announcements)
Online Resources
The web can help you pass Physics! The Online Resources page contains a bunch of web sites demonstrating concepts, often via engaging animations. Check it out!
What is Physics?
Physics is the study of energy, and therefore the foundation for all other scientific disciplines (chemistry, biology, geology, etc.)
Why is Physics Important?
Because physics underlies everything in your life, understanding physics can help you be more effective at almost anything, from unfogging your car windshield to managing your home heating and electricity bills. Physics can also help you make informed decisions about even larger issues, such as the way California should respond to the shortage of electrical power generating capacity.
What Will We Study in Physics?
During the first quarter, we will study heat, a very familiar form of energy transfer. In fact, most things we study this quarter will be familiar to you (e.g., seeing your breath on a cold morning), but by examining the underlying physics, we'll understand why things behave as they do. We'll also understand the fundamental technological development of the Industrial Revolution: converting heat into mechanical work.
During the second quarter, we will study what physicists call Mechanics, the basic laws governing force and motion. Of all the subjects we'll cover in physics, this is the most familiar (and the one with the most persistent misconceptions). We'll work together to develop a Newtonian intuition for how familiar objects interact, making use of everything you already know about the subject. Along the way, you'll have to discard a lot of "common sense" ideas that won't make sense to you anymore.
During the third quarter, we will study electricity and magnetism. These mysterious phenomena were largely unknown until the late 18th century, finally explained in the 19th century, and then literally reconstructed our civilization in the 20th century.
During the fourth quarter, we will study the "wave". Much more than halftime fun at a football game, the wave is a very successful and widely applicable mathematical model. We'll apply the wave model to sound, light and other physical phenomena, only to see it fail to adequately describe quantum effects, and this will be our introduction to the surreal world of modern physics.
Course Goals
My educational philosophy is very simple: set high expectations and help students rise to them. I have three major goals, in order of importance:
- Reasoning Skills - Students will evaluate scientific evidence, develop abstract models to describe the underlying processes, and employ them to draw reasonable conclusions.
- Physical Intuition - Students will have an intuitive, conceptual understanding of the fundamental physical laws, enabling them to both predict and explain the behavior of objects in their world.
- Problem-Solving Ability - Students will be able to characterize real world problems using mathematical representations and then apply mathematical techniques to solve them. (This means my students will excel at doing word problems.)
Course Organization and Schedule
The subject matter is divided into three units for the first quarter (Temperature & Heat, Change of Phase, and Thermodynamics), three units for the second quarter (Linear & 2D Motion, Newton's Laws, and Energy & Machines), three units for the third
quarter (Electrostatics, Circuits, and Magnetism), and three units for the fourth quarter (Sound Waves, Light Waves, and Quantum Duality). Roughly 3 weeks will be spent on each of these units, and a Unit Test will be given on the final day. The last few days of each quarter will be devoted to review and a Quarter Exam. The following summarizes the weekly course schedule:
- New Material Days - While one group of students posts the homework solutions on the board, all homework will be spot-checked. Afterward, class time will be divided between lecture/discussion, whole class demonstrations, group practice work, and/or group laboratory work.
- Unit Review Days (class day before each Unit Test) - While one group of students posts the homework solutions on the board, all homework will be spot-checked. Next, a different group of students will present a review of the unit material.
- Unit Test Days (2/4, 2/25, 3/16, etc.) - I'll answer any last minute questions during the first few minutes of class. Afterward, students will take a Unit Test, using their one-page Summary Sheets for reference.
- Weekends - Students will focus on Laboratory
Reports and Engineering Projects
(see below).
- Unit Test Review Days - Laboratory Reports will be collected on the first day after each Unit Test. Next, I'll review solutions to the problems from the Unit Test. Afterward, we'll continue with the next unit.
- Quarter Review Days (day or two before each Quarter Exam) - After the normal homework review, a different group of students will present a review of each unit.
- Quarter Exams (10/17, 3/18 & Finals Weeks) - Class will begin with a brief opportunity for students to ask any review questions they desire. Afterward, the class will take a Quarter Exam covering all three units.
- Final Lab Report Days (10/27, 1/20, 3/23, 6/1) - Final Quarter Lab Reports will be due at the beginning of class (Q4 labs due in Room 4 on 6/1 @8:20am), and any late work will result in a zero for that portion of the student's grade. Extensions will be given only in case of illness or family emergency, and then only with my advance consent (i.e., you must contact me before Monday.)
- Energy Movie Day (5/4) - All Energy Project work will be due at the beginning of class, and any late work will result in a zero for that portion of the student's grade. Extensions will be given only in case of illness or family emergency, and then only with my advance consent (i.e., you must contact me before Monday.)
Laboratory Reports
There will be one laboratory assignment per unit of course material. Reports describing student laboratory work will be collected on the first day of the following unit, given a tentative grade, and returned. The student should then address any comments I have made before the final reports are turned in at the end of each quarter. Each report should take the following form (1-3 pages):
- Abstract (3-4 sentences) - Briefly summarize why you think your instructor wanted you to perform this experiment, any predictions you made, what you did, and what your results mean. Hopefully, the lab instructions we hand out will be comprehensive, so please do not regurgitate them. Instead, pretend you're explaining what the lab was all about to a friend; hit the high points.
- Data and Observations - Make certain that one student has been assigned to record data and observations while the experiment is being conducted. Each group member should then copy all of this (by hand) before class is over. The data and observations in the Laboratory Report will normally have to be copied once again, so that they can be presented in a clear and organized fashion.
- Data Analysis - Describe how you analyzed your data, including calculations, graphs, tables, etc. Some of this analysis will take place during the lab, but you'll usually have to complete it for homework.
- Conclusions (1-3 sentences) - Summarize what your results have to say about the concepts being studied, especially with respect to any predictions you made. Try to distill your ideas down into a scientific model or law that might be useful for solving problems. What does it all mean?
- Reflection (1-3 sentences) - No scientific experiment is perfect. Comment on how well your group performed the laboratory work, including potential sources of experimental error. Describe specific areas in which you intend to improve for the next laboratory assignment.
Energy Project
Each student will research an "alternative" energy source and film a 5-minute movie layout out the case for how this can solve the dual problems of finite fossil fuel resources and global warming, working either individually or in pairs. There will be several milestones to help identify and develop project ideas in order to meet the assessment criteria. For more information, see the Energy Project Handout.
Class Policies
- Each student will maintain a single Physics Binder containing all handouts, lecture/discussion notes, laboratory notes, homework, tests and other course materials. These materials will be filed in chronological order within the binder.
- Students must bring their Physics Binder, calculator (see below), pencil, and blank paper to class every single day. Failing to do so may result in your group being assigned homework review on the following class day.
- Students should expect to spend up to 30 minutes on homework for each class period, though most assignments should be easy to complete given 15 minutes of focused attention.
- Homework should be completed on the night it is assigned. If you don't know how to answer a question, do your best to clearly demonstrate your efforts (no written evidence of effort = no credit for that homework check). Homework may be presented one class day late for full credit.
- Late homework (2 class days after it was assigned) will be accepted, but 10% of the credit may be deducted for each class day it's late (except for excused absences).
- A student who is absent must take the responsibility for mastering the material covered in class that day and bringing in the homework as assigned. Check the eSchool site for the homework assignment and/or phone a classmate to find out what went on while you were absent, and plan to spend an extra 2 hours of your own time studying the material covered on each day you miss.
- I am available for help during most study periods and lunch, but only if you make an appointment first. If you have a question, you may also email it to me at CSchneider@BitneyPrep.net or call me at 470-0134.
- A cheap scientific calculator will be very useful for the class (though not required).
- Although memorizing formulas can be very helpful, it is not a requirement for this class. Students may bring one double-sided 8.5" x 11" Summary Sheet to each Unit Test and two double-sided 8.5" x 11" Summary Sheets to the Quarter Exams. These Summary Sheets will be handed in with the tests so that I can give feedback on their content and organization.
How Grades are Computed
|
Assignment Categories
|
|
|
|
Letter Grades
|
| Class Discussion | 5% |
A: 90% and above
B: 80% and above
C: 70% and above
D: 65% and above
F: below 65% |
| Homework Spot Checks |
25% |
| Project Checks |
7% |
| Unit Tests |
15% |
| Quarter Exams |
20% |
| Laboratory Reports |
15% |
| Engineering Project |
8% |
| Study Hall |
5% |
|
