Text: J. D. Cutnell and K. W. Johnson, Physics, 7th edition, Wiley. Available in the University bookstores.
This course is the first half of a two-semester introductory physics course for non-majors. The major goal of this physics course is to enable you to develop logical reasoning skills, to explain or predict diverse phenomena in everyday experience, and to become good problem solvers and independent thinkers.
In this course we will cover most of Chapters 1-15, which includes material on Kinematics, Dynamics, Fluids, Heat and Thermodynamics. It is highly recommended that you read the relevant chapter ahead of time. The lecture material will follow the text fairly closely, and many of the assignments will be drawn from the text. You are encouraged to purchase the text or have regular access to it. There will be a copy (or copies) on reserve in the Benedum Engineering Library.
Physics 0110 has two components. The first is the lecture MWF from 1:00 to 1:50 in 343 Alumni Hall. The second is a smaller recitation section that meets one hour per week, taught by one of the TAs. In recitation you will take a short quiz and discuss physics and the homework.
Mathematics is the language of physics. While this course will not require knowledge of calculus, it will require skills in algebra, trigonometry and simple geometry. Appendices B through E of the text will help you brush up on some techniques and definitions.
I encourage you to participate fully in class discussions. Physics ideas build on previous material, so it is important to understand what is being taught each step of the way. I strongly encourage you to ask questions to clarify any doubts. There is no such thing as a dumb question. Chances are, if you are having trouble understanding a concept, others are also likely struggling with the same concept. Please stop me when this happens, so I can try again.
SRS Clickers.The Department of Physics and Astronomy has purchased a Student Interactive Response System (SRS) for 343 Alumni Hall. The system consists of hand-held remote controls (clickers) for every student, which is read by receivers in the room. The system will allow me to ask questions during the lecture and let you respond anonymously. At the beginning of the semester, you will be assigned a number that corresponds to a particular pad. The pads will be stored in two carts at the front of the room, so that you may pick up your pad as you enter the hall, and return it when you leave. Don’t forget to return the pad, since other classes will also be using the system! The questions you answer during class will count for extra credit at the end of the semester (see Grading Policy). Most of the credit (80%) will be given for supplying an answer, even if incorrect. The rest of the credit (20%) will be for having the correct answer.
I assume that those who attend lecture will respect me as well as their classmates, and refrain from distracting activities during the lecture. These include: (1) talking (except during Class Participation, when talking is encouraged), (2) use of cellular phones (ringers should be turned off), (3) other distracting activities, such as newspaper rustling, etc.
Asking a question during class is encouraged, and is not considered a distraction.
A Resource
Room will be available throughout the semester for help in
understanding physics concepts and completing homework assignments. The
room is
available from 9am to 5pm, Monday through Friday, in room 312
Thaw Hall. Please check the Resource
Room schedule. In
addition, tutoring is available through the Academic Support Center
(WPU 311).
The Cutnell
and Johnson website is another place to look for extra study
resources (http://www.wiley.com/college
For a good understanding of physics concepts learned during the lectures, you are encouraged to take advantage of our Physics Exploration Center (PEC). PEC is a learning center (located in 311/312 Thaw Hall) where lecture demonstrations have been modified and turned into small experiments for you to explore. Concrete experiences provided by the hands-on activities are very important for conceptual understanding of physical phenomena. The PEC is typically open from 9am-4pm M-F when you can do your assignment, but you should check the resource room schedule to make sure that a TA is available (the PEC is only open under TA supervision).
See Course Schedule for optional PEC assignments.
NOTE: The PEC assignments are not necessarily given in numerical order. You will not be formally graded for the PEC assignments, but they will count for extra credit (see Grading Policy for details) and you are strongly encouraged to check them out. Each PEC will be available for a week, with the PEC due in recitation the following week. Check the course schedule to obtain the PEC assignment for that week.
Problem-solving skills are important to learning and understanding physics and so homework is an important part of the course. This course will employ the LON-CAPA online homework system, whose server address is:
Your username for this system is the same as your Pitt email account; your initial password is your Student ID number (also known as PePeopleSoft number). Please be advised that LON-CAPA is independent of the university computer system. Instructions on how to use the system will be put onto CourseWeb. Homework assignments will be completed on LON-CAPA and no paper copies will be accepted. Each problem in LON-CAPA is generated uniquely for each student in the course. Therefore, the problems assigned to you will be similar, but not identical, to problems assigned to other students. Each problem has a discussion board and you are encouraged to use this feature to ask questions and offer insights to other students. You can post anonymously to these discussion boards. It is not anonymous to the professor and TAs.
Solutions to the homework problems will be posted online after the due dates. Please give up to a week for the TAs to write them up.
The final examination is already scheduled by the University; the exam time is taken from the official University Final Exam Schedules and Information. The final exam location will be determined sometime during the semester. All midterm exams will be held during the regular class meeting time in a location to be announced. The lowest performance of the three midterm exams will be dropped. An absent exam receives zero points and will be effectively dropped out. There will be no make-up midterm examinations under any circumstance (sorry, no exceptions).
For each exam, you will be allowed to prepare in advance and use during the exam one summary sheet of handwritten formulas on both sides [double sided, single page of the standard letter paper size]. The very act of creating such a summary sheet should help you to organize concepts in your mind.
| Time | Location | TA |
| Monday 2:00-2:50 pm | 104 Thaw | Balili, R. |
| Monday 3:00-3:50 pm | 11 Thaw | Balili, R. |
| Monday 3:00-3:50 pm | 343 Alumni | Garcia, D. |
| Tuesday 10:00-10:50 am | 318 Allen | Garcia, D. |
| Tuesday 11:00-11:50 am | 318 Allen | Garcia, D. |
| Tuesday 12:00-12:50 pm | 318 Allen | Garcia, D. |
Over the course of the semester, there will be opportunities for receiving extra credit (XCRED). One XCRED will be worth 0.25% in the final course grade, and these optional assignments are meant to enhance the learning experience.
The course grade will be based on: homework (20%), two midterm exams (20% each), the final exam (30%), and the recitation quiz (10%), where again the lowest of the three midterm exams and the lowest quiz are dropped. Extra credit is available. Each of the PECs will count for up to one XCRED (0.25%), and the in-class SRS (clicker) questions will count for a total of ten XCREDs (2.5%) added into the final grade.
The schedule (subject to change) lists the material covered, exam dates, and assignments. You are responsible for reading the chapter in the text BEFORE coming to class.
| Week of | Due | Monday | Wednesday | Friday |
| Jan 7 | Ch 1 | Ch 1 | Ch 2 | |
| Jan 14 | HW1 | Ch 2 | Ch 2,3 | Ch 3 |
| Jan 21 | HW2 | University
closed |
Ch 3 | Ch 3,4 |
| Jan 28 | PEC1 | Ch 4 | Midterm Exam 1 | Ch 4 |
| Feb 4 | HW3, PEC2 | Ch 4 | Ch 4,5 | Ch 5 |
| Feb 11 | HW4, PEC3 | Ch 5 | Ch 5,6 | Ch 6 |
| Feb 18 | HW5, PEC12 | Ch 6 | Ch 7 | Ch 7 |
| Feb 25 | PEC4 | Ch 7,8 | Midterm Exam 2 | Ch 8 |
| Mar 3 | HW6, PEC5 | Ch 8,9 | Ch 9 | Ch 9 |
| Mar 10 | spring break | |||
| Mar 17 | HW7, PEC8 | Ch 9,10 | Ch 10 | Ch 10 |
| Mar 24 | HW8, PEC9 | Ch 10,11 | Ch 11 | Ch 11 |
| Mar 31 | PEC7 | Ch 11 |
Midterm Exam 3 | Ch 12 |
| Apr 7 | HW9, PEC11 | Ch 12 | Ch 13 | Ch 14 |
| Apr 14 | HW10 | Ch 14,15 | Ch 15 | Ch 15 |
| Apr 21 | final exam |
“Students in this course will be expected to comply with University of Pittsburgh's Policy on Academic Integrity. Any student suspected of violating this obligation for any reason during the semester will be required to participate in the procedural process, initiated at the instructor level, as outlined in the University Guidelines on Academic Integrity. This may include, but is not limited to, the confiscation of the examination of any individual suspected of violating University Policy. Furthermore, no student may bring any unauthorized materials to an exam.”
"If you have a disability that requires special testing accommodations or other classroom modifications, you need to notify both the instructor and the Disability Resources and Services no later than the 2nd week of the term. You may be asked to provide documentation of your disability to determine the appropriateness of accommodations. To notify Disability Resources and Services, call 648-7890 (Voice or TTD) to schedule an appointment. The Office is located in 216 William Pitt Union."
If
you have any questions, please contact me at: wvliu0110@gmail.com.