Conceptual Physics - Physics 35 - Fall 2004

Room 113 Physics Building

Tuesday and Thursday, 1:15 - 2:30 PM

Instructor - Dr. Henry R. Weller

Office: Room 410 TUNL Building (directly behind Physics)

email: weller@tunl.duke.edu

(email this address to arrange a meeting)

Teaching Assistant: Brent Fallin

Office: 250G Physics Building

Office hours: 2:30 - 3:30 PM Thursdays

email: brent.fallin@duke.edu

 

Audience and Pre-requisites

Intended for students not majoring in science and/or engineering.

No previous knowledge of physics is assumed.

 

Textbooks and Other Readings

How Things Work: The Physics of Everyday Life, Second Edition, by Louis Bloomfield.

 

Course Content

Fundamental concepts and the laws of physics with an emphasis on understanding everyday phenomena. Roughly equal emphasis is given to basic concepts (eg. gravitation, mechanics, sound, electricity, magnetism, fluids, light and modern physics) and explanations of how things work. Designed to improve analytical reasoning and communication skills, as well as to convey an understanding and appreciation for physics.

Format of Classes

Traditional lecture/demonstrations will be combined with group discussions of a few selected homework exercises and problems.

 

Graded Material

Homework (20%)

Homework will be collected at the beginning of each lecture and will be graded on the basis of effort alone. Some of the homework assignments are intended to prepare the student for the lecture of that day.

Weekly quizzes (50%)

The quizzes will be given at the end of the class period and will be based on the material discussed during that period.

Final Exam (30%)

 
 

Assignments (due on the date indicated)

Tuesday Aug. 24 --First Class

Thursday August 26

    Section 1.1

        Check Your Understanding (CYU) 1,2,3

        Check Your Figures (CYF) 1

    Section 1.2

        CYU - all

        CYF - all

        Chapter 1 Problems 2,3,4

Tuesday August 31

    Section 1.3

        CYU - 1 -> 6

        CYF - 1,2

        Chapter 1 Problems 11,12,13,14

                       Exercises 6,7,17

Thursday September 2 Quiz 1 (on Chapter 1)

    (Discussion of Chapter 1, Problems and Exercises)

    Read Chapter 2, Sec. 2.1

     Problems Chapter 1: 15,16,17

Tuesday September 7

    Sec. 2.1

        CYU - 2,3,4,5,6

        CYF - 1,2

        Chapter 2 Problems 1,2

                       Exercises 6,7,8

Thursday September 9 Quiz 2 (Secs. 1.3, 2.1 and 2.2)

    Sec. 2.2

        CYU - 1 -> 6

        Chapter 2 Problems 3,6

                       Exercises 13,15

 

Tuesday September 14

    Section 2.3

        CYU - 1 -> 3

        CYF - 1, 2, 3, 5, 6

        Chapter 2 Problems 13

                       Exercises 22,24,27,29,36

                       Cases 4a,b

Thursday September 16 Quiz 3 (Chapter 2)

    Chapter 2 Cases 6c

        Exercises 34,36,37,38

    Section 3.1 CYU - 1 -> 4

Tuesday September 21

    Section 3.2

        CYU - all

        CYF - all

        Chapter 3 Problems 1,2

                       Exercises 5,6,8,10

Thursday September 23 Quiz 4 (Sec. 3.1, 3.2)

    Section 3.3

        CYU - all

        CYF - all

        Chapter 3 Problem 5

       Exercises 14,19,24,25

Tuesday September 28

    Section 4.1

        CYU all

        Chapter 3 Problems 7,8

                       Exercises 36,37,41,46,47

                       Cases #4

Thursday September 30 Quiz 5 (Sec. 4.1, 4.2)

    Section 4.2

        CYU - all

        CYF - all

        Chapter 4 Problems 2,6,7,15

                       Cases #3

Tuesday October 5

    Section 5.1

        CYU 1 -> 3 (omit eqs. 5.1.1 and 5.1.2)

Section 5.2

        CYU 1,3,4,5

        Exercises 6,8,20

Thursday October 7 Quiz 6 (Sec. 5.1, 5.2)

    Section 5.3

        CYU 1,2,3,5,7

        Chapter 5 Exercises 23,26,30,38,39

Sorry for missing class, but I have been quite ill.  I am doing alot better now, and hope to see you in class this Thursday, October 14.

Due to the circumstances, we will not have a quiz this Thursday.  Please see below for the assignments for the future.

Thursday October 14     NO QUIZ
Review Secs. 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 5.2

Sec. 5.3
CYU 1,2,3,5,7
Chapter 5 Exercises 38, 39, 43, 45

Tuesday October 19
Sec. 7.1     CYU 1,3,4
Sec. 7.2     CYU 2,3,4,6     Exercises 15, 17, 20, 21, 24


Thursday October 21       QUIZ 7     Secs. 7.1, 7.2 
Sec. 8.1     CYU 1,2,3,4     CYF #1     Exercises 1,2,6

Tuesday  October 26
Sec. 8.2     CYU 1,2,3
Sec. 8.3     CYU 2.4.5     Exercises 6,7,8,9,10     Problems 1,3,4


Thursday October 28     QUIZ 8     Chapter 8  
Sec. 9.1     CYU 1,2,3
Sec. 9.2     CYU 1
                 CYF 1      Exercises Chapter 8     21, 25, 31, 32, 33, 34

Tuesday November 2
Sec. 11.1     CYU ALL
Sec. 11.2      CYU 1,2  
Exercises Chapter 9   1,2,4,12,13,19,20,28,30


Thursday November 4     QUIZ 9     Chapter 9
Sec. 11.3     CYU 1,2,3     CYF #1
Exercises Chapter 11    1,4,5,9     Problems 1,3

Tuesday November 9
Sec. 12.1     CYU 1,2,3,5
Sec. 12.2     CYU 1,2,3,4,6
Exercises Chapter 12    1,4,9,12,28

Thursday November 11     QUIZ 10  Chapter 11
Sec. 12.3     CYU 1,2,3
Exercises Chapter 12     10, 35, 39, 40

Tuesday November 16    
Sec. 13.1     CYU  1,2,3,4,5
Sec. 13.2     CYU 3,4,5
Exercises Chapter 13     1,5,8,11,14,19

Thursday November 18     QUIZ 11 Chapter 12
Sec. 14.1     CYU--ALL
Exercises Chapter 14     2,5,13,16,22,29,32

Tuesday November 23
Sec. 14.2      CYU--ALL  
Exercises Chapter 14     22,23,29,32


Tuesday November 30
Tour of Nuclear Facilities at Duke

Thursday December 2--Review for Final