General University Physics                          Instructor: Greg Elliott
PHYS 121MA                          Office: Thompson 105
Fall 2004                          Phone: 879-2800
MWTF 9:00-9:50 Thompson 108                          E-mail: gelliott@ups.edu
Calculus and Analytic Geometry II                       Instructor: Martin Jackson
MATH 122PH                       Office: Thompson 602
Fall 2004                       Phone: 879-3567
MWTF 10:00-10:50 Thompson 108                       E-mail: martinj@ups.edu
Course Overview and Text
These sections of PHYS 121 and MATH 122 are taught as a combined course. All students must be enrolled in both courses. The text for this course is Volume One of Integrated Physics and Calculus by Andy Rex and Martin Jackson.
As a prerequisite for this course, students must have an understanding of the fundamental ideas taught in the first semester of the calculus sequence. We will begin this course with a rapid review of some fundamental ideas in calculus: limit, continuity, and derivative. We will do this review in both the familiar context of functions with scalar input and scalar output and in the new context of functions with scalar inputs and vector outputs. We will then study definite integrals, antiderivatives, and the Fundamental Theorems of Calculus. In the remainder of the semester, we will explore extensions and applications of these ideas, including differential equations, function approximation, and infinite series. We will concurrently explore fundamental ideas in mechanics including Newton's laws and conserved quantities.
MATH 122 satisfies the Mathematical Approaches category in the (new) University Core Requirements. In successfully completing the calculus course, you should come to further appreciate the power of mathematics and formal methods in providing a way of understanding a problem unambiguously, describing its relation to other problems, and specifying clearly an approach to its solution. You should develop a variety of new mathematical skills and increase your understanding of formal logic. Specifically, in successfully completing this mathematics course, you should understand the definition, evaluation, and uses of definite integrals and the definitions, manipulations, and uses of sequences and series.
PHYS 121 satisfies the Natural Scientific Approaches category in the (new) University Core Requirements. In successfully completing this physics course, you should learn to observe the material world around us through the eyes of a physicist , define appropriate questions about the physical world, develop an approach to solving complex problems, apply the scientific method, and communicate orally and in writing about physics. In addition, you should be prepared for advanced courses in physics and a better educated voter with technical and scientific knowledge. Specifically, in successfully completing this physics course you should be able to define the fundamental principles of Newton's laws and the related concepts of work, energy, and momentum as described by physics, apply the appropriate principles and concepts to analyze and solve problems, and use observations and measurements to make conclusions about physical phenomena.
Students who take separate physics and calculus courses find many points of contact between the two fields. Physics relies on calculus as a tool or language for precise quantitative description of the natural world. Describing the natural world provided motivation for the developers of calculus, notably Newton. Our idea in this combined physics and calculus course is to enrich both subjects by emphasizing the many connections. In successfully completing this integrated course, you should understand the relationships between calculus and physics, including their historical development, and appreciate the similarities and differences between the disciplines of physics and mathematics.
Course Web Page
Web pages for this course are located at
                       www.math.ups.edu/~martinj/courses/fall2004/m122ph121/m122ph121.html                       
You can get to this page by following links at either www.math.ups.edu/~martinj or
www.ups.edu/physics/faculty/elliott. Assignments and due dates will be listed. We will also post announcements and comments so you should check the web site for new information regularly. Class handouts will be available to download as PDF files.
Office Hours
Each of us will be available in our office on a drop-in basis at specific office hours each week. Consult our individual web pages for the office hours we have scheduled.
We are also happy to meet at any other time we can arrange. Feel free to stop us after class or call to find a mutually acceptable time. You are also welcome to contact us by e-mail.
Grading, Coursework, and Policies
You will receive separate grades for Phys 121MA and Math 122PH.
Grading for Phys 121MA
Grades will be based on a percentage of the points you earn on coursework with points weighted according to the following:
                                                       
Homework     25%
Projects     15%
Exams     40%
Laboratory work     10%
Final exam     10%
Grading for Math 122PH
Grades will be based on a percentage of the points you earn on coursework with points weighted according to the following:
                                                       
Homework             15%
Projects             10%
Exams             60%
Final exam             15%
We will assign homework problems from the textbook on which we expect you to spend considerable time and effort. We will discuss homework problems daily in class. You will benefit most from these discussions if you have worked on the assigned problems. A selection of homework problems will be regularly collected and evaluated.
We will assign a number of take-home projects during the semester. We try to write project problems that are interesting and challenging. These problems can be open-ended in the sense that there is no one best solution. We will expect your results will be written up with complete sentences to guide a reader through the work. We encourage you to work on the projects in small groups. If you do work on a project with others, you must do your own write-up of the results. The write-up should include the names of those with whom you worked.
Exams will be given approximately every three weeks. We will announce each exam date about one week in advance. We will give a make-up exam only if you make arrangements with us prior to the time of the exam. We write exams so that approximately half of each exam is "straightforward" and the remainder involves more challenging problems. By this, we intend that a well prepared student can do the "straightforward" problems without hesitation but will often or always have to struggle with the challenging problems.
Detailed information on labs will be given during the first lab session.
The final exams will be comprehensive. The final exam for Phys 121MA is scheduled for 8:00-10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, December 14. The final exam for Math 122PH is scheduled for 4:00-6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, December 14.
Attendance Policy
We expect you will come to class every day. We do not take attendance, but in a class of this size we usually notice when someone is not here. Attending class helps enormously in learning physics and calculus. Class time is often used to (1) discuss new ideas, (2) work on example problems, (3) give hints on assignments, and (4) go over assigned problems. If you have to miss a class for any reason, professors generally appreciate it if you let them know why you will be missing, in advance if possible.
If you will be absent on an exam date, you must let us know well in advance. Students absent from campus on an exam date because they are representing the University in music, athletics, forensics, etc. can arrange to take the exam before leaving campus.
Policy on Late Work
Our policy is to accept no late work unless there are exceptional circumstances. Examples of exceptional circumstances are (1) a serious, extended illness and (2) a family emergency. Other circumstances can be considered on a case-by-case basis. Generally, permission to hand in late work should be obtained in advance of the due date from one or both professors. If you wake up and feel too sick to come to class the day an assignment is due, simply have someone else hand in your assignment for you.
Important Dates for Fall 2004
Tuesday, September 7 Last day to add a course
Monday, September 13 Last day to drop a course without record
Monday, September 27 Last day to drop a course with an automatic W
Note that University policy mandates a grade of WF if you drop a course after Monday, September 27 unless "there have been unusual circumstances beyond the student's control and the student's work has been of passing quality." For full details, see the Academic Policies section of The Logger.


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On 29 Aug 2004, 19:58.