PHY 102

PHY 102
Atoms to Galaxies
Fall 2012
Dr. Sadri Hassani
314 Moulton Hall
Tel: 438-3427; email: sdhassa@ilstu.edu
Office hours: MWF 11:00–11:50 or by appointment
Textbooks
From Atoms to Galaxies (FAtG), Sadri Hassani, CRC Press, 2010 (required).
Hands-on Activities for PHY 102 Atoms to Galaxies, by Jay Ansher and Shaukat Goderya (required).
Overview
The aim of this course is to introduce you to the methodology, history, and basic concepts of physics, as well
as to some experimental techniques via traditional lab set-ups and computer simulations. On occasions, the
connection between physical principles and the development of new technologies is also emphasized.
Specific goals you will be expected to achieve
As one of the four science literacy courses of the general education program at ISU, the main goal of this
course is to acquaint you with the principles of science. As such, coming out of this course you will
• understand how we know what we know about the physical universe,
• be able to differentiate between science and pseudoscience,
• understand the connection between physics, technology, and society,
• have had hands-on experience with experiments which illustrate some of the theoretical ideas discussed
in lectures,
• recognize the crucial role of precise observation in formulating the nature of reality, strange and counterintuitive
as this formulation may be,
• have been exposed to some of the important physical ideas that led to quantum theory such as properties
of motion, waves, electromagnetic radiation, and light,
• have been exposed to the fundamentals of quantum theory as a paradigm of modern physics.
Course Outline
The course is divided into three parts. The first part deals with the beginning of science and astronomy.
The second part is about classical physics, where many of the concepts and outlooks that led to quantum
theory are discussed. The last part will concentrate on quantum theory, emphasizing the experimental
evidence that led to the theory, its subsequent observational verification, and its theoretical consequences
and predictions, as well as some of its applications.
A glance at the schedule of the course shows that you are expected to read a great deal at a rapid pace.
I will try to make this task easier for you in my lectures, but experience has shown that the best learning
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environment requires students’ inquisitive participation in the class. Ask questions; we shall all learn
from them!
Lab Activities
A major component of the course is a collection of 10 lab activities each worth 5 points. The lowest lab grade
will be dropped. The activities take place in an open lab. This means that you can walk in and perform
the running activity any time during the hours in which the lab is open (see PHY 102 Lab Schedule for
details). Since there are over 400 students using the lab, I strongly suggest that you perform the
activities early in the week. Because of the constant accessibility of the lab room, there is no make-up
for a missed activity! The deletion of the lowest score allows for a week-long emergency per student.
With such a large student population of PHY 102, it is possible for your graded lab reports left in the
lab rooms to disappear, and with them, the evidence of what your lab grades were. On the Tuesday of the
second week after the lab (if the lab is open; otherwise the Tuesday after that), your graded lab reports
should be available.
Box 1. You have to pick up your graded labs and keep them until the end of the semester.
If you have a missing lab grade and you don’t have your graded lab report for that lab, the
missing grade will count as zero!
Tests
To make sure that you are keeping up with the reading assignments, I will periodically give you quizzes of
two types:
• The Mallard quizzes can be taken several times and they are helpful in preparing you for the in-class
quizzes. Each Mallard quiz consists of one question and earns you one point. There will be as many as
20 Mallard quizzes. You can see your scores by clicking on “View Grade” icon in Mallard. The total is
also recorded on ReggieNet. The maximum number of times you can submit a quiz and get full credit
is 5. After that you lose 10% of the grade for each extra submission.
Box 2. Take each Mallard quiz as many times as you wish. It will not affect your
score because only the highest score will be recorded as your grade.
• There are 6 regular quizzes, all announced in the syllabus. Each quiz consists of 10 multiple-choice
questions and is worth 10 points. The lowest of the 6 quiz scores will be dropped. Be prepared at all
times! Bring a soft number 2 pencil for the written quizzes and tests! Most tests require a
scientific calculator.
In addition to the quizzes, there will be four hour exams, three of which consist of 25 multiple-choice
questions, each question worth 1 point. The last exam is just the final, and it will consist of 35 questions on
topics covered after the third exam.
Box 3. Bring your own calculator (live batteries included) to tests and quizzes!
phones or sharing of calculators are allowed.
No cell
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Seat Assignment and Attendance
On the second day of classes, you will be assigned a seat, and you are expected to sit there for the rest of
the semester. You are not required to attend the lectures. However, if you decide to come to the lecture,
you are expected to remain seated until the end of the period. If for any reason you need to leave
in the middle of the lecture, write your name and the time you have to leave on a piece of paper and give it
to me before the class starts. You may leave when I call your name.
Prerequisites
No science background is required for PHY 102. This does not mean, however, that the course is void of
new and unfamiliar concepts. On the contrary, even if you have already had physics in high school, the
topics covered here may appear unfamiliar, because the course emphasizes neither memorization nor mere
“hands-on” recreation, but rather, true learning experience. When a certain topic is introduced, examples of
its application will be analyzed in detail. You are then expected to be able to analyze other new examples.
This requires an in-depth comprehension of the topics. Although the process of learning will be slow at the
beginning, a little bit of patience and diligence can go a long way. The most important prerequisite for the
course is a willingness to learn. As for the mathematics preparation, some very basic algebra skills such as
taking square roots, raising to powers, and using power-of-ten notation, will be assumed. As you will see,
it is not a good mathematical skill that ensures success in the course but the ability to apply the skill to
physical situations.
Grades
Your total grade is divided into four parts as shown in the following table:
In-Class Quizzes
Mallard Quizzes
Labs
Hour Exams
Final
Total
50 points
20 points
45 points
3 × 25 = 75 points
40 points
230 points
The dates of the exams and the announced quizzes as well as the due dates for activities are as given in
the following schedule. Changes, if any, will be announced in advance. The final is simply the fourth exam.
There will be no make-up quizzes or exams! However, if for some legitimate and documented reason
you don’t show up for a test, the score for that test will be the average of all similar tests you took during
the entire semester. Your letter grade will be based on a distribution curve. The percentage range of letter
grades is approximately as follows:
A: 82–100, B: 72–81, C: 57–71, D: 45–56
Box 4. If you are taking this course on a pass/fail basis, you need a C to pass the course.
Tips on Studying for Exams and Quizzes
• Go over the examples and exercises discussed in the class and in the book.
• Here is the best tip: Be able to reproduce examples without looking at your notes. If you cannot
do this, you have not learned the material!
• When studying for an hour exam, in addition to the previous tip, make sure you can answer—on your
own—all the questions in all relevant quizzes taken after the last hour exam.
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• Study in groups: Your best teachers are your classmates!
Box 5. All of the text segments designated as Food for Thought in the assigned chapters are required
readings.
Schedule
The following is a tentative schedule. Changes will be announced in advance. The reading assignments
come from the textbook From Atoms to Galaxies (e.g., FAtG: Sec. 1.1, 1.2).
All lab activities begin on Tuesday and are due on Friday.
Box 6. You are responsible for remembering the dates of quizzes and hour exams!
Date
Assignment
Aug. 20 Introduction and Ancient Astronomy (FATG: Sec. 1.1, 1.2)
22 Ancient Astronomy (FATG: Sec. 1.3)
24 Ancient Astronomy (FATG: Sec. 1.3)
Sept. 03
Qct. 01
27 Ancient Astronomy (FATG: Sec. 1.4)
29 Modern Astronomy (FATG: Sec. 3.1)
31 Modern Astronomy (FATG: Sec. 3.2)
Labor Day; A2-GA: Graphical Analysis
05 Modern Astronomy (FATG: Sec. 3.3); Quiz #1
07 Modern Astronomy (FATG: Sec. 3.3)
10 Rectilinear Motion (FATG: Sec. 4.3); A5-CI: Computer Interface
12 Hour Exam #1 (Astronomy: Chs. 1, 3)
14 Rectilinear Motion (FATG: Sec. 4.3)
17 Rectilinear Motion (FATG: Sec. 4.3); No lab this week!
19 Kinematics (FATG: Sec. 6.1)
21 Kinematics (FATG: Sec. 6.3)
24 Kinematics (FATG: Sec. 6.4); Quiz #2 ; A3-FF: Free Fall
26 Dynamics (FATG: Sec. 4.1, 4.2)
28 Dynamics (FATG: Sec. 7.1)
Dynamics (FATG: Sec. 7.2); A4-PM: Projectile Motion
03 Dynamics (FATG: Sec. 7.3); Quiz #3
05 Dynamics (FATG: Sec. 7.3)
08 Further Topics (FATG: Sec. 8.1); A6-NSL: Newton’s Second Law
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10 Hour Exam #2 (Motion: Chs. 4, 6, 7)
12 Further Topics (FATG: Sec. 8.1) Last day to withdraw from the course with a WX grade
15 Waves (FATG: Sec. 11.1, 11.2); A7-CE: Conservation of Energy
17 Waves (FATG: Sec. 11.2)
19 Waves (FATG: Sec. 11.3)
22 Electromagnetism (FATG: Sec. 12.1, 12.2); No lab this week!
24 Electromagnetism (FATG: Ch. 13); Quiz #4
26 Electromagnetism (FATG: Ch. 13)
29 Electromagnetism (FATG: Ch. 14); B3-CLE: Coulomb’s Law of Electrostatics
31 Birth of Quantum Theory (FATG: Ch. 20); Quiz #5
Nov. 02 Birth of Quantum Theory (FATG: Ch. 20)
05 Birth of Quantum Theory (FATG: Ch. 20); B1-WA: Wave Addition
07 Hour Exam #3 (Energy, Waves, EM: Chs. 8, 11–14)
09 The Atoms (FATG: Ch. 21)
12 The Atoms (FATG: Ch. 21); B2-WNL: Wave Nature of Light
14 Probability (FATG: Ch. 16)
16 Probability (FATG: Ch. 16)
19 Thanksgiving Vacation
21 Thanksgiving Vacation
23 Thanksgiving Vacation
26 The Quantum Theory (FATG: Ch. 22); D1-LFA: Light From Atoms
28 The Quantum Theory (FATG: Ch. 22); Quiz #6
30 The Quantum Theory (FATG: Ch. 22)
Dec. 03 The Quantum Theory (FATG: Ch. 22); No lab this week!
05 Consequences of Quantum Theory (FATG: Ch. 23.1)
07 Consequences of Quantum Theory (FATG: Ch. 23.6)
Final = Test #4
Content: Quantum Physics and Probability: Chs. 16, 20–23
Time & Place: Sec 9/10 (MWF 12:00–12:50): TBA
Sec 13/14 (MW 9:05–9:50): TBA
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