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The following recommendations are in place to maintain your learning environment, to enhance the safety of our in-classroom interactions, and to further the health and safety of ourselves, our neighbors, and our loved ones.

• Vaccines are readily available and have been demonstrated to be safe and effective against the COVID-19 virus. Visit one.uf for screening / testing and vaccination opportunities.
• If you are sick, stay home (this goes for any illness!). Please call your primary care provider if you are ill and need immediate care or the UF Student Health Care Center at 352-392-1161 to be evaluated.
• You are encouraged to wear approved face coverings at all times during class and within buildings.
• If you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms please use the CDC website and consult with your doctor regarding your needing to isolate / quarantine, mask, and attending class (Click here for guidance from the CDC).

Prerequisites

Introductory Physics 2 with Calculus (PHY 2049, or the equivalent), which includes the associated math requirements up through multivariable calculus (Calc 3).

Description

This is a one-semester course providing an introduction to the history, basic theoretical concepts and major experimental results from the physical theories that emerged starting in the early 20th century. We will explore theoretical ideas and measurable phenomena in special and general relativity, waves and particles, quantum mechanics, atoms and molecules, phenomena connected to the statistical distributions of photons, electrons and atoms, nuclear physics, particle physics and cosmology. Each of these topics could be a course by itself, so we will cover only the highlights.

Purpose

The purpose of this course is to provide you with examples of “scientific theories” and why they are more than casual explanations for what we see in the world. Rather, you will see that a scientific theory is an explanatory framework, which, although provisional and evolving, involves an interplay between theoretical reasoning and experimental measurement. A successful scientific theory must be consistent with other theories while successfully passing experimental tests, some having incredibly high measurement precision.

Objectives

This course is a General Education designated course with the (P), Physical Sciences, designation. As such there are specific student learning outcomes and subject-specific General Education objectives that must be met.

By the end of this course, students will have a solid foundation in the important concepts, principles, terminology, and methodologies used in modern physics, and an introduction to application of this foundation to selected topics in modern physics such as relativity, statistical physics, condensed matter, nuclear physics, and particle physics. Specifically, students will be able to:

Content:

PHY3101 is split into two sections that meet at different times (P2, P3).  We use a single Canvas site for all course materials and employ the same exam dates, homework, grading scheme and office hours. We will lecture separately - because the material is fun to teach! - but will cover one another for travel, illness, etc.

Attendance is mandatory for this course and will be encouraged through in-lecture quizzes.

The most up-to-date course schedule is presented in xlsx format, found in the Files area.  This schedule includes sections of the book covered each lecture, homework opening and due dates, and exam dates.

Room locations are shown in the table below.

The instructors will communicate important announcements to the class using Canvas Announcements. However, please send all email to phy3101@phys.ufl.edu. (Do not use Canvas mail as it causes problems for courses with multiple instructors.) Your email must come from your @ufl.edu email address, otherwise it will be ignored.

Grader's Role: The assigned grader will grade the homework assignments for this course and any other content the professor needs help with. You should contact the grader if you have any questions on those graded assignments.

Class Comportment

All participants of this course (students, TAs, and instructors) should adhere to the following etiquette policies:

• Treat your instructor and classmates with respect in email or any other communication
• Always use your professors’ proper title: Dr. or Prof.
• Use clear and concise language.
• All college level communication should have correct spelling and grammar 
• Be cautious when using humor or sarcasm as tone is sometimes lost in an online interaction and your message might be taken seriously.

Grade components are listed in the Assignments tab. Below are the detailed descriptions for each category:  

Exams (69%): There are four exams, worth 17.25 course points each = 69 points total. The first 3 exams are free-form response; the last is multiple-choice.  For any missed exams (illness, family emergencies), a makeup will be administered (date/time to be determined). On each exam you will be allowed one handwritten formula sheet (front and back). You should bring a calculator.  To earn full credit, all steps & work must be shown on the exam paper that we provide. We will provide a sheet with physical constants.

Homework (20%): Weekly homework assignments will be given, with each assignment typically being due approximately 1 week from the time it was issued.  Homework is long-form.  To earn full credit all steps & work must be shown. Homework is due at the start of class, in class. Homework begins to be late as soon as class ends.  Late homework must be placed in our respective mailboxes or the graders mailbox. Do not put HW under our office doors. Late submissions will receive points as follows: 50% of max points (1 day late), 25% (2 days late), 0 points (> 2 days late) . We will post solutions as soon as possible after the due time. The lowest HW grade will be dropped. See the Homework Information page for rules for carrying out the HW assignments.

Lecture Quizzes (11%): In-class quizzes using iClicker will be given in class throughout the semester, one per lecture. These are multiple-choice.  The lowest 6 quizzes will be dropped.

Requirements for class attendance and make-up exams, assignments, and other work in this course are consistent with university policies. Click here to read the university attendance policies (Links to an external site.) .

Grading in this class is consistent with UF policies available at: https://catalog.ufl.edu/UGRD/academic-regulations/grades-grading-policies/

Note: A minimum grade of C is required for General Education credit.  Courses intended to satisfy General Education requirements cannot be taken for an S-U grade.

Grading scale (not curved)

This course is aligned with the UF policies described below. 

• Contact Hours:
  • "Contact Hours" refers to the hours per week in which students are in contact with the instructor, excluding office hours or other voluntary contact. The number of contact hours in this course equals the number of credits the course offers.
    

• Workload:
  • As a Carnegie I, research-intensive university, UF is required by federal law to assign at least 2 hours of work outside of class for every contact hour. Work done in these hours may include reading/viewing assigned material and doing explicitly assigned individual or group work, as well as reviewing notes from class, synthesizing information in advance of exams or papers, and other self-determined study tasks.
• UF Attendance Policy for Excused Absences
• Statement Regarding Evaluations:

  • Students are expected to provide professional and respectful feedback on the quality of instruction in this course by completing course evaluations online via GatorEvals. Guidance on how to give feedback in a professional and respectful manner is available at: https://gatorevals.aa.ufl.edu/students/. Students will be notified when the evaluation period opens, and can complete evaluations through the email they receive from GatorEvals, in their Canvas course menu under GatorEvals, or via https://ufl.bluera.com/ufl/. Summaries of course evaluation results are available to students at https://gatorevals.aa.ufl.edu/public-results/.

• Statement Regarding Course Recording:
  • Students are allowed to record video or audio of class lectures. However, the purposes for which these recordings may be used are strictly controlled. The only allowable purposes are (1) for personal educational use, (2) in connection with a complaint to the university, or (3) as evidence in, or in preparation for, a criminal or civil proceeding. All other purposes are prohibited. Specifically, students may not publish recorded lectures without the written consent of the instructor.
  • A “class lecture” is an educational presentation intended to inform or teach enrolled students about a particular subject, including any instructor-led discussions that form part of the presentation, and delivered by any instructor hired or appointed by the University, or by a guest instructor, as part of a University of Florida course. A class lecture does not include lab sessions, student presentations, clinical presentations such as patient history, academic exercises involving solely student participation, assessments (quizzes, tests, exams), field trips, private conversations between students in the class or between a student and the faculty or lecturer during a class session.
  • Publication without permission of the instructor is prohibited. To “publish” means to share, transmit, circulate, distribute, or provide access to a recording, regardless of format or medium, to another person (or persons), including but not limited to another student within the same class section. Additionally, a recording, or transcript of a recording, is considered published if it is posted on or uploaded to, in whole or in part, any media platform, including but not limited to social media, book, magazine, newspaper, leaflet, or third party note/tutoring services. A student who publishes a recording without written consent may be subject to a civil cause of action instituted by a person injured by the publication and/or discipline under UF Regulation 4.040 Student Code and Student Conduct Code.
    

• Honor Policy:
  • UF students are bound by The Honor Pledge which states, “We, the members of the University of Florida community, pledge to hold ourselves and our peers to the highest standards of honor and integrity by abiding by the Honor Code". On all work submitted for credit by students at the University of Florida, the following pledge is either required or implied: “On my honor, I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid in doing this assignment.” The Honor Code specifies a number of behaviors that are in violation of this code and the possible sanctions. You are obligated to report any condition that facilitates academic misconduct to appropriate personnel. If you have any questions or concerns, please consult with the instructor in this class.
  • The penalty for an honor code infraction includes failure for the assignment in question, and may extend to failure of the course depending on the severity of the infraction.

Students with disabilities who experience learning barriers and would like to request academic accommodations should connect with the disability Resource Center. Click here to get started with the Disability Resource Center.

It is important for students to share their accommodation letter with their instructor and discuss their access needs, as early as possible in the semester.

Physics is practiced and advanced by a scientific community of individuals with diverse backgrounds and identities and is open and welcoming to everyone. We recognize the value in diversity, equity and inclusion in all aspects of this course. This includes, but is not limited to differences in race, ethnicity, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, socioeconomic status, religion and disability. Students may have opportunities to work together in this course. We expect respectful student collaborations such as attentive listening and responding to the contributions of all teammates.

Physics, like all human endeavors, is something that is learned. Our aim is to foster an atmosphere of learning that is based on inclusion, transparency and respect for all participants.  We acknowledge the different needs and perspectives we bring to our common learning space and strive to provide everyone with equal access. All students meeting the course prerequisites belong here and are well positioned for success.

• Knack (although may target only Physics 1 and 2)
• UF teaching Center

The UF police are together for a safe campus. 392-1111 (or 9-1-1 for emergencies) http://www.police.ufl.edu/. 

Career Connections Center (352-392-1601 | CareerCenterMarketing@ufsa.ufl.edu) connects job seekers with employers and offers guidance to enrich your collegiate experience and prepare you for life after graduation.

If you or someone you know is in distress, please contact umatter@ufl.edu, 352-392-1575, or visit U Matter, We Care website to refer or report a concern and a team member will reach out to the student in distress

Counseling and Wellness Center (352-392-1575) provides counseling and support as well as crisis and wellness services including a variety of workshops throughout the semester (e.g., Yappy Hour, Relaxation and Resilience).

Dean of Students Office (352-392-1261) provides a variety of services to students and families, including Field and Fork (UF’s food pantry) and New Student and Family programs

Multicultural and Diversity Affairs celebrates and empowers diverse communities and advocates for an inclusive campus.

Office of Student Veteran Services assists student military veterans with access to benefits.

ONE.UF is the home of all the student self-service applications, including access to:

• Advising
• Bursar
• Financial Aid
• Registrar

The official source of rules and regulations for UF students is the Undergraduate Catalog and Graduate Catalog. Quick links to other information have also been provided below.

• Student Responsibilities, including academic honesty and student conduct code
• e-Learning Supported Services Policies includes links to relevant policies including Acceptable Use, Privacy, and many more
• Accessibility, including the Electronic Information Technology Accessibility Policy and ADA Compliance
• Student Computing Requirements, including minimum and recommended technology requirements and competencies