Course Syllabus

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Spring 2024 Welcome to PHY2004 - Applied Physics 1!

Course Description

PHY2004 - Applied Physics 1 emphasizes the practical applications of basic physics to a range of professions, including architecture, agricultural sciences, building construction and forest resources. It covers the mechanics of motion, forces, energy, momentum, wave motion, and heat. 3 credits.

Instructor information

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Prof. Andrew Rinzler

  • Office: NPB 2251
  • Phone: (352) 392-5656
  • Email via Canvas mail
  • Office Hours: W, F Period 8 (3:00-3:50 pm)

Inclusivity

Physics, like all human endeavors, is something that is learned. Physics is practiced and advanced by a scientific community of individuals with diverse backgrounds and identities and is open and welcoming to everyone. I 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.

I strive to foster an atmosphere of learning that is based on inclusion, transparency, and respect for all. I acknowledge the different needs and perspectives we bring to our common learning space and will work to provide everyone with equal access.

Please don't hesitate to contact me with any concerns, or with any suggestions for improving the inclusivity of this course.

Course Objectives

If you put in the necessary effort then by the end of this course, you will have greatly improved your understanding of how the physical world works. This includes being able to:

  1. Analyze particular physical situations to make successful predictions about their future behavior. Identifying the fundamental principles pertinent to those situations will be key to your success in meeting this objective.
  2. Apply fundamental principles to formulate mathematical equations describing the relation between physical quantities in these particular situations.
  3. Solve mathematical equations to find the values of physical quantities.
  4. Communicate unambiguously both the principles that apply to a situation and the results of specific calculations resulting from the steps above.

Expectations of you

To achieve the foregoing learning outcomes, you should:

  • Attend lecture. This is very important! We will talk extensively about the physics problem-solving process, which is what you should aim to master by the end of this course.
  • Complete the homework assignments to assess your understanding of the concepts and problem-solving strategies presented every week.
  • Complete 3 of 4 in-class Group Work assignments over the course of the semester, as posted in the Course Schedule (which you will also find below).
  • Take two mid-term exams and the final.
  • Seek help from me, the Learning Assistants (LAs) and your peers when specific content does not make sense, including seeking help for the problem-solving process itself.
  • Working through the examples presented in the text will be key to learning the physics concepts, principles, and problem-solving techniques essential for success in this course.
  • Seek out additional practice when you need it to gain mastery over current material before moving on to future topics. This additional practice should include problems at the end of the textbook chapter that are not assigned as part of your homework.

This course is worth 3 credits, so you should expect to spend about 9 hours per week learning physics.

Required materials

  • Textbook
  • Homework System
    • The required online homework system is Mastering Physics, access to which is included in the purchase of the online textbook described above. Access Mastering Physics using the link provided in the Canvas course; note that it is called 'My Lab and Mastering' in the left-hand navigation.  You must register your access code from the Canvas course.
  • iClicker
    • Part of your grade is calculated based on your in-class participation. You will use the iClicker Reef system to participate. This software is free to UF students and can be used on either a computer or mobile device. Note that you must create an account/login with your UF email address. Further details about your iClicker grade can be found below in the Course Policies section.
    • You will need to bring either a laptop or mobile device with you to class in order to participate in the clicker questions. If this poses a hardship for you, please reach out to me ASAP so that we can find an appropriate solution.
  • Calculator
    • You may use any scientific or graphing calculator on the exams, as long as it does not have the ability to communicate with other devices electronically. Cell phones as calculators are not permitted, and use of them does constitute academic fraud. This includes the use of smartwatches; all smartwatches must be put away prior to the start of the exams.

Technical support

Course policies

  • Attendance Policy & Clicker Points
    • You are expected to attend lecture MWF as scheduled. You are also encouraged to attend office hours to clarify questions arising from your studies.
    • I will post lectures after they occur; I will not live-stream lectures.To earn participation points, you must attend class in person.
    • One or more clicker question will typically be posed each class period. You will receive 2 points for answering a clicker question correctly, 1 point for answering it incorrectly, and 0 points for no submitted answer. There is a 20% forgiveness factor on the clicker points to account for any sort of absence(s) and/or technological malfunction(s).
  • Lecture Slide Policy
    • Slides will typically be posted before class to facilitate your note taking. But updates may occur just before lecture, so the final slides presented in class may differ from the posted draft. The slides, as presented, with annotations I make during lecture, that include the clicker question(s) will typically post within a few hours after the lecture. You will find the lecture slides under Files (left side menu) in the Lectures sub-folder .
  • Homework Policy
    • Homework sets are to be completed individually online through the  MyLab and Mastering tab (left side menu). Your homework will auto-submit on the due date and time. There may be a slight delay between the submission of your homework and the syncing of your grade in Canvas. Please only reach out to me about this if 24 hours has passed without the two properly auto-syncing.
    • Homework is generally due Mondays at 11:59 pm (except for the 1st assignment)
    • Your homework is not timed or proctored, but it is subject to the UF Policy on Academic Misconduct. (See the University Policies section.)
    • It is permissible to seek assistance on homework from me, the LAs, or your classmates. This assistance may include help with interpreting the problem, identifying relevant information in the textbook or course videos, or identifying one’s errors. Ultimately, however, submitted answers must be your own.
    • A 20% forgiveness factor will be applied to your total homework score at the end of the semester to account for unexpected barriers that may have prevented you from finishing your homework in a given week.
  • Reading Quiz Policy
    • You will take conceptual reading quizzes according to the assigned Course Schedule. These quizzes are open-book but still subject to the UF Policy on Academic Misconduct (Links to an external site.). (See University Policies section.) All answers must be your own.
    • Reading Quizzes are typically due by 3 pm on each lecture day.
    • A 20% forgiveness factor will be applied to your total reading quiz score at the end of the semester to account for unexpected barriers that may have prevented you from completing your reading quizzes in a given week.
  • Group Work Policy
    • Physics is learned by doing. Hence you will have required in-class problem solving sessions with problems that are harder than those that will appear on the exams. There will be Learning Assistants (LAs) on hand to help with this. LAs are students who have completed Physics 1.
    • Your group will be assigned after the add/drop deadline, and will be visible in the Groups tab in the left side menu.
    • Everyone in the group is expected to be able to explain the solutions to the assigned problems. Your group will have an assigned day on which I will ask questions of a few group members whom I will choose at the time.
    • Your lowest Group Work score will be dropped from your final grade calculation. This means that you can miss one Group Work day without consequence. However, you cannot make up your assigned questioning day unless you have an approved excuse.
      • Note that for bookkeeping in your grade, you will be assigned 0.5 points for missing a regular Group Work day and 0 points for missing your group's specific questioning day.
    • Full details on how Group Work will function this semester can be found on the Group Work page in the left side menu.
  • Exam Policy
    • Two mid-term exams and a cumulative final exam will be administered during the course. All midterms will be administered in class. Please see below for all exam dates. Exams are not collaborative and are to be individually completed.
    • As stated above, you may use any scientific or graphing calculator on the exams, as long as it does not have the ability to communicate with other devices electronically. Cell phones and smartwatches as calculators are not permitted. Use of them will be considered academic fraud.
    • Exam Dates
      • Exam 1: Wednesday, February 14, 2024 in class in NPB 1001
      • Exam 2: Monday, March 25, 2024 in class in NPB 1001
  • Make-up Policy
    • Requirements for class attendance and make-up exams, assignments, and other work are consistent with University Attendance Policies (Links to an external site.). For a foreseeable absence, it is your responsibility to identify yourself as requiring an accommodation at least one week prior to the absence.
    • There are no make-ups for the clicker points, reading quizzes, or homework assignments. All of these grade categories have a 20% forgiveness factor applied to them at the end of the semester to account for misses for any reason.

Grade calculation

Grades in the course are awarded based on an overall course score calculated as follows:

Assignment

Grade Percentage

Clicker Points

3%
(20% forgiveness)

Reading Quizzes

3%
(20% forgiveness)

Homework

 9%
(20% forgiveness)

Group Work

10%
(lowest dropped)

Exam 1

 25%

Exam 2

 25%

Final Exam

 25%

Grade scheme

There is no curve in this class; if you earn at least 85% of the available points in this class, you will get an A, and so on down the list:

Grade Range
A 100% to 85%
A- < 85% to 80%
B+ < 80% to 75%
B < 75% to 70%
B- <70% to 65%
C+ < 65% to 60%
C < 60% to 55%
C- < 55% to 50%
D+ < 50% to 45%
D < 45% to 40%
D- < 40% to 35%
E
 <35%

Note that rounding occurs at 0.50. For example, 79.50% would round up to 80%, an A-, while 79.49% does not round up and earns a B+ (the lines have to be somewhere).

University policies

  • UNIVERSITY POLICY ON ACCOMMODATING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
  • UNIVERSITY POLICY ON ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT
    • Academic honesty and integrity are fundamental values of the University community. Students should be sure that they understand the UF Student Honor Code (Links to an external site.).
    • University Honesty 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 (Links to an external site.) specifies a number of behaviors that are in violation of this code and the possible sanctions. Furthermore, 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 or TAs in this class.
  • NETIQUETTE (COMMUNICATION COURTESY)
    • All members of the class are expected to follow rules of common courtesy in all email messages, threaded discussions.
  • COURSE EVALUATION
  • ATTENDANCE AND MAKE-UP POLICY
  • SOFTWARE USE
    • All faculty, staff, and students of the University are required and expected to obey the laws and legal agreements governing software use.  Failure to do so can lead to monetary damages and/or criminal penalties for the individual violator.  Because such violations are also against University policies and rules, disciplinary action will be taken as appropriate.  We, the members of the University of Florida community, pledge to uphold ourselves and our peers to the highest standards of honesty and integrity.
  • STUDENT PRIVACY
    • There are federal laws protecting your privacy with regards to grades earned in courses and on individual assignments.  For more information, please see the FERPA (Links to an external site.) page by the Registrar.

Health & wellness resources

Academic resources

Course Summary:

Date Details Due