E-mail: phy2053@phys.ufl.edu (Use this email for all communications with instructors.)
Emails to TAs do not need to copy the instructors.

Note: TAs are not responsible for creating or interpreting course policies. Any questions/clarification required for course policies must be addressed to your instructors.

General Education State Core Category: Natural Sciences

UF General Education Subject Area Objectives: Physical Sciences (P)

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

Physics, like all human endeavors, is something that is learned. Physics is practiced and advanced by a scientific community of individuals with different backgrounds and identities, and it is open and welcoming to everyone. Know that you belong here.

Please don't hesitate to contact us with any concerns or insecurities; we want all of you feeling able to perform at your best in this course.

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

1. Organize the information presented in problems about various mechanical phenomena into sketches, diagrams, and/or tables representing the problem situation and the physical quantities involved.
2. Identify the fundamental principles of physics underlying these phenomena.
3. Formulate mathematical equations describing the relationship between physical quantities in these problems.
4. Solve these mathematical equations to find the values of the physical quantities and/or to predict system behavior.
5. Evaluate whether answers are reasonable given the constraints of the particular problems being solved.
6. Communicate their understanding of various physics phenomena in an effective manner.

By the end of this course, students will be expected to achieve the General Education learning outcomes as follows:

Algebra, Trigonometry: The course will rely heavily on trigonometry, solving systems of equations, and using variables. If you are not competent at this level you should take the appropriate refresher course(s) before taking this class; otherwise, you will struggle to succeed.

The following setup should be completed as soon as possible:

• Canvas notifications enabled.
  
  • You must have your notifications in Canvas set such that you get instant notification of all course announcements.
• Purchase a UF All-Access code for the etext.
  • The textbook for the course is College Physics: A Strategic Approach 4e by Knight, Jones, and Field. The electronic version is hosted on RedShelf; an access code and access instructions are included in the UF All-Access purchase. The cost of this etext is $39.
• Purchase access to the Expert TA homework system.
  • The homework in this course is done online using the Expert TA system. This access costs $35 and is a separate payment from the etext purchase. To sign up for Expert TA, simply open the first homework assignment from Canvas and input your billing information. Note that Expert TA does offer a 2-week free trial in case you are still waiting for financial aid to come through.

• iClicker app on a mobile device.
  • You must be registered using your ufl.edu gatorlink ID. If you use an external email address iClicker will be unable to match you in the gradebook.
  • Roster grade sync has been enabled for this course. This means that if you have already set up an iClicker account using your UF email address, you will be automatically added to the iClicker course when we begin the sync between Canvas and iClicker. If you do not have an iClicker account set up with your UF email address, you need to make one. We will sync the roster several times during the first two weeks of the course to ensure that everyone is in the system, and we will have several practice questions before we start counting any points in your grade.
• Scientific or graphing non-web-capable calculator.
  • A scientific or graphing calculator is required to succeed in this course. Internet-capable calculators and cell phones as calculators are not allowed.

The complete course schedule is available below. Note that Exams 1 and 2 are evening assembly exams, whereas the Final Exam is at the time set by the registrar during Finals Week. Exam 1 is from 8:20 pm – 10:10 pm on Tuesday, February 13, 2024; Exam 2 is from 8:20 pm – 10:10 pm on Wednesday, March 27, 2024; the Final Exam is from 7:30 am – 9:30 am on Tuesday, April 30, 2024. The rooms for the exams have not yet been scheduled by the registrar.

Assigned readings are listed included in the schedule. It is expected that you have read the assigned sections before you come to class; we will be working under this assumption in making decisions about how we present our lectures.

In the schedule below, the lecturer is indicated in parentheses in the "Class Schedule" column as either Prof. Katia Matcheva (KM) or Prof. Kathryn L. McGill (KLM).

Lecture is presented Tuesdays and Thursdays during either Period 2 (8:30 am - 9:20 am) or Period 3 (9:35 am - 10:25 am). Both lecture periods will cover the same information taught by the same professor. You must attend the lecture period for which you are registered in order to receive credit for iClicker participation.

We will be posting recordings of our lectures, but we will not be streaming them. We will also post our lecture notes; see left-hand navigation menu for link.

Grading in this class is consistent with UF grade and grading policies.

Your final score (out of 100 points possible) is the sum of the following:

• 3 exams: up to 25 points each, 75 points total
• 13 approx. weekly HW assignments (drop 2 lowest scores): 5 points combined
• 12 approx. weekly discussion session quizzes (drop 1 lowest score): 20 points combined
• iClicker points during lectures (20% forgiveness) + Review/Reflection assignments: 2.5 bonus points combined
• Group Work Participation points during discussion section (drop 2 lowest scores): 2.5 bonus points combined

Note: In case of cancellation of classes due to unforeseen circumstances, the number of HW and quiz assignments might be adjusted, while the maximum number of points earned in each category stays the same.

Total minimal scores ensuring a particular letter-grade are shown below. In other words, if everyone gets 85 or more, everyone gets an “A”. Do not expect scores to be curved.

Requirements for class attendance and make-up exams, assignments, and other work in this course are consistent with university attendance policies.

Students with disabilities requesting accommodations should first register with the Disability Resource Center (352-392-8565, https://disability.ufl.edu/) by providing appropriate documentation. Once registered, students will receive an accommodation document that must be sent to phy2053@phys.ufl.edu when requesting accommodation. (If an instructor email address is specifically requested, you may use katia@phys.ufl.edu. This is the only time that Prof. Matcheva's email should be used in this course; all other course communications must be sent to phy2053@phys.ufl.edu to be guaranteed a response.) Students should follow this procedure as early as possible in the semester.

NOTE: DRC Accommodation Letters received at least 4 business days in advance of a timed assessment will be in effect for all future assessments. If a letter is submitted with less than 4 business days until the next scheduled assessment, then the accommodations will apply after the next timed assessment. Failure to meet the announced 4 business days deadline prior to a timed assessment is not a valid rationale for requesting a makeup assessment.

The Honor Pledge

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 UF Honor Code 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.”

Online Course Evaluation

Students are expected to provide feedback on the quality of instruction in this course by completing online evaluations at: https://ufl.bluera.com/ufl/. Evaluations are typically open during the last two or three weeks of the semester, but students will be given specific times when they are open. Summary results of these assessments are available to students at https://gatorevals.aa.ufl.edu/public-results/.

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 guest 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 Honor Code and Student Conduct Code.

Please see the new "Campus Resources" menu item in the left-hand navigation for information about health and wellness, safety, and academic resources.