Welcome to Physics 110 Instructor: Dr. Jeff Saul Course Philosophy: Anyone can learn physics if willing to make an effort The hard part is learning how to visualize and think about the physics of a given situation Once you know how to think about the physics of a situation, analyzing the situation is easy Physics should make sense Course Goals To help you develop the skills and understanding of force and motion to be successful in Physics 151 or Physics 160 Understand Key Concepts Know how and when to apply them Learn to be comfortable working in symbols Learn how to visualize the physics Learn to solve problems one small step at a time

Basics of Physics 110 Class – Class Structure A.The class learning mode is learning physics by doing physics Research has shown this is most effective way to learn physics B.Sequence Do the readings (Either in text on in Mastering Physics) Attempt the homework Go over homework worksheets in class – see part C Turn in worksheets from past week in class on Thursday Follow-up with Mastering Physics homework with applications from Physics 151 and Physics 160 C. We will do activities in small groups & share results with class Work out or summarize the activity on small white boards 1, 2, 3, or all groups will present their results to one another Q & A on whiteboard Slide Copyright © 2007, Pearson Education, Inc., Publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley.

3 Course Format - Like class on Shakespeare *Before class, learn material from reading - focus on key ideas, express them in your own words *In class, build understanding of readings through activities and learn to apply ideas *Homework, practice what you learn and deepen understanding

4 Does it work? Positive Learning Experience for SCALE-UP students *Students say more work than regular sections, but worth it if you want to learn. *Improved understanding of main concepts *Problem Solving on Tests as good or better than lecture sections *Attendance > 85% (most classes > 90%) *Overall failure rate (DFW rate) is 1/2 the rate in lecture sections (NCSU, UCF, MIT, & RIT) *Failure rate for women and minorities less than 1/3 rate in regular sections (NCSU) *Outside Observers find SCALE-UP students ask more thoughtful questions than students in regular classes

5 Student Performance – SCALE-UP vs. Lecture/Lab

Learning Resources/Materials needed for this class Introductory Physics textbook and a Mastering Physics Access Code If you were in Physics 151/160 Use your Textbook and Mastering Physics License if you have one (you will need to Dr. Saul for a new access code). If you do not have already have a textbook, please get the Knight, Physics: A Strategic Approach w/Mastering Physics Vol. 1, 2nd edition + Mastering Physics access code in the bookstore for Physics You will also need a basic scientific calculator

Grades and Grading: Grades are based on the following: Emphasis on knowing, understanding and using key concepts Working in symbols Writing good step-by-step solutions Grading Grades In-class Participation10% Homework25% Midterm Exam30% Final Exam35% Total100% GradeAA-B+BB-C+CC-D Minimum Score

What to do to do well in this class A.Participate, Prepare, and do your homework To learn from activities, you need to be here Attending class is mandatory Come to class prepared having done reading, homework, and reviewed what we did the previous day Take good notes in class + make sure you understand key ideas & problem solutions If things aren’t clear, don’t wait, ask questions now or at least at the start of the next class Make sure to practice doing homework the way we do problems in class => use good thinking+problem solving strategies At the end of each class or at least each week summarize what you learned Note: you will need to work in this class to master the concepts and strategies used in class – just coming to class is not sufficient You need a “B” in this class for success in Physics 151/160

What to do to do well in this class B. Focus on key physics concepts May seem like basics but will help you solve even complex problems Focus on principle rather than recipes Need to have a functional understanding of key concepts Express key equations as sentences Know where they come from and what they mean Know how and when to apply them Know which equations are general and which are special cases Must know when not to apply special cases Look at a problem after a good physics diagram and maybe a good physical diagram and know what key physics concepts apply in that problem Memorize key concepts so you can look at a problem, say that’s Newton 2, and know the associated equation in a snap Slide Copyright © 2007, Pearson Education, Inc., Publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley.

What to do to do well in this class B. Focus on key physics concepts How to do this When you look at problems, mentally group problems by the physics rather than the physical situation After each class or at least each week, create a notesheet to organize a structure of the new key concepts for each chapter and note how they fit in with previous key concepts Use the note sheet to do homework problems (a) do as many homework problems as you can just using this sheet. (b) then go to your notes and the textbook for your missing pieces Use flash cards to memorize key concepts - include the concept description, relevant equations, diagrams, and what types of problems benefit from using that concept Pay close attention to examples done in class and note the physics and assume/observes in each example and how these are used Slide Copyright © 2007, Pearson Education, Inc., Publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley.