Contact Info:
|
Thomas E. Blum
Office: H-133
Office Hours:
- Mon. 2:00 - 3:00 (Holroyd 133 or Holroyd 124)
- Wed. 3:00 - 4:00 (Holroyd 133 or Holroyd 124)
- Fri. 2:00 - 3:00 (Holroyd 133 or Holroyd 124)
- Or by appointment
Phone: 215-951-1139
e-mail: blum@lasalle.edu
Web: http://alpha.lasalle.edu/~blum
Department office: Holroyd 123
Department phone: 215.951.1130
|
Description:
|
The course will cover some of the most noteworthy ideas and outcomes from the
history of physics, including the work of Archimedes, Galileo, Newton, Boltzmann,
Maxwell, Bohr and Einstein, among others. The focus will be on understanding
the theories and the thought processes behind them. Students will perform various
laboratory exercises to see the connection between the experimental data and
the appropriate principle(s). (Mathematics will be kept to a level of basic
algebra and geometry and will be covered as it arises in context.)
|
Learning Objectives |
Students should be able to:
- Discuss basic principles of physics.
- Apply the principles and basic algebra to solve word problems.
- Relate the basic ideas of physics to the historical period in which
they were discovered.
- Distinguish between science and pseudoscience.
- Perform experiments, take and analyze data, and write a report thereon.
|
Section & credits
|
Section: 01
Credits: 3
|
Meetings:
|
Monday-Wednesday-Friday 11:45 - 12:35
Holidays:
MLK day: Mon. Jan. 16
Midsemester break: Mon. Mar. 6 to Fri. Mar. 10
Easter: Fri. Apr. 14 to Mon. Apr. 17
Other important dates:
Last day to withdraw: Apr. 4
Classes end: May 5
Finals week: May 8 - May 12
|
Course Calendar Link |
http://alpha.lasalle.edu/~blum/h164-cal-s17.htm |
Location:
|
Holroyd 355 and Holroyd 53 (physics lab)
|
Texts:
|
Instant Physics, Tony Rothman
Nonsense on Stilts, Massimo Pigliucci
|
Assessment:
|
The components of the course will be weighted as follows
|
|
Midterm: |
22% |
|
|
Final: |
22% |
|
|
Paper: |
15% |
|
|
Homework: |
18% |
|
|
Labs: |
18% |
|
|
Class: |
5% |
-
Paper: Each student will write a 7-8 page paper on a science topic not treated
in class. Possible topics might include the work of a Nobel Prize winner in physics or
chemistry with the focus on conveying some understanding of the work and its implications.
-
Homework: These assignments will consist primarily of summaries of or reactions
to short reading assignments, which may be individual readings or chapters from a
supplementary book.
-
Lab Reports: These assignments will involve a short write-up of an experiment
comparing the data taken in the laboratory to the appropriate theoretical principle.
-
Class Format: Approximately 30% of the class meetings will be in the
laboratory conducting simple experiments, analyzing the data, and comparing it to
theory. The rest of the meeting will be spent discussing the context of, the
reasoning behind, and the implications of various key results from the history
of physics.
-
Homeworks are to be done individually unless explicitly stated otherwise.
-
Lab reports are to be done with a lab partner unless explicitly stated otherwise.
-
If at any time you take information from any source (book, website, etc.), that
source should be cited. Failing to do so may be considered plagiarism and thus
cheating. Any time you are requested to summarize an article, it is expected
that the summary will be in your own words.
-
Every two weeks, an assignment becomes eligible for 10% less. For example, if the first homework is
assigned Jan. 17, it is nominally due Jan. 24 and still eligible for full credit up to Jan. 30. If it
is submitted in the next two weeks (up to Feb. 14) it is eligible for up to 90%. In the following two
weeks (up to Feb. 28) it is eligible for up to 80%. And so on.
-
The plus/minus grading system will be used.
-
Attendance will be taken.
-
Absences, lateness, etc. will be reflected in the class portion of the
grade. More than three unexcused absences may result in the lowering of
a grade.
-
It is the responsibility of the students to keep copies of all submitted
materials (tests, homeworks, labs, and so on) until a final grade is received
for the course.
|
Grading scheme: |
- A 94 <= average
- A- 91 <= average < 94
- B+ 88 <= average < 91
- B 85 <= average < 88
- B- 82 <= average < 85
- C+ 79 <= average < 82
- C 76 <= average < 79
- C- 73 <= average < 76
- D+ 70 <= average < 73
- D 67 <= average < 70
|
Classroom Behavior:
|
While in the classroom, students should behave in a manner that is neither
distracting to nor disrespectful to the professor or other students. Cell
phones should be turned off.
|
Cheating:
|
When using materials from a book, website, etc., the source must be cited;
otherwise it is considered plagiarism. Claiming another's work as your own is
cheating. A student caught cheating will receive a score of zero. Cheating may
result in a reduction of the final grade. Repeated cheating can result in a
failing grade for the course. Asking another for help on part of a homework is
acceptable; handing in duplicate or nearly duplicate work is not. If you
require a significant amount of assitance, you should seek my help. Finally,
openly allowing your work to be copied is also cheating.
|
Student Resources
|
https://lasalle.instructure.com/courses/1772
includes links to
- Student Guide to Resources, Rights and Responsibilites
- Academic Integrity Policy
- American Disabilities Act
- IT Help Desk Support
- Academic and Learning Support Services
- Library
|
