Welcome to Physics 1115 for the fall of 2023!
Course: General Physics I Offered: MWThF 10:55 - 12:10 Professor: Peter Sheldon Martin 316, x8488 (Office), 434-238-5681 (Cell) Text: Required: Fundamentals of Physics, 9ed or newer, by Halliday, Resnick, and Walker (you need the full or extended version for both semesters Physics 1115 and Physics 1116). The text also comes in multiple volumes or multiple parts, and you need Chapters 1-11 for Physics 1115 and Chapters 10-15 and 21-30 for Physics 1116 (second semester). I can sell or rent you a version of the full text. The cost is $40 for purchase or $20 for rental plus a $20 deposit I will return to you when you return the text; this cost covers the full text - one or both semesters. You may also find this book on the College bookstore website, or probably cheaper on Amazon, much cheaper if used. You may use an electronic version, although that is not advised.
Required: In addition, you need the ExpertTA homework service. Register and pay $35 by clicking the homework link in Moodle.
Course Comments: This course is the first half of a calculus-based comprehensive survey of basic physics. This course covers mechanics (the study of motion in 1, 2 and 3 dimensions) including kinematics, forces and energy considerations at a level appropriate for beginning physics majors, pre-medical students and engineers. We will cover as much as one chapter per 2-3 days, with two homework assignment due each week, three take-home quizzes, three in-class tests (one given during finals, not comprehensive), and two labs each week.
Our intuition about experiences with mechanics allows us to develop explanations of phenomena experienced in our day-to-day activities. Scientists, over the centuries, have developed physical laws which we believe correctly describe the physics of motion and heat, and some of these laws seem to contradict our intuition. The goal of this course is to train your physical intuition, to give you a basic understanding of mechanics in the world around us, and to teach you the tools needed for effective problem-solving.
This course is not so much about history as it is about taking what is known and applying it to new problems. In this light, we will reserve some class time for discussions of current problems and issues, in particular how physics affects your everyday life. We will also spend some of this time exploring the scientific method and how that allows us to dismiss quackery.
