College Physics I PHYS 1301

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College Physics I(PHYS 1301)

• Dr. Daniel Suson

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Important Items on Syllabus

• Im not always in due to demands of
  administration
• Spinner on door gives clues
• Check with secretary if Im not in
• Email me daniel.suson_at_tamuk.edu
• New Book Serway, Faughn, Vuille
• Should be bundled with RF clicker
• Clicker required for this course!

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• Will focus heavily on back of the envelope
  calculations
• Previous classes had a lot of problems with units
  and assessing whether answer is correct.
• Being able to estimate answers important across
  all scientific fields

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• Material is not covered in the same order as in
  the book
• Attend lecture
• Stay up on reading
• Use lecture notes as guide
• http//physics.tamuk.edu/suson/html/1401
• Ask where we are if confused!

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Grading

• Exams are 1 hour, closed book, closed note
• 3x5 note card allowed
• 6 questions total (4 numeric, 2 essay)
• Pick 3 to answer

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Properties of good models

• Includes relevant data already obtained
• Makes measurable predictions of new observations
• Is simplest model that fits known information

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Role of Experimentation

• Science is unique in that it is driven by data
• Data is the result of an experiment that can not
  be assailed
• No wrong assumptions
• All effects accounted for
• Procedure correct
• Instruments calibrated

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• Scientific Method developed to generate data from
  measurements
• Interpretation of data open for debate
• Data can only be negated by further
  experimentation

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Two competing models

• Air Resistance
• Heavier the object, less effect
• Larger cross-section, greater effect
• No effect in vacuum
• Requires air, object

• Pixies
• Heavier the object, harder to hold up
• Larger cross-section, more pixies under it
• Vacuum kills pixies!
• Requires air, pixies, object

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Role of mathematics

• Universal language
• Learn it like a foreign language
• Alphabet
• Syntactical structure
• Sentences, paragraphs, papers
• Forces objectivity through quantization
• 1,000,000 is a lot in one circumstance, a few
  in another context

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• Ties predictions and results to experimentation
• Enables fine distinctions between models

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• Abstracts ideas beyond single application
• F ma

For explanation of symbols, see
http//www.tiem.utk.edu/gross/bioed/bealsmodules/
predator-prey.html