SYLLABUS
PHYSICAL SCIENCE
PH-109-1
Spring 2010
4 credits
Lecture
10:00 MWF (Labs: 9:25 Tuesday; 12:15
Tuesday; 9:25 Thursday; or 12:15 Thursday)
Dr.
John Gault
Office: Science Center 113 Lab: Science Center 115
e-mail:
gaultj@moval.edu
Phone: Valley extension 4134, Home 886-7741
Office Hours: 7:15-7:50 MTThF,
12:00-3:30MF, 12:00-2:00 W, 3:00-3:30 TTh or by appointment
Please
come and see me if I can be of any help to you with this class or with any
other aspect of your college life.
Note:
The second day of lecture (Monday) will begin with a 20 point quiz over
this syllabus and over sections 1.1 -1.5 of chapter 1 and questions about the
sky from the chapter 1 review.
Communicating with the Instructor: Students are
encouraged to: stop by the office; feel free to call (either to the office or
home phone including evenings and weekends) and use e-mail. When it is not
possible to speak directly either in person or by phone, please use
e-mail. Messages may be left on the
phone but e-mail is preferred. If
your message requires an answer, be sure to use email. Contact with your
college instructors is beneficial in many ways.
Take advantage! Students should
feel free to call the instructor at home.
CATALOG
DESCRIPTION: PH 109 Introduction to Physical Science
For
non-science majors. The language and
practice of the physical sciences such as astronomy, chemistry, meteorology and
physics, from the structure of the universe to the structure and properties of
matter and the nature and functions of energy.
One lab/week.
Prerequisite:
MATH 145 or equivalent. Fall/Spring
RATIONALE: The purpose of
this course is to provide the student with an introduction to the methods and
concepts of science at the cultural level.
Special emphasis will be given to environmental and energy issues that
are of concern to society today. This
class meets the general education requirements of the core for a lab science.
This class enables the student to develop intellectually in a manner prescribed
by the College Mission Statement, not only in acquiring knowledge but also by
developing creative thinking and applying that knowledge to moral and political
decisions.
COMPUTERS AND
THIS CLASS:
To be successful in this class the student will need to be able to perform
certain basic operations with the computer.
Students who have difficulty should contact the instructor who will be
glad to assist them. All files and services are available to off-campus
students who have home computers and several computer labs are available on
campus for student use. If you are not
certain about how to set up your college email account, you may speak with the
instructor or with any member of the Library or IT staff. .
E-MAIL: As soon as
possible, all students must send an e-mail from the email address you check
most often to gaultj@moval.edu. In the email put “Physical Science” as the
subject and the body of the message should include your name and say whether or
not you are able to find the Fall 2009 Chapter One test on the Physical Science
web site http://www.moval.edu/Faculty/gaultj/
You will
receive a question worth 20 points by return email which must be answered
before January 25. During the semester, other questions and important
information may be emailed to you using your moval.edu email address so that
email account should be checked often also.
On-Line assignments:
Assignments, old tests, lecture notes and other important material is
posted online at http://www.moval.edu/Faculty/gaultj. This web page may be accessed from the main
Missouri Valley web page by clicking on “Academics”, then “Faculty” and then “Science”
followed by John Gault “(web page)”. If
you have difficulty accessing this site, speak with the instructor. The successful student will visit this website
several times a week as it contains your updated assignments, the material
covered in lecture as well as the tests from previous semesters which will be
helpful as you prepare for tests. Most
class periods will begin with a short quiz over the assigned material that is
indicated on this website.
Course purposes:
1. To familiarize
students with the scientific method, and demonstrate that the use of this
method and not a collection of facts, is the core of scientific thought and
knowledge.
2. To bring the
student to an understanding of mathematical models of physical processes, and
to give the student practice in the use of such models through calculations
involving formulas.
3. To bring the
student to an understanding of the universal principles that can be used in
predicting the behavior of physical phenomena.
Examples are the principles of conservation of energy and conservation
of momentum and the kinetic theory of heat.
4. To acquaint the
student with the choices regarding environmental and energy topics and the
effects of those choices on our future.
Examples are the global warming, the energy question, and the ozone
layer.
5. To acquaint the
student with the methods and models of present day astronomy, including models
of star and planet formation.
6. To bring the
student to realize that the field of science is dynamic, and that most
questions remain open for further development; to realize that there we have much
to learn about the physical world, in fact, that science today really knows
only a very small fraction of what there is to learn about the physical world.
COMPETENCIES:
At
the conclusion of the course, the student should be able to:
1.
Comprehend
the goals and methods of science, give historical examples of the development
of scientific ideas and discuss the application of the scientific method to
modern problems.
2.
Express
physical laws as equations, and solve problems using these equations. Topics included are velocity, acceleration,
force (including the force of universal gravitation), momentum, energy, work,
simple thermodynamics and simple electrical circuits.
3.
List
the postulates of special relativity and describe the most important results of
the Special and the General theories of relativity.
4.
Describe
the kinetic theory and changes of state, and calculate the amounts of energy
involved in changing temperature of a substance and in changing a substance
from one state to another.
5.
Discuss
energy consumption-conservation problems, renewable and nonrenewable energy
sources, and the social and political considerations of these topics.
6.
Describe
electromagnetic radiation, its origin and effects on the human body.
7.
Discuss
the origins of the basic weather patterns and the accepted theories of
long-term climate change.
8.
Discuss
the theory of plate tectonics, applying it to continental drift, volcanic
activity, and earthquakes.
9.
Describe
the motion of the heavenly objects as seen from the surface of the Earth and
explain this motion in terms of their orbits and the Earth's motion.
10. Describe the
general characteristics of each of the planets in our solar system and the
various types of stars and discuss the theory of their evolution.
11. Discuss the
current changing nature of scientific theories and outline the methods used to
develop new theories and ideas.
DESE Science
Competencies:
The following 2003-2004 SSC for elementary science
are covered in this class: 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6,
2.7, 2.8, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4, 6.5, 6.6, 7.3, 7.4,
7.5, 8.1
The following 2004 SSC for middle school
science are covered in this class: 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5,
2.6, 2.7, 2.8, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.6, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3,
6,4, 6.7, 6.8, 6.9, 6.10, 6.11, 7.4, 7.5, 7.6, 7.7, 8.1, 8.2, 8.3
The following SSC for secondary unified
science are covered in this class: 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 2.1, 2.4, 2.5,
2.6, 2.7, 2.8, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4, 6.7, 7.1, 7.2,
7.3, 7.4, 7.5
PERFORMANCE INDICATORS: Competencies are constantly monitored by class participation (including the CPS remotes), by assigned problems, by the labs, a paper, and by seven tests given throughout the course of the semester.
Text: The Physical Universe by K. B.
Krauskoph and A. Beiser (12th Edition or 10th Edition.)
Earlier
editions may be used, except that the assigned problems, page numbers, etc. are
taken from the 10th and 12th
editions. Purchase of the text is very highly recommended for all students.
Daily quizzes are usually given over the assigned reading material in the text.
Editions of the text other than the two mentioned above may be used effectively
in this class.
Calculator: A calculator is a necessity for the lab, lecture
and the tests in this course. Students
who do not bring a calculator to labs will be penalized by having their lab
score lowered. Not having a calculator
in class may mean points lost on class work or on a test. While any calculator is satisfactory, there
are a number of advantages in using a scientific calculator (cost approximately
$12).
Prerequisites: This is an
introductory level course covering selected parts of physics, geology,
meteorology and astronomy. The student
should have successfully completed an introduction to algebra, either in high
school or a class such as Math 145 (Intermediate Algebra), before taking this
class. Due to the introductory level of
this class it does not apply toward the fulfillment of the science requirements
of students who major in Biology, Chemistry, Engineering, Medicine, etc.
therefore most science majors of any type would be advised to take another
course, such as chemistry or physics. Many
students who have had chemistry and physics in high school will find a
different science course more interesting and are encouraged to find a more
appropriate class. If you have a question about whether or not the course is
proper for your needs, speak with the instructor.
Class functioning: The instructor welcomes suggestions on how
to improve the ambiance or any other aspect of the class. Student feedback is important to the
enrichment of the class.
Attendance at all lectures and labs
is required and all absences will have an adverse effect on your
performance in the class and thus on your grade. The most important element in determining
your grade is the chapter tests (see chart below). While it is better to arrive late in class
than to not arrive at all, every effort should be made to arrive on time and
the same penalties may be applied for tardy arrivals as for absences. Attendance is taken by a sheet passed during
each class period. If the student has
not signed the attendance sheet by 10:30, he/she should inform the instructor
who will take appropriate action. Signing the sheet and leaving the class is
treated as academic dishonesty, as is signing for someone else or having
someone sign for you. These can result in your grade being lowered or your dismissal
from the class. It is the responsibility
of the student to sign the sheet; failure to do so will result in an
absence. The majority of the class days
will begin with a quiz over the reading assigned for that day as indicated on
the Physical Science web page. These quizzes
are class activities and no makeup of these is possible. Other consequences for missing class are
explained below. Students who need to leave before the end of the class period
should speak with the instructor before class begins. Students should leave
the classroom during class only for emergencies.
CELLPHONES, iPODS,
etc: Students will be asked to leave
the class if they chew tobacco, utilize their cell phone (including for
texting), iPod or similar device in any way while class is in session, or if
they fall asleep. Before returning to class, they must speak with the
instructor and in the case of repeat offenders may be asked to speak with the
Academic Dean before being readmitted to class. No instrument other than a
hearing aid is to be in your ear once class begins! Students who consult their cell phone during class will be asked to leave and those who
consult it during a test will have the test terminated and will receive a zero for
the unfinished portion.
CPS Remotes: Most class periods will involve the use
of Classroom Performance System remotes.
Each student is assigned a unique number for their remote. No student should pick up any other student’s
remote, and each student must return their own remote to the correct slot in
the CPS case at the conclusion of the class. Remote numbers will be assigned
during the 3td lecture of the semester.
ATTENDANCE AND
MAKEUP POLICY: Students
who know in advance that they will miss a test (including student athletes)
must always inform the instructor in person or by email (not by phone) before
missing class and should make arrangements to take these tests they before the scheduled
time. Students who take make-up tests for
any reason will have their makeup test grade lowered by 10% provided the
makeup exam is taken before the next regular class period. A longer delay in taking the makeup will
result in a greater discount! (As much as 30 %!). An attempt will be made to hand back tests one
week after the date on which the class takes the test. Students who do not take the make-up before
the test is handed back will receive a zero for that test. It is the responsibility of the student to
contact the instructor after the missed test and arrange a time to make up the
test. The instructor is available at 7:00
- 8:00am MTThF for makeup exams as well as the other times that may be arranged
by contacting the instructor. Arrangements may be made to take makeup exams in
the Learning Center as well. Chapter reviews (together with the assigned
problems) must be turned in on the day of the test and are worth 30 points.
Students who miss more than two labs will have 50 points deducted from their
score for each lab missed.
There are 4 lab periods per week,
and each person is assigned to one of these. If a student is unable to
attend his/her scheduled lab time, they may attend another session but if this
happens repeatedly their lab grade may be lowered. (Students are expected to attend
their assigned labs.) Lab sheets are distributed prior to lab days and will
always contain a section that must be filled out before lab. Labs can never be made up outside of the four
regularly scheduled laboratory periods, however in special circumstances students
may attend a different lab session than the one for which they are scheduled.
Students who miss their assigned lab should make every possible effort to
attend another lab session. Student
athletes or others involved in extra circular activities that must miss their
scheduled lab are responsible for rescheduling to a different lab time. Students should arrive at their assigned labs
with the indicated sections on their lab sheet already completed. Some labs are done in groups but each person
should do their own work. Copying on the
lab sheet will be treated as academic dishonesty. All students must bring a working calculator
to their lab and lecture or be penalized 5 points. The lab sheets are normally available in
class on the Friday of the week before the lab.
You should check your lab sheet sufficiently in advance so that you can
request assistance, either in lecture or individually from the instructor, if
assistance is needed in completing the pre-lab assignment before your lab day.
Excused Absences: All
absences have a negative effect on your grade.
There is no difference between an absence because you skip class, are
sick, have a family problem or are gone on a sporting event or other official
school activity except for the fact that the official absence is known ahead of
time so that steps can be taken to minimize the effect of the absence. All absences will have the same effect on
your grade. Students who know they will be missing class should either speak
with the instructor ahead of class time or send an email. The instructor will attempt to help any
student who is absent make up as much of the work they missed as possible, but
it is never possible to make it all up.
The instructor does not give “excused absences”. This is done in the registrar’s office. It is possible to do well in this class and
participate in activities that require one to miss some lecture times if the
students contact the instructor and do the assigned work.
Classroom Expectations: No chewing tobacco, food or drink
of any kind is allowed in the classroom. No cell phone use in class!
Students who enter the classroom or lab chewing tobacco will be asked to leave.
Be sure that all cell phones are turned
off before all classes. Any student
looking at or texting on their phone during class or who utilize earphones for
any purpose except as a hearing aid will be asked to leave and must receive
permission from the instructor before returning. The size of this class necessitates a
reduction of background noise, especially parallel conversations. Students who do not stop such activity when
requested to do so, may be asked to leave the classroom. These students must then speak with the
instructor before returning to the class.
Writing assignment: A paper will be due on March 12 (A short description of the
articles is due January
29). The paper will be worth
400 points (about 150% as much as most tests).
Complete details on the paper will be given during the second week of
class and will be placed online at www.moval.edu/Faculty/gaultj. The paper will require
use of the Internet and the on-line research system used by the Library. All students are required to have the writing
lab check your paper before it is given to the instructor.
GRADING: Your lowest test score from the first five
chapters and your lab with the lowest score will be discarded. The last two chapter tests cover multiple
chapters and the tests over these chapters may not be discarded. If a student misses a test or lab and does
not make it up according to the rules established on this syllabus, a zero will
be included in his/her average.
The Chapter Review and problems for
each chapter or group of chapters are due at the beginning of the period on the
day of the test. While students are
encouraged to work together on these, the answers are to be those of each
individual. If any students have
identical answers, all will receive a failing grade. The relative importance of
the various components of your grade is distributed approximately as
follows: (Any major deviation from this scheme will be announced in class. All values are approximate and will vary from
year to year!)
Tests
and Paper 2150 points
72%
Lab (each lab is 25 points) 325
points 11%
Problems,
emails and chapter reviews 310 points 10%
Quizzes
and class participation (CPS system) 210
points 7%
There
are 7 chapter tests (see the schedule on last page). This means that we will average about one
test every two weeks. The last two tests
cover several chapters, so these are worth more points than a one-chapter
test. Tests from previous semesters for
this class are on-line and are a very valuable tool for the student. The
address of the webpage is www.moval.edu/Faculty/gaultj.
Your
final grade will be decided by the usual scale, i.e. 90-100% = A, 80-89% = B,
70-79% = C, 60-69% = D, below 60% = F, except that the instructor reserves the
right to make adjustments to this scale.
Students will be kept informed of their average and their grades by
individual computer printouts given as each test is handed back. Any student who has more than 4 absences (lecture
+ lab) should expect this to lower their grade.
Missing more than 3 labs will result in an “F” for the class. The instructor is always glad to discuss
grades, feel free to contact him at any time if you are not doing as well as
you would like or if you are uncertain how well you are doing.
All absences are unexcused in the
sense that the student is responsible for the material covered and for all work
done in class. It is his/her responsibility to make up any material
missed. Tardy arrivals in class will
miss the daily quiz and this may never be made up. It is very important to keep in close contact
with the instructor, especially if you have difficulties, including the
necessity of missing classes. If you
miss more than 50% of the class periods at any given point in the semester or
if you do not attend class for two consecutive weeks, you will be dropped from the
class. In this case your grade will be
recorded as a withdraw/fail. NOTE:
None of these rules is completely rigid.
If you think you are in difficulty for any reason, it is always to your advantage
to speak with the instructor.
This
is not a very difficult course, but there are three reasons why people receive
a low grade or fail.
1. They
do not ask for help.
2. They skip class and/or lab.
3.
They do not do the assigned work, especially the chapter problems and
the review sheets.
Do not let yourself get into a
difficult position. If you have any difficulties
or do not understand a topic, speak with the instructor. He will either help you himself, or if you
prefer, it may be possible to arrange for a student tutor to assist you. The Learning Center on the second floor of
Baity Hall has student tutors that are capable of helping with all aspects of
this class. Always start your
assignments, especially problems and the pre-lab assignments, sufficiently
early to enable you to have sufficient time to ask for help and complete the
assignment before the due date. Tests
from the previous semesters for this class are on-line. Your use of these is highly recommended.
WORKING IN
GROUPS: Research has shown the students who work in
groups learn better, retain more and are more successful after graduation. Students are encouraged to work in groups and
a grade incentive for working in groups to study for tests will be explained
after the chapter one test has been handed back (about the third week of
class). It is very important that all
members of a group contribute to the outcome.
If any two students have identical answers on the same question on
material handed in (such as the chapter reviews), both will receive a zero. Work together but each should write the
answers in “your own” words.
Missouri Valley Student Code of Conduct: It shall be
the responsibility of every student enrolled at Missouri Valley College to
support the academic integrity of the institution. This applies to personal honesty in all
aspects of collegiate work, all student records and all contacts with faculty
and staff. Academic dishonesty will not
be tolerated.
It
shall also be the responsibility of every student enrolled at Missouri Valley
College to be respectful of the rights of other students, staff and instructors
to ensure a safe, peaceful atmosphere conducive to the educational goals of an
institution of higher learning. Rude or
disruptive behavior will not be tolerated.
Student
actions that do not adhere to the MVC Student Code of Conduct will be addressed
according to College policies regarding academic dishonesty and disruptive
behavior. Students who exhibit
dishonest, disruptive, or disrespectful behavior risk suspension or expulsion
from the institution. (See student
handbook)
Special Needs: If you have special needs as addressed
by the Americans with Disabilities Act, please contact your instructor
immediately. After proper documentation,
reasonable efforts will be made to accommodate your special needs.
Bibliography:
Extra credit will be given for reading and reporting on several
different books. (See Extra Credit section which follows.) The student is
expected to use the usual methods of bibliographic research to develop the
material to be covered on their paper.
Students wishing to do extra reading on any topic are encouraged to
speak with the instructor or a librarian.
Extra
Credit:
1)
A maximum of 100 points extra credit will be given for reading and
reporting on the book “A Short History of Nearly Everything”, by Bill Bryson or
the book “Guns, Germs, and Steel, by Jared Diamond. There are other books that may serve for
extra credit as well. See the material
on the web page and speak with the instructor if you are interested.
2)
Students may not receive extra credit for more than one of these books
during the course of the semester. To receive this extra credit for reading any
of these books the following procedure must be followed. As you read the book,
after completing each chapter you should write in a few sentences the most
important ideas covered in that chapter.
This will be at least a paragraph and may be longer. You may also give
your opinion about the material. After
you have finished the book and turned your report to the instructor, a 15 min
interview with the instructor will be scheduled in which you discuss your opinion
of the book. Students wishing to receive
credit for reporting on one of these books should speak with the instructor to
insure they do their report in a way that maximizes their credit. Note that all
these extra credit projects must be completed before the 13th week of
class. They will not be accepted in the
last two weeks of class.
3) Up to 15 points will be given to any
student who gives a short presentation to the class on a current physical
science news item. The item is to be
from a reputable news source, concerning a current science discovery or
issue. If from the internet, the student
should be able to show the web site to the class. Students wishing to obtain this credit should
speak with the instructor who will provide a time within a week for the
presentation (not to exceed 5 minutes.)
The same student may receive credit for these reports a maximum of two
times in one semester, and the presentations must be at least a month apart.
4)
Several other opportunities will be offered for extra credit. These will be explained in class and/or on
the web page.
TENTATIVE
SCHEDULE:
The
schedule which follows is tentative and will be varied to meet the needs of the
class
Changes
to the schedule will be placed on-line and announced in class
Week
1 (January 11) - Introduction, Scientific Method, Models of the solar system.
Week
2 (January 18) – MLK day, Models of the solar system, Universal Gravitation.
TEST Ch.1
Week
3 (January 25) –Labor Day - Motion, Newton's Laws - Summary of articles due.
Week
4 (February 1) - Newton's Laws, Momentum.
Week
5 (February 8) – Circular Motion, gravity, TEST Ch. 2 Paper Due to writing lab
Week
6 (February 15) – Work, Energy, Relativity
Week
7 (February 22) – Conservation of Energy.
TEST Ch. 3(Paper is due to Dr.
Gault by February 27)
Week
8 (March 1) - Temperature, the Kinetic Theory, Changes of State,
Thermodynamics
Week
9 (March 8) – The energy problem, TEST Ch. 4 (SPRING BREAK March 14 – 22)
Week
10 (March 22) – Electricity and Magnetism, Practical Electricity and
Electronics
Week
11 (March 28) – Electromagnetic radiation, TEST Ch 5
Week
12 (April 5) - The Atmosphere,
Weather
Week
13 (April 12) Plate tectonics, Earth’s interior – TEST Ch. 13, 14 & 15
Week
14 (April 19) – Earth's motion and shape, Time zones, Moon phases
Week
15 (April 26) - The planets, stars, galaxies Stellar Evolution
The
final exam may be taken at 10:00 or 3:00 on Wednesday, May 5 or at 10:00 on
Friday, May 7.