http://cosmo.nyu.edu/hogg/engphys1/

NYU Engineering Physics 1

New: exam formula sheet.

This page is for the Spring 2004 semester.

Physics 1 (V85.0081) is an introductory mechanics course in the NYU Physics Department intended for engineering (and related) majors.

Technical issues

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Staff

Weekly schedule

Aims

There are four primary aims of this course, ordered here from most important to least:

(1) Elucidation of elementary mechanics

We will study classical, Newtonian physics, concentrating on:

• mechanics of particles
• mechanics of rigid and nearly-rigid bodies
• conservation laws

(2) Development of general physics skills

We will develop and practice using ideas and techniques necessary for understanding and doing physics, including:

• approximation
• model making
• estimation of time scales and energy scales
• development and reinforcement of gut intuition

(3) Development of general quantitative skills

We will develop and practice using ideas and techniques necessary for quantitative reasoning and the development of technical common sense, including:

• order-of-magnitude estimation
• finding and checking of limiting cases
• identification of dominant effects
• dimensional analysis
• scaling relations
• using equations to describe things

(4) Practice with mathematics

We will practice using mathematical ideas and techniques necessary for engineering and physics, including:

• graphing
• calculus
• elementary differential equations
• symmetry arguments and transformation properties
• linearity and superposition

Textbooks

Evaluation

Tutoring and office hours

There is free tutoring available on a (fluctuating) schedule, with details kept on this WWW page, above. Attendance at tutoring sessions is optional, of course, but do not hesitate to use them for help with weekly reading, problem sets, or studying.

The staff for the course also keeps office hours. Use them to ask questions about any aspect of the course material. If the posted office hours conflict with your schedule, feel free to schedule individual appointments.

Reading

There is a small amount of reading assigned (below) for each week. You will benefit enormously from reading it twice, once before the relevant lectures, and once again after.

Index cards

Starting in the second week of class, you will be expected to bring in a 3x5 index card (yes, the correct size is important) to every lecture, showing your name and a comment or question related to the reading or lecture material for that week. The more specific your question the better. These cards are used for a number of important purposes:

• They provide immediate feedback on the the reading and students' understanding of it.
• They allow Prof Hogg to target lecture material directly at specific student concerns.
• They provide immediate feedback on the pacing and content of the course generally.

These index cards are not graded, they are simply checked to see that students are keeping up with the reading and engaging with the material. Cards that clearly express a misunderstanding of the material are considered very good cards by Prof Hogg.

Problem sets

A problem set will be posted on this WWW page (below) each week by the Wednesday; it will be due the following Thursday by 4:30pm in Meyer 424.

If you are not going to be able to complete a problem set on time, ask for an extension from Prof Hogg in advance. Problem sets handed in late without granted extensions will be graded for half credit unless there is a medical excuse. Problem sets not handed in will be assigned grades of zero.

Please feel free to discuss the problem set questions and solutions with other students. However, you must ensure that the work you hand in is your own. This is required by the principles of academic honesty; but it is also the case that you will not perform well on the exams if you have not worked out the problem sets yourself.

Problem sets serve a double purpose. They provide you with practice problems, and they provide the instructors with an evaluation of your skills. Keep these goals in mind as you work on the problem sets. Even wrong answers will be graded for partial credit; it is your responsibility to make sure your answers contain enough explanation, illustration, and physical reasoning to earn that credit.

Examinations

There will be four short in-class examinations during the term, and a final exam at the end. Each in-class exams will be given in the last 30 min of class time on the specified date. The subjects covered are given in the chart below.

The final exam will consist of about six short problems, one of which will be taken directly from the problem sets, one of which will be taken directly from the in-class exams, and one of which will be taken from the practice problems shown in the syllabus, below.

If you have to miss any examination for any non-medical reason, you must make arrangements with Prof Hogg in advance. Missed exams (with no medical excuse or special arrangement) will be given grades of zero.

As with the problem sets, make sure you show your work. Most of the evaluation is based on your reasoning; only part of the credit is earned with a correct answer.

Syllabus

Note: Each week "starts" on a Wednesday; its problem set is due eight days later on the Thursday, except where noted in bold. The "practice" column gives some straightforward problems from Giancoli. Use them for studying.

Feedback

In addition to using the index cards, please ask questions during lectures and sections. If there is something you don't understand, many other students are having the same trouble--guaranteed.

If there is some aspect of the pace, content, or structure of the course you don't like, or any other feedback you would like to give, please let Prof Hogg know as soon as possible. If you wait until course evaluation forms are handed out at the end of the semester, you will have benefited next year's class at the expense of your own!