PHY 100 Introduction to Physics Fall 2005

Important Information

Here is a copy of the Syllabus
http://edugen.wiley.com/edugen/class/cls13736/
The URL for the eGrade Plus homework assignments is http://edugen.wiley.com/edugen/class/cls13736/
Here are the lecture notes in PDF format:
- August 29
This material is also posted on UBLearns

What is Physics 100 and Who Should Take It?

This course is preparation for PHY 107 General Physics I or PHY 101 College Physics I. It is a 1-credit course with one lecture period each week. The course will cover the preliminary material that is required in PHY 107 and PHY 101: it will be helpful in easing you into your formal study of physics in these courses. The course will cover this preliminary material with emphasis on problem solving and math skills useful for physics. If it has been a while since you took high school physics, or if you would like to improve your problem solving skills, or if you need to practice simple math (algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and vectors) applied to physics problems, or if you would just like to get a head start on PHY 107 or PHY 101, this could be the course for you. You may take this course concurrently with PHY 101 or PHY 107 if you wish.

Syllabus and Textbooks

There will be one relatively inexpensive required textbook for this course:

"Physics" by John D. Cutnell and Kenneth W. Johnson, Special Edition for UB with eGrade Plus (John Wiley, ISBN 0-471-67498-2). This special edition contains the first five chapters of the complete textbook:
1. Introduction and Mathematical Concepts
2. Kinematics in One Dimension
3. Kinematics in Two Dimensions
4. Forces and Newton's Laws of Motion
5. Dynamics of Uniform Circular Motion
Concepts and examples from this book will be discussed in lecture, and problems will be assigned for homework.

Requirements and Grades

There will be no examinations in this course. There will be weekly homework assignments which will be graded and returned to you. There may be short quizzes in some of the lecture periods. You can expect a C for attending lectures and completing homework assignments. You can expect a better grade if you succeed in solving problems correctly. This grading policy is designed to take the pressure off and encourage you to work as many examples and problems as you can. The payoff will come later when you take PHY 101 or 107!