DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS Syllabus
Physics 20300
General Physics
Designation:
Required Undergraduate
Catalog description:
For majors in the life sciences (biology, medicine, dentistry, psychology, physical
therapy) and for liberal arts students. Fundamental ideas and laws of physics from
mechanics to modern physics. Included are mechanics, Newton’s laws of motion, and
heat. Emphasis is on the basic principles and general laws.
3 LECT., 2 LAB/ REC. HR./WK.; 4 CR./SEM.
Prerequisites:
Use of mathematics is restricted to elementary algebra and some trigonometry.
Textbook and other suggested material (this includes the full text & is good for both halves of the course):
Cutnell's 10th Edition of Physics ISBNs:
Wiley E-Text Physics, 10th Ed ISBN: 978-1-118-89917-5 992 pages
December 2014, ©2015 $112.00
Loose-leaf Physics, 10th Ed Binder Ready Version ISBN: 978-1-118-65188-9 992 pages
December 2014, ©2015 $182.95
For Physics 20300 only:
Physics, Volume One: Chapters 1-17, 10th Edition
John D. Cutnell, Kenneth W. Johnson
ISBN: 978-1-118-83688-0 544 pages December 2014, ©2015
Course Objectives:
After successfully completing this course, students should be able to
1. apply kinematics to problems in one and two dimensional motion
2. understand and use the concepts of forces and Newton’s Laws of Motion
3. understand the dynamics of uniform circular motion
4. understand and use the concepts of work and energy
5. understand and use the concepts of impulse and momentum
6. understand rotational kinematics and dynamics
7. understand the fundamentals of simple harmonic motion
8. understand the properties of fluids
9. understand the properties of temperature, heat, the ideal gas law, kinetic theory,
and thermodynamics
Topics Covered:
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
6. Work and Energy
7. Impulse and Momentum
8. Rotational Kinematics
9. Rotational Dynamics
10. Simple Harmonic Motion and Elasticity
11. Fluids
12. Temperature and Heat
13. Heat Transfer
14. The Ideal Gas Law and Kinetic Theory
15. Thermodynamics
Class schedule:
two 75 minute lectures, one 50 minute recitation, and one 2 hour and 50 minute lab (lab on alternate weeks)
Relationship of course to program outcomes:
The outcomes of this course contribute to the following departmental learning outcomes:
g. students of other disciplines will be able to synthesize and apply their knowledge of physics and mathematics to solve physics-related problems at an appropriate introductory level in important fields of classical physics, including mechanics, electricity and magnetism, thermodynamics, optics, and experimental physics, as appropriate to their majors.
h. students of other disciplines will have the background in physics needed to perform well in advanced courses in their own disciplines for which introductory physics courses are a prerequisite.
Assessment Tools
1. Attendance
2. Homework assignments
3. Results of quizzes
4. Lab reports (if applicable)
5. Class participation
6. Results of Final Exam
Person who prepared this description and date of preparation:
Victor Chung
vchung@ccny.cuny.edu
12/15/06
Academic Integrity and Plagiarism
The CUNY Policy on Academic Integrity can be found at
http://web.cuny.edu/academics/info-central/policies/academic-integrity…
This policy defines cheating as “the unauthorized use or attempted use of material, information, notes, study aids, devices or communication during an academic exercise.” The CUNY Policy on plagiarism says the following about plagiarism (the CUNY Policy can be found in Appendix B.3 of the CCNY Undergraduate Bulletin 2007 -2009 as well as the web site listed above):
Plagiarism is the act of presenting another person’s ideas, research or writings as your own. The following are some examples of plagiarism, but by no means is it an exhaustive list:
1. Copying another person’s actual words without the use of quotation marks and footnotes attributing the words to their source.
2. Presenting another person’s ideas or theories in your own words without acknowledging the source.
3. Using information that is not common knowledge without acknowledging the source.
4. Failing to acknowledge collaborators on homework and laboratory assignments.
5. Internet plagiarism includes submitting downloaded term papers or parts of term papers, paraphrasing or copying information from the internet without citing the source, and “cutting and pasting” from various sources without proper attribution.
The City College Faculty Senate has approved a procedure for addressing violations of academic integrity, which can also be found in Appendix B.3 of the CCNY Undergraduate Bulletin.”
Last Updated: 06/01/2018 10:34