PHYS-320: Thermodynamics
SYLLABUS - Spring 2009
Instructor:  Michael "Bodhi" Rogers
OFFICE: CNS 265
PHONE: 274-3963
E-MAIL: mrogers@ithaca.edu
WEB: www.ithaca.edu/physics
OFFICE HOURS: Tuesday 4:00pm-4:45pm, Wednesday 2pm-4pm, and by appointment.

Texts: 



Allen Wasserman: Energy and Entropy

We will also use Michael J. Moran & Howard N. Shapiro: Fundamentals of Engineering Thermodynamics. Do Not Buy This Book. It is very expensive and we will only use a few chapters. I will place copies in the student room for your use.

Web Page:  www.ithaca.edu/physics

Class:   MWF 11:00-11:50 am, CNS 204

Course Philosophy: 
To learn physics you must do physics. Doing physics does not entail listening to me lecture for hours on end. Doing physics is thinking about and applying concepts, problem solving skills, and mathematical tools. This course will require you to be an active participant, which will result in a more enjoyable and rewarding course for you and me. Listening to someone talk about physics might be fun, but doing physics is definitely fun. PS ( You will have to listen to me talk some of the time, but I reserve these moments to help you better understand the physics.)
Course Policies: 
  • Students are required to attend all of the classes scheduled as laboratory meetings. In the event of an excused absence, arrangements must be made with the laboratory instructor to make up the required work.

  • Each student must keep a loose leaf laboratory notebook in which all experimental work is documented. Instructors will periodically ask to look at the notebook.

  • Plus and minus grades are given only rarely and only when justified by special circumstances.

  • There are no make-up exams, no early or late exams.

  • Your final grade is FINAL; no work may be handed in for additional credit after the final exam.

  • I will hold special office hours during exam weeks.

  • Requests for regrading of exams must be in writing and must specify exactly why additional credit is warranted. No requests for changing an exam grade will be accepted more than 48 hours after an exam is returned.

  • Please familiarize yourself with the Ithaca College Student Code of Conduct; specifically the Standards of Academic Conduct (http://www.ithaca.edu/attorney/policies/vol7/Volume_7-70104.htm)

  • Accommodations are gladly made for students with DOCUMENTED learning or physical disabilities.

  • Every student who is performing below a C will be asked to meet with the instructor to discuss their performance in an attempt to initiate a course of action that will increase performance to a C or better.

  • An incomplete grade is awarded only to allow missing work to be made up in cases of documented emergencies and only if all other work is satisfactory and only if advance arrangements have been made with the instructor about the work to be completed and the deadline for completing the missing work.

Homework:  Tackling homework problems is an essential part of learning physics. This is when you get to practice quantitative problem solving. This course has listed problems, but no graded homework. There are 5 problems listed for each week of material. There are exams every three weeks. I will pick 3 problems directly from the 15 listed problems from the three weeks preceding the each exam use them as exam questions plus one additional non-homework question. I am using this approach to give you the opportunity to do well on the exams. There is no need to ask me what might be on the exam because you already know most of the questions that might appear. It is your responsibility to work on these problems through the term in preparation for the exam. The best strategy is to work on them as we go along instead of waiting until right before the exam. You should be visiting me during office hours or anytime my door is open to obtain feedback on your solutions. I will not post formal solutions to the listed problems. I will give lots of examples of successful solutions during class. I will look over your solutions to see if they are correct.

Exams:  This course has five equally weighted exams at 20 points each. I count your 4 best scores out of 5. The exams will contain both conceptual and mathematical problems. These exams cannot be made up. You have been given early enough notice to accommodate them into your schedule.

Solution Presentation : 

Each student will be asked to present a solution of a homework problem to the entire class twice during the course of the term. You will be graded for your presentation of a solution using a rating system of

0.0 pts: Not Prepared
1.0 pts: Somewhat Prepared
2.0 pts: Prepared
3.0 pts: You're a Rock Star


Reports : 

We will conduct two experiments this semester. You will work in teams of 2 - 4 students per team. Each team will need to write and submit a laboratory report summarizing their experiment to include an introduction, theory, procedure, analysis, and conclusions.

 

Grading: 
4 best exams

 20 pts each
2 Solution Presentations   3 pts each
2 Team Reports   8 pts each

Based on results from previous terms, it is expected that the final grade cut-offs will be approximately:
A : 90-100 B: 80-89 C: 70-79 D: 60-69 F: less than 59
Actual cut-offs this semester may be higher or lower than these.

Emergencies:  If at any point during the semester you have an emergency that interferes with your active participation in this course please let me know as soon as possible. If you let me know of problems before a due date I can often find a solution to satisfy both of us. Dealing with a problem after a due date is very difficult.




Pages written by Michael Rogers and updated on 21-JAN-2009 at the Ithaca College Physics Department in Ithaca, NY.