DON DUNN HOME PAGE

OWENSBORO COMMUNITY AND TECHNICAL COLLEGE
SYLLABUS
171 PH - APPLIED PHYSICS
SPRING 2006

INSTRUCTOR:                      Donald Dunn

OFFICE:                                 Rm. S-205, Ext. 581 (686-4647)                                                                                                                         Home phone 764-0604                                                                                                                                       E-mail don.dunn@kctcs.edu   or at home dunnd@adelphia.net

OFFICE HOURS:                  MW 9:00 - 11:45 & 12:15 - 1:00, TR 10:45 - 11:45 &  12:15 - 1:00 or by appointment.

COURSE DESCRIPTION:    Selected topics in mechanics, heat, sound, electricity and magnetism, light and
                                                modern physics are covered in this course.  The use of these principles in various                                                 applications is emphasized.  Lecture, 3 hours; laboratory, 2 hours.

PREREQUISITES:                MA 108R or MAH 151 or MAH 125 or two years of high school algebra.

TEXTBOOK:                         Physics for Career Education, 8th edition, Ewen, Schurter and Gundersen

SUPPLIES:                             Scientific calculator

COURSE OBJECTIVES:      Upon completion of this course, the student should be able to:

                                                1)  Identify physics principles that are involved in various physical applications, such
                                                     as force, energy, fluids, heat, electricity and electromagnetic radiation.

                                                2)  Apply physics principles to problem solving.

                                                3)  Use basic measuring instruments to measure physical quantities such as mass,
                                                      length, time, temperature, current and others.

                                                4)  Develop a systematic approach to solve applied physics problems.

COURSE OUTLINE:             Please see the attached schedule for what material will be covered.  This schedule is                                         tentative and may be updated if the need arises!

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:    

There are two aspects to this course, a lecture and a laboratory.  The lecture grad will be determined by a test after every 3 to 4 chapters.  These tests will consist of at least one short answer question and several problems that will come from   lecture material and homework problems.  There will also be a cumulative final exam.  Each test including the final exam count the same and the lowest test grade will be  dropped (this could be the final exam)

GRADING CRITERIA: 

Although homework problems will be assigned after each class period, they will notbe graded.  However, the only way to really learn physics is through  successful completion of the homework problems.
        

The weighting of the assignments is asfollows:                                                                                                              

 Lab      -          25 %
  Test Avg. -       75 %                                                                                                      

The grading scale will be:                                                                                                                                            

                                                            90 - 100 =         A
                                                            80 - 89   =         B
                                                            70 - 79   =         C
                                                            60 - 69   =         D
                                                            Below 60 =       E

                                                Anyone caught cheating or copying will receive a grade of 0 on that assignment.

                                                If any scaling needs to be done it will be applied only to the final average of all the
                                                assignments, not to individual tests.

GENERAL EDUCATION
COMPETENCIES:               
General Education Competencies will be met in the following manner:

                                                Writing:  The majority of Laboratory experiments will require the student to hand
                                                in a written report of the experiment.  Both format and Use of English standards
                                                will be considered in the grade.  All answers to the short answer test questions are                                               expected to follow appropriate English standards.

                                                Reading:  Completion of performance tests, assignments and experiments.

                                                Integrated Learning:  Laboratory investigations and applying the principles of
                                                physics to various "real world" situations.

                                                Creative Thinking:  Problem solving and analysis of the laboratory experiments.

Ethics/Values:  The student is expected to always follow the Code of Student Conduct, refrain from cheating and copying and to conduct themselves as professionals by interacting with other members of the class, and the instructor using  using common courtesy and respect.

ATTENDANCE POLICY:     Attendance is optional.  However, you are responsible for keeping up to date on the                                              assignments and the dates of tests and exams.

LATE WORK:                       No late work will be accepted unless there is a very good reason.

MAKE UP POLICY:             No make-up work will be accepted unless there is a very good reason.  Laboratories can only be made up by attending another laboratory class the week you missed.

WITHDRAWAL POLICY:    As stated in the schedule of classes.

CELL PHONES:                    All cell phones and beapers should be off or on vibrate.  If, with out special permition, your cell phone goes off during a test you will loose 5 points on that test.  If it goes off durning a lecture your grade on the next test is reduced by 2 points.