PHYS 101 :: Physics Illinois :: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Syllabus
Syllabus Outline
- Course Overview
- Course Materials
- Instructor Information
- Course Description
- Course Calendar
- Course Grading
- Learning Philosophy
- Attendance Policy
- Additional Support
- Academic Integrity and AI use
- Mental Health
- Students with Disabilities
- Community of Care
- Religious Observances
Course Overview
Course Number: Physics 101
Course title: College Physics: Mechanics & Heat
Number of credits: 5
Semester: Fall 2024
Lecture meeting time: MW 1pm (Section A1) and 2pm (Section A2) in 141 Loomis Laboratory of Physics
The course also contains weekly 2-hour discussion sections and 3-hour laboratory sections. See your course schedule for specific time and room details.
Prerequisite: Trigonometry
Credit is not given for both PHYS 101 and PHYS 211 or PHYS 213.
James Scholar credit is offered for Physics 101. See the James Scholar Credit page for project details and timeline.
Course Materials
This section provides a summary of the required course materials. Specific details about signing up and/or purchasing required materials are available at the Required Materials page.
Required Materials
- smartPhysics access (purchase)
- iClicker remote or app subscription (purchase or borrow)
- Internet-enabled laptop or tablet (own or borrow from U of I)
- IOLab data acquisition device (purchase, rent, or borrow)
- Calculator with trigonometric functions (i.e., cosine, sine, and tangent)
Instructor Information
Physics 101 is taught by a course team that includes specific roles with specific responsibilities:
- The Instructor of Record, a faculty member who is the head of the course, gives lectures, and handles general course administration. The Instructor of Record works closely with the Discussion and Lab Coordinators to make sure the course is functioning smoothly.
- The Discussion Coordinator, typically a faculty member, who prepares content for the Discussion component of the course, manages Discussion-related administration, and supervises the Discussion Teaching Assistants. The Discussion Coordinator typically teaches one section of Discussion.
- The Lab Coordinator, typically a faculty member, who prepares content for the Lab component of the course, manages Lab-related administration including PreLabs, and supervises the Lab Teaching Assistants. The Lab Coordinator typically teaches one section of Lab.
- Teaching Assistants (TAs), who are Physics graduate students (or sometimes upper-level Physics majors) with responsibilities to facilitate learning in Discussion or Lab sections. Each TA teaches either Discussion or Lab; no TAs teach both Discussion and Lab in the same semester. TAs manage grading for students in their own sections.
- Learning Assistants (LAs), who are undergraduate students who assist in the Laboratory sections of the course. LAs are undergraduates who have previously taken Physics 101 or Physics 211 and are familiar with the content, the lab structure, and the IOLab. They circulate through Lab sections with the TA of the section to assist groups with any questions or challenges they may encounter.
All course staff (except LAs) staff a weekly Office Hour in the Physics 101 Office Hour Room. Refer to the Office Hour Schedule page for specific details.
Contact information for the Instructor of Record and the Discussion and Lab Coordinators can be found on the Contact Information page and will also be shared during Lecture 1. Contact information for your Discussion and Lab TAs can be found in the my.physics gradebook and should also be shared with you during the first Discussion and Lab meetings, respectively.
Course Description
Content
Physics 101 is a non-calculus-based approach to classical mechanics and thermodynamics. Topics covered include:
- Newton's Laws
- work and energy
- rotational motion
- fluids
- thermodynamics
- waves
Course Goals
By the end of this course the student will be able to:
- describe the physics concepts in problems involving
- mechanics
- heat (thermodynamics)
- waves (mechanical).
- execute basic problem-solving strategy for problems in
- mechanics
- thermodynamics.
Course Format
All students are required to participate in all course components.
Credit is granted in each course component.
All course components are subject to the Academic Integrity Policy.
Course Components Summary
Prelectures and Checkpoints
New information in Physics 101 is first introduced using video Prelecture assignments and follow-up conceptual questions in Checkpoint assignments. These assignments are due at 8am on the day of their respective lecture and are graded based on completion. Correct Checkpoint answers will be shown after the deadline. All Prelectures and Checkpoints can be accessed in the smartPhysics system.
Lecture
In lecture, we will revisit the material from the Prelectures and Checkpoints, focusing on organizing your conceptual understanding of the material and laying the foundation for problem-solving in later components of the course. A pdf version of the slides will be posted at least 24h before the respective lecture to support your note-taking. Annotated versions of the lecture slides will be posted after the lecture is complete. All posted lecture materials can be accessed on the course Schedule page.
You can expect to answer 3-5 Physics-related poll questions during each lecture, during which time you will be encouraged to talk with your neighbor(s) about your thinking. Students must participate in at least 50% of polls during class using the iclicker system to earn credit for attending lecture.
Homework
Homework has two purposes: (1) to build competency through straightforward applications of new material and (2) to give students a semi-supported opportunity to stretch their thinking to new contexts or types of questions. Physics 101 uses online homework with a mix of multiple-choice and numerical free-response questions. Most questions you encounter will give you immediate right-wrong feedback. If you answer a question incorrectly you may use as many attempts as you need to get it correct. Homework can be accessed in the smartPhysics system. There are a total of 14 homework assignments in the semester.
Discussion
Discussion is designed to be a space where students can work on Physics problems together with support from a Teaching Assistant. You and your group will work on pre-selected questions, some of which have clearly-defined goals and others which ask your group to choose your own focus. Your group will turn in one collaborative assignment on GradeScope at the end of each Discussion session. Discussion meets every week during the semester except for the last, partial week in December, for a total of 15 sessions.
Laboratory
Laboratory is designed for you and your group to work together to try Physics ideas in the real world, and to work through the challenges of collecting data and dealing with the messiness of real experiments. You will do a hands-on Pre-Lab activity in smartPhysics using your IOLab device before every lab. In your weekly lab section you will work in groups to design and understand experiments and experimental data, also using your IOLab device. Your group will collaborate to write and turn in a single lab report during class. Lab will meet every week of the Fall 2024 semester; however, during three lab sessions you will take a 50-minute proctored exam instead of doing your regular lab procedures.
Exams
Physics 101 will have a total of seven exams: Six 50-minute tests throughout the semester and a cumulative final exam at the end of the semester. All exams will be proctored by the Computer Based Testing Facility (CBTF).
- See course schedule.
- Review the exam information page for details
Course Grading
Your grade in the class consists of the following components:
| Component | Number of Assignments | Percent of Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Prelectures | 24 | 2.5% |
| Checkpoints | 24 | 2.5% |
| Lecture | 29 | 2.5% |
| Homework | 14 | 7.5% |
| Discussion | 14 | 15% |
| Prelab and Lab | 9+8 | 18% |
| Lab Practical | 2 | 2% |
| Tests | 6 | 36% |
| Final Exam | 1 | 14% |
See the Course Grading page for additional details, including specific point breakdowns for the class, explanation of bonus points and EX grades, and the point totals used to assign final grades in the course.
Learning Philosophy
Our learning philosophy is based on the idea that learning takes time. The course structure is tailored to help students take in, practice, and master physics ideas and their application.
In introductory physics, the learning philosophy of the Department of Physics can be summarized as follows:
- Think About It (pre-lectures and checkpoints)
- Untangle It (lectures)
- Practice (homework)
- Apply and Explore It (labs)
- Challenge and Check Progress (discussion)
- Close the Loop (exams)
This course covers a large amount of material:
- It is normal to need to try working with a new concept for a while before it becomes clear.
- Understanding what you are confused about is an important step toward understanding.
- Since the course moves fast, you will often find yourself moving toward mastery of a previous topic while learning something new. In this class each concept builds on previous course concepts.
- The course structure will help you practice and gain mastery, but it is your responsibility to engage with the course materials and keep up with the content.
Attendance Policy
Attendance in all components of the class is required and is essential to your success in this course. Points associated with Lecture, Discussion, and Lab may only be earned by attending the course component in-person and participating in the classroom activities. Students who arrive late (more than 15 minutes) to Discussion or Lab will be considered absent for that class session. Students who are absent from a class session will receive an ABS (0) in the gradebook for that session. We do not offer opportunities to make-up missed work due to absence.
We understand that circumstances may occasionally occur where you may need to miss a class. We offer three ways to manage absences in Physics 101:
- This course offers Excused absences for Discussion, Lab, and Exams for specific reasons including illness and emergency that will prevent you from attending class. After submitting a request in our web form and having your excused absence approved, you will not be responsible for completing any make-up work from the missed session(s). View the Attendance Policy page for more details about excused absences, including circumstances that are appropriate for approval, time limits for submission, and limits for total excused absences in a semester. Note that we do not offer Excused Absences for lecture.
- Most course components are set up so that some lowest score(s), which may include ABS grades, will be dropped from the calculation of your final grade. Details of the number of dropped scores can be reviewed on the Course Grading page.
- This course offers two opportunities per week to earn bonus points, up to a total of 30 points per semester. These points will be applied to make up any points missed in components of the class other than exams.
Exam Attendance
It is important to us that students have an opportunity to show us what they know during exams. We are able to offer some flexibility in the case of student scheduling mistakes, but cannot extend the exam period far beyond what is already scheduled.
Students who accidentally miss their exam reservation should talk to a proctor at one of the CBTF labs to get their missed reservation deleted. Once the reservation is deleted a new reservation can be made using PrairieTest.
Students who are ill or experiencing a situation that qualifies for an Excused Absence should plan to miss the exam and submit appropriate documentation to excuse the missed exam. Students cannot get an exam score excused if they attend and take the exam.
Additional Support
All our course staff (faculty and Teaching Assistants) are available for open office hours every week to give students one-on-one assistance. If you need help with homework, something else from class, or just want to talk about physics, come join us!
| If you are struggling or fall behind, please utilize available resources to help. For assistance with Physics concepts we recommend Office Hours and Jeffries Center tutoring. If you are encountering other difficulties and need assistance to get back on track or get connected with campus resources, please contact the CARE Center. |
Academic Integrity
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Student Code should also be considered as a part of this syllabus. Students should pay particular attention to Article 1, Part 4: Academic Integrity. Read the Code at the following URL: http://studentcode.illinois.edu/.
Academic dishonesty may result in a failing grade. Every student is expected to review and abide by the Academic Integrity Policy: http://studentcode.illinois.edu/article1_part4_1-401.html. Ignorance is not an excuse for any academic dishonesty. It is your responsibility to read this policy to avoid any misunderstanding. Do not hesitate to ask the instructor(s) if you are ever in doubt about what constitutes plagiarism, cheating, or any other breach of academic integrity.
Infractions include, but are not limited to:
- cheating
- plagiarism
- fabrication
- academic interference
- computer-related infractions
- unauthorized use of university resources
- sale of class materials or notes
- facilitating infractions of academic integrity.
Violations of any of these rules will be sanctioned and reported to the student's home college.
All aspects of the course are covered by these rules, including:
- homework
- written assignments
- discussion
- iClickers
- exams
- labs
- documentation submitted for petition for an excused absence
Academic integrity violations will be submitted through the FAIR portal at my.engr.illinois.edu. Use of this portal ensures that all processes are followed in accordance with the Student Code.
Use of AI Tools
This course permits you to use artificial intelligence (AI) tools, such as chatbots, text generators, paraphrasers, summarizers, or solvers, to get guidance on assignments except for exams, as long as you do so in an ethical and responsible manner. Essentially, you can think of these tools as ways to help you learn but not to entirely create work for assignments like discussion problems, prelabs and labs, and James Scholar Projects. AI is more like your tutor or TA, not a replacement for your independent thinking.
This means that you must:
- Not use AI tools to replace your own thinking or analysis or to avoid engaging with the course content.
- Cite or explain any AI tools you use in written materials you or your group turn in. Provide the name of the AI tool, the date of access, the URL of the interface, and the specific prompt or query you used to generate the output.
- Be transparent and honest about how you used the AI tool and how it contributed to your assignment. Explain what you learned from the AI tool, how you verified its accuracy and reliability, how you integrated its output with your own work, and how you acknowledged its limitations and biases.
You are accountable for any mistakes or errors made by the AI tool. Do not rely on the AI tool to produce flawless or correct results. Always check and edit the output before submitting your work. If you discover any inaccuracies or inconsistencies in the output after submission, notify the instructor immediately and correct them as soon as possible.
Using AI tools in an unethical or irresponsible manner, such as copying or paraphrasing the output without citation or transparency, using the output as your own work without verification or integration, or using the output to misrepresent your knowledge or skills, is considered a violation of Academic Integrity in Physics 101. If you have any questions about what constitutes ethical and responsible use of AI tools, please consult with the instructor before submitting your work.
Mental Health
Significant stress, mood changes, excessive worry, substance/alcohol misuse or interferences in eating or sleep can have an impact on academic performance, social development, and emotional wellbeing. The University of Illinois offers a variety of confidential services including individual and group counseling, crisis intervention, psychiatric services, and specialized screenings which are covered through the Student Health Fee. If you or someone you know experiences any of the above mental health concerns, it is strongly encouraged to contact or visit any of the University’s resources provided below. Getting help is a smart and courageous thing to do for yourself and for those who care about you.
- Counseling Center (217) 333-3704
- McKinley Health Center (217) 333-2700
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (800) 273-8255
- Rosecrance Crisis Line (217) 359-4141 (available 24/7, 365 days a year)
If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
Students with Disabilities
To obtain disability-related academic adjustments and/or auxiliary aids, students with disabilities must contact the course instructor as soon as possible and provide the instructor with a Letter of Academic Accommodations from Disability Resources and Educational Services (DRES). To ensure that disability-related concerns are properly addressed from the beginning, students with disabilities who require assistance to participate in this class should apply for services with DRES and see the instructor as soon as possible. If you need accommodations for any sort of disability, please speak to me after class, or make an appointment to see me or see me during my office hours. DRES provides students with academic accommodations, access, and support services. To contact DRES, you may visit 1207 S. Oak St., Champaign, call 217-333-1970, e-mail disability@illinois.edu or visit the DRES website at http://www.disability.illinois.edu/. Here is the direct link to apply for services at DRES, https://www.disability.illinois.edu/applying-services.
Community of Care
As members of the Illinois community, we each have a responsibility to express care and concern for one another. If you come across a classmate whose behavior concerns you, whether in regards to their well-being or yours, we encourage you to refer this behavior to the CARE Center (217-333-0050 or http://odos.illinois.edu/community-of-care/referral/). Based on your report, the staff in the Student Assistance Center reaches out to students to make sure they have the support they need to be healthy and safe.
Further, as a Community of Care, we want to support you in your overall wellness. We know that students sometimes face challenges that can impact academic performance (examples include mental health concerns, food insecurity, homelessness, personal emergencies). Should you find that you are managing such a challenge and that it is interfering with your coursework, you are encouraged to contact the Student Assistance Center (SAC) in the Office of the Dean of Students for support and referrals to campus and/or community resources.
Religious Observances
Illinois law requires the University to reasonably accommodate its students' religious beliefs, observances, and practices in regard to admissions, class attendance, and the scheduling of examinations and work requirements. Students should complete the Request for Accommodation for Religious Observances form should any instructors require an absence letter in order to manage the absence. In order to best facilitate planning and communication between students and faculty, students should make requests for absence letters as early as possible in the semester in which the request applies.