First Day
Handout and Syllabus for
PSC 114
PHYSICAL SCIENCE
rev 1/12/07
Instructor: Dr. Rudi Timmerman
Office
Location: 213 & TV Studio
Rm 131
Class
Location: 204/206
Office
Hours: See schedule posted on
office door.
Telephone: School 479-394-7622 ext 1339 office
1345 studio
Home
870-385-7235
E-Mail: rtimmerman@rmcc.edu
Course
Description: This introductory
course will take topics from physics, chemistry, and astronomy. About two thirds of the material will
by from physics. The material will
be presented in a conceptual manner.
Though there will be a few mathematical exercises, math will not be
emphasized. Topics covered will
include: mechanics, light, sound, heat, electricity, atomic structure, chemical
bonding, stars, and galaxies.
Required
Materials: 1) Textbook: Physical Science, Sixth Edition
by Bill Tillery, Dubuque: McGraw Hill, 2005. 2) Miscellaneous pens paper and pencils. 3) Laboratory notebook.
Institutionally
mandated implementation of classroom assessment techniques (CAT): In an effort to reinforce the concept
of an ongoing and effective learning process, RMCC requires instructors to use
some method of assessing the effectiveness of the techniques used in providing
classroom instruction. In this
class we will use e-mail to make this assessment. At the beginning of the semester student will provide the
instructor with their e-mail addresses.
For those without e-mail facilities at home, RMCC has assigned e-mail
addresses to all students that they can use to access computers on campus in
the computer labs.
This class
will use the following protocol:
1. Each
student is to e-mail me at my school address (rtimmerman@rmcc.edu) and leave a
message of any kind. (i.e. Hello)
Students may use RMCC e-mail accounts or their own e-mail accounts from
home or elsewhere. THIS IS TO BE
DONE WITHIN THE FIRST WEEK!!!
2. I
will compile the addresses into a class list.
3. From
time to time I will e-mail a questionnaire to the whole class dealing with
classroom assessment activities.
4. Each
student must reply to the questionnaire on-line under penalty of grade
reduction for non-participation.
The responses to the questionnaire will not affect the studentÕs grade.
For those
needing Student email the following are the published instructions for
obtaining and activating that account.
Instructions
for Accessing Student portal
First, you
must activate your student e-mail account by following these instructions:
1. Open
Internet Explorer (Click on the E icon)
2. Go
to RMCC.edu
3. Hold
the mouse over the link ÒCurrent StudentÓ
4. A
submenu will appear, hold the icon over ÒStudent ConnectÓ
4. Another
menu will appear, click on the ÒAccess MaintenanceÓ link
5. You
will see a screen titled ÒRMCC Student Access ManagementÓ with the following
instruction at the bottom:
If
this is the first time you are accessing your account, please use your student
i.d.(A0000É) from your RMCC bill or your student ID for your username and your
birth date as mm/dd/yyyy for your initial password. (Remember to use Ò/Ó between the numbers and put the Ò0Ó in
if your month or date is a single digit.) After your account has been created,
use your assigned user account and password to make changes to your account
information.
6. After
completing this step your account will be created. Close this screen and you
can access your account through the ÒWebmailÓ submenu.
Access
the Portal!!!
1. You
will use the same username and password that is used for your student e-mail account.
2. Go
to estudent.rmcc.edu or hold the mouse over the link Òcurrent studentÓ on the
RMCC homepage menu; go to Òstudent connectÓ; then go to ÒportalÓ.
3. Login
with your e-mail username and password
4. At
this point you are ready to navigate throughout the student portal.
5. If
you login correctly, you will see the screen below.
Attendance
Policy: Regular attendance and
punctuality are expected. It is
the responsibility of the student to initiate arrangements for all missed
activities. If an absence is a
planned absence the student is expected to make arrangements for making up work
prior to the absence. Excessive
absences, along with work not made up, may adversely affect the grade for the
course. (See requirements for grades)
Academic
Dishonesty Policy: It is
expected that each student shall do his/her own work on quizzes, exams, and lab
reports. No credit will be awarded
to work not done by the students themselves.
Grading
Procedures: Exams will be
given upon the completion of each two chapters unless otherwise stated. Chapter questions will be checked for
completion and may be checked for correctness. At some point during the course the class members will take
a required field trip to Mid-America Museum in Hot Springs. While arrangements for transportation
will be made, it is ultimately the responsibility of the student to assure his
or her presence.
Lab
Reports: Lab reports will
consist of two parts, the informal and formal report. The informal report will consist of notes and data taken in
class while doing the experiment and recorded in the official lab
notebook. Students may be provided
with official documentation for each lab activity. Included in the documentation may be a certificate of
participation. If issued, the
certificate of participation must be signed by the instructor and included as a
cover sheet for the formal lab report.
The certificate can only be signed at the time the student is performing
the experiment or upon the presentation of documentation showing that the
student spent time working on the experiment in the lab. The duplicate pages from the
laboratory notebook must be included in the formal lab report. Completed lab reports are to be kept in
a binder. On certain announced
dates the binders, containing all reports completed that semester, will
be collected and graded. In
addition, all other work, questions, critiques, etc., must also be included in
the binder.
Make-up
work policy: Make up work
should be competed promptly after the absence. A maximum of one week will be the guideline. Make-up exams are given only in
instances of the most unavoidable, serious circumstances. Prior notice of absence from an exam is
expected. Upon return after an
absence the student is expected to be prepared for that days class activities. It will be the student's responsibility
to obtain the assignment for that day.
It will be the responsibility of the student to arrange for makeup
exams, and these exams must be taken on the studentÕs own time. Missed labs can present a make up problem. Materials used may only be available on
the day of the lab. If this is the
case the lab cannot be made up and the student will not get any credit. If it is possible to make up a lab, it
will have to be made up on the studentÕs own time.
Assignment
due dates: the student may
turn in assignments in their binders, other than exams, upon completion. However, the following deadlines must
be adhered to:
Work
assigned before February 15 is due
February 21
Work
assigned after February 15 and before March 22 due March 31
Work
assigned after March 22 due May 10
Failure to
meet these deadlines will not disqualify the student from receiving credit for
the work. It may, however, cause
the student to be assigned a grade lower than might otherwise have been
earned. Grade penalties for late
work are listed in the requirements for grades.
During the
semester, due to unforeseen circumstances, it may be necessary to add to or
delete from this document. This
will only be done with adequate notification to the students affected.
It is the
policy of RMCC to accommodate students with disabilities, pursuant to state and
federal law. Any student with a
disability who needs accommodations, for example in seating placement,
examinations, or access to information on the web, should contact the Vice
President for Student Affairs Office.
Which is located in the Abernathy Building Room 301, (479) 394-7622 ext
1400
REQUIREMENTS FOR A GRADE OF A
1. Score at the 80% or better level on the
four exams. There is
no averaging but retakes are possible. You must be above 80% on all tests.
2. Attend a field trip to Mid-America
Museum.
3. Write a report about the field trip to
Mid-America Museum in Hot Springs.
This report must include an in-depth explanation of one of the displays
at the museum.
4. Make an individual five to ten
minute presentations on a concept discussed in class.
5. Successfully complete 12 laboratory
activities and write a separate report on each of these 12 activities. The instructor must judge each report
satisfactory. If a report is
unsatisfactory it will be returned to the student in order that he or she may
make the appropriate corrections so that it may be resubmitted in satisfactory
form.
6. Work questions and/or problems at the
end of each of 10 text chapters covered in this course. You may do all the "questions for
thought" or the entire group A "Parallel Exercises". Show all applicable work for each
problem. You may also mix
questions and problems.
7. Write a critique of three articles or
activities found in any scientific journal or academically recognized online
web site.
8. Final Exam: This is a written report on an actual experiment reported in
the "literature". This
must be a rigorous experiment, and not an experiment done by the student. The student is to describe the
experiment as well as identify the purpose, procedure, results, and
conclusion. This report is
required in addition to the critique articles described in #7 above.
9. Regular attendance --- no more that 4
clock hours of class missed. This includes labs. However, if the lab activity is completed the student will
be counted present. There will be
no designation of excused or unexcused absences. If a student is not in class they will be counted as absent.
10.
Provide working e-mail address and respond on all CATS
11. More than 80% of work due must be
submitted on or before the due dates listed in this document
REQUIREMENTS FOR A GRADE OF B
1. Score at the 65% or better level on the
four exams. There is no averaging
but retakes are possible. You must
be above 65% on all tests.
2. Attend a field trip to Mid-America
Museum.
3. Write a report about the field trip to
Mid-America Museum in Hot Springs.
4. Make a joint five to ten minute
presentations on a concept discussed in class.
5. Successfully complete 12 laboratory
activities and write a separate report on 10 of these activities. The informal report of all 12
activities is to be included in the report binder. The instructor must judge each report
satisfactory. If a report is
unsatisfactory it will be returned to the student in order that he or she may
make the appropriate corrections so that it may be resubmitted in satisfactory
form.
6. Work questions and/or problems at the
end of each of 8 text chapters covered in this course. You may do all the "questions for
thought" or the entire group A "Parallel Exercises". Show all
applicable work for each problem.
You may also mix questions and problems.
7. Write a critique of two articles or
activities found in any scientific journal.
8. Final
Exam: This is a written report on
an actual experiment reported in the "literature". This must be a rigorous experiment, and
not an experiment done by the student.
The student is to describe the experiment as well as identify the
purpose, procedure, results, and conclusion. This report is required in addition to the critique articles
described in #7 above.
9. Regular attendance --- no more that 6
clock hours of class missed. This includes labs. However, if the lab activity is completed, the student will
be counted present. There will be
no designation of excused or unexcused absences. If a student is not in class they will be counted as absent
no matter what the reason may be.
10. Provide working e-mail address and
respond on all CATS
11. More than 65% of work due must be
submitted on or before the due dates listed in this document
REQUIREMENTS FOR A GRADE OF C
1. Score at the 50% or better level on the
four exams. There is no averaging
but retakes are possible. You must
be above 50% on all tests.
2. Attend a field trip to Mid-America
Museum.
3. Write a report about the field trip to
Mid-America Museum in Hot Springs.
4.
Successfully complete 12 laboratory activities and write a separate report on 8
of these activities. The informal
report of all 12 activities is to be included in the report binder. The instructor must judge each
report satisfactory. If a report
is unsatisfactory it will be returned to the student in order that he or she
may make the appropriate corrections so that it may be resubmitted in
satisfactory form.
5. Work questions and/or problems at the
end of each of 6 text chapters covered in this course. You may do all the "questions for
thought" or the entire group A "Parallel Exercises". Show all
applicable work for each problem.
You may also mix questions and problems.
6. Write a critique of one article or
activity found in any scientific journal.
7. Regular attendance --- no more that 8
clock hours of class missed. This includes labs. However, if the lab activity is completed and documented on
the certificate of participation, the student will be counted present. There will be no designation of excused
or unexcused absences. If a student
is not in class they will be counted as absent no matter what the reason may
be.
8. Final
Exam: This is a written report on
an actual experiment reported in the "literature". This must be a rigorous experiment, and
not an experiment done by the student.
The student is to describe the experiment as well as identify the
purpose, procedure, results, and conclusion. This report is required in addition to the critique articles
described in #6 above.
9. Provide working e-mail address and
respond on all CATS
10. More than 50% of work due must be
submitted on or before the due dates listed in this document
REQUIREMENTS FOR A GRADE OF D
1. Score at the 40% or better level on the
four exams. There is
no averaging but retakes are possible.
You must be above 40% on all tests.
2. Attend a field trip to Mid-America
Museum.
3.
Successfully complete 12 laboratory activities and write a separate report on 6
of these activities. The informal
report of all 12 activities is to be included in the report binder. The instructor must judge each
report satisfactory. If a report
is unsatisfactory it will be returned to the student in order that he or she
may make the appropriate corrections so that it may be resubmitted in
satisfactory form.
4. Work questions and/or problems at the
end of each of 5 text chapters covered in this course. You may do all the "questions for
thought" or the entire group A "Parallel Exercises". Show all
applicable work for each problem.
You may also mix questions and problems.
5. Regular attendance --- no more that 15
clock hours of class missed. This includes labs. However, if the lab activity is completed and documented on
the certificate of participation, the student will be counted present. There will be no designation of excused
or unexcused absences. If a
student is not in class they will be counted as absent no matter what the
reason may be.
6. Final
Exam: This is a written report on
an actual experiment reported in the "literature". This must be a rigorous experiment, and
not an experiment done by the student.
The student is to describe the experiment as well as identify the
purpose, procedure, results, and conclusion.
7. Provide working e-mail address and
respond on all CATS
Name
TESTS
1
..............................................................................score
2
.............................................................................score
3
..............................................................................score
4
..............................................................................
score
MID-AMERICA
MUSEUM
Field trip
..........................................................................
Report
.............................................................................
In-depth
on one exhibit .....................................................
LAB
REPORTS
circle as
completed
1 2
3 4 5
6 7 8
9 10 11 12 total
END OF
CHAPTER PROBLEMS
circle as completed
1 2
3 4 5
6 7 8
9 10
total
PRESENTATION
Individual
.........................................................................
Joint................................................................................
JOURNAL
USE
Article
critique 1
cite
reference
Article
critique 2
cite
reference
Article
critique 3
cite
reference
ATTENDANCE
Number of
clock hours missed ........................................
FINAL EXAM
....................................................................
(Report on
experiment reported in the "literature")
Syllabus
for
PSC 114
PHYSICAL SCIENCE
revised
1/7/05
Prerequisite: None
Course
Description: A comprehensive
introduction to the physical sciences, concentrating on the topics of
mechanics, light, sound, heat, electricity, atomic structure, chemical bonding,
and astronomy.
Required
Materials: 1) Textbook: Physical Science, Sixth Edition by Bill
Tillery, Dubuque: McGraw Hill, 2005. 2) Miscellaneous pens paper and pencils. 3) Laboratory notebook.
Rationale: In this technological age it is
imperative that people have a basic understanding of the technologies they are
using in their daily lives.
By using a conceptually based hands-on approach, students will quiet
their fears of science and gain knowledge and appreciation for this omnipresent
discipline.
Course
Objectives: Upon successful
completion of PSC 114, the student should be able to do the following:
1. Recognize the influence of physical
science on their daily lives.
2. Explain the philosophy of science:
scientific conclusions are based on experimental evidence.
3. Perform a scientific experiment and
draw proper conclusions from it.
4. Demonstrate a basic understanding of
mechanics, light, sound, heat, electricity, atomic structure, chemical bonding,
and astronomy by explaining the scientific principles used in everyday items
such as cars, lights, and radios.
Topical/Unit
Outline:
I. Measurement
A. Syteme
Internationale
B.
Conversion Factors
C.
Scientific Notation
II. Motion
A. Vectors
and Scalars
B.
Kinematics
C.
Newton's Three Laws of Motion
D. Motion
Due to Gravity
E.
Rotational Motion
III. Laws
of Conservation
A. Mass
B. Energy
(Potential and Kinetic)
C.
Momentum
D.
Friction
E. Power
F. Simple
Machines
IV. Thermal
Physics
A.
Temperature/Heat
B. Heat Capacity
C. Heat
Transfer
D. Change
of Phase
E. Laws of
Thermodynamics
F. Heat
engines
G.
Generation of Electricity
V. Wave
Motion/Sound
A. Waves
B.
Interference
C. Music
D. Doppler
Effect
VI. Electricity/Magnetism
A. Static
Electricity
B.
Circuits
C. Ohm's
Law
D.
Magnets/Electromagnets
E.
Electromagnetic Induction
F.
Motors/Generators/Transformers
A.
Reflection/Refraction/Diffraction
B. Nature
of light
C.
Lasers/Fiber optics
D. Electromagnetic
Spectrum
E. Speed
of Light
VIII. Atom
A.
Structure
B.
Radiation
C.
Half-Life
D. Nuclear
Power
IX. Chemistry
A.
Elements
B. Bonding
C.
Compound/Mixture
D. Mole
Concept
F.
Acids/Bases
X. Astronomy
(The size and shape of the Universe)
A. Parallax
B. H-R
diagram/Luminosity
C.
Variable Stars
D. Red
Shift
E. Big
Bang Theory
Topical/Unit
Objectives:
I. To be
able to perform a scientific experiment using measurement techniques
appropriate to the experiment.
II. To be
able to describe the motion and the causes of that motion.
III. To
understand the laws of conservation.
IV. To
understand heat, temperature and the laws of Thermodynamics.
V. To
understand how waves and sound are related.
VI. To be
able to construct or draw simple electrical circuits, to understand the
principles which explain how electric motors and generators work, and to be
able to solve problems using Ohm's law.
VII. To be
able to discuss the difference between reflection and refraction in terms of
mirrors and lenses and to understand how lasers and fiber optics are used to
transmit information.
VIII. To
be able to describe the basic structure of the atom.
IX. To be
able to identify elements, compounds, and mixtures.
X. To
understand how the model of the universe was developed and to recognize the
evidence for that model.
Course
Requirements/Evaluation:
I. Four
tests will be given each covering approximately the same quantity of material.
II. A
final exam will consist of a report on an experiment described in the
"literatureÓ. The
student must cite the source and identify and describe the purpose, procedure,
results, and conclusion.
III. Each
student may complete as many as 12 laboratory activities. Each activity will require a
laboratory report.
IV. Each
student may complete an assigned set of problems at the end of each chapter.
V. Grades
will be assigned on the basis of the criteria for A, B, C, and D work included
in this handout.
It is the
policy of RMCC to accommodate students with disabilities, pursuant to state and
federal law. Any student
with a disability who needs accommodations, for example in seating placement,
examinations, or access to information on the web, should contact the Dean of
Students Services Office.
Which is located in the Abernathy Building Room 301, (479) 394-7622 ext
1400