Physics 100Lxg (The Physical World) - Information Sheet
Instructor
Textbook
- Conceptual Physics
- Paul G. Hewitt, 10th Edition (Pearson, Addison-Wesley, 2006)
Homework
- Homework assignments (a total of eight) will be posted at least
one week prior to the due date. The answers or solutions to the homework
will be posted electronically on BLACKBOARD or at
http://physics.usc.edu/ ~tnchang/ph100.html.
- Homework is due before the beginning of the lecture on
the due date. No late homework will be accepted. Only the highest
six homework scores will be counted in the course grade.
- Student's (printed) name should appear on the homework.
All pages should be stapled together.
Examinations (closed book)
- There will be three midterm examinations.
- Thursday, February 8
- Tuesday, March 6
- Tuesday, April 10
- Midterms will be normalized and rescaled. Only the highest two
midterm scores will be counted in the course grade.
- Final (May 3rd, 2 pm) is mandatory.
- There will be no make-up examinations.
Course Grade
- Homework - 15%, Lab. - 20%,
- Midterms - 20% (each), Final - 25%.
Lectures
- Physics 100Lxg is designed specifically for the nonscience major
who has a limited background in science and mathematics.
One of the primary goals is for the student to develop an appreciation
for the beauty and simplicity of the physical sciences by relating the
natural phenomena in the world around us to the basic concepts in physics.
- The lecture topics will parallel those presented in the text, but
they will not be a simple regurgitation of the text materials.
- Students are responsible for the text as well as the lecture materials.
- Lectures will be divided into four parts - (more details are given
either at the BLACKBOARD or at
"physics.usc.edu/~tnchang/ph100.html".)
- Mechanics
- Motion (translational and rotational), Force, and Energy.
- Physical Matter
- Gas, Liquid (Fluid), and Solid.
- Temperature & Heat.
- Waves & Sound.
- Electricity and Magnetism
- Electrostatics.
- EM Wave. (Light.)
- Optics.
- Modern Physics
- Light and Quanta.
- Atoms and Nucleus.
- Special Relativity.
- The lectures will include calculations involving only
simple algebra. Students are encouraged to master the use of electronic
calculators and internet communication.