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Advanced Physics 2005-2006
General Information

Student Scores



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General Information

Syllabus

Writing a Physics Lab Report

Lab Safety

Assignment Sheets:

General Information

Class Time: Wednesdays, 9:30 a.m. to 11:45 p.m.

Location: Bethany Collegiate Church, Route 1 & Concord Road, Havertown, PA

Teacher: Lisa Swieson (610.355.9174, LSwieson@science-resources.org)

Textbook: Physics: Principles and Problems (Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, ©2002) and Student Lab Manual

Overview. This is a rigorous physics course, appropriate for all college-bound students, especially those planning to major in science or engineering. Students should be motivated and willing to work hard. Students will gain an understanding of basic principles and apply math skills to the solution of physics problems. Weekly labs will give students hands-on opportunities to apply concepts learned.

Class Particulars: Each week, the first 45-60 minutes of class will be spent reviewing assignments and preparing for lab. The remainder of the time will be in lab. I also hope to schedule a field trip or two along the way. The last class session of each term will be devoted to a practical lab exam.

Supply List: The following items will be necessary for most labs – each student should have:
  • Scientific Calculator (capable of doing trigonometric functions)
  • Metric Ruler (30 cm)
  • Protractor
  • Graph Paper (one pack or tablet of 25-50 sheets)
  • Mechanical Pencil (for drawing graphs during class)
Students are expected to bring the following to class each week: textbook, notebook, pen and pencil, folder/binder for handouts, calculator, and all written assignments (see below). Graph paper and ruler will be needed for most labs.

Dress Code: Students should wear comfortable (not baggy) clothing that is easily washable or that you don’t mind getting dirty. Long hair must be tied back. No open-toed shoes, bracelets, rings, or loose jewelry should be worn. Protective gloves, aprons, and safety glasses will be provided when needed.

Assignments: Each student will receive an assignment sheet, which will list all of the assignments for several weeks at a time. (Assignments will also be posted online at the class web site.) The assignment sheet can also be used to track hours or days, if desired. Assignments will include:
  • Readings. Students will be expected to read 2 or 3 sections (around 25 pages) each week from the assigned textbook.

  • Lab Prep. Each week, students will receive instructions to prepare for the next lab. These may involve readings or written work.

  • Lab Report. A short write-up of each lab will be due the week following the lab. I recommend writing up the lab report Wednesday afternoon or evening, while everything is still fresh in the student’s mind.

  • Other Written Assignments. Most reading assignments will have corresponding written assignments, either questions or problems, that are intended to solidify the students’ understanding of the readings. If any student encounters difficulty with these written assignments, s/he should contact me by phone or email for extra help.

  • Quizzes. At the end of each unit, students will be given a take-home quiz, which will consist of questions and problems very similar to the ones the students have been doing for homework. Quizzes should be taken on the date indicated and mailed to me the following day so that I can score them before the next class. These are not open book, so I ask each parent (please!) to supervise these quizzes and sign them before mailing them back to me. There will be a total of 7 quizzes during the year.
Grades: Grades will be calculated as follows:
  • Homework: 25%
  • Labs (28): 25% (Lowest lab score of each term will be dropped.)
  • Quizzes (7): 25% (Lowest quiz score for the year will be dropped.)
  • Practical Tests (2): 25%
  • A: 90-100%
  • B: 80-89%
  • C: 70-79%
  • D: 60-69%
Honors Credit (optional): In addition to the regular course work, students who would like to receive honors credit for this course must complete a science fair project in the field of physics. This involves background research and a corresponding research paper (to be completed and turned in before experimentation), an experiment following a scientific method, an oral presentation to be given to the class, and participation in a science fair. (Details for this project will be distributed to honors students in September.) In addition, honors students must maintain a B average (or higher) during the school year. Students who plan to pursue honors credit should let me know of their intent by September 21.

Mid-Week Help: In addition to being available by phone or email during the week, as questions arise I will also send emails (check email regularly!) and maintain a class web site containing assignments, answers to questions, extra information & clarification, etc.

Absence: I realize that students may need to miss class once or twice for illness or family obligations. If your child must miss class, please let me know ahead of time. Even so, students are responsible for the material they missed – homework assignments must still be completed and handed in, and, though the lab itself cannot usually be made up, students must understand the principles investigated during lab. Note that, since the student’s lowest lab score will be dropped each term, absence need not affect that portion of the student’s grade, unless the student misses more than one lab each term.

Lab Safety: It is essential that lab safety rules be followed carefully. Remember, students who repeatedly ignore these rules are putting themselves and their classmates at risk and will be suspended from class with no refund. In addition, students will be expected to pay for equipment that they break.

About Your Textbook: Within each chapter is a one-page feature about real-world physics (“How It Works,” “Physics and Society,” etc.). I encourage you to read these when you get to them, but you do not have to answer the questions.

In the back of your textbook is a Math Handbook. All of these pages should be review, so if your math is a little rusty, please go over pages 737-747 before our first class.

SCIENCE Resources will buy back your textbook at the end of the year for one-half the price you paid for it (i.e., for $31.76) if it is in good condition – no writing (other than your name in the front), no dog-eared or torn pages, no spills, etc. To help keep it in good condition, I recommend putting a book cover on it. I plan to teach this class again in 3 years, so if you have a younger sibling, you may want to keep it. The Lab Manual is a consumable workbook and cannot be sold back.

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Questions? Contact the teacher!		 by Lisa Swieson
©2005 SCIENCE Resources

Last modified: 4 May 2006