12/27/2024 1:20:49 AM	PHYS 1 Course Outline as of Fall 1999	Changed Course
CATALOG INFORMATION
Discipline and Nbr:  PHYS 1	Title:  INTRO PBLM SOLVING
Full Title:  Introduction to Physics Problem Solving
Last Reviewed:8/26/2024

Units		Course Hours per Week			Nbr of Weeks	Course Hours Total
Maximum	3.00	Lecture Scheduled	3.00		17.5 max.	Lecture Scheduled	52.50
Minimum	3.00	Lab Scheduled	0		6 min.	Lab Scheduled	0
		Contact DHR	0			Contact DHR	0
		Contact Total	3.00			Contact Total	52.50
		Non-contact DHR	0			Non-contact DHR Total	0

Total Out of Class Hours:  105.00

Total Student Learning Hours: 157.50

Title 5 Category:  AA Degree Applicable
Grading:  Grade or P/NP
Repeatability:  00 - Two Repeats if Grade was D, F, NC, or NP
Also Listed As: 
Formerly: 

Catalog Description:

An introduction to some basic concepts in physics with emphasis on the development of problem solving skills.  This course is designed to assist students in preparing for enrollment in Physics 2A or Physics 4A.

Prerequisites/Corequisites:
Math 155. Credit will not be granted to students who have completed Phys 2A, Phys 4A, or equivalent.

Recommended Preparation:

Limits on Enrollment:

Schedule of Classes Information
Description:

Introduction to basic concepts in physics with emphasis on problem solving skills. Assists students in preparing for PHYS 2A or 4A.

(Grade or P/NP)
Prerequisites:Math 155. Credit will not be granted to students who have completed Phys 2A, Phys 4A, or equivalent.
Recommended:
Limits on Enrollment:
Transfer Credit:CSU;UC.
Repeatability:00 - Two Repeats if Grade was D, F, NC, or NP

ARTICULATION, MAJOR, and CERTIFICATION INFORMATION

Associate Degree:		Effective:	Fall 1981	Inactive:	Fall 2009
Area:	B MC	Communication and Analytical Thinking Math Competency
CSU GE:	Transfer Area			Effective:	Inactive:
	B1	Physical Science		Fall 1996
IGETC:	Transfer Area			Effective:	Inactive:
CSU Transfer:	Transferable	Effective:	Fall 1994	Inactive:
UC Transfer:	Transferable	Effective:	Fall 1994	Inactive:
C-ID:

Certificate/Major Applicable: Not Certificate/Major Applicable

COURSE CONTENT

Outcomes and Objectives:
At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to:

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

1.      State the SI units for length, time and mass, identify the powers

       of ten associated with the most common metric prefixes and change

       a quantity from one set of units to another.

2.      Define the concepts of displacement, velocity and acceleration;

       sketch graphs of displacement, velocity and acceleration versus

       time given a description of a motion; and describe the motion from

       graphs of displacement velocity and acceleration.

3.      Use graphs of displacement velocity and acceleration versus time

       to determine changes in these quantities and instantaneous and

       average values of these quantities, including determining slopes

       of graphs and areas under graphs.

4.      Solve problems involving uniformly accelerated motion in one

       dimension.

5.      Explain the difference between scalar and vector quantities and

       give examples of each.

6.      Use trigonometric functions to determine components of vectors and

       use vector addition methods to determine the sum of two or more

       vectors.

7.      Define the concepts of force and mass, explain the difference

       between weight and mass, and give the units for force and weight.

8.      Construct free body diagrams showing forces acting on objects.

9.      Use Newton's second law to solve problems involving the accelera-

       tion of masses with one or more forces acting on them.

10.     Define torque, give units for torque, find the torque produced by

       a force about a designated point, and solve problems involving

       objects in static equilibrium.

11.     Define the concepts of work, energy, potential energy and kinetic

       energy and give units in which they are expressed.

12.     Determine the work done by a force by using the component of the

       force in the direction of motion and the distance moved by finding

       the area under a force versus displacement graph.

13.     State the principle of conservation of energy and use the

       principle to solve problems.

14.     Solve problems involving sound levels in decibels.

15.     Define the concepts of heat, specific heat and latent heat and use

       the concepts in solving calorimetry/first law of thermodynamics

       problems.

16.     Define the concepts of electrical current, voltage and resistance

       and give units used to express each of these quantities.

17.     Determine the equivalent resistance of combinations of resistors

       in series and parallel, use Ohm's law to solve problems involving

       simple circuits.

18.     State Kirchhoff's first and second rules and use them to solve

       circuit problems by writing simultaneous equations for circuits

       including two or more loops and by solving the equations using

       Cramer's rule.

Topics and Scope

Topics Covered Include:

1.  The international system (SI) units

   a.  Units for length, time and mass

   b.  Common metric prefixes

2.  Conversion of units

3.  One dimensional motion--position, velocity, acceleration

   a.  Concepts of displacement, velocity and acceleration

   b.  Graphs of displacement, velocity and acceleration versus time

   c.  Slopes of displacement and velocity versus time graphs and areas

       under velocity and acceleration versus time graphs

4.  Uniformly accelerated motion in one dimension

   a.  Equations for uniformly accelerated motion

   b.  Solutions of uniformly accelerated motion problems

5.  Vectors--components, vector sums

    a.  Scalar and vector quantities

    b.  Components of vectors

    c.  Sums of vectors

6.   Forces--free body diagrams, Newton's second law of motion

    a.  Concepts of mass, force and weight and units for force and

        weight

    b.  Construction of free body diagrams

    c.  Newton's laws of motion and application of Newton's second

        law of motion

7.   Torque and Equilibrium

    a.  Concept of torque and units for torque

    b.  Solving static equilibrium problems

8.   Work, energy and the principle of conservation of energy

    a.  Concepts of work, energy, kinetic energy and potential energy

        and work/energy units

    b.  Calculation of work done using force and displacement and by

        area under force-displacement graph

    c.  The principle of conservation of energy and its application

9.   Sound waves and sound levels in decibels

    a.  Concepts of sound waves, intensity of waves and sound intensity

        level in decibels

    b.  Calculations of sound levels in decibels

10.  Specific heats, latent heats, and the first law of thermodynamics

    a.  Concepts of heat, specific heat, latent heats of fusion and

        vaporization

    b.  Solving calorimetry/first law of thermodynamics problems

11.  Electrical current, voltage, resistance, and Ohm's law

    a.  Concepts of electrical current, voltage and resistance and

        units for current, voltage and resistance

    b.  Ohm's law

12.  Electrical circuits--Kirchhoff's first and second rules

    a.  Equivalent resistance of combinations of resistances in series

        and parallel

    b.  Application of Ohm's law to simple circuits

    c.  Kirchhoff's first and second rules and application to circuits

        of two or more loops

Assignments:

1.  No less than 20 sets of homework problems.

2.  No less than 2 mid-term exams

3.  Final exam

Methods of Evaluation/Basis of Grade.

Writing: Assessment tools that demonstrate writing skill and/or require students to select, organize and explain ideas in writing.		Writing 0 - 0%
None
This is a degree applicable course but assessment tools based on writing are not included because problem solving assessments are more appropriate for this course.
Problem solving: Assessment tools, other than exams, that demonstrate competence in computational or non-computational problem solving skills.		Problem Solving 33 - 67%
Homework problems, Exams
Skill Demonstrations: All skill-based and physical demonstrations used for assessment purposes including skill performance exams.		Skill Demonstrations 0 - 0%
None
Exams: All forms of formal testing, other than skill performance exams.		Exams 33 - 67%
Multiple choice, Physics Problems to Solve
Other: Includes any assessment tools that do not logically fit into the above categories.		Other Category 0 - 0%
None

Representative Textbooks and Materials:

Alan VanHeuvelen.  Physics--A General Introduction.  Little Brown. 1986

Rodney Cole.  So You Want To Take Physics: A Preparatory Course.

Saunders. 1993

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