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Physics Department, University of Michigan

Physics 160, Honors Introduction to Mechanics


Winter 2015
Instructor
Prof. Vanessa Sih
Office: 4420 Randall Laboratory
Email: vsih@umich.edu
Office hours: MF 3-4pm or by appointment
Meeting Time / Place: MTuWTh 12:00-1:00pm / MW: 268 DENN, TuTh: 182 DENN
Course Website
Course information, homework assignments, class announcements, and lecture notes will be posted
at: http://ctools.umich.edu
Goals of the course:
1. Application of fundamental principles to a wide range of systems, from nuclei to stars
2. Integrate some contemporary physics (atomic models of matter, relativistic dynamics)
3. Engage in physical modeling (idealization, approximation, assumptions, estimation)
4. Integrate computational physics (now a partner of theory and experiment)
5. Given the initial conditions and any set of forces acting on a particle, be able to calculate the
trajectory of that particle.
Prerequisites and expectations:
Physics 160 is a more advanced and challenging version of the standard first semester course,
Physics 140. We assume you have taken high-school physics and calculus, and you may need to
review or learn trigonometry, calculus and vector algebra. Programming experience is not expected.
Past experience in P160 shows no correlation between the level of physics/math taken in highschool or programming experience and final grade in P160. What matters is your desire to work
hard and learn.
Required:
You will need to purchase an access code for MasteringPhysics, which is a self-paced and interactive
website for problem solving. You can purchase this access code online for $66 (by itself, without
access to the electronic copy of the textbook) or $110.55 with the eText. If you decide to purchase a
new copy of the textbook in a bookstore, it may come bundled with a MasteringPhysics access code.
You will also need VPython (free to download) to complete your assignments. If you cannot install
VPython on your own computer, you can use Campus Computing Sites or the Physics Authorized
Users Laboratory (PAUL).

Recommended Resources:
There is no required textbook, but to do well in this course, you will probably have to do additional
reading to learn and/or review the material and do more problems than are on the assignments. The
best way to learn physics is to work through problems to see whether you can apply physical
principles to different situations. Here are some recommendations:
University Physics, by Young and Freedman (the 13th edition is the latest, but used copies of the 12th
edition are fine and less expensive.)
Matter & Interactions I: Modern Mechanics, by Chabay and Sherwood (currently in its 3rd edition,
but the 2nd edition is also fine.)
MIT OpenCourseWare: Physics I: Classical Mechanics: http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/physics/8-01lphysics-i-classical-mechanics-fall-2005/
HyperPhysics: http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/hph.html
Class format:
The class will be a combination of lecture/demonstrations, class discussion, and group problem
solving. Regular class attendance and participation are expected. Please let me know in advance if
you have to miss more than one class. Approximately once a week, you will turn in in-class
assignments based on your group problem solving. The class schedule will be posted and updated
on CTools. Mondays will be a computer lab, and there will be six in-class quizzes on Thursday,
January 29, February 12, February 26, March 19, April 2, and April 16.
I will be assigning one or more videos each week to watch before class. These have been recorded
by Prof. Brad Orr and provide background for the material I will cover in class. I will provide
YouTube links to these videos on CTools from the Class Schedule page.
Assignments:
MasteringPhysics Homework will be due most Fridays at 11pm. You will need to register for
MasteringPhysics at http://www.masteringphysics.com and purchase an access code (either bundled
with a new copy of the textbook or online). When you register, select Young and Freedman,
University with Modern Physics, 13e (either with or without the Technology Update; the only
difference is the Technology Update includes over 250 QR codes with links to interactive videos,
but you can also view these in the Study Area in the MasteringPhysics course) as the textbook.
You are not required to purchase the eText. You will need to login and then input the course ID:
UMPHYS160W15 in order to view the assignments for this course.
Computer/Written Homework will be due at the beginning of class on most Wednesdays. These
assignments will include both end-of-chapter problems and writing programs using vPython to
numerically solve problems and a written analysis.

You are allowed and encouraged to work together on the homework. However, your write-up must
be your own, and you should understand how to do the problems on your own. The best way to
succeed in learning the class material is by fully working and understanding the problems. If you
need any help, please let me know in class, by e-mail or on Piazza and during office hours.
In-class Assignments: Class participation includes making an active effort on in-class conceptual
questions and group problem-solving exercises. Your participation will be assessed by turning in
solutions for days when we have group problem solving sessions.
Quizzes: There will be six in-class quizzes that will be used to test your comprehension of the
material as we proceed through the course. The questions on the quizzes will be conceptually
similar to (but different from) other problems on the homework and in-class assignments. Thus,
they will test your understanding of the material and ability to apply it to new situations.
Final Exam: The final exam will be 10:30am 12:30pm on Tuesday, April 28, 2015.
Course work and grading:
Your class grade will be determined by the weighted sum of:
MasteringPhysics HW
Computer/written HW
In-class assignments
Quizzes
Final Exam

10%
20%
10%
40%
20%

Your letter grade will be based on your overall score with the following boundaries:
A (85 100), B (70 85), C (55 70), D (40 55), E (0 40). I expect that the scores on quizzes
and the exam may be somewhat lower than the other assignments. If it turns out that the exams are
far too difficult for this scale, grades might be curved up, but they definitely will not be curved
down. Typically, the median grade in P160 is expected to be at the A-/B+ boundary.

Schedule Physics 160 (pg. 1 of 3) subject to change; see updated Class Schedule on CTools
Date
Jan. 7 W
Jan. 8 Th

Lecture Topics
Introduction; Units; Vectors.
Vectors; position; velocity; acceleration

Jan. 12 M
Jan. 13 Tu
Jan. 14 W
Jan. 15 Th
Jan. 16 F

Computer Lab: Introduction to vPython


Momentum; Newtons First Law; Relativity
Computer Lab: Creating 2D graphs in vPython
The Momentum Principle; Newtons Second Law; Force
MasteringPhysics #1 due

Jan. 19 M
Jan. 20 Tu
Jan. 21 W

MLK day; no class


Predicting motion using iterative updates vs. calculus
Computer Lab
Written/Computer HW#1 due
Spring, gravitational force; periodic/harmonic motion
MasteringPhysics #2 due

Jan. 22 Th
Jan. 23 F
Jan. 26 M
Jan. 27 Tu
Jan. 28 W
Jan. 29 Th
Jan. 30 F
Feb. 2 M
Feb. 3 Tu
Feb. 4 W
Feb. 5 Th
Feb. 6 F
Feb. 9 M
Feb. 10 Tu
Feb. 11 W
Feb.12 Th
Feb.13 F

Reading (Matter & Interactions)

Computer Lab
Examples of momentum conservation: rockets, collisions
Fundamental Interactions; Gravitational, electric forces
Written/Computer HW#2 due
Quiz #1
MasteringPhysics #3 due
Computer Lab
Orbits; circular motion
Contact interactions; model of a solid; tension
Written/Computer HW#3 due
Compression (normal) force; friction
MasteringPhysics #4 due
Computer Lab
Contact forces and curving motion
Contact forces due to gases: buoyancy, pressure
Written/Computer HW#4 due
Quiz #2
MasteringPhysics #5 due

1.1-1.7

1.8-1.11
2.1-2.3

2.4-2.5

2.5-2.7

2.8-2.11
3.1-3.4; 3.6

3.5; 3.7-3.15
4.1-4.6
4.7-4.8

Schedule Winter 2015 Physics 160 (pg. 2 of 3)


Date
Feb.16 M
Feb.17 Tu
Feb.18 W
Feb.19 Th
Feb.20 F
Feb.23 M
Feb.24 Tu
Feb.25 W

Lecture Topics
Reading (Matter & Interactions)
Computer Lab
Multiparticle systems; center of mass
9.1, 9.3
Translational and rotational angular momentum
11.1-11.3
Written/Computer HW#5 due
The Angular Momentum Principle; Torque
11.4, 11.7
MasteringPhysics #6 due

Feb.26 Th
Feb.27 F

Computer Lab
Systems with nonzero torques; moment of inertia; rotation 11.8-11.9
Rolling; gyroscopes
11.11
Written/Computer HW#6 due
Quiz #3
MasteringPhysics #7 due

Mar. 2 6

Winter vacation; no class

Mar. 9 M
Mar.10 Tu
Mar.11 W

Computer Lab
The Energy Principle; Work: mechanical energy transfer
Work done by a non-constant force
Written/Computer HW#7 due
Potential energy: gravitational
MasteringPhysics #8 due

Mar.12 Th
Mar. 13 F
Mar.16 M
Mar.17 Tu
Mar.18 W
Mar.19 Th
Mar.20 F
Mar.23 M
Mar.24 Tu
Mar.25 W
Mar.26 Th
Mar.27 F

Computer Lab
Rotational kinetic energy
Work and rotational, rolling motion
Written/Computer HW#8 due
Quiz #4
MasteringPhysics #9 due
Computer Lab
Plotting energy vs. separation; force and potential energy
Internal energy; spring potential energy
Written/Computer HW#9 due
Potential energy of a molecule
MasteringPhysics #10 due

6.1-6.3
6.4-6.7
6.8-6.10

9.2-9.3

6.11-6.22
7.1
7.2, 7.3

Schedule Winter 2015 Physics 160 (pg. 3 of 3)


Date
Mar.30 M
Mar.31 Tu
Apr. 1 W
Apr. 2 Th
Apr. 3 F
Apr. 6 M
Apr. 7 Tu
Apr. 8 W
Apr. 9 Th
Apr.10 F
Apr.13 M
Apr.14 Tu

Lecture Topics
Computer Lab
Power: energy per unit time
Energy dissipation: air resistance, friction
Written/Computer HW#10 due
Quiz #5
MasteringPhysics #11 due

Reading (Matter & Interactions)

Computer Lab
Damped and driven oscillations and resonance
Resonance; molecular spectroscopy
Written/Computer HW#11 due
Waves
MasteringPhysics #12 due

Apr.15 W
Apr.16 Th
Apr.17 F

Computer Lab
Elastic and inelastic collisions
Written/Computer HW#12 due
Collisions in different reference frames
Quiz #6
MasteringPhysics #13 due

Apr.20 M
Apr.21 Tu

Review and practice problems for the final exam


Review and practice problems for the final exam

Apr.28 Tu

Final Exam, 10:30am-12:30pm

7.6-7.9
7.10-7.11

7.12

10.1-10.5
10.6-10.10

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