Instructor: Alexios Polychronakos, Room J312C, Marshak Science Building; (212)
6505536;
alexios@sci.ccny.cuny.edu
Office hours: Monday 14:00-15:00 and Wednesday 9:00-10:00. If it is not possible
for you to see me at these particular times, an appointment can be arranged on
an as-needed basis. There is no guarantee that I can meet with you outside
of my scheduled office hours. Call my office number or leave an email
message.
Material to be covered: This class will consist of an overview of topics
in modern physics, with emphasis on understanding concepts and relating to
real-life phenomena. A few selected specific topics will be studied in more
depth and students will be invited to think critically about them, resolve
puzzles and propose applications. Here
is a tentative outline of
topics. Actual covered material may vary:
·
Newtonian Mechanics
and the Missed Concept of Motion
·
Heat, Thermodynamics
and the Death of Civilization
·
Electricity,
Magnetism and Columbus’ Trek
·
Wave Motion, Color
and Music
·
The Atom, Subatomic
Particles and the Quantum Universe
·
Relativity, Black
Holes and Beyond
The pace of the course will accelerate as we proceed; you are expected to develop your grasp of the concepts and math tools as we move, so that you be able to follow.
Textbook: No “official” textbook for the course will
be assigned. A useful text that can be used for review and will contain most of
the covered material is: The Physics of Everyday Phenomena: A Conceptual
Introduction to Physics, W.
Thomas Griffith, McGraw-Hill, 3rd Edition, 2001. Other books may be
used. Notes will be distributed when special material is covered.
Prerequisites: Knowledge of basic algebra. No knowledge of calculus is necessary.
You should have familiarity with algebraic manipulations and with solving
simple equations with one or two unknown quantities. Take some time in the
beginning of the course to review your math and make sure you are up to the
level.
Study plan:
You should attend lectures
and review the necessary material from notes or the book of your choice. Ask
questions! Ask me during class if anything is unclear, or whenever you have
a puzzle or idea. If you have serious problems arrange to see me.
Course schedule:
The pace of the course and
actual material to be covered will change and adapt with time; no day-to-day
schedule will be given at this time.
Attendance, Quizzes, Homework: No roll call will take place. Short pre-announced
quizzes that will count towards your grade will sporadically be scheduled, to
gauge your understanding of the material. There is no assigned homework, but
you are strongly advised to follow the study plan as outlined above.
Class Behavior and Cheating: You are expected to act responsibly and follow the
rules of the course as well as those of civility. This includes the courtesy of
not talking, acting disruptively or engaging in extracurricular activities
during lectures (reading newspapers, sleeping etc.) and of behaving to the
lecturer and your fellow students politely. No food can be taken in the
classroom, but I will allow drinking coffee, tea or soda (if not prohibited by
University rule). Cheating in exams, quizzes or any other circumstance is
grounds for failing the course.
Exams: One Midterm exam and one comprehensive Final.
1.
Exam Structure:
Exams are open book: you are
permitted to bring with you your books, notes, calculator, slide rule, abacus
or anything else you wish. Communication during the exam is strictly
forbidden: no talking, exchanging material or calculators, cell phones,
sign language, ESP etc.
2.
Questions During
Exams: If you do not understand what is being asked, raise your hand and I will
come to you. Only clarifications will
be provided, not hints on how to answer the question.
3.
If You Miss an Exam:
If your absence was documented to be truly unavoidable, a make-up
exam could be given which will be no easier than the regular exam. It therefore behooves you to be there
for the scheduled exams. There is no
guarantee that it will be possible to schedule a make-up exam.
4.
Please take care of
your needs beforehand and avoid the embarrassment of asking to use the bathroom
during the exam.
Grades: A
numerical score will be computed as follows: Quizzes 15%, Midterm 35%, Final
50%. The absolute score at the end of the semester is generally recalibrated
such that the average/median score be in the B range. No single exam will
guarantee your passing the course, so you are strongly advised to participate
in all of the above evaluations.
______________________________________________________________________
*NOTE: All of the above is tentative and subject to change. It is intended as a guide on how the course will be administered. The instructor reserves the right to make changes during the semester as he sees fit. Changes, if any, to the rules and to the schedule will be announced as they occur. It is the students’ responsibility to remain informed about the course and be alert of any changes or new information.