PHYS 1101 General Physics I

Course description

PHYS 1101 and PHYS 1102 emphasize both quantitative and conceptual understanding of the topics and tools of introductory physics developed without the use of calculus. The courses offer individualized instruction. Students learn through completing assigned readings, problems, and laboratory exercises, and through individualized tutoring. Additionally, recorded lectures, overview sessions, short videos, sample tests, and online tutorials are provided. The course format provides flexibility, but in some ways is more demanding than a course with a traditional format. Success requires discipline and well-developed study habits. Students without high school physics should allow extra time. Evaluation includes an oral lab check, a selection of graded homework problems, and a written test for each unit; these must be completed within a flexible set of deadlines. Major topics for PHYS 1101: forces and equilibrium, kinematics, dynamics, momentum, energy, fluid mechanics, waves and sound, thermal physics, and thermodynamics. At the level of College Physics, 5th edition, by Giambattista.

Due to an overlap in content, students will receive credit for only one course in the following group: EAS 1600, PHYS 1101, PHYS 1112, PHYS 1116, PHYS 2207.

Prerequisites

Three years high school mathematics, including trigonometry. Enrollment may be limited, and freshmen are excluded. General introductory physics often taken by students in disciplines such as Biology or Chemistry (also see PHYS 2207.)

Summer 2024: Ithaca campus

Patrick Hollister

Lecturer, Physics