Physics 207
General Physics
Fall 1994
Prerequisites: Calculus (Math 221 or equivalent). Algebra,
trigonometry and calculus will be used extensively.
Materials Needed: Text: Serway, Physics for Scientists & Engineers with
Modern Physics, third edition (updated).
Lab manual: Rollefson and Richards, Laboratory Experiments in
General Physics, 1994 edition.
Lab notebook: preferably hard bound with cross-hatched ruling.
Bring it to your first laboratory meeting.
Calculator: preferably with trigonometric, exponential, and
logarithmic functions. Know how to use it, and make sure
batteries are charged for exams.
Lectures: 8:50 am MWF in 1300 Sterling Hall. Prof. J. C. Sprott
(3285 Chamberlin Hall, 263-4449, sprott@juno.physics.wisc.edu).
The lectures supplement but do not substitute for the reading.
Read the assigned material before lecture. The Friday lectures
are optional except for exams and for honors students. Everyone
is encouraged to attend. Attendance will be taken.
Discussion sections: Your discussion section will be led by your TA who
will be your prime contact and source of assistance. General
questions about the homework are allowed before it is due, but
don't expect your TA to work out the solutions for you in advance.
Quizzes will occasionally be given in your discussion section and
will count toward your grade.
Laboratory: Follow the "General Instructions" in the laboratory manual
(pages 1-3). The experiments are to be written up during the
laboratory period in the lab notebook. Have your lab instructor
initial and date the work before you leave the lab. The lab
notebook is not to be taken from the lab except with permission of
your instructor. The lab is in 4300 Sterling Hall.
Homework: The homework problems are assigned in the syllabus for each
week and should be handed in at the first discussion section the
following week. Late problem sets will not be accepted. Homework
will count toward your grade. You may work with others on the
homework, but make sure the paper you turn in is not simply copied
from someone else. The solutions will be discussed in your
discussion section and placed on reserve in the Physics Library
(4220 Chamberlin Hall).
Hour Exams: Exams will be given during the Friday lecture as follows:
September 30, Chapters 1-5
October 28, Chapters 6-11
December 2, Chapters 12-18
The exams will be closed-book, but you will be allowed one 8 1/2 x
11-inch sheet of notes. The exams will be graded and handed back
in your first discussion section of the following week. Solutions
will be discussed and placed on reserve in the Physics Library
(4220 Chamberlin Hall). There will be no makeup exams.
Final Exam: The final exam will be at 10:05 am on Friday, December 23
(room to be announced). It will cover the entire course (Chapters
1-22) with equal weight. You will be allowed two 8 1/2 x 11-inch
sheets of notes.
Grading: The course grade will consist of the following components:
3 hour exams 300 points
Final exam 200 points
Laboratory 100 points
Homework & discussion 100 points
----------
TOTAL 700 points
Lab, homework and discussion grades will be assigned by your TA
and will be normalized to the distribution on the hour exams.
Letter grades will be assigned based on the total number of points
accumulated.
Consultation Room: Room 1402 Sterling is staffed by TA's from Physics
207 and 201 during much of the week. See the schedule card on the
door. You may ask questions of any of the TA's or come during the
hours that your TA is there. You may also make an appointment with
your TA at any mutually convenient time and place.
Complaints and Concerns: If you have a non-subject matter question or
concern that cannot be resolved by your TA or professor, contact
Jean Buehlman, Instructional Program Manager (afternoons in 2520
Sterling Hall, 262-2629).
Alternate References: To see the same topics explained differently, try
the following (on reserve in Physics library - 4220 Chamberlin):
Halliday and Resnick, Fundamentals of Physics
Giancoli, General Physics
Rusbult, Tools for Problem-Solving
General Advice: Physics is not something you read and memorize, rather
it is something you learn how to do. Try the following study
procedure:
1) Read the chapter prior to lecture, so that you will know what
it's about.
2) Listen carefully to the lecture and take notes.
3) This is crucial: Do not go back and read and re-read the
chapter until you "understand it." Rather, start working problems,
going back through the chapter to clarify points as they come up.
PHYSICS 207
FALL 1994
SYLLABUS
References are to Serway, Physics, 3rd edition (updated).
Lab manual is Rollefson and Richards, 1994 edition.
Week Reading Problems Lab
9/5 Ch 1 1:4,14,35,42,53,61 no lab
9/12 Ch 2,3 2:5,13,34,35,50,53; 3:7,14,17,43,52,69 M1
9/19 Ch 4,5 4:3,8,17,30,36,44; 5:22,29,38,50,76,87 M4
9/26 Review Exam (9/30) Chapters 1-5 M5
10/3 Ch 6,7 6:9,19,24,32,38,49; 7:10,20,25,42,61,89 M6
10/10 Ch 8,9 8:2,11,18,25,36,49; 9:8,19,27,46,53,65 M14
10/17 Ch 10,11 10:2,10,21,26,36,52; 11:4,21,29,36,39,41 M9
10/24 Review Exam (10/28) Chapters 6-11 M3
10/31 Ch 12,13 12:6,7,21,31,42,58; 13:8,16,23,32,49,59 M15
11/7 Ch 14,15 14:12,15,26,36,45,68; 15:3,13,21,28,43,74 S1
11/14 Ch 16,17 16:1,7,17,30,36,54; 17:1,12,26,38,46,57 S3
11/21 Ch 18,19 18:7,11,30,45,50,60; 19:5,8,31,45,64,75 makeup
11/28 Review Exam (12/2) Chapters 12-18 H2
12/5 Ch 20,21 20:11,31,37,45,60,81; 21:6,14,24,31,39,75 H4
12/12 Ch 22 22:7,15,20,27,28,42 makeup
Final Exam (12/23) Chapters 1-22
Physics 207
Fall 1994
Special Friday Lectures
Sep 2 Sprott - Introduction to the Course
Sep 9 Sprott - Problem Solving and Error Analysis
Sep 16 Frames of Reference (film)
Sep 23 Cameron - Physics of Imagination and Creativity
Sep 30 Exam (Chap 1 - 5)
Oct 7 The Pleasure of Finding Things Out (Feynman video)
Oct 14 Sprott - Seasons, Tides, and Phases of the Moon
Oct 21 Cameron - Physics of the Body
Oct 28 Exam (Chap 6 - 11)
Nov 4 Sprott - Chaos and Randomness
Nov 11 Barschall - Bubbles and Einstein's Footprints
Nov 18 Sprott - Fractals
Nov 25 Thanksgiving
Dec 2 Exam (Chap 12 - 18)
Dec 9 Sprott - The Wonders of Physics (Fun lecture)
Physics 207 (Sprott)
Lecture Demonstrations
Fall 1994
Friday, September 2
Introduction to the Course
Handouts
Wednesday, September 7
Measurements
Classical and Modern Physics posters
Meter stick and length standards
Masses and balance scale
Clock
Metronome
Friday, September 9
Problem Solving and Error Analysis
Spherical flask of liquid (17.5-cm diameter)
Balance scale (to weigh sphere)
4 1-kg masses
Meter Stick
Large Wooden Calipers
Monday, September 12
Vectors
Force table
String and block
Wednesday, September 14
1-D Motion
Rubber ball
Ball of cotton
Guinea and feather tube
Acceleration track
Crisp dollar bill (reaction time)
Meter stick (reaction time)
Friday, September 16
Frames of Reference
Frames of Reference film (30 min)
Rubber ball
Monday, September 19
2-D Motion
Rubber ball
Dropped and fired balls
Ballistics car
Water stream demo with protractor
Monkey and hunter
Ball on a string
IBM computer and large monitor
Wednesday, September 21
Laws of Motion
Rubber ball
1-kg mass
Beaker and cloth
Pail of water
Ball and cut string
Air track
Inertia ball
Wood block
Rope anchored in wall
Hammer and nail
Ball on a string
Friday, September 23
Physics of Imagination and Creativity
(Cameron)
See Cameron for any demos
Monday, September 26
Laws of Motion (continued)
Rubber ball
Spring scale with mass
Slide of coefficients of friction
Block and string
Inclined plane with blocks and carts
Atwood Machine
Wednesday, September 28
Exam Review
No demos
Friday, September 30
Exam #1
No demos
Monday, October 3
Circular Motion
Overhead projector
Ball on a string
Conical pendulum
Block on rotating table
Object falling in viscous fluid
Wednesday, October 5
Work and Energy
Rubber ball
Block and string
Mass on a spring
Air track
Springs with different spring constants
Friday, October 7
Feynman
The Pleasure of Finding Things Out (Feynman video) - 55 minutes
Monday, October 10
Potential Energy
Rubber ball
Wood block
Mass on a spring
Bowling ball pendulum
Come-back can
Ball rolling in troughs
Loop-the-loop
Weight-lifting machine (power demo)
1-kg mass
Wednesday, October 12
Linear Momentum and Collisions
Rubber ball
Non-bouncing ball
Air track
Momentum balls
Air table
Water rocket
CO2 rocket
Rotating platform with basketball and CO2
Rocketcycle
Friday, October 14
Seasons, Tides and Phases of the Moon
A Private Universe (video) - 18-minute version
Globe and bright light source
Solar system model
Tennis ball
Monday, October 17
Rotational Motion
Center-of-gravity boards
Cylinder, sphere, disk, hoop samples
Torque board
Rolling chain
Weight and axle
Moving spool
Yo-yos
Rotating platform
Center-of-mass cone on inclined plane
Wednesday, October 19
Angular Momentum
Objects rolling down inclined plane
Ball on string
Rotating masses on pulleys
Barbells on rotating platform
Gyroscopes (including bicycle wheel)
Spinning tops
Friday, October 21
Physics of the Body
(Cameron)
See Cameron for demo list
Monday, October 24
Catchup Lecture
Demos to be determined
Wednesday, October 26
Exam Review
No demos
Friday, October 28
Exam #2
No demos
Monday, October 31
Static Equilibrium and Elasticity
Overhead Projector
Wooden block
Rubber ball
Leaning tower
Deck of cards
Seesaw
Ladder against wall
Horizontal string with weight at center
Block and tackle
Pulleys (mechanical advantage)
Wednesday, November 2
Oscillatory motion
Mass on a spring (with dashpot)
Simple pendulum
Comparison with circular motion
Physical pendulum
Torsional pendulum
Coupled pendula
Wilberforce pendulum
Driven pendulum or mass on spring
Bowling ball and softball pendulums with timer
Friday, November 4
Chaos and Randomness
Metronome
Magnetic pendulum
Chaotic double pendulum
IBM Computer and large monitor
Driven cart with pendulum, balls in troughs, aquarium
Chaotic toy
Ball on oscillating floor
Firehose instability with compressed air
Chaotic water bucket
Dripping faucet
Chaotic (inductor-diode) circuit
Neon bulb flasher
Monday, November 7
Universal Gravitation
Cavendish model
Solar system model
Rubber ball
Wednesday, November 9
Fluid Mechanics
Hydrolic press
Manometer
Archimedes principle
Bernoulli demo (pipe with flowing water)
Magdeburg hemispheres
Weight of air
Airfoils
Venturi tube
Atomizer
Curve Ball
Frisbee
Toilet paper roll and air jet
Friday, November 11
Surface Tension
(Barschall)
See Barschall for demo list
Monday, November 14
Wave Motion
Multiple coupled pendula
Rope anchored in wall
Wave speed on a rope (index cards)
Compressional wave demo (horizontal slinky)
Torsional waves (horizontal and vertical)
Wednesday, November 16
Sound Waves
Classical and Modern Physics posters
Sound-level meter
Speed of sound
Doppler demo
Doppler cassette recording of train whistle
Bell in vacuum
Breathing He and SF6
Tuning fork
Flame pipe
Friday, November 18
Fractals
String, stick, leaf, paper
Overhead projector
35-mm slide projector
IBM computer and large monitor
Monday, November 21
Superposition and Standing Waves
Interference of sound
Driven wave on string with strobe lamp
Open and closed organ pipes
Beats with organ pipes and tuning forks
Oscilloscope and microphone
Sine and square waves, noise source (with speaker)
Musical instruments
Dog whistle
Wednesday, November 23
Temperature and Ideal Gases
Classical and Modern Physics posters
Examples of thermometers
Thermal expansion demos
PVT surface of ideal gas
Piston
Monday, November 28
Catchup Lecture
Demos to be determined
Wednesday, November 30
Exam Review
No demos
Friday, December 2
Exam #3
No demos
Monday, December 5
Heat and 1st Law of Thermodynamics
Overhead projector
Mechanical equivalence of heat
Freezing by evaporation
Thermal conductivity
Heat convection (candle)
Heat radiation (parabolic mirrors)
Wednesday, December 7
Kinetic Theory
Kinetic theory simulator (ball bearings)
Kinetic theory demonstrator (Mercury tube)
Variation of sound speed with temperature (?)
Balloon
Automobile engine model
Friday, December 9
The Wonders of Physics (Fun Lecture)
"The Wonders of Physics" poster on easel
Liquid nitrogen - tygon, banana, nail, clear balloon and dish
Leidenfrost effect (hotplate and eye dropper of water)
Liquid nitrogen cannon
Collapsing pop can in water tray
Collapsing paint can
Candle trough with dry ice
Exploding soap bubbles (natural gas and bubble pipe)
Exploding balloons (He and H2 with ignition stick)
Needle through balloon (with scotch tape)
Ziploc bag of water and pencil
Neutral buoyancy balloon (He balloon with long heavy string)
Hero's engine
Model geyser
Non-burning dollar bill (or handkerchief)
Ethanol vapor explosion with hand-held Tesla coil
Evacuated bell jar with balloon and marshmallows and/or shaving creme
Liquid nitrogen cloud
Tornado bottle
Monday, December 12
Second Law of Thermodynamics
Teaching evaluations
Carnot cycle model
Sterling engine
Wednesday, December 14
Exam Review
No demos