Syllabus, Physics 215, Engineering Physics I, 3 credits

Designation: Required for most undergraduate Engineering majors. Engineering physics

majors may use this as an alternative for Physics 213.

Course Description: Calculus based course of kinematics, work and energy, particle
dynamics, conservation principles, simple harmonic motion.

Prerequisite: Math 191 or equivalent calculus course. This course is calculus based and
students should be able to take basic derivatives.

Required Text: H. D. Young, and R. A. Freedman, University Physics with Modern

Physics, 12th ed., Pearson Addison-Wesley, copyright 2008.

Class Web Pages: A class webpage with the syllabus and other information maintained at
http://physics.nmsu.edu/~bkiefer/215/215.html.

Course Objectives: Students should be able to apply kinematic equations to describe

motion, apply Newton’s laws to describe forces and their effects on motion, apply energy
and momentum concepts and their conservation properties, and define the basic
properties of oscillations and waves.

Topics Covered: Measurement and units; Kinematic relationships between position,

velocity and acceleration; Newton’s Laws; forces; friction; potential and kinetic energy;
conservation of energy; momentum and conservation of momentum; rotational velocity
and acceleration; torque; rotational energy and momentum; gravity and orbits;
oscillations and simple harmonic motion.

Class Schedule: Three 50 minute classes or two 75 minute classes per week; two hour
final exam during exam week.

Contribution of Course to Professional Component: This course sets the foundation for
undergraduate physics and engineering curriculum. Students learn basic physics
mechanics concepts, how to apply them, and how to solve physical problems. The course
provides three credits of physics.

Relationship of Course to Program Outcomes: This course teaches students to:

Apply knowledge of math, science and engineering (Program Outcome a).

Prepared by Dr. Boris Kiefer, Fall 2007.

 PHYS 215; Engineering Physics I; Fall 2007
TR: 8:55-10:10 am; Gardiner Hall 230.
Instructor: Dr. Boris Kiefer
Contact Information: Office: Gardiner Hall 159
Office Hours: Monday 2-3 pm
Email: bkiefer@nmsu.edu
Phone: 505-646-1932
Course website: http://physics.nmsu.edu/~bkiefer/215/215.html

Attendance: I will not check attendance. However, it is your responsibility to be up to date with the
material covered in class, the homework, the exam-times, as well as any other course related information.
Note: 1) Some of the material discussed in class may not be covered in the textbook. 2) Lecture notes will
not be available.

Classroom participation: I encourage you to ask questions — chances are good that there are a number of
other students with the same question. As concepts are presented each day, problems using those concepts
will be presented as well and we will discuss them. It will be useful to read the assigned chapters before
each lecture.

Homework: Homework assignments will be handled through Mastering Physics, a web-based homework
service. To register for this course go to www.masteringphysics.com and follow the online instructions or
the instructions in the “Student Access Kit”. This kit also contains the student access code you need to
register (inside front cover), the course ID is: PHYS215F2007BK. You will be asked for a student ID,
please use the last 5 digits from your NMSU student identification number. There will be one homework per
week. It will be available Tuesday after class and is due the following Tuesday before class (if the due date
is a holiday than the homework is due before the first time the class meets after the holiday). Homework
extensions must be requested before the due date and are at the discretion of the instructor. If the deadline
has passed extensions will not be granted. There are two exceptions, please see “ground rules” below.

Exams: There will be three exams during the semester and a comprehensive final exam. No makeup exams
will be granted unless you are excused for university business. Your highest two scores in the three exams
during the semester count towards your grade. Each test includes the material covered in class and the
material in the appropriate chapters of the textbook, as well as the homework. If you choose not to come to
class, it is your responsibility to obtain the appropriate material from other sources. Lecture notes will not be
available.

Ground rules: In general, late homework will not be accepted for a grade and makeup exams will not be
given. Students who are passing the course and are absent on university business have an automatic right to
make up missing work; please inform the instructor of this absence in advance. If you miss an
exam/homework due to illness, please bring a note from the student infirmary or a physician. If you miss an
exam/homework without a valid excuse, you will be given zero points for the exam/homework.

Study center: Teaching assistants will be available for consultation in the physics study center located in
Gardiner Hall, Room 225. This is also a good place to meet other students who are working on the same
assignment. Check posted hours for availability.

Grading Scheme: The assignment of letter grades earned, based on percentage points, will be as follows;

2
 A = 90% - 100%
B = 75.0% - 89.9%
C = 60.0% - 74.9%
D = 45.0% - 59.9%
F = any grade below 45.0%

Your grade may be evaluated by the following percentage weights:

The best TWO OF THREE exams, each worth 25%.
Final Exam, worth 25%. Homework will be worth 25%.

This grading scale is ABSOLUTE.

Withdrawals: You will not be automatically dropped from the course. If you are worried about your grade,
I encourage you to speak with the instructor, particularly as the last day (October 16th) to drop approaches.

Academic Calendar, Fall 2007:

Residence halls open Saturday August 18
Fall convocation Tuesday August 21
Instruction begins Wednesday August 22
Deadline for filing degree application without a late fee
(students meeting requirements at end of fall) Wednesday August 22
Late registration Monday August 27
Deadline for registration/course addition Friday August 31
Labor Day holiday Monday September 3
Last day to submit a degree application with a late fee Friday October 12
Last day to drop with "W"
(except courses carrying designated dates) Tuesday October 16
Last day to withdraw from the university Friday November 16
Thanksgiving holiday for students Monday November 19-23
EXAM WEEK Monday-Friday December 10-14
Last day of classes Friday December 14
Commencement Saturday December 15
Residence halls close Saturday December 15
Final grades due Tuesday December 18

Additional University Policies

Plagiarism: Any student found guilty of academic misconduct, either intentional or unintentional, shall be
subject to disciplinary action. Please see the following websites for details:
• http://www.nmsu.edu/%7Evpsa/SCOC/misconduct.html

Students with disabilities: If you have or believe you have a disability, you may wish to self identify. Feel
free to call Michael Armendariz, Coordinator of Services for Students with Disabilities, at 505-646-6840
with any questions you may have on student issues related to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
and/or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. All medical information will be treated confidentially.

Discrimination policies: Feel free to call Jerry Nevarez, Director of Institutional Equity, at 505-646-3635
with any questions you may have about NMSU's Non-Discrimination Policy and complaints of
discrimination, including sexual harassment.