Physics 1240 Course Syllabus

Spring 2006

Essential Information

Goals and Introduction

Physics 1240, Sound and Music, is an introductory course designed for non-science students. Our primary goal is to describe the basic physics of the rapid vibrations in air that we know as sound. The material covered includes 1) the generation of sound, with an emphasis on musical sounds and musical instruments, 2) the propagation of sound waves, 3) the quantitative description of sound properties (such as intensity and frequency), 4) the detection, generation, and processing of sound by electronic equipment. A secondary goal of the course is to show how scientific knowledge is based on direct physical observations that anyone can check, and to explain through examples what is meant by a scientific theory.

The course is taught with two lectures per week. Attendence at the lectures is essential and class participation (using 'clickers') will be included in the final grade. There will be weekly on-line homework assignments, biweekly 'homelabs' (lab exercises that you can do at home), and an in-class final exam.

As preparation for the course all students must have two units of high school algebra and one of geometry (in other words, you may not have a math MAPS deficiency). High school math will be used regularly, but the course will not use or develop any higher mathematics.

Text

The text we will use is "Musical Acoustics," by Donald Hall. You can get either the regular hardback 3rd edition or the paperback Physics 1240 edition. Always read sections of the text before we cover them in class. If you do, you’ll get much more out of the classes. The course calendar on our web site shows which chapters will be covered each week. We will not cover all of the material in each chapter, but you should read the whole chapter anyway.

Homework

There will be 14 weekly homework sets, due on-line on Fridays at 5 pm. You will use WebCT to do the homework problems. It is very important to solve and understand every problem yourself. Use help from others only when you get stuck. Limit yourself to verbal help; do not take any written information from others and do not make written notes when you talk to others. This will ensure that you think things through independently after you get help.

No late homeworks will be accepted. If you are ill or have a family emergency, send e-mail to Professor Price. Be sure that you go back and work the problems as soon as you can. Before I compute the final grades at the end of the semester, I will drop everyone's lowest homework grade.

Solutions to the homeworks will be posted on the WebCT site.

Homelabs

You could never learn to play the piano just by reading a book, and you can't fully appreciate any scientific subject without direct experience with the phenomena in question. This course will include 6 lab experiments that you can do at home with materials we provide (like plastic tubes and guitar strings), other readily available materials (tape, pencils), and a computer. The homelabs will be due every other week at the start of class on Tuesday. Complete your homelab assignment on paper and bring it to class on the due date. There will be no electronic way to turn in your homelab assignments, and late homelabs will not be accepted. For some of the homelabs we will ask you to enter data into WebCT so that we can display everyone's results in class.

Most of the labs will involve creating sounds and then recording and analyzing them using the program Raven Lite. You must have access to a computer with a microphone and with Raven Lite installed. For more information, see the software page on our web site.

Class participation

To help you stay alert and engaged in the classroom we will be using 'clickers.' You must have a clicker and bring it to class every day. (For more information about getting your clicker, see the link on our web site.) Your clicker grade will depend on participation only, not on getting the right answer. We will start keeping track of clicker scores in the second week. Your three lowest clicker scores will be dropped at the end of the semester. This is in case you forget to bring your clicker or you have to miss a class.

Grading

Your course grade is determined by a combination of your performance on homework assignments, on the homelabs, on the final exam and on class participation. Grades will be available on the Physics 1240 WebCT site.

Exams

There will be no midterm exams. However, there will be weekly homeworks due on-line using WebCT. You can think of these as one long spread-out midterm. The final exam is scheduled for Saturday, December 16, 7:30-10:00 am in Duane G1B30. The problems on the final will be very similar to those on the weekly homeworks, except that you won't be using WebCT to enter your answers. At the final you will be allowed to have one 8-1/2 x 11 sheet of paper with hand-written notes on both sides, and a calculator. To study for the final, make sure that you can do all of the weekly homework problems with only your sheet of notes and a calculator.

Web Site

The web site for Physics 1240 is here. It provides information on all course activities. You must check the web site regularly.

Office Hours

The schedule of office hours will be announced later. Professor Price will be available one hour per week for administrative issues in his office (F-635). For physics questions, Professor Price and the graduate student graders will hold office hours in the Physics Help Room.

How to succeed in this course

1. Read the text section before class. If you read it first, it’ll sink in much faster during class.
2. Take notes on your reading and write down questions you have so you can ask them in class.
3. Come to class and stay involved. Come to the help room with questions.
4. Start the homework and homelabs early. Give yourself the time to work and understand. No one is smart enough to do the everything in the last hour before it is due, and no one is smart enough to learn the material without doing the homework.
5. Do your own thinking, but talk to others when you get stuck.
6. Don't skip anything. Every stone rests on another, and the whole building will collapse if any are missing.
7. Don’t get behind. It’s very hard to catch up.

Honor Code

All students of the University of Colorado at Boulder are responsible for knowing and adhering to the academic integrity policy of this institution. Violations of this policy may include: cheating, plagiarism, aid of academic dishonesty, fabrication, lying, bribery, and threatening behavior.  All incidents of academic misconduct shall be reported to the Honor Code Council (send e-mail; 303-725-2273). Students who are found to be in violation of the academic integrity policy will be subject to both academic sanctions from the faculty member and non-academic sanctions (including but not limited to university probation, suspension, or expulsion). Additional information onthe Honor Code can be found here and here.

Disabilities

If you qualify for accommodations because of a disability, please submit a letter to the instructor from Disability Services in a timely manner so that your needs may be addressed.  Disability Services determines accommodations based on documented disabilities.  Contact: 303-492-8671, Willard 322, or click here.

Religious Observances

Campus policy regarding religious observances requires that faculty make every effort to reasonably and fairly deal with all students who, because of religious obligations, have conflicts with scheduled exams, assignments or required attendance.  In this class, please send an e-mail to the instructor in the first week of classes if you anticipate a conflict. See campus policy here.

Classroom Behavior

Students and faculty each have responsibility for maintaining an appropriate learning environment. Students who fail to adhere to such behavioral standards may be subject to discipline. Faculty have the professional responsibility to treat all students with understanding, dignity and respect, to guide classroom discussion and to set reasonable limits on the manner in which they and their students express opinions.  Professional courtesy and sensitivity are especially important with respect to individuals and topics dealing with differences of race, culture, religion, politics, sexual orientation, gender variance, and nationalities.  Class rosters are provided to the instructor with the student's legal name. I will gladly honor your request to address you by an alternate name or gender pronoun. Please advise me of this preference early in the semester so that I may make appropriate changes to my records. See policies here and here.

Discrimination and Sexual Harassment

The University of Colorado at Boulder policy on Discrimination and Harassment, the University of Colorado policy on Sexual Harassment and the University of Colorado policy on Amorous Relationships applies to all students, staff and faculty.  Any student, staff or faculty member who believes s/he has been the subject of discrimination or harassment based upon race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status should contact the Office of Discrimination and Harassment (ODH) at 303-492-2127 or the Office of Judicial Affairs at 303-492-5550.  Information about the ODH and the campus resources available to assist individuals regarding discrimination or harassment can be obtained here.