2023-Spring-PHYS104N-syllabus.pdf 

2023-Spring-PHYS127-syllabus.pdf 

Syllabus: PHYS104 2023-Spring

Meeting Time:	1:30pm - 2:45pm
Location:	CHEM 1001
CRN(s):	20106
Semester:	2023-Spring

Instructor:	Dr. Perry Nerem
Office:	OCNPS 221
Phone:	757-683-3611
Email:	mnerem@odu.edu
Office Hours:	TR 11:00am – 12:00pm (EST)

Course Description

Emphasizes the study of stars, star systems, cosmology, and relativity by presenting how we acquire knowledge of celestial objects to develop models of our universe.

Students will learn basic techniques of scientific investigation of objects in our Solar system and their underlying physical principles. Emphasis is on development of models of our universe through a combination of lectures, performing laboratory work, night observations, reading, and solving of homework problems. The course consists of weekly lectures, laboratory sessions, homework assignments, and four tests. Course material and updates can be found on the ODU Canvas course page.

Prerequisites: None

Corequisites: None

Course Grade

Assignments in this course are your laboratory experiments, homework, reading quizzes, three test, and a cumulative final exam.

15%	Laboratory
25%	Reading Quizzes
30%	Homework
30%	4 Test (including the final exam). Lowest test score is dropped.

F	D-	D	D+	C-	C	C+	B-	B	B+	A-	A
0–59	60–63	64–66	67–69	70–73	74–76	77–79	80–83	84–86	87–89	90–93	94–100

Laboratory Sessions

Science is an investigatory process. We must learn how to both collect and analyze data in order to learn about the natural universe. To achieve that goal there will be several laboratory experiments throughout the semester that must be completed. Lab are designed such that they can be completed at home with ordinary household supplies. Some labs will have outside observations. It is the student’s responsibility to plan accordingly for observation labs. Lab specific policies and procedures are outline in the corresponding lab syllabus.

Reading Quizzes

Research has consistently demonstrated that reading and writing are important aspects in a successful education. Reading develops cognitive skills, allowing students to process new information and therefore improve their overall educational experience. While writing activates regions of the brain that support long term memory. All students are strongly advised to make handwritten notes as they read the textbook. Reading quizzes are delivered through Canvas and must be completed prior to the lecture material. Late quizzes will receive a 5% penalty per day late and cannot be done 20 days pass the due date.

Homework

The ability to analyze and solve problems is an important skill to develop during this course. You can only learn science by doing problems and thinking critically. Knowledge is only achieved when one thinks critically on a subject. Not by finding an answer online and blindly accepting that as truth.

Homework will be delivered online through The Expert TA. Details on how to sign up are provided in the course’s Canvas page. Expert TA has a nominal subscription fee of approximately $35. If you have any issues registering for the homework, please contact Expert TA support and your instructor immediately. Students should regularly check the web site to confirm homework due dates. Late assignments will receive a 5% penalty per day late with a maximum penalty of 40%. The last day to submit any late assignments is last the day of lectures in the course.

Examinations

There are a total of four test through out the semester (the last one being a cummulative final exam). Test will be available online for a 24 hour period for students to take on the dates specified in the schedule. If you have a conflict and cannot make the test time, you must contact the instructor a minimum of 48 business hours prior to the test date and take the test early. Any student that does not take a test prior to the due date will automatically receive a zero for that test. No late test will be offered.

Anyone committing an act of academic dishonesty (for example uploading questions to solution help sites) will automatically receive a zero on the examination, and are potentially subject to further repercussions (following guidelines from the office of Student Conduct & Academic Integrity).

Submitting Work Policies

All documents for assignments must be uploaded to Canvas as a PDF file. If a non PDF file is uploaded for an assignment, that assignment will not be graded and treated under the late submission policies. Any work emailed to the instructor will not be graded, your submission only counts if done through Canvas.

The following table is quick reference for the penalties applied in the unfortunate case that work is submitted late. Timeliness is an important factor in the professional world and we must all strive to complete our work in a timely manner.

Reading Quizzes	5% penalty per day late.
Homework	5% penalty per day late, max penalty of 40%.
Labs	10% penalty per day late.
Test	No makeup exams are offered.

 Monday April 24, 2023 is last day to submit any work for the class (subject to late penalties).

Required Materials

OpenStax Astronomy
OpenStax CNX. May 28, 2019
The OpenStax is a free opensource textbook that is available online. Print copies of the textbook can be purchase through the ODU bookstore or directly from the OpenStax website.

Students must have access to a desktop computer or laptop that uses Windows 10 or macOS as its operating system, along with tools that scan physical documents for submission uploads. Course material is not guaranteed to function properly on chromebooks, tablets, or smart-phone devices. Instructor bears no responsibility for “technical issues” from use of tablet or smart-phone electronics. A stable internet connection is also required for the course. A webcam and microphone are highly recommended tools to have. If you believe you may have difficulties with the required materials you should contact your instructor immediately.

Class Participation

Communicating with the professor and receiving active feedback is a crucial part of any successful education. Students are encourage to ask questions in class or through email. All lectures are available on the course website. A general rule of any college courses is to expect 2–3 hours of work outside of class per credit hour. Applying this heuristic to a four credit course, students should anticipate working between 8 and 12 hours per week on class material in addition to lectures. All students will complete a quiz acknowledging they have read the syllabus. Any student that includes their favorite scientific fact will receive an additional five percent bonus on that quiz. This offer only valid during the first week of the semester. Students are expected to check their emails daily and can find all announcements on the Canvas page. Everyone has a right to an engaging educational experience. Anyone disrupting class will receive one warning. Any future incidents and the student will be immediately dismissed from the class. The instructor reserves the right to assign groups, seats, etc. without warning or cause.

Accommodation Statement

Students are encouraged to self-disclose disabilities that have been verified by the Office of Educational Accessibility by providing Accommodation Letters to their instructors early in the semester in order to start receiving accommodations. Accommodations might not be made until the Accommodation Letters are provided to the instructor.

Honor Pledge

“I pledge to support the honor system of Old Dominion University. I will refrain from any form of academic dishonesty or deception, such as cheating or plagiarism. I am aware that as a member of the academic community, it is my responsibility to turn in all suspected violators of the honor system. I will report to Honor Council hearings if I am summoned.” By attending Old Dominion University you have accepted the responsibility to abide by this code. This is an institutional policy, approved by the Board of Visitors.

Contacting Professor

You can contact your professor in during their office hours, by appointment, or by email (allow up to 48 business hours for a response to email). Any email should include this courses CRN number in the subject line to facilitate a timely response. Please note that email communications with your instructor are formal interactions, not text messages.