PHYS180 Spring 2012
To e-mail Prof. Lagan click here slagan@whittier.edu
Click here to see the departmental learning outcomes associated with this course.
“Students desiring accommodations on the basis of physical, learning, or psychological disability for this class are to contact Disability Services. Disability Services is located in the Library building, first floor room G003 and can be reached by calling extension 4825.”
This course satisfies the Communication I (Quantitative Literacy) requirement
in our Liberal Education Program.
Below are the quantitative skills that students will learn/use in the course.
- Written expression of quantitative and numerical ideas and arguments.
Students will constantly be taking data and analyzing it, mostly on the computer using spreadsheets to calculate and graph. They must then draw some physical conclusions from their analysis of the data. These conclusions are written on activity handouts, in activity summaries, and in formal lab reports.
- Oral expression of quantitative and numerical ideas and arguments.
During in-group discussions and also in whole-class discussion with the instructor the students have to orally convey information and ideas about quantitative results of the activities.
- Problem solving using numerical skills.
Homework problems are almost all numerical and require the use of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, basic calculus (derivatives).
- Mathematical modeling.
Students will do a great deal of curve-fitting to experimental data in order to mathematically model the physical phenomena that they are investigating.
- Logical thinking.
Making sense of physical observations requires logical thinking. Learning how to solve word problems requires logical thinking. Coming to conclusions based on experimental data requires logical thinking. Identifying contradictions that result from faulty assumptions when solving problems requires logical thinking.
- Analysis of data and results: Use of algebraic, statistical, and computer tools to draw non-trivial conclusions about the problem under investigation.
We do this throughout the course. It is the basic pedagogical method used in the class.