GOALS AND/OR COURSE CHARACTERIZATION:
This is the first course in the Integrated Natural Science Sequence. The sequence of three science courses areintegrated with common conceptual foundations that weave their way throughout the natural sciences. This course, SCI 190, establishes the basic principles of physical science and provides a base for the rest of the sequence.

COURSE TOPICS
 

STUDY GUIDE SITE::Study Guides for testing, reading, writing, and classroom participation

MATH SITE:Math Help Professor Freedman

APPLET PAGE:SIMULATIONS

FEYNMAN ARTICLE:Cargo Cult Science

OLD TESTS:TEST 1
                       TEST 3

 MULTIPLE CHOICE ANSWERS FOR OLD TEST 2

   ANSWERS for OLD TEST 3

 marshmallow quiz

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES IN AREAS OF KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ATTITUDES AND VALUES: The student will be able to explain the nature of scientific inquiry. The student will be able to articulate the fundamental laws that govern our physical universe. Through the application of scientific principles, the student will be able to answer scientifically-based questions, the student will be able to understand what questions science is capable of answering and what questions it cannot answer. The student will begin to integrate basic concepts across the scientific disciplines.

CLASSROOM PROCEDURES:
Classes meet three times per week. Generally, class time will be used for lecture, demonstrations, simulations of various phenomena and class activities and discussion. Internet resources will be used both in and outside of class.

EVALUATION TECHNIQUES:
Grades are based on journal, exams, homework and quizzes. Both objective and essay questions will be used.

TEXT: Conceptual Physics by Paul G. Hewitt, Eight Edition, Addison Wesley, 1998.

GRADING PROCEDURE:
Your grade will be determined according to the procedure given below:

Test 1, 2 and 3 each 100 pts
Test 4: (partly comprehensive)  150 pts
 Quizzes = 100 pts
Journal, homework, class participation, etc  approx  100 pts

TOTAL = approx 650 pts

GRADING SCALE:
A  --  90 to 100%    B  --  80 to 90%    C  --  70 to 80%    D  --  60 to 70%    F -- below 60%

QUIZZES:
Twelve quizzes are scheduled, each worth ten points. The 10 best of the 12 will be figured in your grade. Note: Quizzes cannot be made up.

MAKE-UPS:
At the end of the term, on Dec. 1 at 7 PM, you will be allowed to make-up any one of the first three tests. If you miss a test during the term, this make-up will be used to make up that test; or if you just want to try to improve your score on one of the first three tests you may take the make-up to replace that grade. YOU CAN ONLY MAKEUP ONE TEST SO DO NOT MISS A TEST FRIVOLOUSLY!

JOURNAL:Use a composition book and regularly write the answers to the "Review Questions" in your 'Journal' as you read through the text. Your Journal will be collected at the time of exams. Other homework, some Internet-based, will be assigned at various points during the term . Some of the homework will be  extra credit.

ATTENDANCE POLICY --- see p 64 of Aug '98 Bulletin.     Regular attendance and participation are expected.

PLAGIARISM AND CHEATING --- Academic dishonesty is defined as "any attempt by a student to obtain, or to assist another student to obtain, a grade higher than honestly earned." The first offense will merit a zero for the assignment or test, a second offense will merit an F in the course.

NOTE: You are encouraged to work collaboratively but this does not mean copying is allowed!

SOME DATES: Sept. 6, Oct. 11, Nov. 24, 25, 26 and Dec 8 are holidays - no class.

Wed. Nov. 10----last day to withdraw with W Last class is Thurs. Dec 9 (Wed schedule)

Tentative test schedule : Sept 20, Oct 18, and Nov 12.

FINAL EXAM !Thursday Dec. 16 @ 12 noon.

MULTIPLE CHOICE ANSWERS FOR OLD TEST 2

1. A          2. B          3. A          4. C          5.D              6. A
7. C          8. A          9. A          10. C         11. C         12. D
13. C         14. B         15.B         16. C,D     17. D         18. A
19. B         20. D         21. C         22. C         23. C         24. C
25. C         26. A         27. D         28. C         29. C         30. B
31. D         32. C         33. D         34. D
 
 

ANSWERS for OLD TEST 3

SCI190 QUIZ 12  11/12/99 NAME
PARTNERS

The instructor will do an experiment to start the quiz: a marshmallow is placed in a vacuum chamber, the pump is turned on and air is removed from the chamber.

Watch carefully and record your observations here.

1. Marshmallow expands to about 3 times its original volume and
2. Then recedes to finish about 2 times its original volume

After a while the pump is removed and the vacuum chamber is open to allow air back in.
Watch carefully and record your observations here.

3.Marshmallow is crushed to about 1/3 its original volume and is shriveled up. It retains this size and shape when removed from the chamber.
 

Based on these observations and inspection of a marshmallow, propose a model of a marshmallow.

      Pockets of air are trapped inside sticky, sugary material.

Explain all of the above observations using your model.

1. When pressure around marshmallow is lowered, higher pressure in air pockets cause pockets to expand, expanding the whole marshmallow.
2. Internal pressure of air pockets is high enough to burst air pockets so air escapes and sticky stuff fills voids and marshmallow gets smaller but still noticeably bigger than original.
3. The empty air pockets are sealed by sticky stuff so when air put back in, it doesent go back into the marshmallow. Now there are no air pockets to compress and resist the external pressure so the marshmallow gets a lot smaller until equilibrium is reached between the forces of the marshmallow material and the force from the external pressure.