Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2025

College Physics I Lab (Face-to-Face)

PHYS 2015-01

Course: PHYS 2015-01
Credits: 1
Term: Fall Semester 2025
Department: PSCI
CRN: 31708

Course Description

A lab accompanying PHYS 2010. Computer data acquisition and hands-on experience with the concepts and topics discussed in the lecture. A minimum grade of ā€œCā€ (2.0 or above) must be earned in this course before it can be counted in a physical science major or minor or as a prerequisite for any other course. (Fall, Summer) [Graded (Standard Letter)] Co-requisite(s): PHYS 2010 Registration Restriction(s): Intensive English Program majors may not enroll General Education Category: Physical Sciences

Required Texts

Our internally-authored lab manual is provided to students free of charge.

Learning Outcomes

  • Apply physics principles to design and execute experiments, and analyze data to draw conclusions.
  • Evaluate experimental results by comparing them to theoretical predictions and accounting for sources of error.
  • Collaborate effectively with peers to conduct experiments and communicate findings in a clear, scientific manner.
  • Utilize computational tools to analyze data and present results using appropriate scientific conventions.

Course Requirements

Lab Reports make up 80% of your total grade.
What you will turn for each lab is a document that contains a well-contemplated introduction, a Methods section which describes your plan, your experimental setup and how you planned to mitigate error, a Results/Discussion section where you present data and plots and discuss the implications of the results and an error analysis, and finally a Conclusion section to wrap it up. These reports should be well-formatted and easy to read. I'll provide the grading rubric for these labs below.

Participation makes up 10% of your total grade.
The is attendance, clean up, and occasional in-lab quizzes.

A final project makes up the remaining 10% of your grade.
The final project is a 3 to 4-page typed report and a 15-minute in-class group presentation. We'll talk more about this in class.

Course Outline

The laboratory will roughly follow lecture's content and hopefully support what you are learning there. Our labs will address topics including describing motion, Newton's Laws of motion, forces, momentum and energy conservation, spin and rotational dynamics.

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

Late Assignments: Lab reports are accepted 48 hours from the established due date for up to 85% credit.
Make up labs: Plan to be in lab each time we meet. Makeup labs are challenging to schedule, so do not count on any opportunities to make up labs. Completing the lab from another lab section won't work: different lab instructors may have different requirements for lab reports or may be doing a different experiment. A missed lab will impact your grade in negative ways.

Attendance Policy

Attendance is required for all scheduled lab sessions. Due to the collaborative nature of the experiments and the need for specialized equipment, makeup labs are generally not feasible. Your grade for each lab session is based on your active participation and group work, which cannot be replicated in an individual setting. Students who miss a lab should be prepared to receive a grade of zero for that week's work.

Course Fees

College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Program Fee: $13.50 per credit hour.

Lab Grading Rubric

Introduction (10 pts possible)
Clear explanation of the physics, appropriate for an intelligent but non-expert reader. Points given for effort and insight.

Methods (10 pts possible)
Detailed description of experimental procedure and clear explanation of data collection process. What errors are you anticipating and how are you planning to mitigate those?

Results/Discussion (10 pts possible)
Accurate presentation of data (table and graph), thoughtful analysis of results, connection of results to the ideal gas law, discussion of potential sources of error

Presentation: Overall structure (10 pts possible)
Logical flow, proper headings and subheadings. The lab is visually appealing and easy to read.

Presentation: Visual Elements (10 pts possible)
Quality and relevance of figures/tables, proper labeling and captioning. Figures contain necessary elements and quickly draw attention to key details. Plots and tables are clean and easy-to-read.

Presentation: Formatting and clarity (10 pts possible)
Consistent formatting throughout and clear and concise writing style. Thomas Hood is once alleged to have said that "easy writing makes [darned] hard reading." You wording is clear and easy to follow.

Rigor/Thoughtfulness: Data Analysis (10 pts possible)
Appropriate use of units and interpretation of data trends.

Rigor/Thoughtfulness: Critical thinking (10 pts possible)
insightful discussion on limitations/errors

Above and Beyond: Unique Insights (5 pts possible)
Novel observations or exceptional depth of analysis

Above and Beyond: Obvious pride and creativity (5 pts possible)

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.