Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2025

Physics for Scientists and Engineers I Lab (Face-to-Face)

PHYS 2215-01

Course: PHYS 2215-01
Credits: 1
Term: Fall Semester 2025
Department: PSCI
CRN: 31716

Course Description

A lab accompanying . Computer data acquisition and hands-on experience with the concepts and topics discussed in the lecture.

Required Texts

You don't need to purchase anything extra for this lab. Everything you need will be provided here in this Canvas page or elsewhere on the Web.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

  • Identify the laws of mechanics that apply in everyday situations.
  • Acquire data using a variety of measuring instruments and apparatuses.
  • Identify sources of random and systematic error.
  • Estimate and propagate measurement error.
  • Use data to confirm a physical theory.
  • Predict outcomes of simple physical situations given some input about the starting conditions.

Course Requirements

Labs

The labs make up 100% of your grade.

When answering questions that require a written response I expect you to use proper English conventions, including grammar, sentence phrasing, paragraphing, etc.

Your lowest lab score, over the course of the semester, will be dropped. This will allow you to miss one lab without penalty.

The following grading standards will be used in this class:

GradeRange
A93-100%
A-89-93%
B+86-89%
B83-86%
B-79-83%
C+76-79%
C72-76%
D+67-72%
D63-67%
D-60-63%
F<60%

Course Outline

The below lab schedule is subject to change.

SCHEDULE
WEEKLAB ACTIVITY
SEP. 02Lab 01 - Measurements and Uncertainties
SEP. 09Lab 02 - Graphical Representation of Data
SEP. 16Lab 03 - Motion Along a Straight Line
SEP. 23Lab 04 - Projectile Motion
SEP. 30Lab 05 - Newton’s Laws of Motion
OCT. 07Lab 06 - Centripetal Force
OCT. 14Fall Break (Campus Open) - NO CLASSES
OCT. 21Lab 07 - Energy
OCT. 28Lab 08 - Conservation of Linear Momentum
NOV. 04Lab 09 - The Ballistic Pendulum
NOV. 11Lab 10 - Newton’s Second Law for Rotation
NOV. 18Lab 11 - Conservation of Angular Momentum
NOV. 25Thanksgiving Break - NO CLASSES
DEC. 02Lab 12 - Archimedes' Principle and Buoyancy
DEC. 09NO LABS - Finals Week

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

All lab reports are due at the beginning of lab 1 week after the lab activity occurs. No late work will be accepted.

Collaboration in lab (during lab activities) is mandatory, so expect to work together in groups.

No late work will be accepted.

Attendance Policy

Labs will be done in person in the physics lab. The expectation is that you will attend the labs in person.

Course Fees

Content for this section will be provided by the instructor.

Co-requisite(s)

General Education Course

Physical Sciences Knowledge Area

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.