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 2215-03

Course: PHYS 2215-03
Credits: 1
Term: Fall Semester 2025
Department: PSCI
CRN: 31725

Course Description

A lab accompanying PHYS 2210. Computer data acquisition and hands-on experience with the concepts and topics discussed in the lecture.

Co-requisite(s): PHYS 2210

General Education Course: Physical Sciences Knowledge Area

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:

  1. Identify the laws of mechanics that apply in everyday situations.
  2. Acquire data using a variety of measuring instruments and apparatuses.
  3. Identify sources of random and systematic error.
  4. Estimate and propagate measurement error.
  5. Use data to confirm a physical theory.
  6. 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. Failure to do so will result in missed points.

Your lowest lab score over the course of the semester will be dropped. This will allow you to miss one lab without penalty. This policy is designed to accommodate absences due to illness, medical appointments, job interviews, university activities, etc. If you must miss multiple lab meetings, and would like to request makeup accommodations, you must notify your professor before the date of the absence. 

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

Grade Scheme

The following grading standards will be used in this class:

GradeRange
A94-100%
A-90-93%
B+86-89%
B84-86%
B-80-83%
C+76-79%
C70-75%
D+67-72%
D63-67%
D-60-63%
F<60%

Course Outline

The preliminary lab schedule below is subject to change.

Schedule

Lab 1: Measurements 
Lab 2: Kinematic Motion Introduction
Lab 3: One-Dimensional Motion
Lab 4: Gravity and Two-Dimensional Motion
Lab 5: Equilibrium and Resultant Forces (Vectors)
Lab 6: Newton’s Second Law of Motion (F=Ma)
Lab 7: Friction
Lab 8: Ballistic Pendulum 
Lab 9: Rotational Dynamics
Lab 10: Conservation of Angular Momentum
Lab 11: LaTex Tutorial
Final Project: Hollywood Physics

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

All lab reports are due at midnight 2 days after the lab activity occurs. NO LATE LABS WILL BE ACCEPTED. LABS MUST BE STAPLED, WITH PAGES IN ORDER. LABS THAT FAIL TO MEET THESE CRITERIA WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

Late work will not be accepted without special permission.

Lab Policies

  • No extra credit work is available. If you're doing well you don't need it, and if you're not dong well you should put that effort into regular class work. Additionally, I will not respond to emails or requests to bump grades.
  • File Uploads: It is your responsibility to make sure any files you upload are in the appropriate format. Any files that are blank or corrupted will be given a score of zero. Any files that are emailed directly to me will not be graded: your work must be uploaded to the appropriate assignment in Canvas.
  • Time Zone: All times in this course are in Mountain Time.
  • All matters not explicitly covered in this Syllabus or by University-wide policy are left to the discretion of the instructor.

Attendance Policy

Labs will be done in person in the physics lab. Regular attendance is required at all lab meetings. Vacations and leaving early for break are not acceptable excuses. Do not make travel plans that conflict with labs. If your parents will be making your travel plans, inform them of this policy and the official university academic calendar.

Course Fees

View all of SUU's Program and Course Fees.

Additional Course Policies and Resources

Academic Dishonesty

Cheating on any work will not be tolerated. Submitting work for lab meetings that you missed is considered cheating. Other forms of cheating include copying another's work or copying solutions directly from the internet or a solutions manual. Extreme violations of cheating will result in automatic failure of the course. You are expected to have read the sections of the student handbook regarding student rights and responsibilities, and SUU's intellectual property policy. 

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.