Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Summer Semester 2026

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

PHYS 2210-01

Course: PHYS 2210-01
Credits: 4
Term: Summer Semester 2026
Department: PSCI
CRN: 20861

Course Description

A calculus-based introductory physics course. Topics in mechanics include vectors, one- and two-dimensional motion, Newton’s laws of motion, forces, energy, momentum and collisions, circular motion and rotational dynamics. Other topics include solids and fluids and selected topics in thermodynamics. A minimum grade of “C” (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, Spring, Summer) [Graded (Standard Letter)] Co-requisite(s): MATH 1220 (recommended) and PHYS 2215 Prerequisite(s): MATH 1210 - Prerequisite Min. Grade: C Registration Restriction(s): None General Education Category: Physical Sciences

Required Texts

Good news! The textbook is online and free. 


Learning Outcomes

  • Conceptual Understanding: Students should demonstrate a deep understanding of fundamental physics concepts and principles.
  • Critical Thinking: Students should develop the ability to critically analyze scientific information.
  • Problem-Solving Skills: Students should be able to apply physics principles to solve complex problems, both theoretical and practical, using appropriate mathematical techniques and reasoning.

Course Requirements

GRADING AND EVALUATION:

Students can drop one homework assignment and one quiz. The in-class tests and the final examination are mandatory and cannot be dropped.

  • Homework

Homework will be administered about once a week via Canvas and posted under 'Assignments'. The homework questions will come in a variety of formats. I encourage you to work together, although each student will need to submit their own work. The questions will be very similar to those in the back of the book, and some may even be verbatim.
No late homework will be accepted, and the lowest homework score will be dropped. 

  • In-Class exercises

There will be in-class exercises consisting of multiple-choice, short-answer questions, and short writing prompts on most days. Each exercise is worth 5 points, and the rubric consists of 3 points for attendance + 1.5 points for work + 0.5 points for a correct answer. During the exercises, I encourage you to work in groups or with classmates around you, or to ask me direct questions. These are meant to improve your understanding of the concepts and to show who has been coming to class. No late work is accepted without a valid excuse, as stated in the class policies section.
I will drop the lowest three in-class exercises.  This policy is designed to allow for illness, medical appointments, job interviews, university activities, etc.

  • Midterm Exams

The four midterm exams and the final exam will consist of short-answer working questions and will be administered in class. The average of the midterm exams accounts for 45% of your final grade. Before every midterm, I will give you a list of typical problems to help you prepare for the exam. Extra points will be given if you solve and submit those problems.

  • Final exam

The final examination is comprehensive and will take place in our classroom on June 26th from 12 p.m. - 1:50 p.m. It accounts for 15% of the final grade. We'll talk about this as we get closer.  

  • Grading Components and Weights
Component | Weight
Homework | 20%
In-Class Exercises | 10%
Midterm Exam | 45%
Final Exam | 25%

  • Grading Scale
Percentage  | Grade
   94 –100% | A
< 94 – 90%  | A-
< 90 – 87%  | B+
< 87 – 84%  | B
< 84 – 80%  | B-
< 80 – 77%  | C+
< 77 – 74%  | C
< 74 – 70%  | C-
< 70 – 67%  | D+
< 67 – 64%  | D
< 64 – 61%  | D-
< 61 – 0.0% | F

Course Outline

Weekly Topics
Week | Topic

Week     Dates                     Topic                                                                        Reading
1            May. 11 - 12             CH 1&2: Units and Measurements - Vectors            CH. 1 & 2: All
1            May. 13 - 15             CH 3: Motion Along a Straight Line                          CH. 3: 3.1 - 3.6
2            May. 18 - 22             CH 4: Motion in Two and Three Dimensions            CH. 4: 4.1-4.4
3            May. 25 - 27             CH 5: Newton's Laws of Motion                               CH. 5: 5.1-5.7
4            May. 28 - June 02    CH 6: Application of Newton's Laws                         CH. 6: 6.1-6.3
4            June. 03 - 05            CH 7: Work & Kinetic Energy                                   CH. 7: 7.1-7.4
5            June. 08- 10             CH 8: Potential Energy & Conservation of Energy   CH. 8: 8.1-8.4
6            June. 11 - 16            CH 9: Linear Momentum and Collisions                   CH. 9: 9.1-9.6
6            June. 17 - 19            CH 10: Fixed-Axis Rotation                                     CH. 10: 10.1-10.8
7            June. 22 - 24            CH. 11: Angular Momentum                                     CH. 11: 11.1-11.3
7            June. 22 - 24            CH. 12: Static Equilibrium and Elasticity(Optional)   CH. 12: 12.1-12.4
7            June. 22 - 24            CH. 13: Gravitation(Optional)                                   CH. 13: 13.1-13.4
7            June. 25                    Review | Ch. 2-13
7            Friday, June 26,12 p.m. - 1:50 p.m.  -  Final Exam 

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

  • The course is not self-paced. Regular attendance is required at all class meetings.
  • Students will be required to complete assignments every week. DO NOT procrastinate. Extensions will only be considered if a student has made sufficient progress in the course and has shown proof of extenuating circumstances. Procrastination, work, and other courses are NOT extenuating circumstances.
  • It is my policy to offer no extra credit in addition to the ones mentioned before the midterm exams, so please don't ask. If you find your performance hasn't been adequate for the grade you want to earn, your best course of action is to spend more time studying. Please come see me if you find yourself struggling.
  • SUU faculty and staff care about the success of our students. In addition to your professor, numerous services are available to assist you with the achievement of your educational goals. SUU's Link system may be used by faculty to notify you and/or your advisors of their concern for your progress and provide references to campus services as appropriate.
  • You should be familiar with the following campus policies: https://www.suu.edu/academics/provost/pdf/statements-required-in-course-syllabi.pdf

Attendance Policy

Consistent attendance is fundamental to your achievement in this course. Engaging actively in class discussions and group activities greatly enhances your understanding of the material. Students are responsible to make up for the covered materials if unable to attend a class.

Prerequisites and Co-requisites

Prerequisite: MATH 1060 (Trigonometry)
Co-requisites: PHYS 2015 (College Physics Lab)

Frequently Asked Questions

What type of calculator am I allowed for this class?
There are no restrictions on calculator type. However, the class is set up so that you don't need a fancy one to do really well. At a minimum, your calculator should be able to do trig functions (sine, cosine, tan) and their inverses and logarithms.

Most students will probably come to class with a scientific calculator (think something like the TI-84 or TI-89). But these calculators are pricey. If you are taking a bunch of high-powered science/math/engineering courses, you might consider making the investment in a nicer calculator. Get recommendations from your other professors!

Can I use AI in this course?
You can use AI for homework help.

But you should know a couple of things.

As of today (Dec 31, 2025), the free AI models like ChatGPT sometimes make mistakes and can make you feel like you are going crazy. If you pay $20 a month, the more powerful AI models from OpenAI, or from Anthropic (Claude) or Google's Gemini Pro will almost certainly get the answer correct. Most students, though, can't afford the extra $20 a month, so be careful with the free models.

Keep in mind you are the first generation ever to have AI available as a virtual tutor. You can use it, but I would caution that you shouldn't let it be a crutch. You won't have AI on exams and quizzes, so use it to learn how to do the problem.

Also, we have a tutoring center on campus filled with wonderful human tutors who has access to my homework problems and knows all the answers :) Their services are free and its also a great place to meet other humans!

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.