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Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2026

College Physics I (Face-to-Face)

PHYS 2010-02

Course: PHYS 2010-02
Credits: 4
Term: Fall Semester 2026
Department: Chemistry and Physics
CRN: 31201

Course Description

A trigonometric- and algebra-based introductory course in physics. Topics in mechanics, including vectors, motion in one and two dimensions, Newton’s laws of motion, work and energy, momentum and collisions, circular motion and rotational dynamics, will be studied. Additional 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, Summer) [Graded (Standard Letter)] Co-requisite(s): PHYS 2015 Prerequisite(s): MATH 1060 or higher - Prerequisite Min. Grade: C Prerequisite Test: ACT Math Subscore or Accuplacer College-Level Math or ALEKS PPL - Prerequisite Test Score: 26 or 100 or 60 Registration Restriction(s): Intensive English Program majors may not enroll General Education Category: Physical Sciences

Required Texts

This course is supplemented by material found in the College Physics 2e textbook from OpenStax. This textbook is available to be purchased as a printed copy, and it may be accessed online and downloaded as a pdf document for free.

College Physics 2e, Authors: Paul Peter Urone & Roger Hinrichs, Publisher: OpenStax, July 13, 2022, Houston, TX, ISBN-13: 978-1-951693-60-2

Learning Outcomes

This is a General Education Course under the Physical Sciences designation by USHE R470 Appendix, Essential Learning Outcomes.

2.4. Physical Sciences: Upon successful completion of the General Education Physical Sciences requirement, students will be able to:

     2.4.1. Explain scientific methods: Explain science as a process and as a way of understanding the physical world;

     2.4.2. Understand: Demonstrate understanding of matter, energy, and their influence on physical systems;

     2.4.3. Evaluate: Evaluate the credibility of various sources of information about science-related issues; and

     2.4.4. Apply: Describe how the Physical Sciences utilize their foundational principles to confront and solve pressing local and global challenges, shaping historical, ethical, or social landscapes in the process.

The material covered in lecture, in-class exercises, reading, and homework in this introductory physics course focuses on building a fundamental understanding of matter, energy, and their interactions in physical systems. Students will be exposed to foundational physical theories and given the opportunity to develop problem-solving and critical thinking skills by applying their learning to a wide variety of scenarios. Along with the accompanying laboratory component of the course, students will engage in scientific processes including measurement, data acquisition, and analysis, and comparing theory to experiment. Students will refer to and evaluate the credibility many resources including the textbook, lecture notes, and online sources of their choosing to inform their learning.

Course Requirements

Course Mechanics
This is a lecture-based a course; the primary method of instruction is lecture in person. Information is conveyed through the spoken word with supplemental information written on the whiteboard. These media are chosen to let the lecture environment emulate that which students will encounter when solving problems in homework and on assessments.

The instructor intends to facilitate an open-minded discussion-based learning environment. Students should not feel fearful or intimidated to speak up in class or to visit the instructor during office hours. Students are encouraged to contribute to the lecture by asking questions, making comments, and discussing the topics. Students are encouraged to raise their hand for the instructor to call on them or to wait for a natural pause in the lecture to politely interrupt. Students are encouraged to discuss amongst their selves during class as the discussion is topical.

This course is an exercise in independent learning. Lecture is intended to introduce concepts and techniques and to use them to solve some problems together. The mental and physical muscle memory and intuition required to perform well on assessments can only be built by the student by working on homework and studying outside of class. This often involves digging into topics with more depth than the time allotted to lecture affords. In order to get the most out of lecture, students are expected to read the textbook and begin working on homework problems ahead of when the topic is covered in lecture.

It is common for students to be challenged and often frustrated by physics. Students are encouraged not to be disheartened by struggles or failures, but to persist through difficulties. These challenges only deepen the satisfaction that comes along with the experience of a “Eureka!” moment at the end of a difficult battle. The course assessment policies are designed to account and allow for some level of failure while rewarding consistent effort and persistence. Refer to the How to Succeed in Physics document for suggestions from past students who have found success.

Course Assessment
The course grade is determined using this weighting:
 
| Category | Percentage
| Homework | 35%
| Midterm Exams | 40%
| Final Exam | 25%
 
Homework
Homework is administered approximately once per week through Canvas where it is posted under ‘Assignments.’ Homework is usually assigned on Sunday and due the following Sunday at 11:59 PM Mountain Time. There may be some exceptions to the normal homework cadence for atypical weeks. Students may complete the homework using any handwritten medium of their choosing (pen and paper, tablet, etc.). Work should be done in a separate document from the problems themselves. Each homework assignment must be submitted to the Canvas assignment as a single pdf document. Homework may only be submitted once; there are no resubmissions.

Late homework submissions are not accepted. There is no grace period for the submission of late work. It is better for the grade to submit incomplete work on time than to attempt to submit complete work after the deadline. It is best for students’ understanding of the material to complete the homework regardless of when it is submitted. The due date and time of Sunday at 11:59 PM MT is a strict cutoff. Submissions made at 12:00 AM or later are not accepted. It is advised to submit homework ahead of the deadline to allow time to resolve any technical issues that could delay submission. Deadline extensions may only be granted in cases where such accommodations are approved by the Disability Resource Center (DRC).  Students should not ask for deadline extensions or exceptions to this policy of any kind.

The lowest homework score will not count toward the final grade. Dropping one homework assignment is intended to account for the unpredictable realities of life that may make it difficult or impossible for a student to complete and/or submit an assignment on time. Because of the dropped homework policy, there is no tolerance for any late submission for any reason.

Students are encouraged to use all resources available to them while completing the homework and studying. Students are encouraged to work together on homework as partners and/or in groups. Students are encouraged to use the textbook, the internet, and library resources. Students are encouraged to use additional resources including but not limited to solution manuals, artificial intelligence, and coursework from prior semesters. Regardless of the resource(s) used, students are responsible for using the resource(s) properly. Resources are best used as guides or nudges in the right direction when a student is stuck. Using resources properly entails working through the material in detail with the goal of understanding the problems in depth such that the student may demonstrate their understanding on the assessments. It is possible to copy directly from a resource(s) and earn credit for an assignment(s), but this will likely make it difficult for the student to perform on assessments.

Homework is evaluated based on completeness, not correctness. For a response to be considered complete, the student must make a genuine attempt at showing their work to solve the problem. Single-value responses that do not show work are incomplete and do not receive credit. It is the student’s responsibility to verify their understanding of the homework by checking their work against the solutions posted to Canvas. It is advised to form a habit of working through homework problems formally and showing all steps, as formal responses are required on assessments. The expectations for homework responses (and the evaluation criteria for responses to exam problems) are described in detail in the Standards for Work in Physics Guide.

Homework is an exercise in independent learning. The vast majority of the learning in this course takes place outside of the classroom. The instructor can introduce concepts in lecture and solve example problems, but the meat of a student’s understanding of the material is built by the student outside of lecture. The goal of the lecture is to expose the student to all material necessary to complete each homework assignment before the assignment is due. It is impossible to cover every topic in full detail in lecture, so students will explore some topics more deeply in homework.

Exams
There are three midterm exams and one final exam. Midterm exams are held in person in the normal classroom at the normal meeting time. The final exam is cumulative and is administered in the usual classroom on Thursday, December 17 at 9:00 – 10:50 AM, as indicated on the University final exam schedule. Exams are not held in the Testing Center. Attendance during the scheduled exam time is mandatory; the only way to earn credit on an exam is to take the exam in person at the scheduled time. The window to begin taking an exam closes once any student has submitted their exam, so it is advised to avoid arriving late to exams. In order to earn a grade in the course, the student must submit a final exam. All exams are closed-book, closed-notes, and closed everything; all external resources are prohibited except for a calculator. Calculators must not be capable of solving algebra. The use of any calculator, eyewear, or any device capable of recording or accessing the internet or artificial intelligence is strictly prohibited. Accommodations may be made for test-taking through the DRC prior to the exam. Accommodations for test-taking cannot be made after an exam has begun.

Exams may consist of true/false, multiple choice, short answer, and/or open response questions. Evaluation of true/false and multiple choice questions is based only on the letter submitted by the student. Responses to open-response questions are evaluated based on correctness and the extent to which the Standards for Work in Physics Guide is followed. Physics exams are cumulative in nature. Each midterm exam focuses primarily on the section of material covered most recently, but maintaining an understanding of prior material is necessary. 

The lowest midterm exam score will not count toward the final grade. The policy to drop one midterm exam score is intended to account for the unpredictable realities of life that may cause a student to perform poorly or make it difficult or impossible for a student to submit an exam. Because of the dropped midterm exam policy, there is no tolerance for missing an exam. Missing an exam due to unavoidable unexpected events of any nature will result in that exam being dropped from the final grade. There are no makeup exams. The instructor posts solutions to Canvas shortly after exams are held in order to maximize the time that students have to review and learn from the material. Once an exam has been administered, it will not be administered again. Student athletes or any student with an exam conflict excused by University Policy 6.30 must take an alternative exam before the regularly scheduled exam. Students should notify the instructor regarding their conflict immediately when they become aware of it. It is the student’s responsibility to arrange an alternative exam at least two weeks before the scheduled exam date.

Final Grades
The grading scale is:
 
| Letter Grade | Score Range (%) | Description
| A | 93 – 100 | Excellent
| A- | 90 – 92.99 | Excellent
| B+ | 87 – 89.99 | Above Average
| B | 83 – 86.99 | Above Average
| B- | 80 – 82.99 | Above Average
| C+ | 77 – 79.99 | Average
| C | 73 – 76.99 | Average
| C- | 70 – 72.99 | Average
| D+ | 67 – 69.99 | Below Average
| D | 63 – 66.99 | Below Average
| D- | 60 – 62.99 | Below Average
| F | <60 | Failure

The final grade is based only on homework and exam scores as described in this section. The final grade is not based on any other factors, including but not limited to: time and/or effort expended on homework/studying, time spent in the Tutoring Center, attendance to lecture, student performance in other courses, additional student responsibilities external to this course, the opinion of anyone external to this course, or the consequences of not meeting a desired standard (loss of scholarship, impact to GPA, impact to financial aid, impact to research funding, etc.).

The instructor may apply a scale to all final grades at the close of the semester by favorably adjusting the score ranges that correspond to each letter grade. Individual items are not scaled. The scale will depend on the overall performance of the class, and each student’s final grade will depend on their performance relative to the rest of the class. The instructor will announce grade distributions for all individual assessments and overall grades at the midpoint of the semester to keep students informed of their standing in the course.  

Course Outline

Module 1: Introduction
Module 2: Units, Standards, and Measurement
Module 3: Vectors
Module 4: Kinematics
Module 5: Dynamics - Force, Newton's Laws, and Applications
Module 6: Uniform Circular Motion and Gravitation
Module 7: Work and Energy
Module 8: Momentum
Module 9: Equilibrium and Stability
Module 10: Rotational Motion
Module 11: Fluid Mechanics

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

Late work is not accepted and will not be graded. Homework submission deadlines are strict; 11:59 PM MT is on time and 12:00 AM is late. It is better to submit incomplete work on time than to attempt to submit complete work late. All due times are in Mountain Time. If a student is located in a different time zone, it is their responsibility to treat the due time as Mountain Time.

Attendance Policy

Attendance in lecture is not recorded and does not count directly toward the grade. It is strongly advised to attend all class meetings in order to keep up with the material. Attendance is required for assessments, which can only be completed in person at the scheduled time. Some items are dropped from the final grade to account for absence due to unavoidable circumstances. It is the student's responsibility to catch up on any material that is missed during an absence. It is best not to fall behind as the material builds on itself and late work is not accepted.

Additional Course Policies

Habitual disruptions to class are not tolerated. Disruptions can include but are not limited to arriving late to class, talking during class (particularly at the start of the session), playing audio from devices, exiting and returning to class, and packing bags early to leave class. Students who develop habits of disrupting class detract from the learning experience of others and will be asked to leave.

Student medical records and information are not to be shared with the instructor under any circumstances. Any accommodations for medical reasons must be made through the Disability Resource Center (DRC). The instructor cannot make medical judgements and can only make accommodations when directed by the DRC. Students should not ask the instructor to make accommodations without DRC approval. The instructor only responds to requests for accommodations if they are made by the DRC. The instructor implements approved accommodations exactly according to DRC instructions. Students who have approved accommodations should not ask or expect the instructor to make accommodations beyond the DRC instructions.

Extra credit is available in this course. Students may discover extra credit opportunities by engaging with the course material as intended throughout the semester. Students will not receive extra credit opportunities by asking the instructor for them.
 
Electronic communication etiquette is to be observed. Students are expected to stay on top of communication from the instructor through Canvas and email. Students are encouraged to enable email notifications for updates to the course's Canvas page. Messages sent to the instructor must use common etiquette including subject titles, salutation, clear and thoughtful writing in the body, and valediction.

Recording audio and/or video by any means during the lecture period without an approved accommodation from the DRC granting permission to do so is strictly prohibited.

Course Fees

Course fees are $13.50 per credit hour.
View SUU's Program and Course Fees.

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.

Religious / Conscience Belief Accommodation

RELIGIOUS / CONSCIENCE BELIEF ACCOMMODATION: In accordance with SUU Policy 6.7 Student Belief Accommodation, students may request, in writing, that their faculty accommodate their sincerely held religious or conscience beliefs. Students should provide their faculty with sufficient advanced notice, if possible within the first five (5) business days of the semester or session, or thereafter with good cause for requesting an accommodation after the first five (5) business days.

Faculty must provide a schedule accommodation or excuse an absence, in any course, for students to observe or participate in religious holidays or an organized activity conducted under the auspices of the student’s religious tradition or religious organization.

In courses that are required for graduation or for an academic major, a faculty member may accommodate a religious or conscience belief by modifying an assignment or examination if its content conflicts with the student’s belief. Faculty may decline the accommodation if it would fundamentally alter the course requirements. If declined, the student may request review by a neutral arbiter using the Belief Accommodation Request Form: https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv&layout_id=5

Questions go to Assistant Provost Jake Johnson at johnsonj@suu.edu.

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.