The URL of this page is http://www.physics.smu.edu/scalise/P1303su25/
Physics 1303 - Introductory Mechanics
Summer I 2025 : 2 June - 1 July
Course Information
- Lecturer:
Professor Randall J. Scalise
- Lecture meeting times: You should read the assigned chapters
in the textbook, watch the assigned videos, and read my lecture notes before lecture.
- Office hours: after lecture and by appointment.
- Contact:
- Text: Halliday, Resnick, and Walker
Fundamentals of Physics, 12th edition, (HRW12) Volume 1.
This is the official textbook for the course. We will cover chapters 1-15.
The version listed includes Wiley Plus which gives you access to an
electronic version of the book and online learning tools. If you are not interested in
Wiley Plus, you may use a different edition or a different author; mechanics has
not changed in 200 years. Just be sure to READ whatever book you choose.
- Objective:
Upon completion of this course students will be able to demonstrate
basic facility with the methods and approaches of scientific
inquiry. In particular, 1) Students will demonstrate basic facility
with the problem-solving methods related to mechanics.
2) Students will be able to explain how the concepts and findings of
physics shape our world.
- Syllabus
- Lecture Notes:
- Practice Exams:
- Exam 1 - Spring 1996, 14 pages,
PDF (125128 bytes),
Answers.
- Exam 2 - Spring 1996, 14 pages,
PDF (152428 bytes),
Answers.
- Exam 3 - Spring 1996, 17 pages,
PDF (281522 bytes),
Answers.
- Final - Spring 1996, 20 pages,
PDF (299075 bytes),
Answers.
- Exam Dates: Open book, notes, homework, etc. You can email me the answers to the
multiple choice questions and scan your partial credit problem solutions.
- Exam 1 - Friday 13 June 2025 in lecture
- Exam 2 - Friday 20 June 2025 in lecture
- Final Exam (Cumulative) - Tuesday 1 July 2025 in lecture
- Make-up Exams: You must present me with a verifiable excuse
in writing. No make-up will be given for the final exam.
- Homework Quizzes: 20 minutes long,
at the beginning of lecture, open book, open notes, open homework, based strongly on
the homework.
- Make-up Quizzes: There are none.
- Reading Quizzes: Unannounced, based on the assigned reading,
very short, very easy (if you have done the assigned reading)
- Homework: Due on the day of the quiz at the beginning of lecture.
These should be scanned and emailed to me on time, at or before 11:00am on the quiz day.
Homework will not be graded for accuracy, only for completeness. To receive full credit,
all the steps in your solution must be shown, not merely the answer.
- Laboratory: If you need the one-credit laboratory course, you
must register separately for Physics 1105.
- Grading: (Absolute, not curved)
Letter Grade Break Points
- Exam 1 - 27%
- Exam 2 - 27%
- Final - 26%
- Homework Quizzes - 10% (Drop lowest)
- Homework - 5% (Drop lowest)
- Reading Quizzes - 5% (Drop lowest)
A student who is absent from class without valid reason for two
consecutive weeks will be administratively dropped from the class by
the instructor.
- University Holidays: none
- Students with disabilities, medically excused absences, absences in general
-
Official University Calendar
- Homework Assignments These are from the 10th edition.
Q=Question, P=Problem
- Ch1 - Q:NA; P:3,9,12,27;
- Ch3 - Q:All; P:12,16; (Note: Chapters 2 and 3 are switched!)
- Ch2 - Q:All; P:2,15,18,19,25,37,44,53;
- Ch4 - Q:All; P:3,11,22,27,70,72;
- Ch5 - Q:All; P:7,34,42,57;
- Ch6 - Q:All; P:13,36,43,49,51;
- Ch7 - Q:All; P:11,20,39,46;
- Ch8 - Q:All; P:3,13,42,47;
- Ch9 - Q:All; P:2,6,9,31,40,49,60,100;
- Ch10 - Q:All; P:13,22,41,53;
- Ch11 - Q:All; P:3,11,26,54;
- Ch12 - Q:All; P:7,14;
- Ch13 - Q:All; P:8,21,36,54;
- Ch14 - Q:All; P:2,10,32,64;
- Ch15 - Q:All; P:11,33,42,58;
- Homework Solutions
- Mechanical Universe
- The Feynman Lectures
- MIT Open Courseware (Physics)
- Fundamentals of Physics I Yale, Professor Ravi Shankar
- SMU PHYS 1303 Professor Stephen Sekula, Fall 2018
- Demonstrations
by Professor Julius Sumner Miller
Back to Professor Scalise's Home Page