Course Syllabus

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PHYS 2025: Spring 2019

General Physics Laboratory with a Life Science Focus

COURSE SYLLABUS

NOTE TO ENROLLED STUDENTS: THE LAB STARTS ON THE WEEK OF JANUARY 7TH, PLEASE PLAN ON ATTENDING THE SESSION YOU ARE ENROLLED IN STARTING THE FIRST WEEK OF THE SEMESTER.

NOTE TO POTENTIAL STUDENTS:  WE ARE NOT ABLE TO PROVIDE PERMISSION CODES FOR SECTIONS THAT ARE FULL.  WE ONLY HAVE SPACE AND EQUIPMENT FOR 24 STUDENTS PER SECTION AND THEREFORE CANNOT ACCOMMODATE ADDITIONAL STUDENTS.  OUR APOLOGIES!

Instructor:  Prof. Claudia De Grandi

Teaching Assistants:

Jason May (Head TA) - jason.may@utah.edu

Isaac Brown -  isaac.brownh@gmail.com

Teddy Anderson - teddy.anderson@utah.edu

Learning Assistants:

Taylor Boyd - rolyat513@gmail.com

Sean Johnson - u0940249@utah.edu

Mica Sloan - micasloan14@gmail.com

Akbar Nabi - akbarnabi94@hotmail.com

Dalley Cutler - cutler.dalley@gmail.com

Credit hours: 1

Course website: https://utah.instructure.com/courses/509617

Location: Crocker Science Center Room 022 (basement floor)

Deadlines:

  • Friday, January 18th: Last day to add or drop (delete) the course
  • Friday, March 8th: Last day to withdraw from the course
  • Tuesday, April 23rd: Last day of class

Meeting Times:

Lab Section Meeting Times
2025-001 M 10:45AM-1:45PM
2025-002 M 2:00PM-5:00PM
2025-003 M 6:00PM-9:00PM
2025-004 T 7:30AM-10:30AM
2025-005 T 10:45AM-1:45PM
2025-006 T 2:00PM-5:00PM
2025-007 T 6:00PM-9:00PM
2025-008 W 7:30AM-10:30AM
2025-009 W 10:45AM-1:45PM

Weekly Schedule:

Week Monday Date Lab Activity
1 1/7 Lab Intro
2 1/14 Lab 6A: Fluid Flow and Dynamics
3 1/21

Off
4 1/28

Lab 6B: Fluid Flow and Dynamics

Lab 6 Report Due
5 2/4

Lab 7A: Electrophoresis and Charge Screening
6 2/11

Lab 7B:Electrophoresis and Charge Screening

Lab 7 Report Due
7 2/18

Off
8 2/25 Lab 8A:  Spectroscopy
9 3/4

Lab 8B: Spectroscopy

Lab 8 Report Due
10 3/11

Off
11 3/18 Lab 9A: Chlorophyll Fluorescence
12 3/25

Lab 9B: Chlorophyll Fluorescence

Lab 9 Report Due
13 4/1

Lab 10A: Axon Transmission
14 4/8 Lab 10B: Axon Transmission
15 4/15

Lab 10C: Axon Transmission

Lab 10 Report Due
16 4/22 Make-up Lab

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Goals and Objectives: In this course, you will learn how physics principles can be used to explore and explain biological systems.  This is the second semester of a two-semester lab sequence that includes PHYS 2015 and PHYS 2025.  These course are loosely associated with the corresponding lecture courses (PHYS 2010 and 2020), which must be taken prior to or at the same time as the lab courses, but we make no explicit attempt to synchronize the topics between the lecture and laboratory courses. 

PHYS 2025 generally covers Newtonian fluid dynamics, electrophoresis, biological material spectroscopy, fluorescence, nervous system electrical signaling, etc. You will utilize the relevant physics principles to engage in authentic scientific practices during weekly laboratory sessions.  You will work in groups to develop your own investigations to answer particular scientific questions.  You will also learn how to quantify the certainty of your results and conclusions, how to justify your assumptions and experimental method, and how to communicate your results and arguments to others. 

Inclusion:  The PHYS 2025 instructional staff is here to help you learn, and we want you to succeed in this class.  We expect the entire PHYS 2025 community – students, instructors, TAs, and LAs – will strive to be an inclusive and supportive community, appreciative of the many perspectives that come from us each bringing to the class different backgrounds and beliefs. We expect all members of this community to be respectful of each other, and to strive to create a community that facilitates self-expression, inquiry, and learning.

If you have already established accommodations with the Center for Disability and Access (CDA - https://disability.utah.edu/), please communicate your approved accommodations to Prof. De Grandi at your earliest convenience so we can discuss your needs in this course. If you have not yet established services through CDA, but have a temporary health condition or permanent disability that requires accommodations (conditions include but are not limited to: mental health, attention-related, learning, vision, hearing, physical or health impacts), you are welcome to contact CDA at 801-581-5020 to make an appointment. General information for students can be found under the "Students" tab CDA website. CDA offers resources and coordinates reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities and/or temporary health conditions. Reasonable accommodations are established through an interactive process between you, your instructor(s), and CDA. It is important to the University of Utah to create inclusive and accessible learning environments consistent with federal and state law.

Student names and personal pronouns: Class rosters are provided to the instructor with the student’s legal name as well as “Preferred first name” (if previously entered by you in the Student Profile section of your CIS account). While CIS refers to this as merely a preference, we will honor you by referring to you with the name and pronoun that feels best for you in class, on papers, exams, group projects, etc. Please advise us of any name or pronoun changes (and update CIS) so we can help create a learning environment in which you, your name, and your pronoun will be respected. If you need assistance getting your preferred name on your uID card, please visit the LGBT Resource Center Room 409 in the Olpin Union Building, or email bpeacock@sa.utah.edu to schedule a time to drop by. The LGBT Resource Center hours are M-F 8am-5pm, and 8am-6pm on Tuesdays.

Expectations for Students: Most of your work for this course will be accomplished during the weekly 3-hour laboratory sessions. Because of this, and because you will be working in teams, attendance in laboratory sessions is critical to your and your teammates success. Thus, we expect you to make all attempts to arrive on time if not early for your section each week - tardiness and absences will be recorded and will affect your participation score (see below).

Because your work will be done during the laboratory sessions, it's really important for you to prepare before arriving for your session by completing all pre-lab readings and assignments - otherwise, you will likely have difficulty completing your work. Also, your team is much more likely to complete your work if you all actively participate and work together to develop, pursue, document and communicate your investigations.

Grading:  There are no exams for this course – your grade will be determined by your group lab reports, individual participation, completion of pre-lab readings and assignments and maintaining a team lab notebook. Below, you can find more specific information about how your final score will be tabulated and the approximate grade thresholds - please note, I reserve the right to make these thresholds more generous at the end of the semester, but I will not make them more difficult.

Category Percent of Final Score   Final Score Grade
Lab 6 report 15% >93% A
Lab 7 report 15% >90% A-
Lab 8 report 15% >87% B+
Lab 9 report 15% >83% B
Lab 10 report 20% >80% B-
Pre-lab assignments 10% >77% C+
Participation in class 10% >73% C
>70% C-
>60% D
<60% E

Course Material: All the relevant course material will be posted on the course site, no additional textbook is required. 

Honesty and Respect: Cheating of any assignment is a very serious violation of University rules and is unethical. Students caught cheating will receive a failing grade for the course and will be sent to the University Disciplinary Committee for further action.  All teaching assistants and learning assistants are to be considered proxies for the instructor – you should listen to them and treat them with respect at all times. 

Office Hours:  You can meet with Prof. De Grandi by appointment. These may be granted very promptly but immediate meetings cannot be guaranteed.  I will be present for part of all or most lab sessions but will likely not be there for the entire period.  I am best reached by e-mail, not by phone. I check e-mail many times during the day and will respond promptly whenever possible.

Student Code:  All students and faculty need to be aware of provisions in the Student Code relevant to this course. Students have 20 business days to appeal grades and other "academic actions" (e.g., results of comprehensive exams). The date that grades are posted on the web is considered the date of notification. A "business day" is every day the University is open for business, excluding weekends and University-recognized holidays. If the student cannot get a response from the faculty member after ten days of reasonable efforts to contact him or her, the student may appeal to the department chair if done within 40 days of being notified of the academic action. Students should definitely document their efforts to contact a faculty member.

Similarly, faculty members who discover or receive a complaint of academic misconduct (e.g., cheating, plagiarism) have 20 business days to "make reasonable efforts" to contact the student and discuss the alleged misconduct. Within 10 more business days the faculty member must give the student written notice of the sanction, if any, and the student's right to appeal to the Academic Appeals Committee of the College of Science.

All students and faculty members are urged to consult the exact text of the Student Code if a relevant situation arises. The code is on the University web site at http://www.admin.utah.edu/ppmanual/8/8-10.html.

University Policies:

  1. The Americans with Disabilities Act. The University of Utah seeks to provide equal access to its programs, services, and activities for people with disabilities. If you will need accommodations in this class, reasonable prior notice needs to be given to the Center for Disability Services, 162 Olpin Union Building, (801) 581-5020. CDS will work with you and the instructor to make arrangements for accommodations. All written information in this course can be made available in an alternative format with prior notification to the Center for Disability Services.
  2. Addressing Sexual Misconduct. Title IX makes it clear that violence and harassment based on sex and gender (which Includes sexual orientation and gender identity/expression) is a civil rights offense subject to the same kinds of accountability and the same kinds of support applied to offenses against other protected categories such as race, national origin, color, religion, age, status as a person with a disability, veteran’s status or genetic information.  If you or someone you know has been harassed or assaulted, you are encouraged to report it to the Title IX Coordinator in the Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action, 135 Park Building, 801-581-8365, or the Office of the Dean of Students, 270 Union Building, 801-581-7066.  For support and confidential consultation, contact the Center for Student Wellness, 426 SSB, 801-581-7776.  To report to the police, contact the Department of Public Safety, 801-585-2677(COPS).

Course Summary:

Date Details Due