PHYS205A/CRN: 50068
Summer 2024: Course runs June 17 - July 26, 2024
Instructor: Erik Veach
Contact information
Email Address: erik_veach@cuesta.edu
You may contact me via email if you have questions prior to registering for the course or prior to the start of term.
Office Hours/Student Help: In this course I will provide you with a web link where you can make a Zoom appointment with me for one-on-one assistance. There will be a wide range of days/times available weekly throughout the term. Appointments need to be made at least 2 hours in advance. I will also have a Discussion board open for you to post general course comments and questions at any time, as well as a Chat window available to use whenever you are logged into this course, which may be used to reach me with quick questions in real time if I happen to be logged in at the same time. Cuesta College also offers in-person and online tutoring Links to an external site. options.
Instructor Contact Expectations:
The best and fastest way to contact me is email. I will generally respond to your emails within 24 hours during weekdays only. During busy times of the semester, the response time may increase to 48 hours. On weekends, I will do my best to get back to you ASAP but I cannot guarantee an expeditious response. I will also check the general comments class discussion board regularly and will watch for any student in-class chat messages that may appear while I happen to be logged on to the online course shell. If you make a Zoom appointment with me, you can expect me to be there for the scheduled time. The appointments provide 15 minutes of time by default, but I am willing to extend this if you need more time and if I am available to do so.
Course Expectations
Course Environment:
This online course will be using a Web-based Learning Management System Canvas as the method to disseminate information. Canvas provides the framework for the course including videos, externally linked documents, student data files, the tools to receive and send course materials, and a grade book. Using the communication tools, you can communicate using e-mail, and you can share materials and ideas with other course participants via the discussion forums and groups.
Class opens / Accessing Canvas:
Prior to the Monday classes start [June 17, 2024], you will receive an email to your @my.cuesta.edu address providing you with a reminder that class will be starting within Canvas, the learning management system (LMS) used to deliver your course content. You can access Canvas by logging into MyCuesta, then clicking on Canvas within the "Services" listed.
If you are not familiar with logging into canvas, please refer to the Canvas Quick Reference Guide. Once logged into Canvas you will be directed on where to get started. Be sure to read all the direction on the course home page.
If you are having difficulty logging into Canvas and need assistance please email me or technical support at this email address: support@instructure.com
Online Learning:
If you have never taken an online class or this is your first experience with Canvas, please be patient with yourself. Online classes are not inherently easier, although they may be much more convenient for many students. You should expect to spend at least as much time, if not more on this course as you would on a course that meets face to face. Since there is no in-person face-to-face lecture to attend, much of your time will be self-directed and there will be a substantial amount of reading, viewing, studying, and writing required. This course is completely online using Canvas; all coursework (discussions, assignments, quizzes) is submitted online. There are no face-to-face meetings.
Compressed Summer Schedule (VERY IMPORTANT!):
This Summer term course will follow a compressed timeline, where approximately 17 weeks of material will be completed in only 6 weeks. Typically for this course you would spend 3 hours per week in lecture plus another 3 hours per week in lab, and beyond that another 6-8 hours per week doing reading, homework, and other assignments. That calculates to a total of around 220 hours spent in class or working on course materials throughout the term. You should expect to spend that same amount of time working on this 6 week online Summer version of the course. Be prepared to spend 35 hours per week on this class in order to complete all the reading and assignments required. For most students, this will mean setting a regular schedule that you can maintain throughout all 6 weeks of the course. 35 hours per week equates to 5 hours per day, 7 days per week. DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THIS TIME REQUIREMENT! Make sure you're ready to commit to this type of schedule before you register for this course.
IS an ONLINE CLASS FOR YOU?
- First, go to the Cuesta College Canvas Tutorial (self paced), there are many resources that were designed to help you understand the basis for an online class and the skills necessary for success. (If the tutorials do NOT describe you, then taking this class online is NOT for you and I strongly suggest that you enroll in a traditional classroom section instead.)
Regular Effective Contact policy:
Regular and Effective Instructor Contact will be met through weekly instructor initiated threaded discussion forums; weekly announcements to students; timely and effective feedback on student assignments; email, phone or messaging to individuals; and virtual office hours.
• You will be expected to log in to your course regularly to view the videos produced by your instructor, as well as the other learning resources provided in the course materials, and also participate in class discussions and collaborative projects, and complete assignments such as homework, worksheets, labs, quizzes, and exams for which you will receive appropriate feedback from your instructor to assist your
learning progress.
• If you have not logged on to the course at least once in any 5 day period of time, you will be dropped from the course (unless you have made prior arrangements with the instructor)
• Materials necessary for course: You will need a scientific calculator for your assignments. Your textbook is a FREE open source textbook available online.
• Time expectations for completion of course: expect to spend 11-12 hours per week viewing videos, reading the textbook, and reading instructional pages within the Canvas course shell for this class, another 11-12 hours per week working on homework, lab experiments, worksheets, and class or small group projects, as well as participating in collaborative projects and class discussions, plus 11-12 hours each week spent reviewing and studying the course materials, doing additional out-of-class research beyond the materials presented in the course, and taking quizzes and exams.
Course Description
Presents the principles of statics and dynamics of particles and rigid bodies, harmonic motion, fluid mechanics, heat, thermodynamics, wave motion and sound using trigonometry
Student Learning Outcomes
- Describe and quantify motion (kinematics), and apply Newton's laws to describe how forces affect motion (mechanics). (E.g. analyze forces acting on an object with a free-body diagram, and determine subsequent motion given initial conditions.)
- Describe and apply conservation laws of energy, linear momentum, and angular momentum to quantify the initial-to-final evolution of systems of objects. (E.g. determine final state of a system of objects given initial conditions and in-process exchanges, by deciding which relevant objects to include in a system in order to implement appropriate conservation law(s).)
- Describe and quantify different types of oscillations and waves, and the physical principles of these phenomena. (E.g. explain/predict the experience of disturbances of different media.)
- Describe and apply the laws of thermodynamics to quantify the initial-to-final evolution of microscopic and macroscopic systems of gases, fluids, and solids. (E.g. determine the final state of a gas/fluid/solid, given initial conditions and in-process exchanges, by implement appropriate conservation law(s).)
Text Book and Materials
Technical Support
Cuesta students are encouraged to direct all technical support inquiries to support@my.cuesta.edu. If you are having issues with Canvas, you should contact the Canvas Support Hotline at (877) 921-7680, or click on the help button on the Canvas Navigation to report a problem.
If you are having difficulty viewing the course or logging in, it may be because you are not using the correct url: https://cuesta.instructure.com/ or you are using your phone or using an unsupported browser.
Your learning environment is best accessed from a desktop or laptop computer, using Firefox or Chrome. Please review the browser requirements and minimum computer specifications.
Accommodations:
This course is designed using an accessible Learning Management System, and course materials have been created with ADA compliance in mind. If you have a disability and might need accommodations in this class such as extended time on exams or other resources. Please contact the instructor as soon as possible so that you can receive appropriate accommodations in a timely manner. You should also contact DSPS (Disabled Student Programs & Services). or call 805-546-3148
College & Course Policies:
Academic Honesty Policy: [Identify your course specific academic honesty policy]. In addition to my course policy, please note all students attending San Luis Obispo County Community College District at any district site and when representing Cuesta College in any off-campus activity, assume an obligation to conduct themselves in an acceptable manner compatible with the Student Code of conduct. Please review the Cuesta College Student Code of conduct.
Add / Drop Policy:
- Add Policy.
- Drop Policy.
- f you have not logged on to the course during the first 3 days or at least once in any 5 day period of time during the term, you will be dropped from the course (unless you have made prior arrangements with the instructor)
Waitlist Policy: please review Cuesta’s waitlist procedure and instructions
icons at the top right corner of the subsection.