PHYS205A/CRN: 50068

Summer 2025:  Course runs June 9 - July 25, 2025

Instructor: Erik Veach

Modality:  online asynchronous lectures:  video and text information provided online for students to progress through independently,  lab experiments will be done through a combination of a) hands-on experiments students do at home using materials and instructions that mimic in-person lab class experiments and b) online virtual experiment simulations.  

IMPORTANT DETAILS:

• There are scheduled date ranges for quizzes and exams that will not be altered.  Students must be available for a period of time during each these date ranges to take the quiz or exam online in a quiet, private space.  These dates are listed below.
• There is no textbook to purchase.  An online open-source textbook will be utilized.
• Students will need to purchase a standard scientific calculator to use for assignments, quizzes, and exams.
• Students will need to purchase a set of materials/equipment to use for doing hands-on lab experiments independently.  The list of materials and examples of where to purchase them will be provided in the course information online starting the week before the class officially begins to allow students time to begin purchasing these items.  The total cost for these materials should not exceed $80.
• A tablet or laptop with working camera and microphone are required for this course.

Instructor 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 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.  Laboratory assignments will utilize a combination of hands-on physical experiments using materials the students will be required to procure in advance and virtual experiment simulations.

Class opens / Accessing Canvas:

Prior to the Monday classes start [June 9, 2025], 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 7 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 7 week online Summer version of the course.  Be prepared to spend around 30 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 7 weeks of the course.  30 hours per week equates to 5 hours per day, 6 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. 

To see if the time commitment for this accelerated pace course fits your availability and learning style, I recommend you take this optional  PHYS 205A compressed Summer course Time Commitment Self-Assessment Quiz  (opens in Google Forms)

IS an ONLINE CLASS FOR YOU? 

If you've never taken an online class before, visit the Cuesta College Canvas Tutorial (self paced). There are many resources that are designed to help you understand the basis for an online class and the skills necessary for success.  If the tutorials found on this page do NOT describe you, then taking this class online is likely NOT a good option for you and I strongly suggest that you enroll in a traditional classroom section instead.

SCHEDULED DATES FOR QUIZZES AND EXAMS:

While you will proceed through this course largely on your own time schedule, there are checkpoints along the way that must be completed prior to the quizzes and exams related to the subjects being assessed in that section of the course.  The quizzes and exams can be taken at any point during prescribed windows of time following a schedule that all students must adhere to.  Make sure you are available and have access to reliable internet during these windows of time.

The dates for these are as follows:

Quiz Chapters 1-2:  June 15 - June 17
Quiz Chapter 3:  June 18 - June 20
Quiz Chapters 4-5:  June 23 - June 25
Midterm #1:  June 25 - June 26
Quiz Chapter 6:  June 28 - June 30
Quiz Chapters 7-8:  July 2 - July 5
Quiz Chapters 9-10:  July 6  - July 8
Midterm #2:  July 8 - July 10
Quiz Chapters 16-17:  July 12 - July 14 
Quiz Chapters 11-12:  July 16 - July 18
Quiz Chapters 13-14:  July 20- July 22
Quiz Chapter 15:  July 23 - July 24
Final Exam:  July 24 - July 25

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 this accelerated pace course: expect to spend 10-12 hours per week viewing videos, reading the textbook, and reading instructional pages within the Canvas course shell for this class, another 10-12 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 10-12 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

1. 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.)
2. 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).)
3. 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.)
4. 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

• Textbook:  Openstax College Physics 2nd Ed.
• Calculator: A scientific calculator is required for most assignments, quizzes, and exams
• Hands-on lab experiment materials/equipment to be purchased by the student online or locally.  List will be provided within the course introduction text which opens 1 week prior to the official starting date of the course.  Total cost should not exceed $80.
• Office 365:  Many of the assignments will use MS Office 365 documents such as Word and Excel.  You will need to access these using your @my.cuesta.edu credentials.  Cuesta students receive free access to Office 365 Education edition.
• Google Apps:  Lab assignments will use Google documents such as Docs and Sheets.  You will need to access these using either your @my.cuesta.edu credentials (recommended) or your own personal gmail account credentials.  
• A tablet or laptop computer with working camera and microphone are required for this course.  Office hour help is offered via Zoom.  Exams utilize Honorlock, a remote exam proctoring system that requires the student camera and microphone to be active while taking the exam.

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.
• If 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