PHY 303K (Engineering Physics I)

56700-56725
Fall 2022

I am happy to have you in this class and I look forward to helping you with your learning. My priority is to help you
have a positive learning experience. To that end, please let me know if there is anything that I can do to improve
your learning. By enrolling in the course, you agree to the structure and policies discussed in this syllabus. This
syllabus may be updated to improve the course.

Meeting Times
CLASS

4 to 4:50 pm (Central Time) on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays in PAI 2.48 (Painter Hall)

DISCUSSION

All discussion sections are on Tuesdays (times listed below) in PMA 7.124 (Physics, Math &
Astronomy Building).

Times (Central
Unique
Time)
56700 6 to 6:50 pm
56705 7 to 7:50 pm
56710 8 to 8:50 pm
56725 9 to 9:50 pm

Instructional Team
INSTRUCTOR

Dr. Viranga Perera (he/him) Office: PMA 12.328

I encourage you to talk to me one-on-one about anything related to the course by scheduling an
appointment with me using Microsoft Bookings.

DROP-IN HOURS

We will have weekly drop-in hours TBD. Please feel free to drop by, ask us questions about the
course, or just say hello.

Course Description
In this course we will use calculus to study fundamental principles of motion, heat, and waves
with a specific focus on applications in engineering.

EXPECTATIONS

As you have enrolled in this course, you have taken on the responsibility of keeping up with the
coursework and to communicate with the instructional team if you run into any difficulties with
the course. I expect you to attend each class. I understand that there may be circumstances when
you will not be able to attend. That is alright, but please let me know if you will need to miss a
class. By coming to class, I expect you to come on time and prepared (e.g., reading the assigned
textbook sections). Please be respectful towards everyone in the class. Feel free to ask me
questions if you do not understand something by raising your hand. Kindly refrain from any
activities that are not directly related to the class (e.g., using your cell phone, being on social
media websites, etc.).

PRE-REQUISITES

Credit with a grade of at least C- or registration in Mathematics 408D, 408L, or 408S, and
Physics 103M; and an appropriate score on the physics assessment exam.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

1. Connect physics principles to engineering applications

2. Relate a given physics problem to one or more fundamental physics principles/laws
3. Write fundamental physics principles/laws in equation form in the context of a particular
problem
4. Solve physics equations using calculus to find a desired parameter
5. Translate a new problem/situation in nature into a physics problem
6. Work with different people to learn and solve problems using physics

COURSE FLAGS

This course carries the Quantitative Reasoning flag. Quantitative Reasoning courses are designed
to equip you with skills that are necessary for understanding the types of quantitative arguments
you will regularly encounter in your adult and professional life. You should therefore expect a
substantial portion of your grade to come from your use of quantitative skills to analyze real-
world problems.

Course Communication
All communication in this course is expected to remain respectful.

COURSE ANNOUNCEMENTS
I will send out periodic course announcements via Canvas. It is your responsibility to ensure that
you receive those announcements via a current email address listed within Canvas.

ED DISCUSSION

If you have a question about the course, use Ed Discussion (see the tab on Canvas) to post a
question. Given that this is a large class, Ed Discussion is a good place to post questions since
others may also benefit from knowing the answer to your question. Both the instructional team
and students can post and answer questions on Ed Discussion.

EMAIL

If you have an individual question, you can email the instructional team at the email addresses
listed above.

CANVAS MESSAGES

Do not use the messaging feature that is built into Canvas. It makes it difficult to track
messages. Instead use either Ed Discussion or the email addresses for the instructional team.

Course Material
TEXTBOOK

We will be using the free OpenStax University Physics textbook (Volume 1 and Volume 2). You
can download PDFs of the textbook for free, but if you would like a physical copy you can
optionally purchase one.

QUEST

You will do your homework assignments on Quest (the question server maintained by the
College of Natural Sciences at UT Austin). The cost of the service is $25, which goes towards
the maintenance and operation of Quest. Please go to https://quest.cns.utexas.edu to log into the
system. Around the second week of class, you will be asked to pay the $25 fee. Note that you
have the option of waiting up to 15 days to pay while continuing to use Quest for your
assignments. If you are taking more than one course using Quest, you will not be charged more
than $50 per semester.

All students will be automatically enrolled an optional math review course on Quest. During this
class if you come across specific math concepts that you would like to review, you can do
practice problems on the math review course.

Course Structure & Grading

READINGS (15%)
You are expected to read specific sections of the textbook prior to each lecture. For each reading
assignment, you are expected to make at least one meaningful comment (e.g., connect the
reading to a previous class), pose a question (e.g., asking how the textbook derived an equation),
or answer someone else's question on Ed Discussion to get full credit for each reading
assignment. Readings are due at 2 pm before each lecture (there will be a Canvas assignment
for each reading to upload a screenshot of your comment/question). You will have three reading
assignments per week. I will automatically drop your three lowest reading assignments. It is
best that you try to do all reading assignments as this drop policy is meant for contingencies.

LECTURES (15%)

I will give active lectures in that they will be divided into short sections and include short
quizzes (i.e., formative assessments). Those quizzes will be given through Instapoll and
questions will be multiple choice. Quizzes will only be graded for participation and they will be
used to assess your understanding. I will automatically drop your three lowest quiz days. It is
best that you try to attend all lectures as this drop policy is meant for contingencies. During
lectures, there will be opportunities for you to ask me questions. I am here to help you learn, so it
is completely alright to tell me if you do not understand something. I will post all lecture
materials (e.g., PowerPoint slides and notes) on Canvas after each class period. Lecture
recordings will also be available for review after class through Lectures Online.

DISCUSSIONS (5%)

You are expected to attend one of the discussion sections on Tuesdays (starting on the second
week of classes) so that you have an opportunity to practice concepts that you learned in lectures.
You will receive participation credit for attending the discussion sections and completing the
problems given by the TA. I will automatically drop your lowest discussion day score. It is
best that you try to attend all discussion sections as this drop policy is meant for contingencies.

HOMEWORK (20%)

You will complete two homework assignments each week (due at 11 pm [CDT] on Mondays
and Thursdays), which you will complete on Quest. The goal of working through homework
assignments is for you to actively learn course material by trying to do problems based on the
ideas discussed in the readings and lectures. I encourage you to talk to the instructional team and
collaborate with your classmates as you complete the homework, but you are responsible for
learning and understanding the material covered. Do not just copy what someone else did just so
that you complete the assignments. Use the homework as check on your own understanding. If
you have any questions about what is and what is not acceptable in terms of collaboration, using
resources, etc., please ask. Solutions to the homework will be available 2 hours after the deadline
on Quest. I will automatically drop your three lowest homework grades. It is best that you try
to do well on all homework assignments as this drop policy is meant for contingencies.

MIDTERM EXAMS (25%)

Midterm exams are opportunities for you to demonstrate your understanding of the course
material. You will have three midterm exams covering material just prior to that particular
midterm (i.e., midterms are not comprehensive). Each midterm will take place in class and you
will have 50 minutes to complete the exam. You are of course required to take midterm exams
individually. When taking the exams, you may have one (front and back) handwritten notes sheet
on letter paper (you should only have equations and helpful notes to yourself, not complete
solutions to homework problems), a programmable calculator (generally any calculator is fine, so
long as it cannot connect to the internet), and scratch paper. No books or any online resources are
allowed. I will provide more specific details via a Canvas announcement prior to each exam. I
will automatically drop your lowest midterm score. After dropping your lowest midterm, if
your final exam score exceeds the lowest remaining midterm score, your final exam score
will replace that lowest score. It is best that you try to do well on all midterms as these drop
policies are meant for contingencies.

FINAL EXAM (20%)

The final exam is an opportunity for you to demonstrate your comprehensive understanding of
the course material. Your final exam will take place on Friday, December 9th, from 7 to 9 pm.
The final exam will be approximately 1.5-hours long. The final exam has the same policies as
midterm exams. The only difference is that you may have two (front and back) handwritten notes
sheets on letter paper for the final exam. The final exam is required and must be taken at the time
designated by the university.

GRADE BREAKS

Grade Cutoff

A 94%

A- 90%

B+ 87%

B 84%
B- 80%

C+ 77%

C 74%

C- 70%

D+ 67%

D 64%

D- 60%
 F <60%

Your course grade will be rounded to the nearest whole percentage. I will not be grading on a
curve. As such, it is possible and highly encouraged for everyone to earn an A by demonstrating
your learning.

Learning
HOW LEARNING WORKS

An aspect of learning is changing how we think and behave in response to new information. Our
brain does not just accept new information like a computer. Instead, our brain processes new
information in relation to what it already knows and tries to fit new information to old
information. To help with this process, I suggest actively trying to connect what you learn to
what you already know and to ask yourself if the old and the new information are consistent.
Overall, I want you to know that it is ok to not know something and to make mistakes while
learning. It is part of the process of learning. It is my responsibility to create a classroom
environment where everyone feels comfortable to treat learning as a process.

TEACHING PHILOSOPHY

I think it is important to tell you my teaching philosophy, so that you understand why I teach the
way that I do. Like Plutarch, I believe that “the correct analogy for the mind is not a vessel that
needs filling, but wood that needs igniting.” I generally follow a social constructivist perspective
where I try to guide you to help you make meaning of physics for yourself. As such, I will try my
best to connect this course to your interests. Please note that I am constantly adjusting my
teaching, so that I can do better in trying to help you learn. Please let me know if there is
anything I can change to help your learning.

WHY ACADEMIC INTEGRITY MATTERS TO LEARNING

As instructors we want to know if you learned the course material and we give assessments to
gauge your level of understanding. If you do anything to misrepresent your understanding, that
hurts your learning. I want you to know the material covered in this course, so that it will help
you with your future careers. I trust you to participate in this course with the highest academic
integrity. Simply put, don’t cheat. More officially, do not violate the UT Austin rules on
academic dishonesty. Listen to your inner voice that tells you to do the right thing. If you are
unsure about something, just ask me. If you violate the UT Austin rules, there are disciplinary
penalties, including the possibility of failure in the course and/or dismissal from the University.
A violation may include (but is not limited to):

• Taking Instapoll quizzes when not attending class

• Providing your UT EID to any other person
• Using unauthorized materials or sources of information on an assessment
• Recording or capturing any course material (assessments, lectures, etc.) in any format
 • The public (such that it can be viewed by more than one person) posting of any form of a
test bank or group of questions from any assessment
• Failing to properly cite language, ideas, data, or arguments that are not originally yours

If you observe cheating in any manner, you are honor bound to contact the instructor. Students
who violate University rules on academic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary penalties,
including the possibility of failure in the course and/or dismissal from the University. For further
information, visit the Student Conduct and Academic Integrity website at
http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/conduct.

Course Outline
Week Date Day Class Topics
Course Introduction, Position, Displacement & Average Velocity
Aug. 22 M 1
(Ch. 3.1)
Instantaneous Velocity & Speed (Ch. 3.2), Average &
Aug. 24 W 2 Instantaneous Acceleration (Ch. 3.3), Motion with Constant
1
Acceleration (Ch. 3.4)
Free Fall (Ch. 3.5), Finding Velocity & Displacement from
Aug. 26 F 3 Acceleration (Ch. 3.6), Displacement & Velocity Vectors (Ch.
4.1)
Acceleration Vector (Ch. 4.2), Projectile Motion (Ch. 4.3),
Aug. 29 M 4
Uniform Circular Motion (Ch. 4.4)
Relative Motion in One and Two Dimensions (Ch. 4.5), Forces
2 Aug. 31 W 5
(Ch. 5.1), Newton's First Law (Ch. 5.2)
Newton's Second Law (Ch. 5.3), Mass & Weight (Ch. 5.4),
Sep. 2 F 6
Newton’s Third Law (Ch. 5.5)
Sep. 5 M -- Labor Day (HOLIDAY)
Common Forces (Ch. 5.6), Drawing Free-Body Diagrams (Ch.
3 Sep. 7 W 7
5.7), Solving Problems with Newton’s Laws (Ch. 6.1)
Friction (Ch. 6.2), Centripetal Force (Ch. 6.3), Drag Force &
Sep. 9 F 8
Terminal Speed (Ch. 6.4)
Sep. 12 M -- Midterm Exam 1
Work (Ch. 7.1), Kinetic Energy (Ch. 7.2), Work-Energy Theorem
4 Sep. 14 W 9
(Ch. 7.3)
Power (Ch. 7.4), Potential Energy of a System (Ch. 8.1),
Sep. 16 F 10
Conservative & Non-Conservative Forces (Ch. 8.2)
Conservation of Energy (Ch. 8.3), Potential Energy Diagrams &
Sep. 19 M 11
Stability (Ch. 8.4), Sources of Energy (Ch. 8.5)
5
Linear Momentum (Ch. 9.1), Impulse & Collisions (Ch. 9.2),
Sep. 21 W 12
Conservation of Linear Momentum (Ch. 9.3)
 Types of Collisions (Ch. 9.4), Collisions in Multiple Dimensions
Sep. 23 F 13
(Ch. 9.5), Center of Mass (Ch. 9.6)
Rocket Propulsion (Ch. 9.7), Rotational Variables (Ch. 10.1),
Sep. 26 M 14
Rotation with Constant Angular Acceleration (Ch. 10.2)
Relating Angular & Translational Quantities (Ch. 10.3), Moment
6 Sep. 28 W 15 of Inertia & Rotational Kinetic Energy (Ch. 10.4), Calculating
Moments of Inertia (Ch. 10.5)
Torque (Ch. 10.6), Newton's Second Law for Rotation (Ch. 10.7),
Sep. 30 F 16
Work & Power for Rotational Motion (Ch. 10.8)
Rolling Motion (Ch. 11.1), Angular Momentum (Ch. 11.2),
Oct. 3 M 17
Conservation of Angular Momentum (Ch. 11.3)
Oct. 5 W -- Midterm Exam 2
7
Precession of a Gyroscope (Ch. 11.4), Conditions for Static
Oct. 7 F 18 Equilibrium (Ch. 12.1), Examples of Static Equilibrium (Ch.
12.2)
Stress, Strain & Elastic Modulus (Ch. 12.3), Elasticity &
Oct. 10 M 19 Plasticity (Ch. 12.4), Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation (Ch.
13.1)
Gravitation Near Earth's Surface (Ch. 13.2), Gravitational
8
Oct. 12 W 20 Potential Energy & Total Energy (Ch. 13.3), Satellite Orbits &
Energy (Ch. 13.4)
Kepler's Laws of Planetary Motion (Ch. 13.5), Tidal Forces (Ch.
Oct. 14 F 21
13.6), Einstein's Theory of Gravity (Ch. 13.7)
Fluids, Density & Pressure (Ch. 14.1), Measuring Pressure (Ch.
Oct. 17 M 22
14.2), Pascal's Principle & Hydraulics (Ch. 14.3)
Archimedes’ Principle & Buoyancy (Ch. 14.4), Fluid Dynamics
9 Oct. 19 W 23
(Ch. 14.5), Bernoulli’s Equation (Ch. 14.6)
Viscosity & Turbulence (Ch. 14.7), Simple Harmonic Motion
Oct. 21 F 24
(Ch. 15.1), Energy in Simple Harmonic Motion (Ch. 15.2)
Comparing Simple Harmonic Motion & Circular Motion (Ch.
Oct. 24 M 25
15.3), Pendulums (Ch. 15.4), Damped Oscillations (Ch. 15.5)
Forced Oscillations (Ch. 15.6), Traveling Waves (Ch. 16.1),
10 Oct. 26 W 26
Mathematics of Waves (Ch. 16.2)
Wave Speed on a Stretched String (Ch. 16.3), Energy & Power of
Oct. 28 F 27
a Wave (Ch. 16.4), Interference of Waves (Ch. 16.5)
Standing Waves & Resonance (Ch. 16.6), Sound Waves (Ch.
Oct. 31 M 28
17.1), Speed of Sound (Ch. 17.2)
11 Sound Intensity (Ch. 17.3), Normal Modes of a Standing Sound
Nov. 2 W 29
Wave (Ch. 17.4), Sources of Musical Sound (Ch. 17.5)
Nov. 4 F -- Midterm Exam 3
Beats (Ch. 17.6), The Doppler Effect (Ch. 17.7), Shock Waves
12 Nov. 7 M 30
(Ch. 17.8)
 Temperature & Thermal Equilibrium (Ch. 1.1), Thermometers &
Nov. 9 W 31
Temperature Scales (Ch. 1.2), Thermal Expansion (Ch. 1.3)
Heat Transfer, Specific Heat & Calorimetry (Ch. 1.4), Phase
Nov. 11 F 32
Changes (Ch. 1.5), Mechanisms of Heat Transfer (Ch. 1.6)
Molecular Model of an Ideal Gas (Ch. 2.1), Pressure,
Nov. 14 M 33 Temperature & RMS Speed (Ch. 2.2), Heat Capacity &
Equipartition of Energy (Ch. 2.3)
13 Distribution of Molecular Speeds (Ch. 2.4), Thermodynamic
Nov. 16 W 34
Systems (Ch. 3.1), Work, Heat & Internal Energy (Ch. 3.2)
First Law of Thermodynamics (Ch. 3.3), Thermodynamic
Nov. 18 F 35
Processes (Ch. 3.4), Heat Capacities of an Ideal Gas (Ch. 3.5)
Fall Break/Thanksgiving
Adiabatic Processes for an Ideal Gas (Ch. 3.6), Reversible &
Nov. 28 M 36
Irreversible Processes (Ch. 4.1), Heat Engines (Ch. 4.2)
14 Nov. 30 W Refrigerators & Heat Pumps (Ch. 4.3), Statements of the Second
37
Law of Thermodynamics (Ch. 4.4), The Carnot Cycle (Ch. 4.5)
Dec. 2 F 38 Entropy (Ch. 4.6), Entropy on a Microscopic Scale (Ch. 4.7)
15 Dec. 5 M 39 Final Exam Review
F Dec. 9 F -- Final Exam (Friday, December 9th, from 7 to 9 pm)

Course Policies & Disclosures

ABSENCES

I completely understand that you may miss class due to contingencies. In those cases, kindly use
the drop policies mentioned above as they are available to all students for any reason. Thus, your
missed assessments will not affect your final course grade. If you miss assessments beyond the
allocated drops, you will need to have a note from the Student Emergency Services
(https://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/emergency/), so that you can get approval for missed work.

RELIGIOUS HOLY DAYS

By UT Austin policy, you must notify me of your pending absence as far in advance as possible
of the date of observance of a religious holy day. If you will be missing a class, midterm exam,
or assignment to observe a religious holy day, you will be given an opportunity to complete the
missed work within a reasonable time after the absence if it is beyond the contingency policies
already outlined above.

NAMES & PRONOUNS

Professional courtesy and sensitivity are especially important with respect to individuals and
topics dealing with differences of race, culture, religion, politics, sexual orientation, gender,
gender variance, and nationalities. I will gladly honor your request to address you by your
chosen name and by gender pronouns you use. Class rosters are provided to me with the
student’s chosen (not legal) name (if you have provided one). If you wish to provide or update a
chosen name, that can be done easily at this page, and you can add your pronouns to Canvas.

LECTURES ONLINE

We will be using the Lectures Online recording system. This system records the audio and video
material presented in class for you to review after class. Links to the recordings will appear in the
"Lectures Online" tab on Canvas. You can learn more about how to use Lectures Online at
http://sites.la.utexas.edu/lecturesonline/students/how-to-access-recordings/. You can find
additional information at: https://sites.la.utexas.edu/lecturesonline/.

TITLE IX DISCLOSURE

Beginning January 1, 2020, Texas Senate Bill 212 requires all employees of Texas universities,
including faculty, to report any information to the Title IX Office regarding sexual harassment,
sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking that is disclosed to them. Texas law requires that all
employees who witness or receive any information of this type (including, but not limited to,
writing assignments, class discussions, or one-on-one conversations) must be report it. If you
would like to speak with someone who can provide support or remedies without making an
official report to the university, please email [email protected]. For more information
about reporting options and resources, visit http://www.titleix.utexas.edu/, contact the Title IX
Office via email at [email protected], or call 512-471-0419. Although graduate teaching
and research assistants are not subject to Texas Senate Bill 212, they are still mandatory reporters
under Federal Title IX laws and are required to report a wide range of behaviors we refer to as
sexual misconduct, including the types of sexual misconduct covered under Texas Senate Bill
212. The Title IX office has developed supportive ways to respond to a survivor and compiled
campus resources to support survivors. Faculty members and certain staff members are
considered “Responsible Employees” or “Mandatory Reporters,” which means that they are
required to report violations of Title IX to the Title IX Coordinator. I am a Responsible
Employee and must report any Title IX-related incidents that are disclosed in writing,
discussion, or one-on-one. Before talking with me or with any faculty or staff member about a
Title IX-related incident, be sure to ask whether they are a responsible employee. If you want to
speak with someone for support or remedies without making an official report to the university,
email [email protected]. For more information about reporting options and resources,
visit the Title IX Office or email [email protected].

University Resources
If you need to be absent due to a
Student family emergency,
Emergency medical/mental health concern, https://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/emergency/
Services or academic difficulty due to
crisis or an emergency situation
ITS Service If you need help with technology
https://its.utexas.edu/contact
Desk for this course
Classes, workshops, private
Sanger
learning specialist appointments,
Learning https://ugs.utexas.edu/slc/
peer academic coaching, and
Center
tutoring
Students with disabilities, or if
Disability & you think you may have a
http://diversity.utexas.edu/disability/
Access disability and need
accommodations
Counseling & If you or anyone you know is
Mental experiencing symptoms of stress,
https://cmhc.utexas.edu
Health anxiety, depression, loneliness,
Center or any other concern
General medicine, urgent care,
24/7 nurse line, women’s health,
University
sports medicine, physical
Health https://healthyhorns.utexas.edu
therapy, lab & radiology
Services
services, COVID-19 testing &
vaccinations
Office for Report any incidents related to
Inclusion & equity & inclusion you witness https://equity.utexas.edu
Equity or experience
Behavior
Concerns about the safety or
Concerns & https://safety.utexas.edu/behavior-concerns-
behavior of fellow students, TAs
COVID-19 advice-line
or professors
Advice Line
Office of
Campus Sign up for Campus Emergency
https://safety.utexas.edu/
Safety & Text Alerts
Security

Please keep this syllabus easily accessible, so that you can refer to it throughout the course.
I look forward to getting to know you and supporting your learning.