How Things Work: Science and Technology for Everyday Life

BIS 250, Winter 2009

How Things Work: Motion and Mechanics

Meeting Mondays and Wednesdays, 11:00 AM-1:05 PM in UW2-031

Course Homepage: http://faculty.washington.edu/swcollin/courses/bis250/

Instructor: Steven W. Collins, PhD

Email: swcollin@u.washington.edu

Office: UW2-333 Telephone: (425) 352-5356

Office Hours: Mon & Wed 10-11 AM, Tues & Thurs 11 AM-Noon, and by appointment

Description and Intended Audience

This course introduces students to basic scientific concepts needed to understand natural and physical processes and technologies encountered in everyday life. In this, the first of a two-course sequence, we focus on the physics of motion and heat, and the machines that use them to do useful work, such as lifting heavy objects, heating and cooling, and transporting people and things. The course builds progressively from basic laws of motion to their application in wind turbines, hot-air balloons, airplane, automobiles and other modern technologies.

A distinctive feature of the course is the integration of conceptual understanding with problem solving, real-world application, and historical context. We ask not only how things work, and why they work the way they do, but also how we came to understand the underlying science and how some of the technologies that apply the science have developed.

The course is designed for students curious about the workings of everyday technologies and the science behind commonly encountered natural and physical phenomena (gravity, boiling water, air pressure, accelerated motion, etc.) but who are not intending to major in science or engineering. Its credits may be counted toward the UW-wide Natural World breadth requirement. It also partially fulfills the lower division science requirement for entry into the Science, Technology & Society (STS) option in the IAS. No previous coursework in physics or other science is assumed or expected. However, students should expect to make frequent use of algebra, scientific notation, graphing, and basic geometry (of triangles and circles) and trigonometry (sine, cosine, tangent). Primers on the math used in the course can be found in the Appendices of the texts; they will be introduced at the start of the course and as needed throughout.

Our starting point is how things move. Beginning with Newton’s three laws of motion, we will explore the mechanics of falling objects, friction, ramps, wheels, and wind turbines. We then move on to the properties of solids, liquids, and gases; motion of objects through fluids (air and water); and the laws of thermodynamics (the study of heat and its inter-conversion with mechanical, chemical and other forms of energy). We work back and forth between concepts and problem solving; stories of key scientists and inventors are interwoven throughout. We build toward an exploration of mechanical technologies that exploit natural and physical processes to do useful work or provide enjoyment, such as roller coasters, balloons, airplanes, and rockets. Our journey culminates in an analysis of the internal combustion engine and automobile, which brings together in one object almost all the concepts encountered in the course to that point. We end with a discussion of the automobile of tomorrow.

Learning Objectives

Understand basic physics of devices and processes encountered in everyday life, and be able to explain them clearly in writing and orally.
Develop ability to solve problems using basic scientific concepts and mathematics, and to communicate solutions and explanations in clear, correct English.
Understand the historical origins of commonly encountered scientific ideas and inventions, and how they have changed over time.

Requirements

Four problem sets (50 % of total course grade) that ask questions and present problems based on the readings. Some of the questions and problems will be drawn from those that appear at the end of the chapters in both textbooks; others will be of my own design. You may work together with classmates, but the final result should be your own work. The questions should be word-processed and the problems written out by hand. Most questions can be answered in a sentence or two, or a well-crafted paragraph. Some may ask you to read and comment on an outside source. Still others (no more than one per assignment) may ask you to express your thoughts and considered opinion on a technology, or explain how something works, in 250-500 words. Problems will be similar to the solved problems in the texts. Dates for posting of the problem sets are:

Problem Set 1: Post by 5 PM January 9, Due Wednesday January 21
Problem Set 2: Post by 5 PM January 21, Due Wednesday February 4
Problem Set 3: Post by 5 PM February 4, Due Wednesday February 18
Problem Set 4: Post by 5 PM February 18, Due Wednesday March 11

In-class exercises and participation (15 % of total course grade). In most classes you will be given problems and questions to work on in groups (or, sometimes, individually). I may at times lecture on a concept, illustrate with an example, and then give you a problem or two to try to test your ability to apply the concept. At other times I’ll throw out a question or problem during a lecture and ask you to write out an answer very quickly; I may then call on you to share your answer with the class. The goals are to keep you alert and engaged, and to make sure you understand the subject at hand before moving on to a new topic. If you find that an answer is incorrect, go back through the problem, identify your mistake, and correct it. At random intervals I’ll collect the written answers and grade them on a credit/no credit basis. You will receive full credit if your work (or your group’s work) demonstrates thoughtful engagement with the problem or question. Always bring paper, pencils, scientific calculator, and your texts to class.

Group Project to Assess a Technology (15 % of total grade): Written assessment of the prospects of a contemporary mechanical technology. Your assessment will take one of two forms: an executive summary of your group’s findings (6-8 pages in length, not including references, title page, etc.), OR a web site designed to communicate your group’s findings in a manner both imaginative and informative. (You should choose the web site option only if someone in your group has good web-building skills or at least the time needed to learn the ropes). Whether hard copy or web-based, your report will include the following components: explanation of how the technology works, history as it is relevant to understanding the technology’s future prospects, discussion of barriers to the diffusion and improvement of the technology, any other information you deem pertinent, and a conclusion in which you suggest how we as a society should deal with this technology to ensure its most appropriate and beneficial use. Use the internet as your main source; technology magazines such as Technology Review, Wired, Popular Mechanics, Popular Science, Scientific American, New Scientist, Nature, and Science should also be consulted (Nature and Science can be accessed in their entirety online through UW libraries). Other good sources are The Economist magazine, especially its Technology Quarterly section, the Financial Times, and New York Times. Sources should be cited on a references page using proper APA format.

The groups for this project will be the same as those used in the daily in-class exercises; we will form them—3 or 4 persons per group—at the third class meeting (Jan 12). The members of each group will discuss among themselves which technology to investigate, obtain my approval of their choice, delegate tasks, and coordinate the write-up. I’ll post a list of technologies from which you can choose during the second week of the quarter, but groups are free to suggest their own; the only requirement is that it be a modern mechanical device (for example, a mountain bicycle or recumbent bicycles, humanoid robot, electric or fuel-cell automobile, personal flying vehicles, next-generation spacecraft or rocket, a battlefield weapon, wind power). Inform me of your choice no later than February 11. Turn in your report using the digital dropbox feature of Blackboard (one report per group) by 5 PM March 18. If you’re doing the web site option, send me the URL and have it ready for my inspection by that time. To facilitate communication within groups, I’ll set up shared workspaces on Blackboard for each group once we’ve formed them. I’ll also enroll as a participant in each group. These group spaces may also be used to ask questions about readings and problems, and share relevant ideas and news you think may be of interest to your peers. The grade for this project will be a group grade. I therefore expect everyone to be a team player. Anyone failing to shoulder their fair share of the effort and who resists or ignores efforts by other group members to engage should be discreetly brought to my attention; in the worst case, the grade for that individual will be lowered.

In-class final exam, on March 16 (20 % of total grade). This will consist of multiple choice and short-answer questions similar to the exercises and problems given in the textbooks and problem sets.

Course Texts and Resources

Louis A. Bloomfield, How Things Work: The Physics of Everyday Life, Fourth Edition (John Wiley, 2010). ISBN 978-0-470-22399-4

Schaum’s Outline of Theory and Problems of College Physics, Tenth Edition (McGraw-Hill, 2006). ISBN 0-07-144814-4

If you’ll be purchasing the Bloomfield text online, be sure to buy the Fourth Edition. The Third Edition, which may still be available as a used text, has much the same content as the Fourth but differs in a few important ways. The Fourth edition, but not the Third, covers wind power in chapter 2, insulation and climate in chapter 6, and hybrid automobiles in chapter 11. (We discuss hybrid automobiles in this class, but most of the content of chapter 11 is covered in BIS 251). Be aware of these differences if you decide to purchase the Third Edition, and plan on supplementing with a library or friend’s copy of the Fourth Edition as needed.

Additional readings will be made available through the library’s electronic reserve (e-reserve) service at the following URL: https://eres.bothell.washington.edu/eres/coursepage.aspx?cid=1226

These readings will be noted in the reading schedule below.

Readings may be supplemented on occasion with video documentary, live and video demonstrations, and news stories. These are noted in the schedule below or will be announced in the weekly notes I post to Blackboard.

We will use Blackboard throughout the course for announcements, posting of notes and assignments, and other communications. It is your responsibility to self-enroll in the course through Blackboard and to check it regularly for announcements and other postings. See the following link for details on enrolling in and using Blackboard: http://www.uwb.edu/edtech/blackboard/student_index.xhtml

You will need to acquire the following supplies and bring them with you to every class meeting:

· Scientific calculator. This is a calculator capable of computing exponents, logarithms, and trigonometric functions (sine, cosine, etc), as well as using scientific notation. A graphing function is not required.

· Graph paper

· Protractor. This is used to measure angles

· Ruler for measuring in centimeters, doubles as straight edge

· Ordinary writing paper and pencils

Policies and Rules

GRADING: Final grades are recorded on a 4-point scale, in accordance with UW policy. Tests and problem sets are usually graded on a 100-point scale and converted to the 4-point scale using the following conversion: 95-100=4.0, 90=3.5, 85=3.0, 80=2.5, 75=2.0, 70=1.5, 65=1.0, 60=0.0. A grade of 88 would, for example, correspond to a 3.3. Class means on assignments typically fall between 2.5 and 3.3. For more information on the UW grading system, see http://www.washington.edu/students/gencat/front/Grading_Sys.html .

LATE ASSIGNMENTS: Late work will be docked half a grade point for each day after the due date unless a student has a compelling reason and has consulted with me in advance.

DISABILITY ACCOMMODATIONS: Students who believe they have a disability and would like academic accommodations should contact Disability Support Services at 425.352.5307, 425.352.5303 TDD, 425.352.5455 FAX, or at dss@uwb.edu. They will be happy to provide assistance. Students requesting this support will be asked to provide documentation of the disability.

NOTEBOOK COMPUTERS AND OTHER ELECTRONIC DEVICES: I tend to find these annoying unless they’re being used on a specific assignment. If you have a compelling need to use a notebook computer in class for taking notes, let me know in advance—I’m willing to accommodate you if I can trust that you’re using it appropriately. When I’m talking, you should be listening; and when we’re working problems in class, you should be doing the same. If you feel the need to chat electronically or surf the web during class, respect your classmates and me by removing yourself from the classroom; otherwise, you may be asked to leave or at least stow the computer.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: UW students are held to a high standard of academic honesty and integrity. According to UW policy, “academic misconduct includes but is not limited to cheating, facilitation, plagiarism, and fabrication in connection with any exam, research, course assignment, or other academic exercise that contributes, in whole or in part, to the satisfaction of requirements for courses or graduation.” See the following link for definitions and examples of cheating, facilitation, plagiarism, and fabrication, including the process by which such incidences are reported and resolved: http://www.uwb.edu/academic/policies/Academic_Conduct.xhtml

The library has prepared the following reference on plagiarism and strategies for avoiding it:

http://www.uwb.edu/library/guides/research/plagiarism.html

SUPPORT FOR LEARNING: UWB has a pair of excellent centers that support student learning. The Quantitative Skills Center (QSC) offers free tutoring to students in any course or program that requires quantitative reasoning. The tutors can help with math, statistics, science, working with data, reading/creating graphs and charts, etc. The QSC is located in UW2-134. Check the website for the drop-in tutoring hours: http://www.uwb.edu/qsc.

The Writing Center provides free consultations to help students develop ideas and communicate them clearly in writing. It is located in UW2-124. Check the website for hours and other details:

http://www.uwb.edu/writingcenter/

REVISIONS TO THE SYLLABUS: The syllabus may be amended if circumstances warrant to correct errors or adjust the schedule of readings or of assignments. Should a revision be needed, the new version will be posted to Blackboard along with an announcement.

Schedule

Readings should be done before the class meeting for which they are assigned. Bring all readings to class on the date they are assigned. * denotes reading on e-reserve.

Jan 5 Course Introduction

PART I -- HOW THINGS MOVE -- MECHANICS

Jan 7 Skating and Inertia; Falling Objects and Projectiles

How Things Work (HWT), Sections 1.1 (Skating) and 1.2 (Falling Balls)

Jan 12 Working Problems with Speed, Displacement, Velocity, and Acceleration

Schaum’s Outline (SO), Chapter 1, pp. 1-6, and Solved Problems 1.1-1.10 and 1.15-1.17

SO, Chapter 2, pp. 15-16, and study Solved Problems 2.1-2.14, 2.17-2.19

Jan 14 Force, Work, and Energy

HTW, Section 1.3

SO, Chapter 3, pp. 28-30, and study Solved Problems 3.1, 3.3-3.6, 3.8-3.10, 3.13, 3.14, 3.19, 3.20, 3.26

Jan 21 Wind Turbines and Rotational Motion PS1 DUE!

HTW, Section 2.1

SO, Chapter 4, p. 52 only, and study Solved Problems 4.1, 4.2, 4.5, 4.8

SO, Chapter 5, pp. 62-63, and study Solved Problems 5.1-5.4

SO, Chapter 6, pp. 75-76, and study Solved Problems 6.1, 6.2, 6.4, 6.5, 6.8

SO, Chapter 7, p. 86, and study Solved Problems 7.1, 7.5, 7.7

SO, Chapter 9, pp. 106-107, and study Solved Problems 9.1-9.4

Recommended Multimedia:

How Wind Power Works, at http://science.howstuffworks.com/wind-power.htm

How Power Grids Work at http://science.howstuffworks.com/power.htm

“Wind of Change,” The Economist (4 December 2008) at http://www.economist.com/science/tq/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12673331

Jan 26 Wheels, Friction, Power, and Kinetic Energy

HTW, Section 2.2

SO, study Chapter 6 Solved Problems 6.9, 6.11, 6.12, 6.14, 6.16, 6.17, 6.20, 6.21, 6.22

SO, study Chapter 9 Solved Problems 9.5-9.7

Jan 28 Bumper Cars, Collisions, and the Conservation of Momentum

HTW, Section 2.3

SO, Chapter 8, pp. 93-94 (ignore “coefficient of restitution” and “the center of mass”), and study Solved Problems 8.1-8.4

SO, Chapter 10, pp. 118-120 (ignore “parallel axis theorem”), and study Solved Problems 10.10, 10.15, 10.16, 10.25, 10.26

Note: “Rotational mass” (used in HTW) is the same thing as “rotational inertia” (used in SO).”

Feb 2 Galileo and Newton: Fathers of the Science of How Things Work

*Newton, Roger G. (2007). The First Revolution, Chapter Four in From Clockwork to Crapshoot (pp. 67-99).

*Johnson, George (2008). Galileo: The Way Things Really Move, Chapter 1 in The Ten Most Beautiful Experiments (pp. 3-16).

Film segments to view and discuss in class (tentative): Galileo’s Battle for the Heavens (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/galileo/), Newton’s Dark Secrets (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/galileo/), and Day the Universe Changed part 5

Feb 4 Carousels and Roller Coasters PS2 DUE!

HTW, Section 3.3

SO, Chapter 9, p. 108 (on “centripetal acceleration” and “centripetal force”), and study Solved Problems 9.9, 9.10, 9.12, 9.13, 9.15

Feb 9 Rockets, Planetary Motion, and Space Travel

HTW, Section 4.2

SO, study Chapter 8 Solved Problems 8.7, 8.8, 8.19

SO, study Chapter 3 Solved Problem 3.38

Recommended Multimedia:

How Rockets Work, at http://science.howstuffworks.com/rocket.htm

PART II -- HOW GASES AND FLUIDS BEHAVE -- FLUID MECHANICS

Feb 11 Pressure, Buoyancy, Hot-Air Balloons, and Water Flow

HTW, Sections 5.1 and 5.2

SO, Chapter 13, p. 151, and study Solved Problems 13.2, 13.18, 13.19, 13.24 (which correspond to HTW 5.1); and 13.3-13.9 (which correspond to HTW 5.2)

Feb 18 Fluid Dynamics and Nozzles; Aerodynamics and Baseballs PS3 DUE!

HTW, Sections 6.1 and 6.2

SO, Chapter 14, pp. 164-165, and study Solved Problems 14.1-14.9, 14.12, 14.13, 14.14, 14.17

Feb 23 Airplanes, Jet Engines, and Flight

HTW, Section 6.3

Recommended Multimedia:

How Airplanes Work, at http://science.howstuffworks.com/airplane.htm

How Helicopters Work, at http://www.howstuffworks.com/helicopter.htm

How Gas Turbine Engines Work, at http://www.howstuffworks.com/turbine.htm

Film to view and discuss in class (tentative): Wright Brothers’ Flying Machine (preview at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/wright/ )

PART III -- HOW HOT AND COLD THINGS BEHAVE -- THERMODYNAMICS

Feb 25 Heat and Thermal Energy