HomeMy WebLinkAboutPHY-1001
Bergen Community College
Division of Mathematics, Science and Technology
Department of Physical Sciences
Course Syllabus
Energy and Society – PHY 100
Semester and year:
Course Number:
Meeting Times and Locations:
Instructor:
Office Location:
Phone:
Office Hours:
Email Address:
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course provides an overview of the nature of energy, its uses,
and its effect on the individual, society and the environment. The course will explore the use of
energy in contemporary society and the development of renewable energy technologies. Emphasis
is placed on conservation, energy efficiency, renewable energy sources and technologies that can
be utilized to create a sustainable energy society. The laboratory part of the course will involve
service learning projects that make direct contributions to creating a more sustainable environment
at BCC and/or in the surrounding community.
CREDITS/HOURS: 4 credits {3 hr. lecture (3cr.) & 3 hr. lab (1 cr.)}
PREREQUISITES AND CO-REQUISITES: MAT - 011
GENERAL EDUCATION COURSE: Yes
COURSE CONTENT:
TEXTBOOK:
Energy, Environment and Climate: 3rd edition, Copyright 2018; Richard Wolfson; W.W. Norton
Publishing; ISBN: 978-0-393-62291-1
Because it is a copyright violation, scans of the required textbook will not be posted online, nor
e-mailed to you. This course is heavily dependent on the textbook. You must get the 3rd edition
because most quizzes, assignments, and laboratory experiments refer to specific material in it.
You do not need to purchase a new copy of the textbook. There are copies of the required
textbook on reserve in the BCC Library, which you can check out for one hour at a time.
Laboratory Manual and equipment: Provided by instructor
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Lecture Topics and Laboratory Activities:
Tentative Schedule:
Week
Number Topic Lecture Topics Laboratory Activities
1 1 Getting Started Lab 1: A Mathematics Review
2 2
Intro to Energy – Part 1
(Preliminary Definition and
History), Chapter 1
Lab 1A: Measuring Your Home
Lab 2: Measurement Devices
3, 4, 5 3
Intro to Energy – Part 2
(Conservation Laws, Forms of
Energy, Conversion of Energy,
Heat and Work), Chapters 2, 3, 4
Lab 3: Analyzing Your Home
Electricity Consumption
Lab 4: Analyzing Your Home
Heating
6, 7 4 Home Energy and Solar Energy,
Chapters 5, 6
Lab 5: Solar Cells and Solar
Electricity
8, 9 5 Fossil Fuel Energy and
Consequences, Chapters 7, 8, 9 Lab 6: Tour of Meadowlands
10 6 Electricity: Generation and
Transmission, Chapters 10, 11 Lab 7: Conservation of Energy
11 7 Electricity from Solar, Wind and
Hydro Power, Chapter 12:
Lab 8: Electrical Circuits and
Magnetism
12,13 8 Nuclear Fission Power, Fusion
Chapters 13, 14, 15, 16 Lab 9: Heat and Work
14 9 Fusion, Biomass and Geothermal
Power , Chapters 17, 18
Lab 10: Global Warming and Your
Carbon Dioxide Footprint
15 10 Energy and Your Role, Chapter 19 Service Learning Project Report
Graded Work for the Course:
Quizzes (15% of course grade) - There are ten online quizzes. The quizzes are based on the
chapters of the textbook. They are open-note and open-book but are timed with a 30 – 45 minute
limit.
Discussions (10% of course grade) - There will be several Discussions throughout the semester
concerning issues related to the reading material in the textbook as well as laboratory
assignments and other classroom activities.
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Laboratory Reports (25% of course grade) - Lab reports must be handed in one week after the
experiment was performed. The lowest lab grade will be dropped. However, failure to submit a
minimum of 70% of laboratory reports with a grade of 60 or better will result in automatic
failure for the course.
Essays (15% of course grade) – Several short essays shall be required throughout the course.
They will be checked by Turnitin® for plagiarism. If plagiarism is found, Bergen Community
College’s plagiarism policy will be enforced and the student will receive a grade of F for the
course.
Term Paper (20% of total grade) - A term paper written on a subject related to Energy and
Society is required. This paper must be original, submitted electronically by the assigned
deadline, and be in MLA format. It will be checked by Turnitin® for plagiarism. If plagiarism is
found, Bergen Community College’s plagiarism policy will be enforced and the student will
receive a grade of F for the course.
Service Learning Project and Discussion (15% of total grade) – Students are required to perform
a semester long service learning project that makes a direct contribution toward creating a more
sustainable environment at BCC and/or in the surrounding community. Students are graded on
the quality of their project and the quality of their online discussion of it.
Opportunities for extra credit may be provided by the instructor throughout the course.
Instructor’s grading policy:
Late laboratory reports that are late by no more than one week will be penalized by 20%.
After one week of lateness a laboratory report is no longer accepted. No late quizzes or
discussions are available. Late essays and term papers are not accepted. The link to submit
a quiz, essay or discussion will disappear after the deadline, so make sure you don’t wait
until the last minute. There can be no incomplete grade for the course.
Grading scheme:
The student’s numeric course grade is computed by the following weighted average:
Numeric Course Grade = (0.15×Quiz Average) + (0.10× Discussions Average) +
(0.25×Laboratory Reports Average) + (0.15×Essay Average) + (0.20×Term Paper Grade) +
(0.15×Service Learning Project and Discussion) + Extra Credit. This numeric weighted average
is then converted to a lettered course grade according to the following:
A 90 - 100
B+ 87 - 89.9
B 80 - 86.9
C+ 77 - 79.9
C 70 - 76.9
D 65 - 69.9
F 0 - 64.9
OTHER REQUIREMENTS:
A scientific calculator is required. Cell phones cannot be used for calculations.
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ATTENDANCE/LATENESS POLICY:
Be on time! Safety guidelines are discussed at the beginning of the lab, therefore, will not
guarantee inclusion into a lab group. Missed labs cannot be made up.
Communication Policies:
All assignments and communication related to the course should be transmitted to me using
either email or the Moodle messaging tool. Include specific information in the “Subject” line of
your message about the content of your message. Assignments should be submitted through
Moodle.
From Monday through Friday, you should usually expect a response to your questions within 24
hours. On Saturday and Sunday, my responses will most likely be a little slower. You may meet
with me in person during the office hours indicated at the top of this syllabus.
Please treat each other with kindness and civility in all course communication. Having a spirited
debate is okay; treating others with disrespect in a discussion is not. This will result in a score of
zero for that discussion. A future infraction will result in a zero score for all discussions.
Additional Hardware and Computer Software You Need:
You must obtain or borrow a digital imaging camera to document laboratory procedures and a
service learning project. The camera should have a flash. Most cell phone cameras will be of
adequate quality.
You may also wish to obtain or borrow a digital video camera to service learning project. These
may be uploaded to YouTube and linked to during the course discussions on these topics.
Most computers have Adobe Reader installed to view PDF files but if you don't have it on your
computer, you can download it for free from www.adobe.com.
Laboratory reports, essays and term papers will need document processing. You may use Word,
or the free document editing software of OpenOffice or Google Docs.
Laboratory reports, essays and term papers will also require the graphical plotting of data. You
may use Excel or OpenOffice for these.
Some Laboratory Reports will require 2-D and 3-D drawings. You may do these by hand, and
scan them, and insert them into your lab report.
OTHER POLICIES:
Electronic Devices: The use of portable electronic devices such as cell phones is not permitted
while class is in session. Please silence these devices before entering class.
STUDENT AND FACULTY SUPPORT SERVICES:
Bergen Community College aims to create inclusive learning environments where all students
have maximum opportunities for success. Any student who feels he or she may need an
accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact the Office of Specialized
Services at 201-612-5269 or via email at ossinfo@bergen.edu for assistance.
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The Writing Center will help you improve your writing for the assignments you will have in this
class and is located in the main building in Room C-110.
The Online Writing Lab (OWL) is an extension of the Writing Center and includes links to web
sites for improving writing.
Students experiencing difficulty with the arithmetic or problem solving aspects of this course
should acquaint themselves with the services of the Tutoring Center. Also, free online tutoring is
available through Smarthinking. The Tutoring Center offers free tutoring, supplemental
instruction, and online tutoring for all subjects offered at BCC. It is located in Room L-125, or
you can call them at (201) 447-7489.
The BCC Library is an excellent resource with outstanding staff to help you with your research
needs. In addition to the books, magazines, videos, etc., available in the library, students with a
current BCC ID number can access a broad range of electronic databases from home by going to
the library web site.
In person office hours may be a productive vehicle for assistance in understanding the course
material. You may meet with your instructor in person during the office hours indicated at the
top of this syllabus.
Bergen Community College
Core Competencies
Competency Student Learning Objectives
1. Communication 5, 14, 16, 22
2. Quantitative Reasoning 4, 5, 7, 17, 21
3. Critical Thinking 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 16, 19
4. Civic Responsibility 12, 22, 23
5. Technological and Information Fluency 6, 19
6. Personal Skills 9, 14, 16
7. Interpersonal Skills 23
8. Applied Knowledge 3, 9, 13, 14, 17
9. Creativity and Aesthetic Appreciation 15, 18, 23
All BCC students enrolled in credit courses are entitled to a WebAdvisor account. With WebAdvisor, you may register
online, check your schedule, room assignments, GPA, and find out what courses you need to take. To find out more
about WebAdvisor or to sign up online, visit <http://go.bergen.edu>! While there, please make sure you give us your
preferred email address. You'll find directions how to do this at <http://go.bergen.edu/email