Syllabus

Overview

TEXTBOOK
How Things Work: the Physics of Everyday Life, 3^rd edition, by Dr. Bloomfield. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. ISBN 0-471-46886-X, 576 pages, full-color, paperback. The 4^th edition is available and you may use it as well, but I will follow the 3^rd edition more closely. You may be able to get a used book online from the UVa book store- click here. The phone number is 434-924-3721. To buy the book used or new online – at amazon.com, click here.

HOMEWORK AND EXAMS ON WEBASSIGN
All homework and exams are submitted through a distance learning delivery system called WebAssign. After I get confirmation from the School of Continuing and Professional Studies that you have registered, I will set up a user name and password on WebAssign for you. I will notify you by your personal email and you will be able to log on to WebAssign. Click on the button on the left called Log-in-Instructions to learn how to log onto WebAssign. You then must learn how to submit homework by taking the "Practice Test : Intro to WebAssign for Physics Students" on Webassign that teaches you how to use the system. Also click on the Guide on WebAssign to learn how to use it.

UVa EMAIL ADDRESS FOR COMMUNICATION
You must activate your UVa email since all correspondence will be through your UVa email address. Click on the button on the left called Log-in-Instructions to learn how to activate your UVa email address.

DISCUSSION BOARD ON COLLAB
After you have activated your email address, you must obtain your username and password to use features of COLLAB at UVa. Click on the button on the left called Log-in-Instructions to learn how to log onto COLLAB. Your UVa email address must be activated benfore you an log onto COLLAB. We will use COLLAB as a Discussion Board and for communicating other class information. Please familiarize yourself with it.

DOWNLOAD LECTURE VIDEOS FROM COLLAB
After you log on to COLLAB, click on Radio Button "Video Lectures". You can download all 40 lectures. You can also download lecture 1 and 9 from the Syllabus. This will give you an idea of the video quaility that you can achieve with your computer software and hardware before you register.

CHAT ROOM ON COLLAB
The chat room provides a format for further interaction where it is desireable to get instant feedback to your questions.
Audio and text chat are both available. The format works best when well defined physics questions are posted in advance.
Up until now this feature has been mostly utilized by a few students who want additional help with the material.

LECTURE NOTES AND SLIDES FROM HOMEPAGE
To view or read the lecture slides and notes, which are in PDF format, you will need the software program Acrobat Reader. You can download Acrobat Reader for free by clicking the image below.