St. Johns River Community College

Palatka Campus

 

 

 

Course Guide For:

 

Physical Science Laboratory (PSC 1341L)

 

 

1 credit hour

 

 

Spring 2005

T 1:00 – 2:40 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Instructor: Ryan Wolfe

Office location: Science and Technical Bldg. Room S-209A

Phone:  312-4209

E-mail: ryanwolfe@sjrcc.edu

Spring 2005 Office Hours:

 

TBA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Course Information

 

 

 

Course Title:                        Physical Science Laboratory 

Course Number:                  PSC 1341L

Course Credit:                     1 hour

Prerequisites:                      none

Corequisites:                       Physical Science (PSC1314)

 

Course Description:           Non-mathematical introductory physics/chemistry lab course designed for non-science majors. The focus of this lab is designed to complement the physical science course to introduce the great ideas of physics and chemistry to those that have limited science knowledge. You will be introduced to many scientific ideas and theories along with their social and philosophical impacts. The class will meet once a week.

 

Pre-requisites and Co-requisites:   This is an introductory science lab course and as such you need not have any previous science lab classes. The physical science course (PSC 1341) is also offered in conjunction with this course.

 

Required Course Materials:

·  Lab manual – John E. Starling Laboratory Manual for Physical Science

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grading System and Course Requirements.

 

Grading Scale – A grading scale of 90% and up will be an A, 80 % to 89% will result in a B, 70% to 79% will yield a C, 60% to 69% is a D, and 59% and below is a F. Your grade for the course will be composed of the following: lab participation, quizzes, laboratory activities.

Participation: 10%

Quizzes: 40%

Lab activities: 40%

Lab Final: 10%

 

Participation:         You will receive points during each laboratory activity relative to active participation in that week’s lab. The points will be added and distributed at the end of the semester.

Quizzes:                 A weekly quiz will be given each week. The material for the quiz will only cover lab activities that we have completed. 

Lab Activities:      Upon completion of each lab I will review your work and assign points based upon the outcome of your lab.

Lab Final:               A final exam will be given at the end of the semester, which will cover the information presented during the semester.

 

Course Policies

 

There will be no make up labs. If you must miss a lab, I will allow you to write a research paper, about 1 to 2 pages, covering a topic that I will give you. You may do this for one extra lab only. If the report is satisfactory, I will replace the points you missed with the points from the paper. If you miss any additional labs, you will automatically miss the points relative to the quizzes and lab activities.

 

Tentative Course Schedule

 

 

Week of

Lab #

Lab Title

1

1

Metric System

2

3

Mass, Volume, and Density

3

4

Inclined Plane

4

6

Heat and Temperature

5

5

Hooke’s Law

6

2

The Pendulum

7

9

Speed of Sound

8

 

Spring Break

9

8

Ohm’s Law

10

10

Light

11

 

Atoms, Ions, and Molecules

12

11

Replacement Reactions

13

12

Halogens

14

13

Final

 

(I reserve the right to alter this schedule during the syllabus as time or needs allow.)