Honors Physics I

Last Updated: Mon, 01/12/2026
Course prefix:
PHYS
Course number:
2231
Semester:
Spring
Academic year:
2026
Course description:

This 5 credit hour course covers fundamental topics in Classical Mechanics. It is the Honors version of PHYS 2211, intended for students who want a more rigorous treatment of the subject matter. The course is designed for physics majors and very curious engineering/science students. Topics include Vectors and Kinematics, Newton's Laws, Particle Dynamics, Conservation Laws, Rotational Dynamics, Gravitation and Orbital Motion, and Oscillations. In addition to the lectures, the course includes a laboratory component. Two-thirds of the scheduled weekly Lab contact hours are devoted to conventional laboratory experiments, whereas one third of the contact hours are used for Problem Solving Studio sessions, in which students work collaboratively to identify essential physics concepts in a variety of contextual situations, and to formulate a systematic, organized solution to the problem identified.

Course learning outcomes:

Students who successfully complete this course will know how to quantitatively describe and analyze the motion of point objects and extended bodies, and how to apply Newton's Laws of Motion and fundamental conservation laws to problems of classical mechanics.

Required course materials:

Physics, Volume 1 (Fifth Edition), by Halliday, Resnick and Krane.

Chapters 1—14 and 17 will be covered in the course.

Grading policy:

The total course score will be calculated from scores on individual course deliverables using the following weights:

Final Exam  -  25 % 

Weighted average of 3 tests  -  45 % (strongest individual test score: 20%, second strongest: 15%, weakest: 10%) 

Labs:

  • Laboratory attendance and lab reports - 10%
  • Problem Solving Studio - 5%

Homework + Participation  -  15% 

  • Homework assignments - up to 12 points (with homework + participation capped at 15 points)
  • Class participation - up to 6 points (with homework + participation capped at 15 points)

(Sum: total weight of 100%)

The achieved percentage score will translate to the following letter grades

Letter grade: Percent 

A: 90 or more 

B: 80-89

C: 70-79

D: 60-69

F: 59 or less

 

Attendance policy:

Lab: Attendance in the lab is a course requirement. To pass this course, students must pass the laboratory portion with an average of 60% or more. Two unexcused absences from lab will result in an automatic deduction of 20% from your final lab average. Three unexcused absences from lab will result in automatic failure of the lab, and therefore, of the course.

Lectures: Irregular attendance of the lectures will lead to a poor participation grade.

Tests: An unexcused absence during a test will result in a test score of 0. If a student misses a test, and the absence is excused (by the Student Academic and Financial Affairs Committee of the Academic Senate or by Dr. Behrens on the recommendation of the Dean of Students), the missing grade will be marked as "excused" and replaced by the final exam grade at the end of the semester.

Academic honesty/integrity statement:

Students are expected to maintain the highest standards of academic integrity. All work submitted must be original and properly cited. Plagiarism, cheating, or any form of academic dishonesty will result in immediate consequences as outlined in the university's academic integrity policy.

Core IMPACTS statement(s) (if applicable):

This is a Core IMPACTS course that is part of the Technology, Mathematics & Sciences area.   

Core IMPACTS refers to the core curriculum, which provides students with essential knowledge in foundational academic areas. This course will help master course content, and support students’ broad academic and career goals.

This course should direct students toward a broad Orienting Question:

  • How do I ask scientific questions or use data, mathematics or technology to understand the universe?

Completion of this course should enable students to meet the following Learning Outcome:

  • Students will use the scientific method and laboratory procedures or mathematical and computational methods to analyze data, solve problems and explain natural phenomena.

Course content, activities and exercises in this course should help students develop the following Career-Ready Competencies:

  • Inquiry and Analysis
  • Problem-Solving
  • Teamwork
Instructor First Name:
Sven
Instructor Last Name:
Behrens
Section:
A
CRN (you may add up to five):
28864
28865
View PDF
Department (you may add up to three):
Physics

Principles of Physics II

Last Updated: Mon, 01/05/2026
Course prefix:
PHYS
Course number:
2212
Semester:
Spring
Academic year:
2026
Course description:

This course deals with electric and magnetic interactions, which are central to the structure of matter, to chemical and biological phenomena, and to the design and operation of most modern technology. The main goal of this course is to have you engage in a process central to science: the attempt to model a broad range of physical phenomena using a small set of powerful fundamental principles.

The specific focus is an introduction to field theory, in terms of the classical theory of electricity and magnetism. To aid in this goal you will develop computational models to visualize these fields and the interaction of charged particles. These models will be made using the Visual Python programming language. The course also emphasizes the atomic structure of matter, especially the role of electrons and protons in matter. This is a calculus-based course.



 

Course learning outcomes:

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

  • Analyze physical systems by applying the fundamental principles of electricity and magnetism (e.g., Coulomb's Law, Gauss's Law, Ampere's Law, Faraday's Law).
  • Calculate electric and magnetic fields, forces, potentials, and energies for various charge and current distributions.
  • Develop and interpret 3D computational models of electromagnetic phenomena using VPython.
  • Explain the behavior of electric circuits containing resistors, capacitors, and inductors from both a microscopic and macroscopic perspective.
  • Describe the production and properties of electromagnetic radiation.
  • Model complex physical systems by making appropriate idealizations and approximations.
  • Communicate scientific reasoning and results effectively through laboratory activities.

Topics Covered

  • The Electric Field: Coulomb's Law, fields of point and distributed charges, polarization, and physical integrals.
  • Electric Potential: Potential difference, potential energy, and the relationship to the electric field.
  • Electric Circuits: Microscopic models of current, resistance, capacitance, inductance, batteries, and DC circuits.
  • The Magnetic Field: Magnetic forces, sources of magnetic fields (Ampere's Law), and atomic models of magnetism.
  • Electromagnetism: Patterns of fields (Gauss's Law), motional EMF, and Faraday's Law of Induction.
  • Electromagnetic Radiation: The properties of electromagnetic waves and their production by accelerating charges.
Required course materials:

In an effort to reduce cost to students, we are offering this course using a combination of instructor created content and open-access resources. This means students are not required to purchase a textbook or pay a lab fee. Our curriculum will, however, roughly follow the Matter & Interactions, Vol. 2: Electricity and Magnetism, 4th Edition by R. Chabay & B. Sherwood (John Wiley & Sons 2015). If students prefer a traditional textbook as a study aid, we recommend purchasing a used copy (even the 3rd edition should work).

The Georgia Tech Library has a few physical copies of the textbook available for students to borrow or to make photocopies. Ask at the INFODesk: Grove Level, Price Gilbert;

The lab experiments require students to have a smartphone (for video recording) and a laptop/computer (for coding and video analysis).

Grading policy:

In an effort to reduce cost to students, we are offering this course using a combination of instructor created content and open-access resources. This means students are not required to purchase a textbook or pay a lab fee. Our curriculum will, however, roughly follow the Matter & Interactions, Vol. 2: Electricity and Magnetism, 4th Edition by R. Chabay & B. Sherwood (John Wiley & Sons 2015). If students prefer a traditional textbook as a study aid, we recommend purchasing a used copy (even the 3rd edition should work).

The Georgia Tech Library has a few physical copies of the textbook available for students to borrow or to make photocopies. Ask at the INFODesk: Grove Level, Price Gilbert;

The lab experiments require students to have a smartphone (for video recording) and a laptop/computer (for coding and video analysis).



 

Grading policy

Numerical ranges for final grades are as follows: 

  • A = 90-100 points
  • B = 80-89 points
  • C = 70-79 points
  • D = 60-69 points
  • F = 0-59 points

Final grades will not be curved.

You can use the Canvas gradebook to keep track of your progress in this course. However, please note that the Canvas gradebook cannot accommodate our test weighing scheme or the bucket points. This causes a small but sometimes significant error in the overall grade that Canvas reports to students.

To accurately compute your final course grade, you cannot rely on the Canvas gradebook; instead you MUST use the spreadsheet found in Files > Documents >

The Core Points

All students must participate in these activities or receive a zero for the assignment. Please contact the Course Coordinator to be excused from these activities.

  • 40 pts – Tests
    • Weighted: lowest scoring test is 5pts, middle score is 15pts, highest score is 20pts
  • 25 pts - Final Exam
  • 25 pts – Laboratory
    • 15pts for the Lab Experiments (video lab reports + peer grading)
    • 10pts for Group Problem Solving (GPS)

The Bucket Points

There are various categories of bucket point assignments totaling 20 points. Students can earn up to 10 points max toward their final grade through any combination of the bucket point activities. These assignments cannot be excused or made up; missing points are earned by completing additional bucket activities. Partial credit can be earned in all categories. No extra credit is earned from completing more than 10 bucket points.

  • 6 pts - Class participation (clickers)
  • 4 pts – Homework
  • 2 pts - aiPlato Review Assignments
  • 1 pts - Weekly previews
  • 1 pt - Test wrappers
  • 1 pt - Wiki resource
  • 1 pt - Public lecture reviews
  • 1 pt - Midterm survey

The Extra Credit

You have the opportunity to earn up to 1 point of extra credit to be added to your final course grade. This can be earned by completing the Physics Pre/Post Tests and the Problem Solving Surveys.

Attendance policy:

Lectures. Attendance to lectures is required. Class participation will be monitored through a series of in-class polling-type questions (clickers). Students must complete at least 50% of the questions in each lecture to earn the participation point for that lecture. Class participation is in the "Bucket" category of assignments, so any missed points can be made up by completing other Bucket assignments.

Lab Meetings. Attendance to the lab meetings (where students work on GPS and Lab Experiments) is mandatory. Students who need to miss a lab meeting must complete the GPS Excused Absence form to be excused from the GPS. Since Lab Experiments follow two-week cycles, missing one lab meeting does not excuse a student from completing the lab experiment.

Academic honesty/integrity statement:

Students are expected to maintain the highest standards of academic integrity. All work submitted must be original and properly cited. Plagiarism, cheating, or any form of academic dishonesty will result in immediate consequences as outlined in the university's academic integrity policy.

The policy on academic honesty as stated in the Honor Code will be fully enforced during this course for both the instructors and student. All Honor code violations will be referred to the Dean of Students office.

  • Collaboration with other students in this course on homework assignments, lab assignments, and in-class activities is permitted and encouraged.
    • For lab experiments, students are allowed to collaborate in performing the experiment and collecting data, but all data analysis, coding, and video lab reports must be individual.
  • Collaboration is NOT PERMITTED during tests or the final exam.
    • These activities are closed internet, closed books, closed notes, with the following exceptions:
      • Students are allowed a copy of the formula sheet found on Canvas (which will be included in the exam papers).
      • Students are allowed blank sheets of paper (which will be included in the exam papers).
      • Students are allowed a calculator (as long as it cannot communicate with other calculators, which means no smartphone calculator apps are allowed).
    • Students must work on the tests individually and receive no assistance from any other person or resource.
    • Work submitted outside of the testing period will not be graded.
  • Students who post course content to online resources external to Georgia Tech (e.g, Chegg) will be referred to the Dean of Students office for Academic Misconduct.
Core IMPACTS statement(s) (if applicable):

This is a Core IMPACTS course that is part of the Technology, Mathematics & Sciences area.

Core IMPACTS refers to the core curriculum, which provides students with essential knowledge in foundational academic areas. This course will help master course content, and support students' broad academic and career goals.

This course should direct students toward a broad Orienting Question:

  • How do I ask scientific questions or use data, mathematics or technology to understand the universe?

Completion of this course should enable students to meet the following Learning Outcome:

  • Students will use the scientific method and laboratory procedures or mathematical and computational methods to analyze data, solve problems and explain natural phenomena.

Course content, activities and exercises in this course should help students develop the following Career-Ready Competencies:

  • Inquiry and Analysis
  • Problem-Solving
  • Teamwork
Instructor First Name:
Edwin
Instructor Last Name:
Greco
Section:
HP
CRN (you may add up to five):
31671
View PDF
Department (you may add up to three):
Physics

Principles of Physics II

Last Updated: Mon, 01/05/2026
Course prefix:
PHYS
Course number:
2212
Semester:
Spring
Academic year:
2026
Course description:

This course deals with electric and magnetic interactions, which are central to the structure of matter, to chemical and biological phenomena, and to the design and operation of most modern technology. The main goal of this course is to have you engage in a process central to science: the attempt to model a broad range of physical phenomena using a small set of powerful fundamental principles.

The specific focus is an introduction to field theory, in terms of the classical theory of electricity and magnetism. To aid in this goal you will develop computational models to visualize these fields and the interaction of charged particles. These models will be made using the Visual Python programming language. The course also emphasizes the atomic structure of matter, especially the role of electrons and protons in matter. This is a calculus-based course.



 

Course learning outcomes:

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

  • Analyze physical systems by applying the fundamental principles of electricity and magnetism (e.g., Coulomb's Law, Gauss's Law, Ampere's Law, Faraday's Law).
  • Calculate electric and magnetic fields, forces, potentials, and energies for various charge and current distributions.
  • Develop and interpret 3D computational models of electromagnetic phenomena using VPython.
  • Explain the behavior of electric circuits containing resistors, capacitors, and inductors from both a microscopic and macroscopic perspective.
  • Describe the production and properties of electromagnetic radiation.
  • Model complex physical systems by making appropriate idealizations and approximations.
  • Communicate scientific reasoning and results effectively through laboratory activities.

Topics Covered

  • The Electric Field: Coulomb's Law, fields of point and distributed charges, polarization, and physical integrals.
  • Electric Potential: Potential difference, potential energy, and the relationship to the electric field.
  • Electric Circuits: Microscopic models of current, resistance, capacitance, inductance, batteries, and DC circuits.
  • The Magnetic Field: Magnetic forces, sources of magnetic fields (Ampere's Law), and atomic models of magnetism.
  • Electromagnetism: Patterns of fields (Gauss's Law), motional EMF, and Faraday's Law of Induction.
  • Electromagnetic Radiation: The properties of electromagnetic waves and their production by accelerating charges.
Required course materials:

In an effort to reduce cost to students, we are offering this course using a combination of instructor created content and open-access resources. This means students are not required to purchase a textbook or pay a lab fee. Our curriculum will, however, roughly follow the Matter & Interactions, Vol. 2: Electricity and Magnetism, 4th Edition by R. Chabay & B. Sherwood (John Wiley & Sons 2015). If students prefer a traditional textbook as a study aid, we recommend purchasing a used copy (even the 3rd edition should work).

The Georgia Tech Library has a few physical copies of the textbook available for students to borrow or to make photocopies. Ask at the INFODesk: Grove Level, Price Gilbert;

The lab experiments require students to have a smartphone (for video recording) and a laptop/computer (for coding and video analysis).

Grading policy:

In an effort to reduce cost to students, we are offering this course using a combination of instructor created content and open-access resources. This means students are not required to purchase a textbook or pay a lab fee. Our curriculum will, however, roughly follow the Matter & Interactions, Vol. 2: Electricity and Magnetism, 4th Edition by R. Chabay & B. Sherwood (John Wiley & Sons 2015). If students prefer a traditional textbook as a study aid, we recommend purchasing a used copy (even the 3rd edition should work).

The Georgia Tech Library has a few physical copies of the textbook available for students to borrow or to make photocopies. Ask at the INFODesk: Grove Level, Price Gilbert;

The lab experiments require students to have a smartphone (for video recording) and a laptop/computer (for coding and video analysis).



 

Grading policy

Numerical ranges for final grades are as follows: 

  • A = 90-100 points
  • B = 80-89 points
  • C = 70-79 points
  • D = 60-69 points
  • F = 0-59 points

Final grades will not be curved.

You can use the Canvas gradebook to keep track of your progress in this course. However, please note that the Canvas gradebook cannot accommodate our test weighing scheme or the bucket points. This causes a small but sometimes significant error in the overall grade that Canvas reports to students.

To accurately compute your final course grade, you cannot rely on the Canvas gradebook; instead you MUST use the spreadsheet found in Files > Documents >

The Core Points

All students must participate in these activities or receive a zero for the assignment. Please contact the Course Coordinator to be excused from these activities.

  • 40 pts – Tests
    • Weighted: lowest scoring test is 5pts, middle score is 15pts, highest score is 20pts
  • 25 pts - Final Exam
  • 25 pts – Laboratory
    • 15pts for the Lab Experiments (video lab reports + peer grading)
    • 10pts for Group Problem Solving (GPS)

The Bucket Points

There are various categories of bucket point assignments totaling 20 points. Students can earn up to 10 points max toward their final grade through any combination of the bucket point activities. These assignments cannot be excused or made up; missing points are earned by completing additional bucket activities. Partial credit can be earned in all categories. No extra credit is earned from completing more than 10 bucket points.

  • 6 pts - Class participation (clickers)
  • 4 pts – Homework
  • 2 pts - aiPlato Review Assignments
  • 1 pts - Weekly previews
  • 1 pt - Test wrappers
  • 1 pt - Wiki resource
  • 1 pt - Public lecture reviews
  • 1 pt - Midterm survey

The Extra Credit

You have the opportunity to earn up to 1 point of extra credit to be added to your final course grade. This can be earned by completing the Physics Pre/Post Tests and the Problem Solving Surveys.

Attendance policy:

Lectures. Attendance to lectures is required. Class participation will be monitored through a series of in-class polling-type questions (clickers). Students must complete at least 50% of the questions in each lecture to earn the participation point for that lecture. Class participation is in the "Bucket" category of assignments, so any missed points can be made up by completing other Bucket assignments.

Lab Meetings. Attendance to the lab meetings (where students work on GPS and Lab Experiments) is mandatory. Students who need to miss a lab meeting must complete the GPS Excused Absence form to be excused from the GPS. Since Lab Experiments follow two-week cycles, missing one lab meeting does not excuse a student from completing the lab experiment.

Academic honesty/integrity statement:

Students are expected to maintain the highest standards of academic integrity. All work submitted must be original and properly cited. Plagiarism, cheating, or any form of academic dishonesty will result in immediate consequences as outlined in the university's academic integrity policy.

The policy on academic honesty as stated in the Honor Code will be fully enforced during this course for both the instructors and student. All Honor code violations will be referred to the Dean of Students office.

  • Collaboration with other students in this course on homework assignments, lab assignments, and in-class activities is permitted and encouraged.
    • For lab experiments, students are allowed to collaborate in performing the experiment and collecting data, but all data analysis, coding, and video lab reports must be individual.
  • Collaboration is NOT PERMITTED during tests or the final exam.
    • These activities are closed internet, closed books, closed notes, with the following exceptions:
      • Students are allowed a copy of the formula sheet found on Canvas (which will be included in the exam papers).
      • Students are allowed blank sheets of paper (which will be included in the exam papers).
      • Students are allowed a calculator (as long as it cannot communicate with other calculators, which means no smartphone calculator apps are allowed).
    • Students must work on the tests individually and receive no assistance from any other person or resource.
    • Work submitted outside of the testing period will not be graded.
  • Students who post course content to online resources external to Georgia Tech (e.g, Chegg) will be referred to the Dean of Students office for Academic Misconduct.
Core IMPACTS statement(s) (if applicable):

This is a Core IMPACTS course that is part of the Technology, Mathematics & Sciences area.

Core IMPACTS refers to the core curriculum, which provides students with essential knowledge in foundational academic areas. This course will help master course content, and support students' broad academic and career goals.

This course should direct students toward a broad Orienting Question:

  • How do I ask scientific questions or use data, mathematics or technology to understand the universe?

Completion of this course should enable students to meet the following Learning Outcome:

  • Students will use the scientific method and laboratory procedures or mathematical and computational methods to analyze data, solve problems and explain natural phenomena.

Course content, activities and exercises in this course should help students develop the following Career-Ready Competencies:

  • Inquiry and Analysis
  • Problem-Solving
  • Teamwork
Instructor First Name:
Edwin
Instructor Last Name:
Greco
Section:
ABCDE
CRN (you may add up to five):
20655
22056
29440
32803
28897
View PDF
Department (you may add up to three):
Physics

Introductory Physics I

Last Updated: Mon, 01/05/2026
Course prefix:
PHYS
Course number:
1111
Semester:
Spring
Academic year:
2026
Course description:

An introductory course which will include mechanics (kinematics, dynamics, work and energy, momentum and collisions, and rotational motion and statics), and will include thermodynamics and waves. Elementary algebra and trigonometry will be used.

Course learning outcomes:
  • Develop critical, analytical, thinking skills and promote deductive reasoning to find creative, practical solutions.
  • Develop ownership and accountability in the learning process, while developing collaborative working skills and effective communication skills
  • Analyze and evaluate a physical situation, using multiple representations such as written conceptual statements, mathematical equations, diagrams, and graphs, and be able to translate from one representation to another.
  • Apply the concepts you learn in this course to your day-to-day life and relate the applicability of these concepts to your future career paths.
Required course materials:

“Urone/Hinrichs College Physics 2016 update published by OpenStax” 

This is a FREE textbook you can access using the link below. 

https://assets.openstax.org/oscms-prodcms/media/documents/College_Physics-WEB_2s5sHvR.pdf

Access to canvas. 

A calculator, a smart phone. 

Access to webassign for homework.

Grading policy:

Grading System

Your final grade will be computed as follows:

Welcome Module 2 %

Pre-Class Activities 5 %

In-Class Participation and Activities  10 %

Homework 8 %

Quizzes 10 % 

Labs  25 %

Capstone Project  15 %

Exams 10 %

Final Exam  15 %

 

The standard 10-point scale will be used to assign letter grades;

A: [90%,100%];  B: [80%, 90%);  C: [70%,80%);  D: [60%, 70%);  F: [0, 60%)

Attendance policy:

This course is delivered in hybrid format. You are expected to attend all scheduled sessions. 

  • Lectures will be taught in a “asynchronous” and “flipped” manner. You will watch the lesson videos and complete the Lecture Activity on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
  • A Teaching Assistant (TA) will review course material and facilitate a session, known as recitation via TEAMS on Mondays and Wednesdays.
  • Lastly, you will meet with the instructor to review the week’s material and ask any questions you have via TEAMS on Fridays. 
Academic honesty/integrity statement:

Students are expected to maintain the highest standards of academic integrity. All work submitted must be original and properly cited. Plagiarism, cheating, or any form of academic dishonesty will result in immediate consequences as outlined in the university's academic integrity policy.

Instructor First Name:
Prabha
Instructor Last Name:
Padukka
Section:
QH
CRN (you may add up to five):
34935
View PDF
Department (you may add up to three):
Physics

Principles of Physics 1

Last Updated: Sat, 01/03/2026
Course prefix:
PHYS
Course number:
2211
Semester:
Spring
Academic year:
2026
Course description:

An introductory course which will include mechanics (kinematics, dynamics, work and energy, momentum and collisions, and rotational motion and statics), and may also include oscillations and computational methods. This is a calculus-based course.
 

Course learning outcomes:
  • Apply a small set of fundamental physical principles to a wide variety of situations.
  • Use these principles to explain a wide variety of physical phenomena.
    • Communicating scientific ideas is a big part of the laboratory.
  • Make macro-micro connections, based on the atomic nature of matter.
  • Model physical systems: make idealizations, simplifying assumptions, estimates.
  • Construct computational models to predict the time evolution of system behavior.
Required course materials:

In an effort to reduce cost to students, we are offering this course using a combination of instructor created content and open-access resources. This means students are not required to purchase a textbook or pay a lab fee. Our curriculum will, however, roughly follow the Matter & Interactions, Vol. I: Modern Mechanics, 4th Edition by R. Chabay & B. Sherwood (John Wiley & Sons 2015). If students prefer a traditional textbook as a study aid, we recommend purchasing a used copy (even the 3rd edition should work).

The Georgia Tech Library has a few physical copies of the textbook available for students to borrow or to make photocopies. Ask at the INFODesk: Grove Level, Price Gilbert; QC23.2 .C43 2015

The lab experiments require students to have a smartphone (for video recording) and a laptop/computer (for coding and video analysis). 

Grading policy:

Numerical ranges for final grades are as follows: 

  • A = 90-100 points
  • B = 80-89 points
  • C = 70-79 points
  • D = 60-69 points
  • F = 0-59 points

Final grades will not be curved.

You can use the Canvas gradebook to keep track of your progress in this course. However, please note that the Canvas gradebook cannot accommodate our test weighing scheme or the bucket points. This causes a small but sometimes significant error in the overall grade that Canvas reports to students.

To accurately compute your final course grade, you CANNOT rely on the Canvas gradebook; instead you MUST use the spreadsheet found in Files > Documents > WhatsMyGrade2211.xlsx

The Core Points

All students must participate in these activities or receive a zero for the assignment. Please contact the Course Coordinator to be excused from these activities.

  • 40 pts - Tests
    • Weighted: lowest scoring test is 5pts, middle score is 15pts, highest score is 20pts
  • 25 pts - Final Exam
  • 25 pts - Laboratory
    • 15pts for the Lab Experiments (video lab reports + peer grading)
    • 10pts for Group Problem Solving (GPS)

The Bucket Points

There are various categories of bucket point assignments totaling 20 points. Students can earn up to 10 points max toward their final grade through any combination of the bucket point activities. These assignments cannot be excused or made up; missing points are earned by completing additional bucket activities. Partial credit can be earned in all categories. No extra credit is earned from completing more than 10 bucket points.

  • 6 pts - Class participation (clickers)
  • 4 pts - Homework
  • 1 pts - Weekly previews
  • 1 pt - Test wrappers
  • 1 pt - Wiki resource
  • 1 pt - Public lecture reviews
  • 1 pt - Midterm survey
  • 1 pt - Edstem participation

The Extra Credit

You have the opportunity to earn up to 1 point of extra credit to be added to your final course grade. This can be earned by completing the Physics Pre/Post Tests and the Problem Solving Surveys.

Attendance policy:

Lectures. Attendance to lectures is required. Class participation will be monitored through a series of in-class polling-type questions (clickers). Students must complete at least 50% of the questions in each lecture to earn the participation point for that lecture. Class participation is in the "Bucket" category of assignments, so any missed points can be made up by completing other Bucket assignments.

Lab Meetings. Attendance to the lab meetings (where students work on GPS and Lab Experiments) is mandatory. Students who need to miss a lab meeting must complete the GPS Excused Absence form to be excused from the GPS. Since Lab Experiments follow two-week cycles, missing one lab meeting does not excuse a student from completing the lab experiment. 

Academic honesty/integrity statement:

Students are expected to maintain the highest standards of academic integrity. All work submitted must be original and properly cited. Plagiarism, cheating, or any form of academic dishonesty will result in immediate consequences as outlined in the university's academic integrity policy.

The policy on academic honesty as stated in the Honor Code will be fully enforced during this course for both the instructors and student. All Honor code violations will be referred to the Dean of Students office.

  • Collaboration with other students in this course on homework assignments, lab assignments, and in-class activities is permitted and encouraged.
    • For lab experiments, students are allowed to collaborate in performing the experiment and collecting data, but all data analysis, coding, and video lab reports must be individual.
  • Collaboration is NOT PERMITTED during tests or the final exam.
    • These activities are closed internet, closed books, closed notes, with the following exceptions:
      • Students are allowed a copy of the formula sheet found on Canvas (which will be included in the exam papers).
      • Students are allowed blank sheets of paper (which will be included in the exam papers).
      • Students are allowed a calculator (as long as it cannot communicate with other calculators, which means no smartphone calculator apps are allowed).
    • Students must work on the tests individually and receive no assistance from any other person or resource.
    • Work submitted outside of the testing period will not be graded.
  • Students who post course content to online resources external to Georgia Tech (e.g, Chegg) will be referred to the Dean of Students office for Academic Misconduct.
Core IMPACTS statement(s) (if applicable):

This is a Core IMPACTS course that is part of the Technology, Mathematics & Sciences area.

Core IMPACTS refers to the core curriculum, which provides students with essential knowledge in foundational academic areas. This course will help master course content, and support students’ broad academic and career goals.

This course should direct students toward a broad Orienting Question:

  • How do I ask scientific questions or use data, mathematics or technology to understand the universe?

Completion of this course should enable students to meet the following Learning Outcome:

  • Students will use the scientific method and laboratory procedures or mathematical and computational methods to analyze data, solve problems and explain natural phenomena.

Course content, activities and exercises in this course should help students develop the following Career-Ready Competencies:

  • Inquiry and Analysis
  • Problem-Solving
  • Teamwork
Instructor First Name:
Emily
Instructor Last Name:
Alicea-Munoz
Section:
HP
CRN (you may add up to five):
30461
View PDF
Department (you may add up to three):
Physics

Principles of Physics 1

Last Updated: Sat, 01/03/2026
Course prefix:
PHYS
Course number:
2211
Semester:
Spring
Academic year:
2026
Course description:

An introductory course which will include mechanics (kinematics, dynamics, work and energy, momentum and collisions, and rotational motion and statics), and may also include oscillations and computational methods. This is a calculus-based course.
 

Course learning outcomes:
  • Apply a small set of fundamental physical principles to a wide variety of situations.
  • Use these principles to explain a wide variety of physical phenomena.
    • Communicating scientific ideas is a big part of the laboratory.
  • Make macro-micro connections, based on the atomic nature of matter.
  • Model physical systems: make idealizations, simplifying assumptions, estimates.
  • Construct computational models to predict the time evolution of system behavior.
Required course materials:

In an effort to reduce cost to students, we are offering this course using a combination of instructor created content and open-access resources. This means students are not required to purchase a textbook or pay a lab fee. Our curriculum will, however, roughly follow the Matter & Interactions, Vol. I: Modern Mechanics, 4th Edition by R. Chabay & B. Sherwood (John Wiley & Sons 2015). If students prefer a traditional textbook as a study aid, we recommend purchasing a used copy (even the 3rd edition should work).

The Georgia Tech Library has a few physical copies of the textbook available for students to borrow or to make photocopies. Ask at the INFODesk: Grove Level, Price Gilbert; QC23.2 .C43 2015

The lab experiments require students to have a smartphone (for video recording) and a laptop/computer (for coding and video analysis). 

Grading policy:

Numerical ranges for final grades are as follows: 

  • A = 90-100 points
  • B = 80-89 points
  • C = 70-79 points
  • D = 60-69 points
  • F = 0-59 points

Final grades will not be curved.

You can use the Canvas gradebook to keep track of your progress in this course. However, please note that the Canvas gradebook cannot accommodate our test weighing scheme or the bucket points. This causes a small but sometimes significant error in the overall grade that Canvas reports to students.

To accurately compute your final course grade, you CANNOT rely on the Canvas gradebook; instead you MUST use the spreadsheet found in Files > Documents > WhatsMyGrade2211.xlsx

The Core Points

All students must participate in these activities or receive a zero for the assignment. Please contact the Course Coordinator to be excused from these activities.

  • 40 pts - Tests
    • Weighted: lowest scoring test is 5pts, middle score is 15pts, highest score is 20pts
  • 25 pts - Final Exam
  • 25 pts - Laboratory
    • 15pts for the Lab Experiments (video lab reports + peer grading)
    • 10pts for Group Problem Solving (GPS)

The Bucket Points

There are various categories of bucket point assignments totaling 20 points. Students can earn up to 10 points max toward their final grade through any combination of the bucket point activities. These assignments cannot be excused or made up; missing points are earned by completing additional bucket activities. Partial credit can be earned in all categories. No extra credit is earned from completing more than 10 bucket points.

  • 6 pts - Class participation (clickers)
  • 4 pts - Homework
  • 1 pts - Weekly previews
  • 1 pt - Test wrappers
  • 1 pt - Wiki resource
  • 1 pt - Public lecture reviews
  • 1 pt - Midterm survey
  • 1 pt - Edstem participation

The Extra Credit

You have the opportunity to earn up to 1 point of extra credit to be added to your final course grade. This can be earned by completing the Physics Pre/Post Tests and the Problem Solving Surveys.

Attendance policy:

Lectures. Attendance to lectures is required. Class participation will be monitored through a series of in-class polling-type questions (clickers). Students must complete at least 50% of the questions in each lecture to earn the participation point for that lecture. Class participation is in the "Bucket" category of assignments, so any missed points can be made up by completing other Bucket assignments.

Lab Meetings. Attendance to the lab meetings (where students work on GPS and Lab Experiments) is mandatory. Students who need to miss a lab meeting must complete the GPS Excused Absence form to be excused from the GPS. Since Lab Experiments follow two-week cycles, missing one lab meeting does not excuse a student from completing the lab experiment. 

Academic honesty/integrity statement:

Students are expected to maintain the highest standards of academic integrity. All work submitted must be original and properly cited. Plagiarism, cheating, or any form of academic dishonesty will result in immediate consequences as outlined in the university's academic integrity policy.

The policy on academic honesty as stated in the Honor Code will be fully enforced during this course for both the instructors and student. All Honor code violations will be referred to the Dean of Students office.

  • Collaboration with other students in this course on homework assignments, lab assignments, and in-class activities is permitted and encouraged.
    • For lab experiments, students are allowed to collaborate in performing the experiment and collecting data, but all data analysis, coding, and video lab reports must be individual.
  • Collaboration is NOT PERMITTED during tests or the final exam.
    • These activities are closed internet, closed books, closed notes, with the following exceptions:
      • Students are allowed a copy of the formula sheet found on Canvas (which will be included in the exam papers).
      • Students are allowed blank sheets of paper (which will be included in the exam papers).
      • Students are allowed a calculator (as long as it cannot communicate with other calculators, which means no smartphone calculator apps are allowed).
    • Students must work on the tests individually and receive no assistance from any other person or resource.
    • Work submitted outside of the testing period will not be graded.
  • Students who post course content to online resources external to Georgia Tech (e.g, Chegg) will be referred to the Dean of Students office for Academic Misconduct.
Core IMPACTS statement(s) (if applicable):

This is a Core IMPACTS course that is part of the Technology, Mathematics & Sciences area.

Core IMPACTS refers to the core curriculum, which provides students with essential knowledge in foundational academic areas. This course will help master course content, and support students’ broad academic and career goals.

This course should direct students toward a broad Orienting Question:

  • How do I ask scientific questions or use data, mathematics or technology to understand the universe?

Completion of this course should enable students to meet the following Learning Outcome:

  • Students will use the scientific method and laboratory procedures or mathematical and computational methods to analyze data, solve problems and explain natural phenomena.

Course content, activities and exercises in this course should help students develop the following Career-Ready Competencies:

  • Inquiry and Analysis
  • Problem-Solving
  • Teamwork
Instructor First Name:
Prabha
Instructor Last Name:
Padukka
Section:
F
CRN (you may add up to five):
30223
View PDF
Department (you may add up to three):
Physics

Principles of Physics 1

Last Updated: Sat, 01/03/2026
Course prefix:
PHYS
Course number:
2211
Semester:
Spring
Academic year:
2026
Course description:

An introductory course which will include mechanics (kinematics, dynamics, work and energy, momentum and collisions, and rotational motion and statics), and may also include oscillations and computational methods. This is a calculus-based course.
 

Course learning outcomes:
  • Apply a small set of fundamental physical principles to a wide variety of situations.
  • Use these principles to explain a wide variety of physical phenomena.
    • Communicating scientific ideas is a big part of the laboratory.
  • Make macro-micro connections, based on the atomic nature of matter.
  • Model physical systems: make idealizations, simplifying assumptions, estimates.
  • Construct computational models to predict the time evolution of system behavior.
Required course materials:

In an effort to reduce cost to students, we are offering this course using a combination of instructor created content and open-access resources. This means students are not required to purchase a textbook or pay a lab fee. Our curriculum will, however, roughly follow the Matter & Interactions, Vol. I: Modern Mechanics, 4th Edition by R. Chabay & B. Sherwood (John Wiley & Sons 2015). If students prefer a traditional textbook as a study aid, we recommend purchasing a used copy (even the 3rd edition should work).

The Georgia Tech Library has a few physical copies of the textbook available for students to borrow or to make photocopies. Ask at the INFODesk: Grove Level, Price Gilbert; QC23.2 .C43 2015

The lab experiments require students to have a smartphone (for video recording) and a laptop/computer (for coding and video analysis). 

Grading policy:

Numerical ranges for final grades are as follows: 

  • A = 90-100 points
  • B = 80-89 points
  • C = 70-79 points
  • D = 60-69 points
  • F = 0-59 points

Final grades will not be curved.

You can use the Canvas gradebook to keep track of your progress in this course. However, please note that the Canvas gradebook cannot accommodate our test weighing scheme or the bucket points. This causes a small but sometimes significant error in the overall grade that Canvas reports to students.

To accurately compute your final course grade, you CANNOT rely on the Canvas gradebook; instead you MUST use the spreadsheet found in Files > Documents > WhatsMyGrade2211.xlsx

The Core Points

All students must participate in these activities or receive a zero for the assignment. Please contact the Course Coordinator to be excused from these activities.

  • 40 pts - Tests
    • Weighted: lowest scoring test is 5pts, middle score is 15pts, highest score is 20pts
  • 25 pts - Final Exam
  • 25 pts - Laboratory
    • 15pts for the Lab Experiments (video lab reports + peer grading)
    • 10pts for Group Problem Solving (GPS)

The Bucket Points

There are various categories of bucket point assignments totaling 20 points. Students can earn up to 10 points max toward their final grade through any combination of the bucket point activities. These assignments cannot be excused or made up; missing points are earned by completing additional bucket activities. Partial credit can be earned in all categories. No extra credit is earned from completing more than 10 bucket points.

  • 6 pts - Class participation (clickers)
  • 4 pts - Homework
  • 1 pts - Weekly previews
  • 1 pt - Test wrappers
  • 1 pt - Wiki resource
  • 1 pt - Public lecture reviews
  • 1 pt - Midterm survey
  • 1 pt - Edstem participation

The Extra Credit

You have the opportunity to earn up to 1 point of extra credit to be added to your final course grade. This can be earned by completing the Physics Pre/Post Tests and the Problem Solving Surveys.

Attendance policy:

Lectures. Attendance to lectures is required. Class participation will be monitored through a series of in-class polling-type questions (clickers). Students must complete at least 50% of the questions in each lecture to earn the participation point for that lecture. Class participation is in the "Bucket" category of assignments, so any missed points can be made up by completing other Bucket assignments.

Lab Meetings. Attendance to the lab meetings (where students work on GPS and Lab Experiments) is mandatory. Students who need to miss a lab meeting must complete the GPS Excused Absence form to be excused from the GPS. Since Lab Experiments follow two-week cycles, missing one lab meeting does not excuse a student from completing the lab experiment. 

Academic honesty/integrity statement:

Students are expected to maintain the highest standards of academic integrity. All work submitted must be original and properly cited. Plagiarism, cheating, or any form of academic dishonesty will result in immediate consequences as outlined in the university's academic integrity policy.

The policy on academic honesty as stated in the Honor Code will be fully enforced during this course for both the instructors and student. All Honor code violations will be referred to the Dean of Students office.

  • Collaboration with other students in this course on homework assignments, lab assignments, and in-class activities is permitted and encouraged.
    • For lab experiments, students are allowed to collaborate in performing the experiment and collecting data, but all data analysis, coding, and video lab reports must be individual.
  • Collaboration is NOT PERMITTED during tests or the final exam.
    • These activities are closed internet, closed books, closed notes, with the following exceptions:
      • Students are allowed a copy of the formula sheet found on Canvas (which will be included in the exam papers).
      • Students are allowed blank sheets of paper (which will be included in the exam papers).
      • Students are allowed a calculator (as long as it cannot communicate with other calculators, which means no smartphone calculator apps are allowed).
    • Students must work on the tests individually and receive no assistance from any other person or resource.
    • Work submitted outside of the testing period will not be graded.
  • Students who post course content to online resources external to Georgia Tech (e.g, Chegg) will be referred to the Dean of Students office for Academic Misconduct.
Core IMPACTS statement(s) (if applicable):

This is a Core IMPACTS course that is part of the Technology, Mathematics & Sciences area.

Core IMPACTS refers to the core curriculum, which provides students with essential knowledge in foundational academic areas. This course will help master course content, and support students’ broad academic and career goals.

This course should direct students toward a broad Orienting Question:

  • How do I ask scientific questions or use data, mathematics or technology to understand the universe?

Completion of this course should enable students to meet the following Learning Outcome:

  • Students will use the scientific method and laboratory procedures or mathematical and computational methods to analyze data, solve problems and explain natural phenomena.

Course content, activities and exercises in this course should help students develop the following Career-Ready Competencies:

  • Inquiry and Analysis
  • Problem-Solving
  • Teamwork
Instructor First Name:
Jennifer
Instructor Last Name:
Curtis
Section:
E
CRN (you may add up to five):
29439
View PDF
Department (you may add up to three):
Physics

Principles of Physics 1

Last Updated: Sat, 01/03/2026
Course prefix:
PHYS
Course number:
2211
Semester:
Spring
Academic year:
2026
Course description:

An introductory course which will include mechanics (kinematics, dynamics, work and energy, momentum and collisions, and rotational motion and statics), and may also include oscillations and computational methods. This is a calculus-based course.
 

Course learning outcomes:
  • Apply a small set of fundamental physical principles to a wide variety of situations.
  • Use these principles to explain a wide variety of physical phenomena.
    • Communicating scientific ideas is a big part of the laboratory.
  • Make macro-micro connections, based on the atomic nature of matter.
  • Model physical systems: make idealizations, simplifying assumptions, estimates.
  • Construct computational models to predict the time evolution of system behavior.
Required course materials:

In an effort to reduce cost to students, we are offering this course using a combination of instructor created content and open-access resources. This means students are not required to purchase a textbook or pay a lab fee. Our curriculum will, however, roughly follow the Matter & Interactions, Vol. I: Modern Mechanics, 4th Edition by R. Chabay & B. Sherwood (John Wiley & Sons 2015). If students prefer a traditional textbook as a study aid, we recommend purchasing a used copy (even the 3rd edition should work).

The Georgia Tech Library has a few physical copies of the textbook available for students to borrow or to make photocopies. Ask at the INFODesk: Grove Level, Price Gilbert; QC23.2 .C43 2015

The lab experiments require students to have a smartphone (for video recording) and a laptop/computer (for coding and video analysis). 

Grading policy:

Numerical ranges for final grades are as follows: 

  • A = 90-100 points
  • B = 80-89 points
  • C = 70-79 points
  • D = 60-69 points
  • F = 0-59 points

Final grades will not be curved.

You can use the Canvas gradebook to keep track of your progress in this course. However, please note that the Canvas gradebook cannot accommodate our test weighing scheme or the bucket points. This causes a small but sometimes significant error in the overall grade that Canvas reports to students.

To accurately compute your final course grade, you CANNOT rely on the Canvas gradebook; instead you MUST use the spreadsheet found in Files > Documents > WhatsMyGrade2211.xlsx

The Core Points

All students must participate in these activities or receive a zero for the assignment. Please contact the Course Coordinator to be excused from these activities.

  • 40 pts - Tests
    • Weighted: lowest scoring test is 5pts, middle score is 15pts, highest score is 20pts
  • 25 pts - Final Exam
  • 25 pts - Laboratory
    • 15pts for the Lab Experiments (video lab reports + peer grading)
    • 10pts for Group Problem Solving (GPS)

The Bucket Points

There are various categories of bucket point assignments totaling 20 points. Students can earn up to 10 points max toward their final grade through any combination of the bucket point activities. These assignments cannot be excused or made up; missing points are earned by completing additional bucket activities. Partial credit can be earned in all categories. No extra credit is earned from completing more than 10 bucket points.

  • 6 pts - Class participation (clickers)
  • 4 pts - Homework
  • 1 pts - Weekly previews
  • 1 pt - Test wrappers
  • 1 pt - Wiki resource
  • 1 pt - Public lecture reviews
  • 1 pt - Midterm survey
  • 1 pt - Edstem participation

The Extra Credit

You have the opportunity to earn up to 1 point of extra credit to be added to your final course grade. This can be earned by completing the Physics Pre/Post Tests and the Problem Solving Surveys.

Attendance policy:

Lectures. Attendance to lectures is required. Class participation will be monitored through a series of in-class polling-type questions (clickers). Students must complete at least 50% of the questions in each lecture to earn the participation point for that lecture. Class participation is in the "Bucket" category of assignments, so any missed points can be made up by completing other Bucket assignments.

Lab Meetings. Attendance to the lab meetings (where students work on GPS and Lab Experiments) is mandatory. Students who need to miss a lab meeting must complete the GPS Excused Absence form to be excused from the GPS. Since Lab Experiments follow two-week cycles, missing one lab meeting does not excuse a student from completing the lab experiment. 

Academic honesty/integrity statement:

Students are expected to maintain the highest standards of academic integrity. All work submitted must be original and properly cited. Plagiarism, cheating, or any form of academic dishonesty will result in immediate consequences as outlined in the university's academic integrity policy.

The policy on academic honesty as stated in the Honor Code will be fully enforced during this course for both the instructors and student. All Honor code violations will be referred to the Dean of Students office.

  • Collaboration with other students in this course on homework assignments, lab assignments, and in-class activities is permitted and encouraged.
    • For lab experiments, students are allowed to collaborate in performing the experiment and collecting data, but all data analysis, coding, and video lab reports must be individual.
  • Collaboration is NOT PERMITTED during tests or the final exam.
    • These activities are closed internet, closed books, closed notes, with the following exceptions:
      • Students are allowed a copy of the formula sheet found on Canvas (which will be included in the exam papers).
      • Students are allowed blank sheets of paper (which will be included in the exam papers).
      • Students are allowed a calculator (as long as it cannot communicate with other calculators, which means no smartphone calculator apps are allowed).
    • Students must work on the tests individually and receive no assistance from any other person or resource.
    • Work submitted outside of the testing period will not be graded.
  • Students who post course content to online resources external to Georgia Tech (e.g, Chegg) will be referred to the Dean of Students office for Academic Misconduct.
Core IMPACTS statement(s) (if applicable):

This is a Core IMPACTS course that is part of the Technology, Mathematics & Sciences area.

Core IMPACTS refers to the core curriculum, which provides students with essential knowledge in foundational academic areas. This course will help master course content, and support students’ broad academic and career goals.

This course should direct students toward a broad Orienting Question:

  • How do I ask scientific questions or use data, mathematics or technology to understand the universe?

Completion of this course should enable students to meet the following Learning Outcome:

  • Students will use the scientific method and laboratory procedures or mathematical and computational methods to analyze data, solve problems and explain natural phenomena.

Course content, activities and exercises in this course should help students develop the following Career-Ready Competencies:

  • Inquiry and Analysis
  • Problem-Solving
  • Teamwork
Instructor First Name:
Nicholas
Instructor Last Name:
Darnton
Section:
C
CRN (you may add up to five):
20606
View PDF
Department (you may add up to three):
Physics

Principles of Physics 1

Last Updated: Sat, 01/03/2026
Course prefix:
PHYS
Course number:
2211
Semester:
Spring
Academic year:
2026
Course description:

An introductory course which will include mechanics (kinematics, dynamics, work and energy, momentum and collisions, and rotational motion and statics), and may also include oscillations and computational methods. This is a calculus-based course.
 

Course learning outcomes:
  • Apply a small set of fundamental physical principles to a wide variety of situations.
  • Use these principles to explain a wide variety of physical phenomena.
    • Communicating scientific ideas is a big part of the laboratory.
  • Make macro-micro connections, based on the atomic nature of matter.
  • Model physical systems: make idealizations, simplifying assumptions, estimates.
  • Construct computational models to predict the time evolution of system behavior.
Required course materials:

In an effort to reduce cost to students, we are offering this course using a combination of instructor created content and open-access resources. This means students are not required to purchase a textbook or pay a lab fee. Our curriculum will, however, roughly follow the Matter & Interactions, Vol. I: Modern Mechanics, 4th Edition by R. Chabay & B. Sherwood (John Wiley & Sons 2015). If students prefer a traditional textbook as a study aid, we recommend purchasing a used copy (even the 3rd edition should work).

The Georgia Tech Library has a few physical copies of the textbook available for students to borrow or to make photocopies. Ask at the INFODesk: Grove Level, Price Gilbert; QC23.2 .C43 2015

The lab experiments require students to have a smartphone (for video recording) and a laptop/computer (for coding and video analysis). 

Grading policy:

Numerical ranges for final grades are as follows: 

  • A = 90-100 points
  • B = 80-89 points
  • C = 70-79 points
  • D = 60-69 points
  • F = 0-59 points

Final grades will not be curved.

You can use the Canvas gradebook to keep track of your progress in this course. However, please note that the Canvas gradebook cannot accommodate our test weighing scheme or the bucket points. This causes a small but sometimes significant error in the overall grade that Canvas reports to students.

To accurately compute your final course grade, you CANNOT rely on the Canvas gradebook; instead you MUST use the spreadsheet found in Files > Documents > WhatsMyGrade2211.xlsx

The Core Points

All students must participate in these activities or receive a zero for the assignment. Please contact the Course Coordinator to be excused from these activities.

  • 40 pts - Tests
    • Weighted: lowest scoring test is 5pts, middle score is 15pts, highest score is 20pts
  • 25 pts - Final Exam
  • 25 pts - Laboratory
    • 15pts for the Lab Experiments (video lab reports + peer grading)
    • 10pts for Group Problem Solving (GPS)

The Bucket Points

There are various categories of bucket point assignments totaling 20 points. Students can earn up to 10 points max toward their final grade through any combination of the bucket point activities. These assignments cannot be excused or made up; missing points are earned by completing additional bucket activities. Partial credit can be earned in all categories. No extra credit is earned from completing more than 10 bucket points.

  • 6 pts - Class participation (clickers)
  • 4 pts - Homework
  • 1 pts - Weekly previews
  • 1 pt - Test wrappers
  • 1 pt - Wiki resource
  • 1 pt - Public lecture reviews
  • 1 pt - Midterm survey
  • 1 pt - Edstem participation

The Extra Credit

You have the opportunity to earn up to 1 point of extra credit to be added to your final course grade. This can be earned by completing the Physics Pre/Post Tests and the Problem Solving Surveys.

Attendance policy:

Lectures. Attendance to lectures is required. Class participation will be monitored through a series of in-class polling-type questions (clickers). Students must complete at least 50% of the questions in each lecture to earn the participation point for that lecture. Class participation is in the "Bucket" category of assignments, so any missed points can be made up by completing other Bucket assignments.

Lab Meetings. Attendance to the lab meetings (where students work on GPS and Lab Experiments) is mandatory. Students who need to miss a lab meeting must complete the GPS Excused Absence form to be excused from the GPS. Since Lab Experiments follow two-week cycles, missing one lab meeting does not excuse a student from completing the lab experiment. 

Academic honesty/integrity statement:

Students are expected to maintain the highest standards of academic integrity. All work submitted must be original and properly cited. Plagiarism, cheating, or any form of academic dishonesty will result in immediate consequences as outlined in the university's academic integrity policy.

The policy on academic honesty as stated in the Honor Code will be fully enforced during this course for both the instructors and student. All Honor code violations will be referred to the Dean of Students office.

  • Collaboration with other students in this course on homework assignments, lab assignments, and in-class activities is permitted and encouraged.
    • For lab experiments, students are allowed to collaborate in performing the experiment and collecting data, but all data analysis, coding, and video lab reports must be individual.
  • Collaboration is NOT PERMITTED during tests or the final exam.
    • These activities are closed internet, closed books, closed notes, with the following exceptions:
      • Students are allowed a copy of the formula sheet found on Canvas (which will be included in the exam papers).
      • Students are allowed blank sheets of paper (which will be included in the exam papers).
      • Students are allowed a calculator (as long as it cannot communicate with other calculators, which means no smartphone calculator apps are allowed).
    • Students must work on the tests individually and receive no assistance from any other person or resource.
    • Work submitted outside of the testing period will not be graded.
  • Students who post course content to online resources external to Georgia Tech (e.g, Chegg) will be referred to the Dean of Students office for Academic Misconduct.
Core IMPACTS statement(s) (if applicable):

This is a Core IMPACTS course that is part of the Technology, Mathematics & Sciences area.

Core IMPACTS refers to the core curriculum, which provides students with essential knowledge in foundational academic areas. This course will help master course content, and support students’ broad academic and career goals.

This course should direct students toward a broad Orienting Question:

  • How do I ask scientific questions or use data, mathematics or technology to understand the universe?

Completion of this course should enable students to meet the following Learning Outcome:

  • Students will use the scientific method and laboratory procedures or mathematical and computational methods to analyze data, solve problems and explain natural phenomena.

Course content, activities and exercises in this course should help students develop the following Career-Ready Competencies:

  • Inquiry and Analysis
  • Problem-Solving
  • Teamwork
Instructor First Name:
Aishik
Instructor Last Name:
Ghosh
Section:
B
CRN (you may add up to five):
29438
View PDF
Department (you may add up to three):
Physics

Principles of Physics 1

Last Updated: Sat, 01/03/2026
Course prefix:
PHYS
Course number:
2211
Semester:
Spring
Academic year:
2026
Course description:

An introductory course which will include mechanics (kinematics, dynamics, work and energy, momentum and collisions, and rotational motion and statics), and may also include oscillations and computational methods. This is a calculus-based course.
 

Course learning outcomes:
  • Apply a small set of fundamental physical principles to a wide variety of situations.
  • Use these principles to explain a wide variety of physical phenomena.
    • Communicating scientific ideas is a big part of the laboratory.
  • Make macro-micro connections, based on the atomic nature of matter.
  • Model physical systems: make idealizations, simplifying assumptions, estimates.
  • Construct computational models to predict the time evolution of system behavior.
Required course materials:

In an effort to reduce cost to students, we are offering this course using a combination of instructor created content and open-access resources. This means students are not required to purchase a textbook or pay a lab fee. Our curriculum will, however, roughly follow the Matter & Interactions, Vol. I: Modern Mechanics, 4th Edition by R. Chabay & B. Sherwood (John Wiley & Sons 2015). If students prefer a traditional textbook as a study aid, we recommend purchasing a used copy (even the 3rd edition should work).

The Georgia Tech Library has a few physical copies of the textbook available for students to borrow or to make photocopies. Ask at the INFODesk: Grove Level, Price Gilbert; QC23.2 .C43 2015

The lab experiments require students to have a smartphone (for video recording) and a laptop/computer (for coding and video analysis). 

Grading policy:

Numerical ranges for final grades are as follows: 

  • A = 90-100 points
  • B = 80-89 points
  • C = 70-79 points
  • D = 60-69 points
  • F = 0-59 points

Final grades will not be curved.

You can use the Canvas gradebook to keep track of your progress in this course. However, please note that the Canvas gradebook cannot accommodate our test weighing scheme or the bucket points. This causes a small but sometimes significant error in the overall grade that Canvas reports to students.

To accurately compute your final course grade, you CANNOT rely on the Canvas gradebook; instead you MUST use the spreadsheet found in Files > Documents > WhatsMyGrade2211.xlsx

The Core Points

All students must participate in these activities or receive a zero for the assignment. Please contact the Course Coordinator to be excused from these activities.

  • 40 pts - Tests
    • Weighted: lowest scoring test is 5pts, middle score is 15pts, highest score is 20pts
  • 25 pts - Final Exam
  • 25 pts - Laboratory
    • 15pts for the Lab Experiments (video lab reports + peer grading)
    • 10pts for Group Problem Solving (GPS)

The Bucket Points

There are various categories of bucket point assignments totaling 20 points. Students can earn up to 10 points max toward their final grade through any combination of the bucket point activities. These assignments cannot be excused or made up; missing points are earned by completing additional bucket activities. Partial credit can be earned in all categories. No extra credit is earned from completing more than 10 bucket points.

  • 6 pts - Class participation (clickers)
  • 4 pts - Homework
  • 1 pts - Weekly previews
  • 1 pt - Test wrappers
  • 1 pt - Wiki resource
  • 1 pt - Public lecture reviews
  • 1 pt - Midterm survey
  • 1 pt - Edstem participation

The Extra Credit

You have the opportunity to earn up to 1 point of extra credit to be added to your final course grade. This can be earned by completing the Physics Pre/Post Tests and the Problem Solving Surveys.

Attendance policy:

Lectures. Attendance to lectures is required. Class participation will be monitored through a series of in-class polling-type questions (clickers). Students must complete at least 50% of the questions in each lecture to earn the participation point for that lecture. Class participation is in the "Bucket" category of assignments, so any missed points can be made up by completing other Bucket assignments.

Lab Meetings. Attendance to the lab meetings (where students work on GPS and Lab Experiments) is mandatory. Students who need to miss a lab meeting must complete the GPS Excused Absence form to be excused from the GPS. Since Lab Experiments follow two-week cycles, missing one lab meeting does not excuse a student from completing the lab experiment. 

Academic honesty/integrity statement:

Students are expected to maintain the highest standards of academic integrity. All work submitted must be original and properly cited. Plagiarism, cheating, or any form of academic dishonesty will result in immediate consequences as outlined in the university's academic integrity policy.

The policy on academic honesty as stated in the Honor Code will be fully enforced during this course for both the instructors and student. All Honor code violations will be referred to the Dean of Students office.

  • Collaboration with other students in this course on homework assignments, lab assignments, and in-class activities is permitted and encouraged.
    • For lab experiments, students are allowed to collaborate in performing the experiment and collecting data, but all data analysis, coding, and video lab reports must be individual.
  • Collaboration is NOT PERMITTED during tests or the final exam.
    • These activities are closed internet, closed books, closed notes, with the following exceptions:
      • Students are allowed a copy of the formula sheet found on Canvas (which will be included in the exam papers).
      • Students are allowed blank sheets of paper (which will be included in the exam papers).
      • Students are allowed a calculator (as long as it cannot communicate with other calculators, which means no smartphone calculator apps are allowed).
    • Students must work on the tests individually and receive no assistance from any other person or resource.
    • Work submitted outside of the testing period will not be graded.
  • Students who post course content to online resources external to Georgia Tech (e.g, Chegg) will be referred to the Dean of Students office for Academic Misconduct.
Core IMPACTS statement(s) (if applicable):

This is a Core IMPACTS course that is part of the Technology, Mathematics & Sciences area.

Core IMPACTS refers to the core curriculum, which provides students with essential knowledge in foundational academic areas. This course will help master course content, and support students’ broad academic and career goals.

This course should direct students toward a broad Orienting Question:

  • How do I ask scientific questions or use data, mathematics or technology to understand the universe?

Completion of this course should enable students to meet the following Learning Outcome:

  • Students will use the scientific method and laboratory procedures or mathematical and computational methods to analyze data, solve problems and explain natural phenomena.

Course content, activities and exercises in this course should help students develop the following Career-Ready Competencies:

  • Inquiry and Analysis
  • Problem-Solving
  • Teamwork
Instructor First Name:
Emily
Instructor Last Name:
Alicea-Munoz
Section:
A
CRN (you may add up to five):
20626
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Department (you may add up to three):
Physics
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