Goals for the Term Paper:

This course is designed to provide you with a broad, general understanding of the physics of your everyday world. I can think of no better way to put what you have learned into practice, and thus solidify that understanding, than to do what I do: explain the physics of an everyday object or situation. This paper is an educational exercise and you will get out of it no more than you put into it. I don't expect you to turn in the finest paper that anyone can write on some sophisticated, impenetrable topic; I expect you to turn in the finest paper that you can write, with your own mind and hands, on a topic that you really care about. I hope that in the end, you will be proud of what you've accomplished and learned in the process of writing this paper. It's not a lengthy assignment, but it takes time and thought. If you give it a chance, you'll construct something valuable to you.

Basic Concept of the Term Paper:

Your term paper should be 1500 to 1750 words long (the equivalent of approximately 5 double-spaced, typewritten pages), not counting citations or pictures. Your paper should focus on one object or situation from the world around you and identify within that object several different physical concepts that make the object what it is. You should describe what these physical concepts are and how they contribute to the behavior of the object. Well chosen objects will involve physical concepts that range from mechanics to electricity to heat to optics. However, avoid an object that is so broad that you can only describe a tiny piece of it. The paper should feel complete to the reader.

You should be able to cover the main structure of the object in enough detail to make the reader feel like you actually understand "how it works" overall. Your paper should cover a number of different physical issues relating to your object, rather than "beating to death" one or two of those issues. Avoid unnecessary repetition. The grade you receive will reflect how well your paper conveys an overall understanding of how the object works, including a fair amount of specificity. Don't be vague or mushy. In the physical world, there really are correct and incorrect statements. Vague statements that can be misinterpreted in a way that makes them incorrect are not helpful. Please check your grammar and spelling, and proofread your papers. Bad writing will reduce your grade.

For example, imagine that you were writing a paper on a wind surfer. You should note that its behavior involves buoyancy (it floats), drag (it has a top speed), friction (your feet stay on it), inclined planes (the keel and sail), and various forces (the wind, your arms, the water on the keel). You should describe how these various concepts create the specific behavior you see in the wind surfer (e.g. how buoyancy keeps the board from sinking and what changes in the buoyancy, up or down, might do to the behavior of the boat.) You should describe how the forces of the wind and the water work together to accelerate the wind surfer in a particular direction. You might describe why you can't go directly into the wind, no matter how hard you try.

Important Rules:

• Originality: You are encouraged to use references, written or otherwise, but create the paper entirely on your own. Your term paper is a pledged assignment and must be original work, never submitted in any other venue in whole or part by you or anyone else. All the rules of the UVa Honor Code apply to this assignment.
• Language: Quotations should be rare and brief, appearing only when the wording of the quotation is itself important or memorable. Quotations should always be attributed to their authors. The structure and style of a passage or paper also belong to its author and may not be copied without full attribution. If you are in doubt about whether or not you can use something that appears in another person's work, ask me (434-982-2691).
• Independence: You may not work with anyone else on an individual term paper. You may get technical information from a knowledgeable person (e.g. a repair person or an engineer) as long as you do the thinking about that information and you write the paper.
• Sources: The term paper is a research paper—you are expected to synthesize your own understanding of your object or situation, although that understanding may be based in part on information collected elsewhere. Visit the library. If you use the web, remember that the web is entirely unedited and contains a great deal of misinformation. You must cite your sources in the body of your paper wherever appropriate and you must include a list of works cited and/or a bibliography at the end of your term paper. These lists should include any people or online materials that you consulted while preparing your paper.

Key Suggestions:

• Audience: Your paper should be readable and informative to a student who is doing well in this class. That student is your target audience. Don't bore that student by repeating definitions or simple laws, but don't be afraid to present brief reminders of important conceptual issues. Your space is precious in this paper, so use it wisely.
• Focus: Try to keep the paper well structured and fairly specific. Please don't ramble. If the reader gets lost, the reader will not be impressed. Types of subjects to avoid:
  • - "A radio wave" (too specific - no range of concepts)
  • - "A city" (too broad - every possible principle)
  • - "A vehicle" (too vague)
  • - "Pumps" (too focused on a principle rather than an object -- try a water pump instead)
• Organization: Your term paper will be graded by one of several graders. These graders are physics students, who speak English well, who have a relatively good grasp of physics itself, and who understand much of how things around them work. However, do not assume that the grader reading your paper will understand specialized jargon or that he or she already knows exactly how the object you are writing about works. You must pursue each physical issue carefully and in sufficient detail that a person knowledgeable in basic physics will understand how that issue relates to the workings of the object. You must also ensure that the reader has a good overall picture of the object. In short, structure the paper carefully so that it provides a good overall picture and many specific details that fit clearly into that overall picture.

Possible Term Paper Topics

---

A FEW TERM PAPER TOPICS FROM PREVIOUS SEMESTERS All of these topics can form the basis for a good term paper. This list is not at all comprehensive. It is taken from the topics chosen by students in previous semesters. Some topics are certainly better than others. Some depend on physical concepts not discussed in this semester's material and may be difficult for you to do well. There are many other fine topics that do not appear below. -- Lou Bloomfield

Acetylene Lamps	Acoustic Guitars	Aerosol Cans	Aerosol Sprayers
African Drums	Air Brakes	Air Hockey	Airbags
Amusement Park Rides	Archery	Artificial Hearts	Audio Speakers
Ball Point Pens	Ballet	Baseball Pitching Machines	Basketball
Basketball Shoes	Beautification	Beer Kegs	Beserker
Bicycle Helmets	Billiards	Blimps/Dirigibles	Blood Circulation
Blowguns	Boats	Bobsledding	Boomerangs
Bowling	Breakdancing	Bungee Jumping	Burglar Alarms
Butane Lighters	Cable Cars	Can Openers	Cannons
Canoeing	Capuccino Machines	Car Accidents	Catamarans
Catapults	Cell Phones	Chainsaws	Cheerleading
Clouds	Coffee Makers	Combines	Compound Bows
Congas	Croquet	Crossbows	Crumple Zones
Curling Irons	Dancing	Darts	Dehumidifiers
Discus	Dishwashers	Diving Boards	Doorbells
Drums	Electric Blankets	Electric Fencing	Electric Guitars
Electric Irons	Electric Lawnmowers	Ergometer	Escalators
Espresso Machines	Fax Machines	Field Hockey	Fire Alarms
Fire Engine Water Pumps	Fire Extinguishers	Fishing	Fishing Poles
Flip-Flops	Flutes	Fly Fishing	Foosball
Football	Geothermal Heating And Cooling Systems	Gliders	GPS
Golf	Guitars	Gumball Machines	Guns
Gymnastics	Gymnastics Vault	Gyroscopes	Hair Dryers
Hammocks	Hang Gliders	Harpsichords	Helicopters
High Jump	Holograms	Hot Tubs	Hot Water Heaters
Hover Craft	Human Hearts	Humidifiers	Humidifiers
Hurdles	Hurricanes	Hydraulic Theatres	Hydrofoils
Ice Cream Makers	Ice Hockey	Innertube Water Polo	Jai Alai
Javelin Throwing	Jet Skis	Judo	Jump-Starting A Car
Kayaks	Kites	Lacrosse	Lava Lamps
Lawn Mowers	Lawn Sprinklers	Locks	Luge
Mechanical Pencils	Metal Detectors	Microphones	Motorcycle Jumping
Mousetraps	Night Vision Equipment	Oboes	Oscillating Fans
Overhead Projectors	Paddle Ball	Paint Sprayers	Paintball Guns
Parachutes	Pencil Sharpeners	Percolators	Pez Dispensers
Phonographs	Pianos	Pinball Machines	Ping-Pong
Pneumatic Screwdrivers	Pogo Sticks	Pointe Ballet	Pole Vaulting
Polgraphs	Polo	Pool	Pool Filter Systems
Popcorn	Potato Guns	Printing Presses	Professional Wrestling
Prosthetics	Punting	Racquetball	Radar Guns
Radar	Radiators	Record Players	Remote Controls
Revolvers	Rifles	Rock Climbing	Rollerblades
Rowing	Rugby	Running	Running Shoes
Sailboats	Sailing	Scissors Jacks	Seatbelts
Seismographs	Sewing Machines	Ships	Shot Put
Shotguns	Skateboarding	Skiing	Skydiving
Sleds	Slinkys	Smoke Detectors	Snowboarding
Soccer 0	Solar Heating	Sonar	Space Heaters
Speakers	Speech	Speedometers	Spray Cans
Springboard Diving	Stage Lighting	Staplers	Stealth Jets
Steam Engines	Steam Locomotives	Submarines	Sunglasses
Surfboards	Surfing	Swimsuits	Swingsets
Tattoo Pens	Tennis	Thermos	Thunderstorms
Toaster Ovens	Toasters	Toilets	Tornadoes
Torpedoes	Tower Cranes	Toy Cars	Track And Field
Trebuchets	Trumpets	Tubas	Ultralights
Umbrellas	VCRs	Vending Machines	Voice
Volleyball	Wakeboarding	Washing Machines	Water Bongs
Water Clocks	Water Guns	Water Pumps	Water Skiing
Water Wheels	Weight Machines	Weightlifting	Wind Surfing
Wind Tunnels	Windmills	Winter Coats	Wrestling
Xylophones	Yo-Yos

---

Forbidden Term Paper Topics

---

The following objects or topics are covered extensively in the lectures and textbook for Physics 105 and Physics 106. You would have difficulty writing a paper on one of these subjects that is truly your own work. It would be just too easy and too tempting to copy my approach, my thoughts, even my words. My lectures and notes should be only part of the reference materials you use for your term paper. Find an object that I do not discuss directly in depth and use similarities between your object and some of mine to identify the physical principles that make your object work. -- Lou Bloomfield

Air Conditioners	Air Purification	Airplanes	Audio Amplifiers
Automobile Engines	Automobiles	Balloons	Baseball
Batteries	Bicycles	Bumper Cars	Cameras
Carousels	CD or DVD Players	Centrifuges	Clocks
Computers	Electric Motors	Electrical Power Distribution	Electrical Power Generation
Electronic Air Cleaners	Elevators	Falling Balls	Flashlights
Fluorescent Lamps	Frisbees	Glass	Heat Pumps
Incandescent Light Bulbs	Knives	Lasers	Laundry
Magnetic Resonance Imaging	Magnetically Levitated Trains	Medical Imaging	Medical Radiation
Microscopes	Microwave Ovens	Nuclear Reactors	Nuclear Weapons
Oil Refineries	Optical Fibers	Paint	Pipe Organs
Plastics	Radio	Ramps	Refrigerators
Rockets	Roller Coasters	Scales	Scuba
Seesaws	Skating	Sunlight	Swimming
Tape Recorders	Telephones	Telescopes	Television
The Sea	Thermometers	Thermostats	Vacuum Cleaners
Violins	Water Distribution	Water Faucets	Water Purification
Water, Steam, and Ice	Wheels	Woodstoves	Xerographic Copiers

Expectations:

I will attach a grading sheet to your term paper and use that sheet to assign a grade. Physics 105hs  is a physics course and your term paper will be judged according to how effective it is at explaining the physics and physical concepts that make the object work. In particular, the A range papers will be those that get right to work discussing physical concepts in their object and work efficiently to cover many of the important ways in which physics contributes to the workings of their object. B range papers will be those that discuss some physical concepts, but either bog down while discussing only a few physical concepts, have significant mistakes in them, or waste too much space on non-physics issues such as history, users' manuals, description, or engineering instructions. C range papers will be those that fail almost completely to discuss physical concepts and instead dwell on history, users' manuals, description, or engineering instructions. If your paper doesn't contain much that you learned in this course (or its equivalent), you probably haven't written a physics paper.

PART 1: DISCUSSION OF PHYSICAL CONCEPTS AND PHYSICAL PRINCIPLES

q       The paper is extensive in its discussions of physical issues involved in the object.
q       The paper frequently discusses physical issues involved in the object.
q       The paper discusses physical issues involved in the object.
q       The paper occasionally discusses physical issues involved in the object.
q       The paper rarely discusses physical issues involved in the object.
q       The paper never discusses physical issues involved in the object.

PART 2: PARTICULAR ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE PAPER

q       Well structured so that the reader has a good sense of where the paper is heading.
q       Well written so that the paper is pleasant to read.
q       Nicely packaged, enhancing the content without wasting words.
q       Well thought out so that it appears complete and thorough.
q       Degree-of-difficulty: your topic was especially difficult and your grade has been raised accordingly

PART 3: FLAWS IN THE PAPER

q       Too much description (a small amount is fine).
q       Too much historical perspective (a small amount is fine).
q       Too much packaging (packaging is the condiment, not the meal).
q       Too little attention to physics and physical issues of how the object works.
q       Mistakes in the application or understanding of physical principles.
q       Vague in the application of physical principles to the object.
q       Too short (content substantially less than 5 pages).
q       Too long (paper, excluding figures, substantially more than 5 pages).
q       Mistakes in grammar and/or spelling significantly detract from the paper.
q       Poorly written, making it difficult to read.
q       The paper fails to give the reader a clear overall picture of what is being discussed.
q       The paper has little or no structure and rambles.

PART 4: THE GRADE (Before deductions for lateness)

q       A+ (93.3) An extensive, accurate, and comprehensive explanation of the physical principles that make the object work, nicely packaged in an unusually readable paper.
q       A (90) A good, accurate, and comprehensive explanation of the physical principles that make the object work. Well structured and with very few flaws.
q       A– (86.7) A good, accurate, and fairly thorough explanation of the physical principles that make the object work. Well structured and with few flaws.
q       B+ (83.3) An accurate explanation of most of the physical principles that make the object work. Only minor flaws.
q       B (80) A fairly accurate explanation of many of the physical principles that make the object work. Only minor flaws.
q       B–(76.7) A fairly accurate explanation of some of the physical principles that make the object work. The paper includes some significant flaws.
q       C+ (73.3) An adequate explanation of a few of the physical principles that make the object work. The paper includes some significant flaws.
q       C (70) The paper largely avoids explaining the physical principles that make the object work and includes some significant flaws in any such attempts.
q       C– (66.7) A paper that completely avoids explaining the physical principles that make the object work and is significantly flawed in general.
q       D (60) A paper that completely avoids explaining the physical principles that make the object work and is extensively flawed in general.

Link to Library Help Services for How Things Work Term Papers