University Physics for the Life Sciences

Physics 171, Spring 2016

Following Physics 170, Physics 171 will continue to explore physics topics relevant to biology,
medicine and beyond. Please see Section 9 for background on the pedagogical choices made for
this course and the 170/171 course goals. If you are new to the 170/171 series, please read the
Physics 170 FAQs at the end of this document carefully to see if this course will fit your needs.

Staff

Instructors
Claudia De Grandi, SPL 73A, claudia.degrandi@yale.edu
Rona Ramos, SPL 40, rona.ramos@yale.edu

Teaching Fellows

Raphael Sarfati, raphael.sarfati@yale.edu [Head-TF]

Amber Jessop, amber.jessop@yale.edu
Judith Hoeller, judith.hoeller@yale.edu
David Mason, david.mason@yale.edu
Catherine Matulis, catherine.matulis@yale.edu
Daniel Seara, daniel.seara@yale.edu
David Stewart, david.j.stewart@yale.edu
Kyle VanderWerf, kyle.vanderwerf@yale.edu

Peer Tutors
Peer tutors TBA. Contact information will appear on Canvas.

Class meetings

Location and Time

As in Physics 170, you will have the choice between the TEAL classroom (17HLH 101) or SCL 160,
a standard lecture hall. Sections 01 and 02 will be taught in parallel MW 11:35-12:50. You must
select either one classroom or the other and its associated section, i.e. PHYS 170-01 in 17HLH 101
or PHYS 170-02 in SCL 160, during shopping period. Once youve chosen a section and submitted
your schedule you will remain with that section/classroom throughout the semester. Your instructors will lecture in both classrooms, taking turns for each week.
The first day of classes is Jan. 20, with academic Monday falling on Friday Jan 22.

University Physics for the Life Sciences

Seating
To establish a stable and comfortable working group, your seating will be frozen on Monday, Feb
8. Once youve chosen a seat on Feb 8th, that will be your seat for the remainder of the semester.
Group work and collaboration are essential tools for learning and you will be asked in every class
meeting to discuss and work with your group. Occasionally we may have some group assignments.
Use the first three weeks as a opportunity to form a good group that will work well both in and
outside of the classroom. See Section 9 to understand the motivation behind group work.

Clickers
Check out a clicker from Bass Library and register the ID number on the Canvas website. We will
use these in class to generate discussion and get immediate feedback on the topics we are studying.
Please bring these to class every meeting.

Devices in the classroom

There are studies1 that show how multitasking during class time is detrimental for your learning and
affect your class performance. These studies also show that multitasking in class is also disrupting
your classmates learning. Therefore in respect of your classmates and for your own learning: cell
phone, laptop and tablet use are NOT permitted in the classroom. If you must use one of these
devices, feel free to use them out in the hallway. If you have special circumstances that require the
use of these items in class, please speak to us.

Enrollment

In order to generate the right learning environment, both sections of PHYS 171 will be limited to no
more than 70 students each (140 students in total), and switching between PHYS 170-01 and PHYS
170-02 is not permitted after shopping. It is in your best interest to take the 170/171 sequence in
the same academic year. Switching from the other introductory physics courses (180, 200, 260) is
not ideal since we rely on the unique physics content and mathematical skills developed in the fall,
much of which is not covered in other introductory courses. However, we realize that you may be
constrained because of scheduling or changes in your major requirements, so we will do our best
to try accommodate you and help you catch up. Within our own size constraints, we want to let
everyone who wants to take 171 into the course, but we also want to be clear that switching tracks
or delaying this course will make it more difficult. We strongly discourage taking 171 as a first
university physics course.
For these reasons, if a waitlist develops, it will be processed in the following order:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Students who took 170 last semester

Students who took 170 in prior years, in order from most recently taken
Students who took Physics 180, 200 or 260, in order from most recently taken
Students who took the first semester at a different institution

1 Faria

Sana, Tina Weston, Nicholas J. Cepeda, Laptop multitasking hinders classroom learning for both
users and nearby peers, Computers & Education, Volume 62, March 2013, Pages 24-31, ISSN 0360-1315

University Physics for the Life Sciences

5. Students who have not taken a first semester, university level physics course on mechanics.

Materials and Resources

All course materials, such as the textbook, assignments, solutions, grades, etc. will be posted
on the PHYS 171 canvas site (https://yale2.instructure.com/courses/519) and NOT
on classesv2.
There is no book required for this class, we will use Simon Mochries notes posted on Canvas.
PHYS 171 will cover the material of Modules 11 to 182
We will use Piazza as a class forum: https://piazza.com/yale/spring2016/phys171/home.
Post questions here to get quick responses from your instructors, TFs and classmates. This
way, everyone can learn from your questions and will be answered more quickly. We also
encourage you to post answers to help your fellow classmates.
Wolfram Alpha, http://www.wolframalpha.com/ is a powerful, web-based calculator able
to do symbolic mathematics and sophisticated numerical calculations. We will be using this
amazing tool both in class and on homework assignments.

Discussion Sections

D01: M 5.00-6.00 pm
D02: M 7.00-8.00 pm
D03: Tu 5.00-6.00 pm
D04: Tu 7.00-8.00 pm
D05: W 5.00-6.00 pm
D06: W 7.00-8.00 pm
D07: Th 5.00-6.00 pm

TFs and locations TBA. Discussion sections will focus on building problem solving skills necessary to complete the more difficult homework problems. Because students who attend discussion
sections have better performance in the course, discussion sections are now mandatory. You must
register for discussion section in order to enroll in the class and attend one discussion section per
week. You are welcome to attend more than one section per week if you find that helpful.

Help outside of class

Study Hall
Study hall runs from 7-9pm on Sunday and 7-10pm on Thursday in the TEAL classroom, 17HLH
101 and is attended by 2 or more Physics 171 instructors or TFs. Study hall will be cancelled if it
conflicts with a Physics 171 midterm or review session. Use this as a resource to study for quizzes
or do homework with your classmates, when instructors and TFs are available to advise you and
answer questions.
2 See

Section 10 on the last page for the Modules topics.

University Physics for the Life Sciences

Review Sessions
Occasional reviews on the mathematical tools we use in the course (e.g. eigenvectors, complex
numbers, etc.) or exam prep will be offered in lieu of study hall on some Sundays or Thursdays.
Topics and dates will be announced on Canvas.

Office Hours
TBA and by appointment. Please also make use of Piazza.

Peer Tutors
Peer tutors are available for Phys 171. These tutors were Physics 171 students last year and excelled
in the course. For a student perspective on learning the course material, drop in on our peer tutors
during their office hours or make an appointment with them. Contact information will be posted on
Canvas.

Coursework

Homework
There will be 9 problem sets, assigned weekly and due Fridays by 4pm. You are encouraged to
discuss the problems with your classmates, peer tutors, teachers and study group. However, the
solutions you submit must be your own and represent how you understand the problem.
You are expected to do all assigned questions and problems, three of which will be graded. Make
sure the steps of your solution can be followed by another reader. Even if your logic is sound, if the
steps and reasoning are not written down and clearly communicated to the reader your solution will
be incorrect. Remember that the emphasize is on the logical process and analytic reasoning you do
in order to solve problems, so the final line of the solution is not the basis for judging an answer to
be correct or incorrect. Turn in homework to the Physics 171 wooden box in SPL 35. Solutions will
be posted to Canvas the evening homework is due. Therefore, late homework will not be accepted
under any circumstances.
Of the 9 problem sets assigned this semester, the lowest problem set score will be dropped in
calculating your cumulative course grade.

Participation
Participation contributes 6% to your final course grade. This comes from participation in pre- and
post-tests, clicker use, online pre-class questions, in-class activities and attendance in discussion.
We encourage you also to use Piazza, attend review sessions and study hall; in the past these turn
out to be the most successful ways for students to excel in the class.

Quizzes and Exams

Quizzes: Almost every Monday there will be a 10 minute quiz in class on the previous weeks
material. Quizzes contribute 14% to your final grade. Sometime this could be a group quiz.

University Physics for the Life Sciences

Of the total quizzes administered this semester, the three lowest quiz scores will be dropped
in calculating your cumulative course grade.
Midterms: Midterm exams will be held Thursday, February 25, 8-9:30p and Thursday,
April 7, 8-9:30p, location TBA. Each exam contributes 15% to your final course grade. Contact us immediately if you have conflicts with the exam dates.
Final: The final exam takes place May 11th, 2-5:30pm and contributes 30% to your final
course grade. Location TBA.

Academic Integrity
The following acts of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be referred to the Executive
Committee.
All individual quizzes, midterm exams and the final must be done entirely on your own. Sharing of information through any means (notes, internet, talking, texting, copying, etc.) will be
considered a case of academic dishonesty. If you are expected to collaborate on a group quiz
it will be clearly stated.
Do not copy homework solutions. We strongly encourage collaboration when studying and
doing homework so you can learn from one another. However, collaboration is not copying.
The solution you submit must represent your own personal understanding of the problem.
Using someone elses clicker in their place is considered a violation by both parties involved.

As the Yale College Handbook notes, For the sake of consistency, impartiality, fairness, and due
process in treating cases of academic dishonesty, it is essential that all such cases be referred to
the Executive Committee rather than being settled privately between instructor and student. All
suspected violations of Yales standards of academic honesty will be referred to the Executive
Committee. Any student found by the Executive Committee to have violated Yales standards
of academic honesty in PHYS 171 will be awarded a grade of F for the class.

Course Grades

There are two grading schemes to calculate the final course grade. We will use whichever is in your
favor. Exams constitute 60% of your overall course grade. This portion of your cumulative grade
can come from Midterm 1, Midterm 2 and the Final exam (15% +15% +30%) OR entirely from
your final exam score (60%), whichever is higher.
Homework
Quizzes
Participation
Midterm 1
Midterm 2
Final Exam

20%
14%
6%
15%
15%
30%

OR

Homework
Quizzes
Participation
Final Exam

20%
14%
6%
60%

If you have mastered the material at the end of the course and your performance on the cummulative
final exam demonstrates this, you should not be held back by a rough start earlier in the semester.

University Physics for the Life Sciences

An important feature of PHYS 171 is that we tell you now, what score you need to achieve to earn
what grade: students whose overall score is greater than 92%, according to the prescription above,
can be confident of earning a grade of A; students who score greater than 85% can be confident
of earning an A-; students who score greater than 79% can be confident of earning a B+; students
who score greater than 74% can be confident of earning a B; and students who score greater than
69% can be confident of earning a B-. In fact, depending on our judgement concerning the difficulty
of this years assessments we may decide to adjust the score required for a particular grade to be
less than these values, but under no circumstances will the required score for a particular grade be
adjusted up.

Grades responsibility and assignments pick-up

It is your responsibility to make sure your assignments (quizzes, problem set, and midterm exams)
are handed in to the instructors with your name and classroom marked clearly on it. Assignments
with no name cannot be recorded. Graded assignments will be promptly returned graded to you
within the week following the assignment due date. It is your responsibility to pick up in class
your graded assignment and to make sure the correct grade is reported on Canvas. If you see some
mistake or some missing grade promptly contact the instructors. Missing grades claimed more than
two weeks after the due date will not be considered. It is your responsibility to collect and keep
your graded assignments as records until the end of the semester.

Key excerpts from the Physics 170 syllabus

Group Work and Collaboration

The best discoveries in science very often arise from the work and collaboration of several people.
By discussing ideas, posing questions, listening to other peoples way of thinking, we each grow
intellectually and can overcome struggles that seem daunting individually. For most of you, working in a team or as part of a group is something that will be essential in your future careers. We
encourage you to start to hone your team work skills in this course. Specifically, we encourage you
to collaborate, talk, discuss, make your classmates your best study-partners, bug them with questions, build ideas together. There will be group activities and group work several times throughout
the course and working effectively in group will be fundamental to your success in the class. The
course is designed to encourage the collaboration with your classmates inside and outside the class.
Study-halls, we hope, will enable you to meet and work together with colleagues in the class; Piazza
is there to communicate quickly and get feedback. You can set up your own study-groups, come
together to office hours, etc. There will be a lot to understand and discover in this class, and while
it can sometimes be rewarding to struggle on your own, often it feels better to struggle in a group.
We are NOT grading on a curve in PHYS 170, so your classmates are friends, collaborators, and
team mates, NOT competitors.

University Physics for the Life Sciences

Physics 170/171 FAQs

Should I take PHYS 170 or PHYS 180?
We recommend that if you are an EEB, MBB or MCDB major, or if you are a premedical student, then you should take PHYS 170, rather than PHYS 180. In addition, BME majors who have
taken PHYS 170, have found it to be a good preparation for a number of their later BME classes.
The PHYS 170 syllabus has been designed for students interested in biology and medicine, and
to make connections with material that MCDB, EEB and MBB students see in their cell biology,
biochemistry, and physiology classes, and to help you build a number of competencies, that all undergraduate biology students should possess and/or that have been specified for premedical students
seeking to enter medical school .
Please dont let the course numbering fool you. PHYS 170 is NOT a less challenging course than
PHYS 180. PHYS 170 and PHYS 180 are at a comparable level of difficulty, but with a different
selection of topics. In contrast to PHYS 170, PHYS 180 follows a traditional introductory physics
syllabus, and most resembles a typical high school or AP physics course in content.
What do students think of PHYS 170?
You can read the reviews.... But, for sure, some students have really liked it and have gotten a lot
out of it, as the following quotes by anonymous PHYS 170 students show:
Thank you for an awesome semester! I cant believe Id ever say this but I actually like
physics now. Thank you for showing me how cool it can be.
Thank you for class this semester. It has been really great to make links between all of
my science courses at Yale, and in many ways (and I am shy to admit this, but against
my expectations) PHYS 170 provided the platform for just that.
The first third of this class was pretty standard physics (mechanics, momentum), but
the latter part of the semester really tied in to biological phenomena. Obviously, the
models were over-simplifications of biological systems but they added another layer of
understanding to concepts that I previously took as a given. The idea of diffusion as
explained using probability is not something I would have ever thought of on my own. I
doubt I would find that in a biology or biochemistry textbook either. I took biochemistry
at the same time as this class and I was pleasantly surprised to see the Michaelis-Menten
equation derived via different methods in both classes. It is wonderful to see the same
ideas presented on a biological, chemical, and physical level.
I took this class because I had no physics background coming in and because I generally find natural sciences courses tailored to premeds much more interesting. I am
very satisfied with my choice as some of the things we learned were mind blowing and
extremely interesting.
This class is amazing if you genuinely like biology. If youre a biology major because
youre premed or whatever you might not like it as much, but if you really care about

University Physics for the Life Sciences

biology this class is great. Physics is the future of biology, and this class gives you a
taste of all the cool ways we can use quantitative techniques to describe living systems."
The biological aspects of this class really opened my eyes and changed my perspective of the world! Youll def learn some really fascinating and awesome stuff if you
genuinely like biology or chemistry, and it was incredibly cool to approach chemical/biological processes from the different perspective of this class."
The applications to biology at first seem stretched, but then you realize that they are
REAL, ESTABLISHED concepts in biology (statistical mechanics, Brownian walks,
Michaelis-Menten enzyme kinetics) that will keep appearing in your other coursework
- so really, youll leave the course thankful that you had the exposure you did to these
concepts, even if the math was a bit simplified."
I LOVE the topics presented in 170. It really ties in to what Ive learned in my other
science classes (biology, biochemistry, and to a lesser extent chemistry), and its wonderful to gain a new perspective/insight into mechanisms that Ive just taken for granted,
like diffusion, actin filament polymerization, enzyme kinetics, etc. Its just a really cool
class, and has made me realize how much I love science - to the extent that it has, in
part, motivated me to double major in another science field.
Additional feedback, from our anonymous surveys of students, who have taken PHYS 170, is reproduced in Fig. 1. This figure provides an overview of how the student population overall views
Physics for the Life Sciences. Evidently, students mainly consider that the pace of the class is just
right" or "fast", and that the level of difficulty is about what I expected or harder. They consider
that the amount of time they spend on physics is "just right" or "too much", but the actual length
of time they spend is mainly up to 9 hours. Many agree that physics "has improved your problem
solving skills".
Fig. 2 shows that PHYS 170 either increased or confirmed students belief that physics is relevant
or highly-relevant to biology and medicine.
What are the prerequisites for PHYS 170?
"I have deeply regretted that I did not proceed far enough at least to understand something of the great leading principles of mathematics, for men thus endowed seem to have
an extra sense." Charles Darwin.
PHYS 170 is a calculus-based class, and you must have taken MATH 112 or equivalent before
taking PHYS 170. Calculus 1 in high school should be a perfectly adequate preparation for PHYS
170. The overwhelming majority of PHYS 170 students have found the level of calculus we use in
PHYS 170 manageable. In addition, PHYS 170 assumes familiarity with high-school-level algebra,
trigonometry, and probability. Beyond these topics, please be aware that PHYS 170 will introduce
a number of more advanced mathematical concepts and methods as needed. This year we will
provide a number of optional topical review sessions on foundational mathematical material that

University Physics for the Life Sciences

Figure 1: Student responses concerning the pace of Physics for the LIfe Sciences, the required timecommitment, and whether their problem solving skills were improved by the class, specified as a fraction of
the total number of respondents.

Figure 2: Student opinions concerning the relevance of physics to biology and medicine, specified as a fraction
of the total number of respondents.

University Physics for the Life Sciences

10

some students in past years have found challenging. One of our goals in PHYS 170 is to help you
to further develop your mathematical and analytical skills.
At the end of the first semester, we carry out an anonymous survey to ascertain students opinions.
When asked about the level of mathematics in University Physics for the Life Sciences, it was way
too advanced for my current ability for just 2% of the students, advanced but manageable for
19%, about equal to my current ability for 47%, below my current ability for 24%, and wellbelow my current ability for 8%. Concerning the level of calculus specifically, it is too high for
19%, just right for 65%, and too low for 16%. In view of these responses, we judge that the
level of mathematics and calculus in University Physics for the Life Sciences is appropriate for its
audience.
PHYS 170 is suitable for students with little or no physics background. However, we recommended
that students who take PHYS 170 should have previously taken Yales introductory chemistry and
biology courses, or equivalent AP courses.
How is the PHYS 170 final grade determined?
The final grade for PHYS 170 will usually be the sum of an exam score contribution and a participation score contribution.
The exam score contribution to the overall final grade is 30% for the final exam and 15% for each of
the 2 midterms (60% in total). Because participation is an essential component of PHYS 170, there
is a participation score contribution to the Final Grade: 20% for PSets, 14% for your highest seven
Monday Quiz scores, and 6% for participation in class, in section, via clickers, via Piazza, etc. To
calculate your Pset score we will suse your nine highest individual Pset scores, dropping the lowest
one. To calculate your Quiz score we will sum your seven highest individual Quiz scores, dropping
the lowest three quiz scores.
However, if your final exam score exceeds your score for the class, calculated according to this
prescription, your final grade will be determine based on your final exam score only. The idea here
is that if you master the material in time for the final exam, and ace the final exam, we should
not hold a less strong performance in midterms, quizzes, and problem sets earlier in the semester
against you.
An important feature of PHYS 170 is that we tell you now, what score you need to achieve to earn
what grade: Students whose overall score is greater than 92%, according to the prescription above,
can be confident of earning a grade of A; students who score greater than 85% can be confident
of earning an A-; students who score greater than 79% can be confident of earning a B+; students
who score greater than 74% can be confident of earning a B; and students who score greater than
69% can be confident of earning a B-. In fact, depending on our judgement concerning the difficulty
of this years assessments we may decide to adjust the score required for a particular grade to be
less than these values, but under no circumstances will the required score for a particular grade be
adjusted up.

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11

What textbook do I need for PHYS 170?

Theres no published textbook that covers the material of PHYS 170 at the correct level. However,
over the last five years, we have written the textbook, which will be available on Canvas. Comments
and criticisms on the textbook would be welcomed :)
How much time per week will PHYS 170 take?
My fingers, said Elizabeth, do not move over the instruments in the masterly manner
which I see so many womens do. They have not the same force or rapidity, and do not
produce the same expression. But then I have always supposed it to be my own fault
because I would not take the trouble of practising. It is not that I do not believe my
fingers as capable as any other womans of superior execution. Elizabeth Bennett in
Jane Austens Pride and Prejudice... discussing Physics.
We expect most students will spend an average of about 12 hours per week on physics, including 3 hours of lectures, 2-3 hours in discussion and help sessions, and 5-7 hours per week doing
the problem sets. To acquire physics skills requires practice, just as becoming skillful in anything
requires practice. In PHYS 170, you will practice the necessary skills by doing Physics problem
sets, and this takes time. Most students find that they need to devote a significant amount of time to
PHYS 170 each week in order to be successful in the class. Students in past years have commented
that PHYS 170 takes over (a significant portion of) their lives. They have also commented that they
have made really good friends in PHYS 170, as a result of working together on PHYS 170 problem
sets and studying for PHYS 170 exams.
What is the last date that I can switch from PHYS 180 into PHYS 170?
Physics department policy is that switching from one introductory physics course to another
is only permitted in shopping period. After the end of shopping period, requests to switch into
PHYS 170 will be declined. The grade of folks who do switch into PHYS 170 after the beginning
of the semester will be based solely on their pro-rated score on PHYS 170 homeworks, quizzes, etc.
Should I take PHYS 165 concurrently with PHYS 170? or take it later?
If you are planning to take PHYS 165, we recommend that you take PHYS 165 at the same time
that youre taking PHYS 170, if possible. The PHYS 165 and PHYS 170 curricula are somewhat
coordinated, so as to mutually reinforce learning in both venues. Similarly, the PHYS 166 and
PHYS 171 curricula are coordinated, so as to mutually reinforce learning in both venues, and we
recommend those classes are also taken in the same semester as each other.
I heard that in PHYS 170, student have to use Wolfram Alpha. What is that?
In PHYS 170, we encourage you to exploit Wolfram Alpha, which runs in a web browser. It is a
tremendous resource for doing mathematics, and can solve all sorts of equations for you painlessly.
Thus, when you are asked in PHYS 170 to solve a differential equation, you will be asked to do it
using Wolfram Alpha.

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12

Whats this I hear about Piazza and PHYS 170?

We will be using Piazza for class discussion in PHYS 170, which aims to get you help, if you need
it, fast and efficiently from classmates, the TFs, and the instructors. Instead of emailing questions to
individual teaching staff, please post any questions you have on Piazza. and learn from one persons
questions and the discussion. You are encouraged too to contribute useful on-line resources that the
whole class can share via postings on Piazza.
What equations do I need to memorize for PHYS 170?
In spite of what happens in many introductory physics classes, physics is NOT about memorizing
equations. Its about constructing the correct equations, understanding those equations, understanding how to solve them, and what those solutions mean, and comparing the solutions (a.k.a. predictions) to experimental measurements. In PHYS 170 exams we will give you all the equations you
need, on a formula sheet. Your responsibility is to understand these equations, to be able to apply
them to the natural world, to be able to solve them, and to understand and interpret the solutions.
Whats this I hear about Active Learning in PHYS 170?
Active learning can mean many things. In PHYS 170, in part, it means that we want you to be an
active participant in classroom discussions and exercises, and not just a passive observer. Therefore,
we will ask you to participate in a number of in-class activities, many of which will simply be to
discuss problems with you colleagues in the class and respond via clickers. However, other activities
will be more elaborate. Although the sitting-listening-for-75-minutes paradigm has lasted more than
eight hundred years, it turns out that it is NOT the best way for students to learn. The resultant
improved student-learning outcomes from active learning approaches is why these approaches
are now increasingly being implemented. And improved student learning implies improved student
grades!
Another important active learning activity is doing the PHYS 170 problem sets. One of the most
effective and fun ways to do physics research is to collaborate and engage in discussions about
physics with colleagues. The same is surely true of learning physics. Therefore, we very strongly
encourage you in this class to collaborate with your colleagues in the class to work on PHYS 170
homework problems, and to prepare for exams, as a member of a PHYS 170 study group, in which
you work collaboratively on problem sets and practice problems with a number of colleagues in the
class. Every teacher will confirm the fact, that you will gain a better understanding of anything, that
you have to explain to someone else.
As you decide where to sit in class, you may want to look around the class for folks that you know,
perhaps folks in the same residential college, and sit with them and get together with them to form
a study group. Another place to make contact with PHYS 170 students is in our evening physics
study halls, which will run on Thursday evening and Sunday evenings.
If you are having difficulty finding a study group that works for you, please let us know, and we
will try help you find study partners.

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Whats this I hear about computer simulations in PHYS 170?

Computer simulations constitute an essential component of how life science research is now carried
out. To introduce you to this aspect of the scientific endeavor, we will ask you to run a number of
simulations, realized as Wolfram Demonstrations, which are written in Mathematica, and which
will run directly in your web browser. You wont have to do any programming and no knowledge
of Mathematica is assumed or required. You do have to be able to use the internet :)
Why did the Physics department introduce PHYS 170?
Biology is undergoing a rapid transformation into a quantitative science, as eloquently noted by
Princeton professors William Bialek (physics) and David Botstein (molecular biology) in a seminal
2004 paper 3
Dramatic advances in biological understanding, coupled with equally dramatic advances
in experimental techniques and computational analyses, are transforming the science of
biology. The emergence of new frontiers of research in functional genomics, molecular
evolution, intracellular and dynamic imaging, systems neuroscience, complex diseases,
and the system-level integration of signal-transduction and regulatory mechanisms require an ever-larger fraction of biologists to confront deeply quantitative issues that
connect to ideas from the more mathematical sciences. At the same time, increasing
numbers of physical scientists and engineers are recognizing that exciting frontiers of
their own disciplines lie in the study of biological phenomena. Characteristic of this new
intellectual landscape is the need for strong interaction across traditional disciplinary
boundaries.
In recognition of this new landscape, biology departments are now increasingly hiring faculty with
physics backgrounds. Moreover, biological physics is now a major subfield of physics, well represented in physics departments and professional societies across the world. At the undergraduate
level, a number of recent reports including a joint report of the American Association of Medical Colleges and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, namely Scientific Foundations for Future
Physicians (SFFP), and a report from the American Association for the Advancement of Science,
Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education (VCUBE) have highlighted the increasing importance of quantitative skills for students who are planning biomedical careers, and the need
to modify and augment undergraduate biology and premedical education accordingly. For example,
VCUBE specifies a number of core competencies that all undergraduate biology students should
possess. These competencies and examples of how each competency might be demonstrated in
practice are summarized in Table 1, which reproduces Table 2.1 of VCUBE. SFFP specifies similar
competencies.
Inspection of Table 1 reveals that undergraduate biology education in the twenty-first century must
embrace quantitative and mathematical approaches and analyses. Indeed, many of the specified
competencies are exactly those that physicists seek for students to acquire in physics classes. In
3 W.

Bialek and D. Botstein. Introductory science and mathematics education for 21st-century biologists.
Science 303:788-790,2004.

14

University Physics for the Life Sciences

Core
Competency

Ability to apply
the process of
science

Abilty to use
quantitative
reasoning

Ability to use
modeling and
simulation

Ability to
tap into the
interdisciplinary
nature of
science

Ability to
communicate
and
collaborate
with other
disciplines

Ability to
understand
the
relationship
between
science and
society

Instantiation
of ability in
disciplinary
practice

Biology is an
evidence-based
discipline

Biology
focuses
on the study
of complex
systems

Biology is an
interdisciplinary
science

Biology is a
collaborative
scientific
discipline

Biology is
conducted
in a societal
context

Demonstration
of competency
in practice

Design scientific
process to
understand
living systems

Biology relies
on applications
of quantitative
analysis and
mathematical
reasoning
Apply
quantitative
analysis to
interpret
biological
data

Apply concepts
from other
sciences to
interpret
biological
phenomena

Observational
strategies

Communicate
biological
concepts and
interpretations
to scientists
in other
disciplines
Scientific
writing

Identify
social and
historial
dimensions
of biology
practice

Examples
of core
competencies
applied
to biology
practice

Use
mathematical
modeling and
simulation
tools to
describe
living systems
Computational
modeling of
dynamic
systems

Hypothesis
testing
Experimental
design
Evaluation of
experimental
evidence

Developing
problem-solving
strategies

Developing and
interpreting
graphs
Applying
statistical
methods to
diverse data
Mathematical
modeling
Managing and
analyzing large
data sets

Applying physical
laws to biological
dynamics

Applying
informatics
tools

Chemistry of
molecules and
biological
systems

Managing and
analyzing large
data sets

Applying
imaging
technologies

Incorporating
stochasticity
into biological
models

Explaining
scientific
concepts
to different
audiences
Team
participation
Collaborating
across
across
disciplines
Cross-cultural
awareness

Evaluating
the
relevance
of social
contexts to
biological
problems
Developing
biological
applications
to solve
societal
problems
Evaluating
ethical
implications
of biological
research

Table 1: Table 2.1 of the AAASs Vision and change in undergraduate biology education (VCUBE).

this context, the two-semester Introductory Physics for Life Sciences (IPLS) sequence, namely
PHYS 170/171, which is currently required for premedical students and biological science majors,
presents a natural pivot point where these students could encounter quantitative and mathematical
descriptions of biological and physiological phenomena for the first time, and thus turn down a path
to mathematical engagement with biology. Where better than IPLS for biology students to start
developing the ability to use quantitative reasoning? Where better than IPLS for biology students to
start developing their ability to use modeling and simulation? Where better than IPLS for biology
and premedical students to start developing the ability to apply physical laws to biological dynamics,
and to incorporate stochasticity into biological models? Where better than IPLS for biology and
premedical students to start developing the ability to tap into the interdisciplinary nature of science,
and the ability to communicate and collaborate with other disciplines?
What are the instructors overarching goals for PHYS 170?
The overarching goals of PHYS 170 are:
Demonstrate the application of physics and mathematics to the life sciences and the human
body via authentic examples;
Introduce biological science majors and future clinicians to a set of mathematical and physical
tools, principles, and techniques that will enable a deeper scientific understanding of biologi-

University Physics for the Life Sciences

15

cal systems, including the human body;

Seed an enduring appreciation of the power of mathematical and physical approaches in biology and medicine;
Satisfy the physics requirements of biological science majors at Yale, and satisfy the physics
requirement for medical school.

10

PHYS 171 Modules

Module 11: Simple harmonic motion, resonance and coupled oscillators
Module 12: Wave equations: Strings and wind
Module 13: Gauss Law: Charges and fields
Module 14: Electrical circuits: Charge conservation, Ohms law, rate equations, and other old
friends
Module 15: Maxwells other equations
Module 16: Electromagnetic waves: Rays and Ray-Bans
Module 17: Biologic
Module 18: Quantum Mechanics