Physics 204: Syllabus
| Course: |
General Physics I, Spring Quarter 1998
Lectures Mon. & Wed., 1:05 - 1:55 pm, Fisher 135
Recitations Tue. & Thurs. |
| Lecturer: |
R. J. Nemiroff, nemiroff@mtu.edu |
| Office Hours: |
Monday & Wednesday, 2 - 5 pm
or by appointment: 487-2198
Fisher 114 |
| Book: |
Physics for Scientists and Engineers,
2nd Edition, by Wolfson & Pasachoff |
Reading Assignments
and Problem Sets: |
Found on the assignments page. |
Course Description and Objectives
Physics 204 is the first of a three part calculus based sequence in introductory physics. Students study topics in classical mechanics, including kinematics in one and two dimensions, Newton's laws of motion, conservation of momentum and energy, gravitation, rotational motion, and simple harmonic motion. Course objectives include the learning of fundamental concepts of classical mechanics, and the development of problem-solving skills needed to apply those fundamentals.
Grading
| Hour Exam 1: |
15% |
| Hour Exam 2: |
15% |
| Laboratory: |
15% |
| Recitation: |
25% |
| Final Exam: |
20% |
| Lecture: |
10% |
Grades on the hour exams will not be curved. Other grades can only be curved up. Your final grade will be determined by:
| A: 90 - 100 |
AB: 86 - 89 |
B: 78 - 85 |
BC: 74 - 77 |
| C: 67 - 73 |
CD: 63 - 66 |
D: 55 - 62 |
F: 0 - 54 |
Tutoring
Not happy with your grade? The Physics Learning Center, located in Fisher G019 (downstairs), can provide tutoring. This is an excellent resource, so if you are having trouble please contact the Physics Learning Center.
Lecture
Read the scheduled material before attending lecture.
The material covered during each lecture is
found here.
A quick quiz designed to see if you read the material will be given at the end of each lecture, and will count toward your lecture grade. You can drop your lowest two lecture reading quizzes.
Conceptual problems will also be posed during the lecture. Any properly recorded answer to these conceptual questions will count toward your lecture grade. You are responsible for all the assigned material in the book. Any assigned material may be the basis for test or quiz questions. Not all the material will be covered in lecture. The purpose of the lecture is to clarify several difficult and/or important points and to give students practice "thinking" about physics.
Recitation
Recitation problem assignments are
found here.
Answers to odd-numbered problems are found in the back of the book.
Answers to all problems can also be found
here, by the command
"telnet phyfac4.phy.mtu.edu 2000", and are on display in the glass
case between rooms 021 and 022 in the basement of Fisher Hall.
Problems will be discussed in recitation. You are expected to be familiar with the assignment at your recitation section, where questions an be posed to and by your instructor. The importance of conscientiously trying to understand and solve the assigned problems cannot be overemphasized. Your recitation instructor will set the policy for the determination of your recitation quiz grade.
Quizzes will be written and graded by your recitation instructor. Variations in length, difficulty and frequency of quizzes will occur among the recitation instructors. An attempt is made to overcome these variations with the requirement that the average recitation quiz score for any one section be scaled to the average of the two hour exams for that section.
Laboratory
All students must be enrolled in a laboratory section. The laboratory will begin the first week of class. Your lab instructor is responsible for assigning your lab grades.
Hour Exams
The times set for the hour exams are as follows:
Hour Exam I: Tuesday, March 31, 1998 @ 6:00 pm
Hour Exam II: Tuesday, April 28, 1998 @ 6:00 pm
Consult with your recitation instructor in advance if you have a conflict.
The hour exams will be 60 minutes long. An unexcused absence from an hour exam will be graded zero. No make-up for the hour exams. A photocopy of your exam answers will be made before it is returned to you. Do not write or change anything on your exam answer sheet before asking for a re-grade to correct and error.
The Society of Physics Students (SPS) sells a collection of old hour exams and finals about a week or two before the first hour exam. You may find it helpful to study from these though the style of exams and the topics covered change from instructor to instructor.
Final Exam
The final exam is scheduled for Wednesday May 20, 1998 @ 7:30 pm. The exam will be two hours long. The structure and grading of the final will be similar to the hour exams. An unexcused absence from the final will be graded zero.
Equation Sheets
For the hour exams a standard formula sheet will be provided. No other material can be present. For the final exam you may bring one 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper with equations and data on it (both sides) that you have prepared yourself. Do not include any solved problems on this sheet.
Significant Figures
All numerical exam answers must be accurate to three significant figures unless they are exact whole numbers, and with proper units.
MTU ADA Statement
MTU complies with all federal and state laws and regulations regarding discrimination, including the Americans with Disabilities Act 1990 (ADA). If you have a disability and need a reasonable accommodation for equal access to education or services at MTU, please call Dr. Gloria Melton, Associate Dean of Students, at 2212. For other concerns about discrimination, you may contact your advisor, department head/chair, or the Affirmative Action Office.