Course Information

INTRODUCTION

The Fundamental Questions

Questions are crucial to learning. It's through the process of inquiry that we construct our knowledge of the natural world. We will address the following five fundamental questions in our study of electricity and magnetism:

The Goals

The goals of this course are for you to become familiar with the phenomena of electricity and magnetism and to develop a theory to explain those phenomena. We will continue to develop the robust problem-solving skills required by professional engineers and scientists. Our study of physics will emphasis thinking and reasoning. We will stress the use of qualitative reasoning, pictorial and graphical reasoning, and reasoning by analogy; we will also make use of mathematics to help us understand and describe patterns and relationships that exist in nature.

The Philosophy

The order of the above items is very important. Your first exposure to any material will be when you read about it in the textbook (1) prior to lecture. The purpose of the textbook is to provide background for lectures, to be a resource for detailed explanations, to be a reference and a study guide, to offer practice problems, and to teach a robust problem-solving strategy.

The interactive lectures (2) will not simply regurgitate what you have read; rather, the purpose of the lectures is to be inspiring and stimulating, to clarify the textbook, to explain confusing issues, to urge you to think critically, to give you lots to think about, and to spark further interest in the material. This is not a traditional approach. Your participation is needed both prior to and during each lecture!

Lots of practice is required to become a proficient problem-solver. Roughly one day each week will be set aside to allow us to practice solving end-of-chapter exercises and problems (3). The problem-solving strategy used in class will be the same as that used in every example exercise in the textbook.

To cap things off, you will demonstrate what you have learned by completing web-based graded exercises and problems (4). These activities will include skill builders, self tutoring problems, and some end-of-chapter problems.

COURSE SUPPLIES

Textbook: Physics for Scientists and Engineers, Volume 4, Randall D. Knight (bundled with a Student Workbook and a Student Access Kit to MasteringPhysics)

i>clicker classroom response transmitter (located to the left of the greeting cards in the campus bookstore)

scientific calculator

straight edge

COURSE STRUCTURE

Your grade for Physics 2200 will be based on the total number of points that you accumulate on the various graded activities. The total possible score is 1084 points, broken down as follows:

Letter grades for the course will be determined by total points earned in the following manner:

Reading Quizzes

Beginning on Wednesday, September 12, each lecture session will begin with a single-question multiple-choice reading quiz. The personal response system described below will be used to record your answer to the quiz question. The quiz is intended to encourage you to read the relevant assignment prior to attending lecture. The reading assignments are located on the Assignment Schedule. Twenty-two 3-point reading quizzes will be given for a total of 66 points; however, you can earn a maximum of 57 points.

Reading technical material is a skill that can be developed with practice. Read actively with questions in mind. A passive approach to reading physics wastes your time. Read with a pencil and paper beside your book and jot down questions and notes. Read to learn, not merely to cover material. Be sure to answer the Stop to Think questions that are sprinkled throughout each chapter - the answers with full explanations are located at the very end of each chapter. Test your comprehension of a reading assignment by completing the related exercises in the Student Workbook. After completing the workbook exercises, you can approach the end-of-chapter exercises and problems with confidence.

Participation

During each interactive lecture and each problem-solving session, you will respond to several questions using the classroom response system. Questions will be cast in a multiple-choice format, and you will answer by pressing a letter on your pocket-size wireless transmitter. Your response will be collected by a receiver mounted on the front podium and routed to the presentation computer. You will receive 2 points for responding to the majority of the questions, independent of whether your answers are right or wrong.

Two points are available for each of 35 class sessions for a total of 70 points; however, you can earn a maximum of 62 points. This allows you to miss four classes without penalty.

The Powerpoint presentations used during the interactive lectures, including reading quizzes and participation questions, will be available in WebCT after the lectures are given.

Here are some details about the classroom response system: The portable radio frequency transmitter operates with three AAA batteries. The transmitter shuts off automatically when not in use; the lifetime of the batteries is about 200 hours. In addition to the On/Off button, the transmitter has 5 buttons for choices. When a question is asked, check the "Power" LED to ascertain that the transmitter is on, then press your choice of letter A through E. If the "Vote Status" LED flashes green, your answer has been registered by the receiver; if the "Vote Status" LED flashes red, resubmit your answer. You may change your answer as often as you like; the system records only your latest response.

i>clicker REGISTRATION INSTRUCTIONS: In order to receive credit for both the reading quizzes and participation exercises, please provide me with the eight digit identification number located on the back of your transmitter. To do so, please take the quiz in WebCT in which you're asked to enter your eight digit transmitter number. Complete the quiz by 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 8.

If the i>clicker registration quiz does not appear, turn off the pop-up blocker in your browser and try again.

If you're unable to complete the quiz on time or if during the course of the semester you find it necessary to change your transmitter number, please send me an email with your new transmitter number.

I will show your registered clicker ID in WebCT so that you can be certain that you have entered, and the system has recorded, the correct clicker ID.

Graded Homework (MasteringPhysics)

MasteringPhysics is a state-of-the-art on-line tutorial and homework system. We will use three types of exercises within MasteringPhysics: skill builders, self-tutoring problems, and some end-of-chapter problems. The skill builders and self-tutoring problems have extensive hints that you may request if you get stuck. The end-of-chapter problems are derived from problems in the textbook and offer no hints. Your individual end-of-chapter problems will be unique due to the use of random numbers for some of the numerical parameters. For all types of problems, once you submit your answers, your work will be graded instantly. You will be permitted an unlimited number of submissions for each problem part, but there will be a deduction of 3% for each incorrect answer. You will receive a 2% bonus for each unopened hint. Multiple-choice questions are graded differently: in order to discourage guessing on multiple-choice questions, if a question has n choices, then each incorrect answer results in a percent loss of 100/(n-1) for that question.

A total of 10 homework assignments from MasteringPhysics will be assigned for grading. The point value of each assignment is shown in the list of assignments within MasteringPhysics; the point total for all assignments is 200. Each assignment must be completed on a Thursday at noon for full credit. See the assignment schedule for the individual due dates. Partial credit will be awarded for late work as follows: A problem submitted between 0 and 12 hours after the deadline receives an amount of credit that decreases linearly from 100% to 50% depending on exactly when the problem was submitted. A problem submitted later than 12 hours after the deadline still receives 50% of possible credit. Please plan on submitting your answers well in advance of the due date to avoid problems with the Web. If you completely forget an assignment, you may still do it late (until December 14) for a maximum score of 50% of possible points.

The first (ungraded!) assignment is entitled Introduction to MasteringPhysics. This initial assignment takes about 45 minutes to complete and consists of simple exercises to help you become familiar with the use of MasteringPhysics. If you are new to MasteringPhysics, this first assignment should be completed prior to attempting the graded assignments. A description of the grading is located in "Student Help > Five Ways to Improve Your Grade with MasteringPhysics > How Grading Works > How Grades are Calculated". The first graded homework is due on Thursday, September 20^th, at noon.

MASTERINGPHYSICS REGISTRATION INSTRUCTIONS: To use MasteringPhysics, please register at the MasteringPhysics website located at http://www.masteringphysics.com. Click on MasteringPhysics for Knight: Physics for Scientists and Engineers 1e.

First time users: Click on "First Time User": Register on the page that follows. Here you'll be prompted for the access code that came bundled with your textbook. As you continue with the registration process, you'll be prompted for our course ID, your MTU e-mail address, and your Student ID:

Course ID:  MTUPH2200F07
E-mail Address:  please use your MTU e-mail address
Student ID:  your M-number (without the dash, for example, M12345678)

Prior users: Log in as an established user as you did last semester. Sign up for PH2200 by entering as the Course ID:  MTUPH2200F07

Occasional problems arise with MasteringPhysics that are browser related. If the graphics or the hints to a problem are missing, turn off the pop-up blocker in your browser. If you continue to have problems, try a different browser - MasteringPhysics recommends the use of Firefox. If you experience problems with the ranking tasks, be sure that you have the latest version of the Flash player installed on your computer. If the problem persists, contact me or the technical support staff at MasteringPhysics. It's been my experience that MasteringPhysics responds quickly to requests for help.

Exams I, II, III and Final Exam

The three exams and final exam are scheduled as follows:

Exam I, Tuesday, October 2, 6:00 p.m.

Exam II, Tuesday, October 23, 6:00 p.m.

Exam III, Tuesday, November 27, 6:00 p.m.

Final Exam, Monday, December 17, 12:45 p.m.

Exams I, II, and III will be 90 minutes long and hence will extend beyond normal exam time. Students with a conflict during the last half-hour will be accommodated by starting the exam one-half hour prior to the normal start of the exam. The location of the exams will be announced in class and posted on the door of the Physics Office. The final exam will be a comprehensive two-hour examination.

All exams will be closed book and closed notes. You may use the PH2200 formula sheet that will be included with the exam booklet. You will need a scientific calculator for the exams; however, equations may not be stored in calculators, nor may calculators be exchanged.

There will be no curving, scaling, redemption, or any other adjustment of exam scores.

The doors to the exam rooms will open at 5:55p.m. and everyone should be seated in an assigned seat and ready to begin work by 6:00p.m. Exam answer sheets will be collected 90 minutes later. The answers to each exam will be posted on the Web shortly after the exam ends.

The exams will consist of conceptual questions and traditional problems; the final exam will also consist of conceptual questions and problems, just more of them. Both the questions and problems will be multiple-choice. The questions and problems will be similar to the Stop to Think questions and worked examples found in the textbook, the assigned end-of-chapter exercises and problems, the graded homework problems (MasteringPhysics), and questions and problems posed and answered during lecture.

It is your responsibility to appear at the scheduled times to take the exams. Conflicts should be avoided by changing the conflicting event. An early exam will be scheduled for those with legitimate schedule conflicts. No late exams will be given, and an unexcused absence from any exam will result in a grade of zero.

Grade Tracking - WebCT

Your reading quiz and participation scores will be updated at the end of each week and the results will be available to you in the grade book maintained in WebCT. This is where your exam scores and ultimately your course grade may be found as well. It's your responsibility to examine the grade book periodically for accuracy and to report any discrepancies to me.

In addition to grades, I will use WebCT to list your i>clicker transmitter number so that you can verify that I have your correct number. WebCT will also list your M-number. Use this number on your exam answer sheet. Course content available in WebCT will include the answers to the even-numbered assigned homework problems, the full solutions to the student workbook, and the powerpoint presentations.

ACCESSING WebCT: WebCT is located at https://courses.mtu.edu . Your User ID is your campus email address without the @mtu.edu and, by default, your Password is the same as your user ID. If you previously used WebCT and changed your password, your updated password is needed. If you have forgotten your password, take your ID to Customer Service in room B24 of the EERC and request a new password. NOTE: we will be using the old version of WebCT.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Formula Sheet

The formula sheet available from the "Downloads" section of this Web site will be provided during all exams - no other formula sheet or table is allowed. Keep the formula sheet by your side as you solve problems.

Excused Absences

Events beyond your control may cause you to miss a homework due date or an exam. Whenever possible, contact me prior to your absence to arrange to make-up missed work. If you are unable to notify me concerning an absence or if you need to notify several instructors on short notice, contact the Office of Student Affairs for assistance. The Dean of Students will then inform all your instructors that you face a situation that requires that you miss class, and you are granted an excused absence. It's then your responsibility to contact each of your instructors after you recover from your illness or return to campus.

An absence can be excused under the following conditions:

- If you participate in off-campus University-sponsored activities, such as field trips, fine arts performances, intercollegiate athletics, job fairs, etc. you are granted an excused absence if your activity conflicts with an exam. Furthermore, I consider plant trips, job interviews requiring travel, and professional society meetings as excusable. It is imperative that for an absence of this type, for which a conflict with an exam is known well ahead of time, that you arrange with me to take the exam earlier than its normally scheduled time.

- If you encounter circumstances beyond your control such as illness, the funeral of any relative or close friend, or other personal emergency, you are granted an excused absence. You must provide verification of the special circumstances that led to your absence to the Office of Student Affairs. In the event of a missed exam due to an excused absence, you are not required to make-up the exam. Instead, an excused absence from an exam will receive the score EX. At the end of the semester, exam EX scores will be replaced by a weighted average of all of your non-EX scores on exams (Exams I, II and III). If the final exam is missed as a result of an excused absence, you will be awarded the letter grade of I (incomplete) and must take the PH2200 final exam at the end of any one of the next three semesters that you're in residence. Two or more exams missed as a result of excused absences will be handled on an individual basis.

If a homework due date is missed as a result of an excused absence, you will be granted an extension after you notify me.

Getting Help

Office Hours

In order to encourage you to ask questions, I've set aside the following times for office hours:

Tuesday and Thursday 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
If these times are inconvenient, please let me know so that we might find a mutually agreeable meeting time.

The Physics Learning Center

If approaching me for help seems intimidating, you may wish to visit the Physics Learning Center which is staffed by trained undergraduate coaches. The Physics Learning Center, located in 228 Fisher, provides team learning, one-on-one appointments, and walk-in help. Walk-in help is available at the following times:

To be announced in class

The coaches may provide help with the graded homework assignments, but don't expect them to work the problems for you. The coaches will provide hints in the form of questions that should enable you to work the problems yourself.

MasteringPhysics

Additional practice is available using MasteringPhysics. The additional practice is so labeled by chapter and is located on the assignment list under the "Additional Practice" heading. Most of the additional practice consists of skill builders and self-tutoring problems with their built-in hints.

Drop Dates

Drop date with no grade: September 21, 2007

Drop date with W grade: October 26, 2007

Late drop: If after the drop date circumstances beyond your control prevent you from completing the course, you may be a candidate for a late drop. The process does not begin with a course instructor but rather with the Dean of Students, to whom you confide the details of your situation.

MTU ADA Statement

MTU complies with all federal and state laws and regulations regarding discrimination, including the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). Michigan Tech is committed to a policy of educating individuals with physical or learning disabilities without discrimination. Students with documented disabilities should contact the Student Affairs Office for assistance and accommodations. It is the student's responsibility to inform the Office of Student Affairs of their class schedule for each semester in which accommodations are sought.

Academic Dishonesty

New technologies engender new forms of cheating. Some known types of cheating and the action that will result when cheating is identified are described below.

- Giving someone else your i>clicker transmitter is just like letting someone else take a quiz or exam for you. Last semester, one of the things students liked most about the classroom response system was the immediate feedback it provided about their conceptual understanding of important topics. You lose this learning opportunity if you give your transmitter to someone else. Reading quiz and participation points represent a small part of your grade, so it's unwise to jeopardize your academic record by cheating with the classroom response system. Anyone caught with more than one i>clicker transmitter in their possession in class will have all of them confiscated. They may be retrieved from the Dean of Students.

- Copying someone else's answers in MasteringPhysics is cheating. MasteringPhysics includes tools to help instructors identify cheating. In addition, the support staff at MasteringPhysics, if requested, will assist instructors to identify cheating. MasteringPhysics will prohibit students identified as cheaters from using their website.

- Used of cell phones or the Internet during exams is cheating. Either leave your phone home or turn it off during exams. A ringing cell phone is considered immediate evidence of cheating. Computers and/or other devices able to access the Internet are not allowed during exams. Bring a scientific calculator instead.

If cheating is suspected, the matter will be referred to the Office of Student Affairs. The penalty for cheating is not less than an academic integrity warning and not more than expulsion. In each case in my experience, students caught cheating have received an F in the course.

Summary of Important Activities

Participation in Physics 2200 requires that you perform the following activities, preferably as early during the first week of class as possible:

ACCESS WebCT: WebCT is located at https://courses.mtu.edu . Your User ID is your campus email address without the @mtu.edu and, by default, your Password is the same as your user ID. If you previously used WebCT and changed your password, your updated password is needed. If you've forgotten your password, take your ID to Customer Service in room B24 of the EERC and request a new password. In addition to grades, I will use WebCT to list your i>clicker transmitter number so that you can verify that I have your correct number.

i>clicker REGISTRATION: Complete the i>clicker Registration Quiz in WebCT. You're allowed a single submission, so enter your number with care. If after you review your submission you find that it's incorrect, please send me an email with your correct transmitter number. Likewise, if during the semester you replace your transmitter, please send me an email with your new transmitter number. Complete the quiz by 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 8.

MASTERINGPHYSICS REGISTRATION INSTRUCTIONS: To use MasteringPhysics, please register at the MasteringPhysics website located at http://www.masteringphysics.com. Click on MasteringPhysics for Knight: Physics for Scientists and Engineers 1e.

First time users: Click on First Time User: Register on the page that follows. Here you'll be prompted for the access code that came bundled with your textbook. As you continue with the registration process, you'll be prompted for your Student ID and the course ID:
Student ID:   your M-number
Course ID:   MTUPH2200F07

Prior users: Log in as an established user as you did last semester. Sign up for PH2200 by entering as the Course ID:   MTUPH2200F07