Physics 231 - Introductory Physics I

Spring Term - 1999

• There are weekly homework assignments provided on the internet and it is computer graded providing you with immediate feedback. Correct solutions (within the accuracy specified for each problem) are immediately credited to you. There are no penalties for incorrect tries; you may try to work each problem as many times as you wish. Homework will be accepted each week until midnight Thursday. After this time the correct solution will be displayed on the screen and you will no longer be able to get credit for it.
• When using the homework web-site for the first time you will have to go through a sign on procedure where you will be asked for an encryption key. A list of these can be found on the web at http://www.pa.msu.edu/courses/1999spring/phy231/keys.htm. On signing on you must use your last name for "username", make up a "password" and enter "phy231" for the class.
• When working on the homework you may get help by sending an email message from the homework web-site. Generally, the email will be answered each weekday by 4:00 p.m. There will also be a "chat-room" set up on the homework site which can be used anytime and on Thursday evenings between 6:00 and 10:00 p.m. there will be a TA on line to assist you.

Help-Room: The recitations on Wednesday are replaced by a help-room in 346 Giltner which will be staffed by one or more Teaching Assistants. It will be open 2 to 8 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays. All homework must be finished by midnight Thursday.

Exams: There will be two one-hour midterms: Tuesday, February 16 and Tuesday, March 30 starting at 10:20 a.m. (room to be announced). The two hour final will be on Tuesday, May 4, 3:00 - 5:00 p.m. (room to be announced).

Grades: Grades will be based on the following two tables. The left hand two columns show the value of the homework and exams and the right-hand columns show the maximum requirement for you to obtain a given grade. The requirement will never be raised but, it may be lowered if the average grade for all students at the end of the semester is deemed too low.

Item	Per cent	Per cent	Grade
Homework	45	90 to 100	4.0
Midterm1	15	82 to 90	3.5
Midterm2	15	75 to 82	3.0
Final	25	68 to 75	2.5
Total	100	61 to 68	2.0
		54 to 61	1.5
		47 to 54	1.0
		below 47	0.0

Reading and Homework Assignments: The assigned reading should be done before class of the given day.

Week	Tuesday	Thursday	Homework	No.
Jan 11	1.1:1.5, App. A,B,D	2.1:2.3, App. C,E	Units	1
18	2.4:2.7	1.6:1.8	Motion in 1 D	2
25	3.1:3.4	4.1:4.5	Motion in 2 D	3
Feb 1	4.6:4.10	4.11:4.12,6.1:6.3	Forces and Motion	4
8	6.4:6.8	7.1:7.2	Work & Kinetic Energy	5
15	Midterm I	7.3:7.5	Momentum & Collisions	6
22	5.1:5.5	5.6:5.7,8.1:8.4	Circular Motion	7
Mar 1	8.5:8.6,9.1:9.2	9.3:9.6	Rotations	8
8	Spring Break
15	10.1:10.2,11.1:11.8	11.9:11.11,12.1:12.3	Solids and Fluids	9
22	12.4:12.7,14.1:14.3	12.8:12.9,13.1:13.2	Temperature	10
29	Midterm II	13.3:13.4	Heat	11
Apr 5	15.1:15.3	15.4:15.11	Thermodynamics	12
12	10.3:10.8	16.1:16.3,17.1:17.6	Vibrations	13
19	16.4:16.6	16.7:16.10	Sound	14
26	Review	Review	None
May 3	Finals Week