4/29/2011
The final exam will be on THURSDAY, May 5th from 3:00PM until 5:00PM in Biomedical and Physical Sciences (BPS) room 1410.
The exam will be handed out promptly at 3:00P; students arriving after 3:00PM will not be permitted to enter the room until after the students who arrived promptly have started the exam.
The exam is comprehensive. The material covered in the last homework set will be given slightly more weight than the rest of the exam. As such, studying homework set 11 is a good place to concentrate your efforts for this part of the final exam. The remainder of the exam is equally (roughly) divided among the topics covered in the first three exams. So, the three practice exams and the three midterms are good places to concentrate your review for these questions. Some of the problems will be conceptual in nature and some will have numerical answers. There are 100 possible points on the exam and, as stated in the syllabus there will not be a correction exam.
The exam is closed book, but you may use four 8-1/2 inch x 11 inch or smaller sheet of original hand-written (preferred) notes and equations. You may use both sides of your note sheets.
You should bring a few sharpened number 2 pencils, your student ID (or driver’s license) and a calculator (graphing calculators are OK). However, the use of cell phones, PDAs or computers for any reason is NOT permitted. Pencils and calculators will NOT be provided. Also as a courtesy to your fellow students, you should turn off all cell phones and pagers before entering the room.
When you enter the room, pick up a bubble seat and sit in the row assigned to you based on your last name (seating assignments will be displayed on the screen at the front of the room). The exam will be handed out once all students arriving promptly are in their assigned rows. DO NOT open the exam until you are told to do so by an instructor. You can however, complete the student information section of your answer sheet. Make sure you include your student ID number and your name on the answer sheet. Make certain that your exam has your name and picture on the cover sheet – if it does not, you have the wrong exam! When you are finished with the exam return both your answer sheet and your exam to an instructor or a TA.
The cover page for the exam will contain the same information as the cover pages on each of the midterm exams.
There are a total of 23 problems; some of them are multi-part with a total of 30 questions on this exam.
Richard Hallstein
4/21/2011
You can now view your exam and your score in Lon-Capa. To see your score, select: “View current problem status and grading information” from the main menu. Next to EXAM 3 you will see your total points out of 50.
If a correction exam score is higher than the in-class score, then 30% of the difference between the correction exam score and the in-class exam score will be added to the in-class score as a bonus. For example, if an in-class exam score is 40 and the correction exam score is 50, then 0.3*(50-40)=3 will be added to the in-class score for an exam total of 43. So, 43 points will be used as the exam score for final grade calculation purposes. If the correction exam was equal to or lower than the in-class score, then the in-class score will be used for final grade calculation.
To review your version of the exam in Lon-Capa, click on Course Contents. Then open the folder labeled EXAMS near the bottom of the screen. Exam number three is inside a second folder labeled Exam 3. You can view an individual problem on the exam, including your response and the correct response by clicking on the problem.
You can prepare a printout of your version of the exam using the “prepare a printable document” option. This will show you how many points each problem was worth. On the in-class exam, you receive credit for every correct response.
The final exam will be on Thursday, May 5 from 3:00PM-5:00PM in 1410BPS and there will not be a correction exam associated with the final exam. As stated in the syllabus, at least 25% of the points on the final exam will come from modified* midterm exam problems or modified homework problems from the last homework set (set 11). The modified problem could be a single response or a multi-response conceptual problem. *Modified could mean that if the original problem gave x and asked for y, the modified problem might give y and ask for x. For conceptual problems, modified could mean covering the same concept.
If your exam score is not showing up, try exiting Lon-Capa, shutting down your internet browser and then re-logging into Lon-Capa.
Richard Hallstein
415/2011
The correction exam is now open for you to complete as a homework assignment. As with any of the regular homework assignments, you can post discussion on any of the problems and are encouraged to do so. The correction exam is due on Wednesday, April 20th at 11:59PM. 30% of the *positive* difference between the correction exam score and the in-class exam score will be added to your in-class exam score as bonus. The correction exam can only help your score on the exam and under *no* circumstance will your performance on the correction exam lower your exam score. So, it is in your best interest to take this opportunity to add points to your midterm exam score.
The results for exam 3 will not be available until after the correction exam’s due date.
The last regular homework assignment, set#11 is due on Friday, April 29th at 11:59PM and is also currently available.
The final exam will be on Thursday, May 5th from 3:00PM-5:00PM in BPS 1410.
The final exam is comprehensive. Slightly more weight will be given to the material covered in the last homework set. The remainder of the exam is equally (roughly) divided among the topics covered in the first three exams. Studying homework set 11, the three practice exams and the three midterm exams are good places to concentrate your studying efforts for the final exam. Like the midterm exams, some of the problems will be conceptual in nature and some will have numerical answers. There are 100 possible points on the exam and, as stated in the syllabus there will not be a correction exam.
Richard Hallstein
4/8/2011
The third exam will be on Thursday, April 14 from 6:10PM until 7:10PM in Biomedical and Physical Sciences (BPS) room 1410. Sit only in even numbered seats.
The exam will be handed out promptly at 6:10PM; students arriving after 6:10PM will not be permitted to enter the room until after the students who arrived promptly have started the exam.
The exam will cover everything covered in the course after exam 2. It will be based on the assigned readings, the online lectures and the homework (sets 9 through 10). As stated in the syllabus, the exam will also include one modified problem from the first exam and one modified problem from the second exam. These modified problems could be either single-part or multi-part. Some of the problems will be conceptual in nature and some will have numerical answers. There are 50 possible points on the exam.
The exam is closed book, but you may use one 8-1/2 inch x 11 inch or smaller sheet of original hand-written (preferred) notes and equations. You may use both sides of your note sheet.
You should bring a few sharpened number 2 pencils and a calculator (graphing calculators are OK). However, the use of cell phones, PDAs or computers for any reason is NOT permitted. Pencils and calculators will NOT be provided. Also as a courtesy to your fellow students, you should turn off all cell phones and pagers before entering the room.
When you enter the room, pick up a bubble seat and sit in the row assigned to you based on your last name (seating assignments will be displayed on the screen at the front of the room). You should sit only in even numbered seats. The exam will be handed out once all students arriving promptly are in their assigned rows. DO NOT open the exam until you are told to do so by an instructor. You can however, complete the student information section of your answer sheet. Make sure you include your student ID number and your name on the answer sheet. Make certain that your exam has your name and picture on the cover sheet – if it does not, you have the wrong exam! When you are finished with the exam return both your answer sheet and your exam to an instructor or a TA.
You will have one hour to complete the exam.
We will assign the whole exam again as a homework assignment as a Correction Exam. The Correction Exam will be optional. If you don't touch it, you will NOT lose any points from your in-class exam. If your performance is better on the Correction Exam than on the in-class exam, then 30 percent of this positive difference will be added to your in-class exam score. The best strategy is to solve the Correction Exam perfectly to maximize your gain. The correction exam will be available Friday, April 15 in the afternoon and will be due on Wednesday, April 20 at 11:59PM.
The cover page for the exam will contain the same information as the cover page from exam 2. Some useful information is included on the cover page.
There are a total of 11 problems; some of them are multi-part and there are a total of 15 questions on this exam.
Richard Hallstein
3/31/2011
You can now view your exam and your score in Lon-Capa. To see your score, select: “View current problem status and grading information” from the main menu. Next to EXAM 2 you will see your total points out of 50.
If a correction exam score is higher than the in-class score, then 30% of the difference between the correction exam score and the in-class exam score will be added to the in-class score as a bonus. For example, if an in-class exam score is 40 and the correction exam score is 50, then 0.3*(50-40)=3 will be added to the in-class score for an exam total of 43. So, 43 points will be used as the exam score for final grade calculation purposes. If the correction exam was equal to or lower than the in-class score, then the in-class score will be used for final grade calculation.
The question concerning the ultracentrifuge used the term “angular frequency”; this term is synonymous to angular speed. However, the term angular frequency had not yet been introduced in the course. Therefore, your exam two, post correction exam score will have an additional five points added to it. So, in the example above the score used in grade calculation would be 43+5=48 points out of 50. There is no way for me to make this five point adjustment inside of lon-capa; I will make the five point adjustment when I calculate the final grades.
To review your version of the exam in Lon-Capa, click on Course Contents. Then open the folder labeled EXAMS near the bottom of the screen. Exam number two is inside a second folder labeled Exam 2. You can view an individual problem on the exam, including your response and the correct response by clicking on the problem.
You can prepare a printout of your version of the exam using the “prepare a printable document” option. This will show you how many points each problem was worth. On the in-class exam, you receive credit for every correct response.
As stated in the syllabus, one problem on the third midterm will be a modified* problem taken directly from this exam. The modified problem could be a single response or a multi-response conceptual problem. *Modified could mean that if the original problem gave x and asked for y, the modified problem might give y and ask for x. For conceptual problems, modified could mean covering the same concept. The problem using the term angular frequency from this exam is fair game to be included on either exam 3 or on the final exam.
If your exam score is not showing up, try exiting Lon-Capa, shutting down your internet browser and then re-logging into Lon-Capa.
Richard Hallstein
3/18/2011
The second exam will be on Thursday, March 24th from 6:10PM until 7:10PM in Biomedical and Physical Sciences (BPS) room 1410. Note: different room/building from exam 1. Sit only in even numbered seats.
The exam will be handed out promptly at 6:10PM; students arriving after 6:10PM will not be permitted to enter the room until after the students who arrived promptly have started the exam.
The exam will cover everything covered in the course after exam 1. It will be based on the assigned readings, the online lectures and the homework (sets 6 through 8). As stated in the syllabus, the exam will also include one modified problem from the first exam. This modified problem could be either single-part or multi-part. Some of the problems will be conceptual in nature and some will have numerical answers. There are 50 possible points on the exam.
The exam is closed book, but you may use one 8-1/2 inch x 11 inch or smaller sheet of original hand-written (preferred) notes and equations. You may use both sides of your note sheet.
You should bring a few sharpened number 2 pencils and a calculator (graphing calculators are OK). However, the use of cell phones, PDAs or computers for any reason is NOT permitted. Pencils and calculators will NOT be provided. Also as a courtesy to your fellow students, you should turn off all cell phones and pagers before entering the room.
When you enter the room, pick up a bubble seat and sit in the row assigned to you based on your last name (seating assignments will be displayed on the screen at the front of the room). You should sit only in even numbered seats. The exam will be handed out once all students arriving promptly are in their assigned rows. DO NOT open the exam until you are told to do so by an instructor. You can however, complete the student information section of your answer sheet. Make sure you include your student ID number and your name on the answer sheet. Make certain that your exam has your name and picture on the cover sheet – if it does not, you have the wrong exam! When you are finished with the exam return both your answer sheet and your exam to an instructor or a TA.
You will have one hour to complete the exam.
We will assign the whole exam again as a homework assignment as a Correction Exam. The Correction Exam will be optional. If you don't touch it, you will NOT lose any points from your in-class exam. If your performance is better on the Correction Exam than on the in-class exam, then 30 percent of this positive difference will be added to your in-class exam score. The best strategy is to solve the Correction Exam perfectly to maximize your gain. The correction exam will be available Friday, March 25th in the afternoon and will be due on Wednesday, March 30th at 11:59PM.
The cover page for the exam will contain the same information as the cover page from exam 1. Some useful information is included on the cover page. Note: the exam cover page is for all of the mid-term exams and not all of the useful information listed here is applicable to this exam.
There are a total of 12 problems; some of them are multi-part and there are a total of 15 questions on this exam.
Richard Hallstein
3/15/2011
The second exam will be a week from this Thursday, on March 24th at 6:10PM in BPS 1410 *NOTE DIFFERENT ROOM AND BUILDING*.
The exam will concentrate on the material covered since the first exam. This includes the assigned readings and online lectures that correspond to homework set 6, 7 and 8 (set 8 is due on 3/23).
A pdf of the practice exam for exam 2 is now available in the practice exam folder in Lon-Capa. The problems on this exam are problems given in previous semesters in this course. The solution will be available on Tuesday, March 22.
Richard Hallstein
2/24/2011
You can now view your exam and your score in Lon-Capa. To see your score, select: “View current problem status and grading information” from the main menu. Next to EXAM 1 you will see your total points out of 50.
If a correction exam score is higher than the in-class score, then 30% of the difference between the correction exam score and the in-class exam score will be added to the in-class score as a bonus. For example, if an in-class exam score is 40 and the correction exam score is 50, then 0.3*(50-40)=3 will be added to the in-class score for an exam total of 43. So, 43 points will be used as the exam score for final grade calculation purposes. If the correction exam was equal to or lower than the in-class score, then the in-class score will be used for final grade calculation.
To review your version of the exam in Lon-Capa, click on Course Contents. Then open the folder labeled EXAMS near the bottom of the screen. Exam number one is inside a second folder labeled Exam 1. You can view an individual problem on the exam, including your response and the correct response by clicking on the problem.
You can prepare a printout of your version of the exam using the “prepare a printable document” option. This will show you how many points each problem was worth. On the in-class exam, you receive credit for every correct response.
As stated in the syllabus, one problem on the second midterm and one problem on the third midterm will be a modified* problem taken directly from this exam. The modified problem could be a single response or a multi-response conceptual problem. *Modified could mean that if the original problem gave x and asked for y, the modified problem might give y and ask for x. For conceptual problems, modified could mean covering the same concept.
If your exam score is not showing up, try exiting Lon-Capa, shutting down your internet browser and then re-logging into Lon-Capa.
Richard Hallstein
2/15/2011
As a review for the first exam, the solution to the practice exam is now available in the practice exam folder. I strongly advise making a first draft of your exam notes sheet and using it to work through the practice exam prior to reviewing the solution lectures. As stated in the course syllabus and in the email notification sent last week, the exam will be Thursday, February 17th at 6:10PM. The exam will be in BCH-101.
2/10/2011
The first exam will be on Thursday, February 17th from 6:10PM until 7:10PM in Biochemistry (BCH) room 101.
The exam will be handed out promptly at 6:10PM; students arriving after 6:10PM will not be permitted to enter the room until after the students who arrived promptly have started the exam.
The exam will cover everything through and including online lecture folder 5(homework set 5). It will be based on the online lectures, the assigned reading and the homework. Some of the problems will be conceptual in nature and some will have numerical answers. There are 50 possible points on the exam.
The exam is closed book, but you may use one 8-1/2 inch x 11 inch or smaller sheet of original hand-written (preferred) notes and equations. You may use both sides of your note sheet.
You should bring a few sharpened number 2 pencils, your student ID (or driver’s license) and a calculator (graphing calculators are OK). However, the use of cell phones, PDAs or computers for any reason is NOT permitted. Pencils and calculators will NOT be provided. Also as a courtesy to your fellow students, you should turn off all cell phones and pagers before entering the room.
When you enter the room, pick up a bubble seat and sit in the row assigned to you based on your last name (seating assignments will be displayed on the screen at the front of the room). The exam will be handed out once all students arriving promptly are in their assigned rows. DO NOT open the exam until you are told to do so by an instructor. You can however, complete the student information section of your answer sheet. Make sure you include your student ID number and your name on the answer sheet. Make certain that your exam has your name and picture on the cover sheet – if it does not, you have the wrong exam! When you are finished with the exam return both your answer sheet and your exam to an instructor or a TA.
You will have one hour to complete the exam.
I will assign the whole exam again as a homework assignment as a Correction Exam. The Correction Exam will be optional. If you don't touch it, you will NOT lose any points from your in-class exam. If your performance is better on the Correction Exam than on the in-class exam, then 30 percent of this positive difference will be added to your in-class exam score. The best strategy is to solve the Correction Exam perfectly to maximize your gain. The correction exam will be available Friday, February 18th in the afternoon and will be due on Wednesday, Febuary 23rd at 11:59PM.
There is a Practice Exam folder in Lon-Capa containing a practice exam with problems given in previous PHY 231/231C courses. A solution to this exam will be posted in the same folder on Tuesday, February 15th.
The cover page for the exam will contain the same information as is displayed on the practice exam’s cover page. Some useful information is included on the cover page. Note: the exam cover page is for all of the mid-term exams and not all of the useful information listed here is applicable to this exam. There are a total of 12 problems, some of them multi-part totaling 18 questions on this exam.
Richard Hallstein
2/7/2011
The first exam will be a week from this Thursday, on February 17th at 6:10PM in BCH-101. The exam will cover material through homework set 5 (due on 2/16).
A pdf of the practice exam for exam 1 will be in a separate folder in Lon-Capa and will be available by tomorrow morning. The problems on this exam are problems given in previous semesters in this course.
Preparing a note sheet is a good way to study for exams. Preparing this sheet helps you to organize your thoughts in terms of what is and what is not important from each chapter; and how the various concepts are related.
*Before* opening the practice exam, make a rough draft of your note sheet. Work out the practice exam – allow yourself one hour, the rough draft of your note sheet and a calculator. Try not to give in to the temptation of peeking at the exam before you start your 1 hour timer. This method will give you an idea of what is good about your note sheet and what areas may need more emphasis.
A detailed solution to the practice exam will be available a few days prior to the exam. You should try solving the entire exam prior to viewing this solution.
Some of graphs on pdf files generated by Lon-Capa are difficult to read on some computer monitors; however they are quite clear when printed out.
Richard Hallstein
1/10/2011
Welcome to the spring 2011 session of PHY 231C,
You are receiving this message because you are enrolled in PHY 231C section 730 or section 731.
The required text book is Knight-Jones-Field: College Physics (A Strategic Approach), Second Edition, Volume 1. It is sold at the MSU bookstore and at SBS on Grand River. If you already have the first edition of volume 1 of this text, you will not need to purchase the second edition.
This class will use LON-CAPA. LON-CAPA is a computerized homework and exam management system developed right here at MSU. We will NOT use Angel or Mastering Physics from the textbook. Since this is an online class, you are not required to purchase an i-clicker.
Please visit www.loncapa.msu.edu and log in using your MSU Net ID and password. Select the "PHY 231C, Spring 2011" class. The first item on the top is the syllabus. You can also review the syllabus without logging in to Lon-Capa here: http://www.pa.msu.edu/courses/2011spring/phy231c/ Read it carefully. This is the official syllabus of the class.
The next item is a folder containing the lectures for the course. The “Online Lectures” folder contains the lectures specifically designed for this online course; they are in the form of narrated PowerPoint presentations with example problems. A high speed internet connection (i.e. not dial-up) and a computer with the ability to view flash video are required. All of the online lectures for the course are currently available.
The next folder will contain the homework for the course. There are weekly homework sets that are due on Wednesdays at 11:59PM. The first homework set is due next Wednesday, January 19 at 11:59PM. Currently, only homework set 1 is available. Subsequent homework sets will be available approximately nine days (on Monday) prior to the due date.
If you are living or traveling far from the MSU campus at the time of the exam, beyond a reasonable commuting distance, or if you are traveling with an MSU-sponsored program, you may be able to arrange a proctored off-campus exam. Arrangements must be made well in advance of the exam – requests made after the deadline will not be accommodated and you will have to take the exam at MSU. For arrangement details and arrangement deadlines: see the link in the exam section of the syllabus.
You are encouraged to come to the help room (BPS 1248) with your questions. Our Teaching Assistants will be more than happy to answer your questions. Starting next week, the help room will be open for this course on Tuesday 2:00PM-8:00PM, Wednesdays 10:00AM-8:00PM and Thursdays 1:30PM-8:00PM.
You are also encouraged to use the discussion board inside LON-CAPA. If you don't understand a problem or you need help, just click on the "Post discussion" link and post your question. If you are seeking electronic help on a homework problem, use the post discussion option. More likely than not, others will have the same question and unlike email, everyone can then benefit from your question and subsequent response(s). If you know the answer to somebody else's question, just post your answer. Don't forget: The best way to learn is to teach. (Doscendo discimus).
Richard Hallstein
(BPS 1253, (517) 884-5509, hallstein@pa.msu.edu)
Last updated: January 10, 2011