November 22
Dear PHY 231C students,
At the end of this message is your personalized summary of
your scores on the work you have completed through
yesterday's Correction exam. In addition, I have used this
data, along with the course syllabus to give you a final
grade projection. The projection assumes your work in all
categories is represented by what you have done so far.
Below I am including: your Exam 1, 2 and 3 post correction
scores (in
percent); your dropped midterm exam, your midterm exam average
in percent (after dropping the lowest); your
homework average through set 8 including the bonus questions
in percent; your projected final exam score in percent (this
is the PRE-correction average in percent score for exams 1, 2
and 3); your projected final average in percent; and the
corresponding projected final grade based on the criteria
outlined in the syllabus.
These projections assume ALL future homework (both regular
and bonus), exams and corrections exams are represented by
the work you have done thus far. Clearly, if any future
work in any of these categories changes, your actual
scores/grades in some or all of these projected categories
will change as well.
Thus far, we have had 187 regular homework questions and 47
bonus questions. So, there were a maximum of 234 homework
points you could have earned through set 8; but your percent
score is based on 187 points as stipulated in the syllabus.
Anyone with homework points earned over 187 points, through
set 8 received a homework percent greater than 100%!
Here is the key to interpret my abbreviations below:
HW%: Homework percent
MTA%: Actual midterm average of all midterm exams in
percent (this is your post-correction average score on
midterms 1, 2 and 3 score after dropping the lowest)
PFE%: PROJECTED final exam score in percent (your pre-
correction average score on midterms 1, 2 and 3 in percent)
PFA%: PROJECTED final course average in %
PFG: PROJECTED final grade
As an *example* of how your projections were calculated,
here is a calculated projection based on the current class
averages in each category (this calculation is based on the
class average, not your personal projection -- the bottom of
the email sent to your Lon-Capa account for your personal
projection):
The class average on the homework through set 8 is 107% The
class average on midterm 1, post correction was 66.3%; the post
correction average on midterm 2 was 70.8%; pre-correction
score on midterm 3 is 82%, the correction exam average score
was 97% and the class average
post-correction score for exam 3 is 86.5%. The lowest class
average midterm
exam 1 66.3% and is dropped. The projected final exam score
is 66%.
First, we need to find the post-correction midterm score for
our class average (only your post correction score is shown
below):
MTcorrected = 82% + 0.3*(97%-82%)= 86.5%
Using these averages, we can project a final average and
grade in the course. In this projection and in your
personalized projection at the end of this message, we'll
make a these assumptions:
1. Assume homework and bonus point performance for the
remainder of the course remains as it has been thus far.
2. Assume the average final exam percent score is the same
as the average PRE-correction midterm percent score plus any
earned final exam bonus points.
Again, if the actual performance differs from these
assumptions, the actual scores will change too.
Homework is weighted at 25%, average of best two midterms at
40% and the
final exam 35%. So, this average set of scores yields:
Projected final class average: 0.25*107% +
0.4*(86.5+70.8)/2 + 0.35*66%= 81.3%
Using the grading criteria in the syllabus, we see this
projected final average for this hypothetical average
student is 81.3% and the corresponds to a projected final
grade of 3; it is greater than halfway between the cut-offs
for a 3.0 and a 3.5. This is significantly higher than the
long-term
historical average for both this class and its
traditional equivalent. Again, the above are all CLASS
AVERAGES -- your personalized scores are at the bottom of
this message.
Richard Hallstein
November 16
Dear PHY 231C student,
I was notified today that our final exam location was changed to CEM 138. Tom
make sure you're aware of this change, I announced it in this evening's exam AND
I have added a final exam bonus point question in lon-capa. The question has
only one response and will take you seconds to complete. It asks for our new
exam location. responding to this question will earn a 5 point bonus to your
final exam score (that is 5%). So, if your score on the 100 point exam is 75
points and you answer the bonus question, your adjusted score will be 80/100
(scores over 100% will be permitted with this bonus question).
The question is currently available to answer.
Richard Hallstein
November 6
Dear PHY 231C student,
Today, I will hold my office hours at their usual time (noon-1PM), but they will
be in room 1253BPS instead of the help room.
Richard Hallstein
November 1 (2 of 2)
Dear PHY 231C student,
To help prepare for the final exam, I suggest revisiting your note sheet for
this exam now while everything is fresh on your mind. A solution to this exam
is now available in Lon-Capa. This solution will either be a static pdf
referring you to where to find a very similar worked out problem in the course
material (either the required text or in the online materials) or in the form of
a new online video solution.
As has been emphasized in the course, when studying you will want to focus on
problem solving processes and procedures. Do not try to account for the
hundreds or thousands of reasonable problems that could be asked on an exam.
You cannot possibly account for all of the appropriate special applications on a
note sheet. Instead, focus on the process used in applying the relatively small
number of laws, principles and concepts. Relying on a single equation for one
specific problem can lead you astray on an exam. For example, the revised
problem on exam 2 was almost identical to the problem on exam 1. The only
difference beyond the randomization of given values was the direction of the
acceleration. This relatively small change results in a slightly different end
equation, or at the very least a slight modification to the equation needed for
exam 1. Focusing on the single equation, rather than the process would lead to
an incorrect result.
You can practice the needed processes and procedures by working your way through
the homework problems; the reason I weight homework relatively high at 25% is to
emphasize the importance of spending your time struggling through these problems
and practicing the application of the concepts covered in this course. Yes, you
can likely find the answers to homework questions via sites on the web, but
doing so will result in no practice of applying the problem solving procedures
needed to be successful on exams.
While this is physics 1, the same holds true in studying for physics 2 (232C or
its traditional equivalent, 232).
Richard Hallstein
November 1 (1 of 2)
Dear PHY 231C students,
At the end of this message is your personalized summary of
of your scores on the work you have completed through
yesterday's Correction exam. In addition, I have used this
data, along with the course syllabus to give you a final
grade projection. The projection assumes your work in all
categories is represented by what you have done so far.
If you did not take exam 1 or exam 2, this missed exam will
be dropped your one dropped exam, however the midterm part
of your grade in this projection will be low as the missed
exam is scored as a zero for now. After exam 3, I will send
out a projection including this as your dropped exam.
Below I am including: your Exam 1 and post correction scores (in
percent); your projected midterm exam average in percent
(the simple average of corrected exams 1 and 2); your
homework average through set 6 including the bonus questions
in percent; your projected final exam score in percent (this
is the PRE-correction average in percent score for exams 1
and 2); your projected final average in percent; and the
corresponding projected final grade based on the criteria
outlined in the syllabus.
These projections assume ALL future homework (both regular
and bonus), exams and corrections exams are represented by
the work you have done thus far. Clearly, if any future
work in any of these categories changes, your actual
scores/grades in some or all of these projected categories
will change as well.
Thus far, we have had 152 regular homework questions and 35
bonus questions. So, there were a maximum of 187 homework
points you could have earned through set 6; but your percent
score is based on 152 points as stipulated in the syllabus.
Anyone with homework points earned over 152 points, through
set 6 received a homework percent greater than 100%!
Here is the key to interpret my abbreviations below:
HW%: Homework percent
MTA%: PROJECTED midterm average of all midterm exams in
percent (this is your post-correction average score on
midterms 1 and 2 score)
PFE%: PROJECTED final exam score in percent (your pre-
correction average score on midterms 1 and 2 in percent)
PFA%: PROJECTED final course average in % (includes PCDB
bonus, if applicable)
PFG: PROJECTED final grade
As an *example* of how your projections were calculated,
here is a calculated projection based on the current class
averages in each category (this calculation is based on the
class average, not your personal projection -- the bottom of
the email sent to your Lon-Capa account for your personal
projection):
The class average on the homework through set 6 is 107% The
class average on midterm 1, post correction was 66.3%; the
pre-correction score on midterm 2 is 60%, the correction
exam average score was 96% and the class average
post-correction score for exam 2 is 70.8%. The class average
projected final exam score is 57%.
First, we need to find the post-correction midterm score for
our class average (only your post correction score is shown
below):
MTcorrected = 60% + 0.3*(96%-60%)= 70.8%
Using these averages, we can project a final average and
grade in the course. In this projection and in your
personalized projection at the end of this message, we'll
make a these assumptions:
1. Assume homework and bonus point performance for the
remainder of the course remains as it has been thus far.
2. Assume the average final exam percent score is the same
as the average PRE-correction midterm percent score plus any
earned final exam bonus points.
Again, if the actual performance differs from these
assumptions, the actual scores will change too.
Homework is weighted at 25%, the midterms at 40% and the
final exam 35%. So, this average set of scores yields:
Projected final class average: 0.25*107% +
0.4*(66.3+70.8)/2 + 0.35*57%= 74.1%
Using the grading criteria in the syllabus, we see this
projected final average for this hypothetical average
student is 74.1% and the corresponds to a projected final
grade of 2.5; it is less than 2 percentage points away from
the for a 3.0. This is slightly higher than the long-term
historical average for both this class and its
traditional equivalent. Again, the above are all CLASS
AVERAGES -- your personalized scores are at the bottom of
this message.
Richard Hallstein
October 19 (3 of 3)
Dear PHY 231C student,
I'm sending this as a separate message for emphasis. Your 8.5 inch by 11 inch
(maximum size) double-sided note sheet for this (and all) exam(s) must be hand
written and original (no copies). This is stated both in the syllabus and in the
exam announcement. The use of any other type of notes (i.e. not hand written) is
cheating. Any student using any notes on an exam that are not hand written will
receive a penalty grade of zero on the exam. Penalty grades cannot be used as a
dropped exam.
You are permitted one and only one note sheet for this exam.
Your note sheet will be checked at least once during the exam.
Richard Hallstein
October 19 (2 of 3)
Dear PHY 231C students,
In preparation for next Thursday's exam, I wanted to give you some additional
information. First, if you have not done so, you should review the study
suggestions in the syllabus:
https://web.pa.msu.edu/courses/2017fall/PHY231C/Study/Study.htm
I'll reiterate one point in this forum. In general, all of our exams will be
organized in the order the material is covered in class. This will help you in
both organizing a good set of handwritten notes and with recall when taking the
exam. One caveat to this organization style, sometimes the most challenging
question on an exam is early on the exam. If you're stuck on such a question,
make an educated guess and move on (don't use all your time on one question).
The practice exam problems for the first exam are now available. You can find
details in the syllabus here:
https://web.pa.msu.edu/courses/2017fall/PHY231C/Study/Study.htm
For next week's exam, here is how points are distributed:
Where/when is our final exam (hint it's on 12/14 in EH 103 at 8PM - this is the
only option given on the exam): 1 point
Work and energy: 9 points
Momentum: 9 points
Oscillations: 10 points
Rotational kinematics/the relationship between angular and linear quantities: 5
points
Rotation: 11 points
Revised problem from exam 1: 5 points
On this and all exams, you are also responsible for units and common metric
conversions.
Richard Hallstein
October 19 (1 of 3)
Dear PHY 231C students,
The second exam will be on Thursday, October 26 from 9:00PM until 9:50PM in
Chemistry (CEM) room 138. The exam will be handed out promptly at 9PM; students
arriving after 9PM will not be permitted to enter the room until after the
students who arrived promptly have started the exam.
The exam will concentrate on everything covered since exam 1 through and
including online lecture 8b (homework set 6). It will be based on the readings,
the online lectures and the homework. As stated in the syllabus, one question
will be a revised question from our first exam. Some of the problems will be
conceptual in nature and some will have numerical answers. There are a total of
16 separate responses on the exam. There are 50 possible points on the exam.
The exam is closed book, but you may use one and only one 8-1/2 inch x 11 inch
or smaller sheet of original HAND-WRITTEN notes and equations. You may use both
sides of your note sheet. Your note sheet will be checked at least once during
the exam. Any notes other than described in the syllabus and restated here will
be considered a violation of the university's policy on academic integrity. As
such, a non-droppable penalty grade of zero for the exam will be given and an
official report of academic dishonesty will be filed with the university.
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
taking the exam, all baseball caps or brimmed hats must be removed or turned
backwards. Furthermore, all caps or hats covering the ears must be removed.
When you enter the room, 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).
DO NOT open the exam until you are told to do so by an instructor. However, once
the answer sheets are handed out 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 fifty minutes to complete the exam.
The whole exam will be assigned again in the same form as a homework assignment
as a Correction Exam. The Correction Exam is 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 as a bonus.
The best strategy is to solve the Correction Exam perfectly to maximize your
gain. The Correction Exam will be available in the afternoon on Friday,
October 27 and will be due on Tuesday, October 31 at 11:59PM.
Some useful information is included on the cover page. The cover page for the
exam will contain the same information as is displayed on the practice exam's
cover page. The two sets of practice exams were outlined in an email sent
earlier today.
Note: the exam cover page is for all of the mid-term exams and not all of the
useful information listed on it is applicable to this exam.
The due date for Homework set 7 is Tuesday, November 7 at 11:59PM. This set is a
long set, so you should get started on it early.
Richard Hallstein
October 4
Dear PHY 231C students,
At the end of this message is your personalized summary of
of your scores on the work you have completed through
yesterday's Correction exam. In addition, I have used this
data, along with the course syllabus to give you a final
grade projection. The projection assumes your work in all
categories is represented by what you have done so far.
If you did not take exam 1, this missed exam will be dropped
your one dropped exam, however there is not enough data for
me to make a projection and as such, your average below will
be zero. After exam 3, I will send out a projection
including this as your dropped exam.
Below I am including: your Exam 1 post correction score (in
percent); your projected midterm exam average in percent
(thesame as your corrected exam 1 score); your homework
average through set
3 including the bonus questions in percent; your projected
final exam score in percent (this is the PRE-correction
percent score on exam 1); your projected final average in
percent; and the corresponding projected final grade based
on the criteria outlined in the syllabus.
These projections assume ALL future homework (both regular
and bonus), exams and corrections exams are represented by
the work you have done thus far. Clearly, if any future
work in any of these categories changes, your actual
scores/grades in some or all of these projected categories
will change as well.
Thus far, we have had 86 regular homework questions and 16
bonus questions. So, there were a maximum of 102 homework
points you could have earned through set 3; but your percent
score is based on 86 points as stipulated in the syllabus.
Anyone with homework points earned over 86 points, through
set 3 received a homework percent greater than 100%!
Here is the key to interpret my abbreviations below:
HW%: Homework percent
MTA%: PROJECTED midterm average of all midterm exams in
percent (this is your post-correction midterm 1 score)
PFE%: PROJECTED final exam score in percent (your pre-
correction score on midterm 1 in percent)
PFA%: PROJECTED final course average in % (includes PCDB
bonus, if applicable)
PFG: PROJECTED final grade
As an *example* of how your projections were calculated,
here is a calculated projection based on the current class
averages in each category (this calculation is based on the
class average, not your personal projection -- the bottom of
the email sent to your Lon-Capa account for your personal
projection):
The class average on the homework through set is 102% The
class average on midterm 1, pre-correction is 54% and the
pre-correction average on midterm 2 was 50%. The average on
the correction exam is 95%. The class average projected
final exam score is 54%. The corrected midterm average is
66.3%.
First, we need to find the post-correction midterm score for
our class average (only your post correction score is shown
below):
MTcorrected = 54% + 0.3*(95%-54%)= 66.3%
Using these averages, we can project a final average and
grade in the course. In this projection and in your
personalized projection at the end of this message, we'll
make a these assumptions:
1. Assume homework and bonus point performance for the
remainder of the course remains as it has been thus far.
2. Assume the average final exam percent score is the same
as the average PRE-correction midterm percent score plus any
earned final exam bonus points.
Again, if the actual performance differs from these
assumptions, the actual scores will change too.
Homework is weighted at 25%, the midterms at 40% and the
final exam 35%. So, this average set of scores yields:
Projected final class average: 0.25*102% +
0.4*(66.3) + 0.35*54%= 70.9%
Using the grading criteria in the syllabus, we see this
projected final average for this hypothetical average
student is 70.9% and the corresponds to a projected final
grade of 2.5; it is just under the halfway point for the
cut-offs for a 2.5 and a 3.0. This is consistent with the
long-term historical average for both this class and its
traditional equivalent. Again, the above are all CLASS
AVERAGES -- your personalized scores are at the bottom of
this message.
To help prepare for the final exam, I suggest revisiting
your note sheet for this exam now while everything is fresh
on your mind. A solution to this exam is now available in
Lon-Capa. This solution will either be a static pdf
referring you to where to find a very similar worked out
problem in the course material (either the required text or
in the online materials) or in the form of a new online
video solution.
Richard Hallstein
September 29
Dear PHY 231C student,
You can now view your midterm 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 MIDTERM 1 you will see your total points out of 50.
To review your version of the exam in Lon-Capa, click on Course Contents. Then
open the folder labeled EXAMS. The midterm is inside a second folder labeled
MIDTERM 1. You can view an individual problem on the exam, including your
response and the correct response by clicking on the problem (some problems you
can only see your response by clicking on the "Previous Tries" link at the
bottom of the problem's page).
You can prepare a printout of your version of the exam using the "print" option
in the upper right hand corner of your screen; this option is visible when one
of the problems on the exam is opened/visible on your screen and selecting this
will allow you to create a pdf of your version of the exam. This will show you
how many points each problem was worth. On the original exam, you receive credit
for every correct response.
I encourage you to complete the correction exam available now as a homework
assignment. Doing so can improve your score on this exam; details are in the
message sent to you last night and in the syllabus.
It is your overall score on both the correction exam and original exam which
determines your bonus added to your original score; so complete all problems on
the correction exam (not just the ones you answered incorrectly on the exam you
took with me or a proctor)!
If a correction exam score is higher than your original score, then 30% of the
difference between the correction exam score and your original exam score will
be added to your original score as a bonus. For example, if your score on
today's exam is 40/50 and the correction exam score is 50/50, then 0.3*(50-40)=3
points will be added to today's score for an exam total of 43 points. So, 43/50
will be used as the midterm exam score for final grade calculation purposes. If
the correction exam is equal to or lower than your original score, then the
original score will be used for final grade calculation.
The correction exam is a different randomization than the original exam. So,
just like everyone receives different given values on homework problems, your
correction exam and your original exam will differ slightly.
The correction exam is due on Tuesday, Oct 3 at 11:59PM.
If your exam correction exam or your exam score are not showing up, try exiting
Lon-Capa, shutting down all windows of your internet browser and then re-logging
into Lon-Capa.
Richard Hallstein
September 26
Dear PHY 231C student,
In last week's email, I included a small error. The exam will have 16
questions, not 15 as previously stated. The point breakdown given in the email
remains unchanged.
Richard Hallstein
September 20
Dear PHY 231C student,
In one of the messages sent out yesterday, I implied the first exam would be
tomorrow -- this is not correct. The correct date is shown in other
announcements and in the syllabus. It is Thursday, September 28 at 9PM in
Chemistry room 138.
Richard Hallstein
September 19 (3 of 3)
Dear PHY 231C student,
I'm sending this as a separate message for emphasis. Your note sheet for this
(and all) exam(s) must be hand written and original (no copies). This is stated
both in the syllabus and in the exam announcement. The use of any other type of
notes (i.e. not hand written) is cheating. Any student using any notes on an
exam that are not hand written will receive a penalty grade of zero on the exam.
Penalty grades cannot be used as a dropped exam.
Your note sheet will be checked at least once during the exam.
Richard Hallstein
September 19 (2 of 3)
Dear PHY 231C students,
In preparation for this Thursday's exam, I wanted to give you some additional
information. First, if you have not done so, you should review the study
suggestions in the syllabus:
https://web.pa.msu.edu/courses/2017fall/PHY231C/Study/Study.htm
I'll reiterate one point in this forum. In general, all of our exams will be
organized in the order the material is covered in class. This will help you in
both organizing a good set of handwritten notes and with recall when taking the
exam. One caveat to this organization style, sometimes the most challenging
question on an exam is early on the exam. If you're stuck on such a question,
make an educated guess and move on (don't use all your time on one question).
The practice exam problems for the first exam are now available. You can find
details in the syllabus here:
https://web.pa.msu.edu/courses/2017fall/PHY231C/Study/Study.htm
For next week’s exam, here is how points are distributed:
1D motion: 18 points
2D motion: 14 points
Force: 18 points
On this and all exams, you are also responsible for units and common metric
conversions.
Richard Hallstein
September 19 (1 of 3)
Dear PHY 231C students,
The first exam will be on Thursday, September 28 from 9:00PM until 9:50PM in
Chemistry (CEM) room 138. The exam will be handed out promptly at 9PM; students
arriving after 9PM 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 4 (homework
set 3). It will be based on the readings, the online lectures and the homework.
Some of the problems will be conceptual in nature and some will have numerical
answers. There are a total of 15 separate responses on the exam. 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 notes and equations. You may use both sides of
your note sheet. Your note sheet will be checked at least once during the exam.
Any notes other than described in the syllabus and restated here will be
considered a violation of the university's policy on academic integrity. As
such, a non-droppable penalty grade of zero for the exam will be given and an
official report of academic dishonesty will be filed with the university.
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
taking the exam, all baseball caps or brimmed hats must be removed or turned
backwards. Furthermore, all caps or hats covering the ears must be removed.
When you enter the room, 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).
DO NOT open the exam until you are told to do so by an instructor. However, once
the answer sheets are handed out 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 fifty minutes to complete the exam.
The whole exam will be assigned again in the same form as a homework assignment
as a Correction Exam. The Correction Exam is 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 as a bonus.
The best strategy is to solve the Correction Exam perfectly to maximize your
gain. The Correction Exam will be available in the afternoon on Friday,
September 29 and will be due on Tuesday, October 3 at 11:59PM.
Some useful information is included on the cover page. The cover page for the
exam will contain the same information as is displayed on the practice exam's
cover page. The two sets of practice exams were outlined in an email sent
earlier today.
Note: the exam cover page is for all of the mid-term exams and not all of the
useful information listed on it is applicable to this exam.
The due date for Homework set 4 is Tuesday, October 10 at 11:59PM. This set is a
long set, so you should get started on it early.
Richard Hallstein
September 7
Dear PHY 231C student,
The helproom hours and my office hours for Mondays are slightly changed from what I sent out yesterday. They are:
Helproom hours for Monday: Noon-9PM
My office hours (in BPS 1248): Mondays from Noon-1PM or by appointment
Corey Musolff's office hours (in BPS 1248): Tuesday 1PM-2PM
Richard Hallstein
September 6
Dear PHY 231C student,
My office hours for the semester are Mondays 11:30AM - 12:30PM and will be held in the Strosacher Learning Center (1248BPS) or by appointment in my office (1253BPS).
The Strosacher Learning Center(aka the help room) is located in room
1248BPS.
While the general physics help room hours are Monday through Thursday 9AM-9PM
and Friday 9AM to 6PM, we will have learning assistants assigned specifically to
PHY 231/231C during only certain hours. Beginning Friday, 9/8 it will be staffed.
Here are the 231/231C specific hours:
Mondays: 11:30AM - 9:00PM
Tuesdays: noon - 9:00PM
Fridays: 1:00PM-5:00PM
Richard Hallstein
August 31
Dear PHY 231C student,
In yesterday's email message, we stated that the first homework assignemtn was due on Tuesday, September 13; this is not correct, the correct due date is Tuesday, September 12.
Richard Hallstein phy231c-adm@pa.msu.edu
BPS 1253, (517) 884-5509
Corey Musolff phy231c-adm@pa.msu.edu
August 30
PHY 231C is now available (message 1 of 6)
Dear PHY 231C student,
Welcome to the fall semester of PHY 231C – the course is now open and available.
You are receiving this message because you are enrolled in PHY 231C section 730 or section 731. Please read this message and the five subsequent messages carefully; they contain a significant amount of important information about the course. A copy of each is posted in the announcement section of the syllabus. We are sending these as separate messages to make it a bit easier for you to find specific information within an otherwise very long single message. The topics of these other five messages are: readings, online lectures and bonus homework questions; regular homework questions; exams, alternate exams and practice exam problems; extra credit and optional not for credit times; course contact information, discussion board and the physics help room.
The required text book is Rex & Wolfson: Essential College Physics, Volume 1. It is sold at the MSU bookstore, at SBS on Grand River and at many online retailers. 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 d2L whatsoever in this course. 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, Fall 2017 " 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/2017fall/PHY231C/ Read *all* sections of it carefully. This is the official syllabus of the class and contains information like important dates (exams & homework), bonus point opportunities, homework information, exam information, grading, etc.
This is the only message you will receive from us via the Registrar’s office mail system for this course. A copy of this message, as well as all future course messages will be sent to you via Lon-Capa’s mail system as critical messages.
To make certain you see these critical course messages, they will continue to pop up while you are in Lon-Capa until you move them to your Lon-Capa inbox. So, after reading the message, simply click the move to inbox button at the bottom of the message.
We hope you have a great semester both here and in your other courses,
Richard Hallstein phy231c-adm@pa.msu.edu
BPS 1253, (517) 884-5509
Corey Musolff phy231c-adm@pa.msu.edu
PHY 231C Readings, online lectures and bonus homework problems (message 2 of 6)
Dear PHY 231C student,
The assigned readings from our required text are outlined in the calendar section of the syllabus. All of the online lectures and the associated homework sets are now available in Lon-Capa. 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 and demonstrations. Embedded within the online lecture folders are extra credit bonus homework questions. These questions are optional and can only help your score in the course. Most of these questions relate, at least in part to the assigned reading and/or the online lecture immediately preceding the question. These questions are programmed in exam mode (multiple choice) with correct/incorrect feedback disabled; the correct answer will be available after the due date. The discussion board on these bonus questions is disabled. No hints or solutions will be provided for these extra credit bonus problems.
A reliable high speed internet connection is required, as is a computer with the ability to view flash video. The computer will need a current, supported operating system and a browser running HTML5 to use all the options available in the online lectures.
Richard Hallstein phy231c-adm@pa.msu.edu
BPS 1253, (517) 884-5509
Corey Musolff phy231c-adm@pa.msu.edu
PHY 231C regular homework problems (message 3 of 6)
Dear PHY 231C student,
There are weekly homework sets that are due on Tuesdays at 11:59PM. The first homework set is due Tuesday, September 13 at 11:59PM. Since all homework questions for the course are currently available, you can work ahead if you know you’ll have a busy week. You should not wait until the last minute to do the assigned homework -- extensions on homework will not be granted.
Richard Hallstein phy231c-adm@pa.msu.edu
BPS 1253, (517) 884-5509
Corey Musolff phy231c-adm@pa.msu.edu
PHY 231C exams and practice exam problems (message 4 of 6)
Dear PHY 231C student,
There will be three midterm exams and one final exam for this course. The midterm exams are scheduled as follows:
Midterm 1: Thursday, September 28 at 9PM Location: TBA
Midterm 2: Thursday, October 26 at 9PM Location: TBA
Midterm 3: Thursday, November 16 at 9PM Location TBA
Final exam: Thursday, December 14 at 8PM
An alternate exam time will be provided for University approved reasons only and prior to our scheduled exam. An alternate session will be offered for class conflicts only. If you have a class scheduling conflict, you will need to provide documentation of the conflict (a screenshot of your official class schedule) and I will arrange an alternate time for the exam earlier in the day (possibly as early as 6:30AM). If the conflict is work related, you should make arrangements with your employer to get this time off. If you have a class conflict with any of our midterm exams, you will need to provide documentation of your schedule well in advance of the exam so alternate accommodations can be made. In order to make arrangements for the semester, we will need this information no later than Monday, September 18. If, for University approved reasons (three exams on the same day or another exam at the same time), you will need to provide me with documentation of the conflict no later than Friday, October 27. The alternate final exam will be at 7:45AM on the morning preceding our scheduled final exam. You should know the times and dates of all your exams now, so there is no reason to delay this notifying us of conflicts.
There are no makeup midterm exams. However, if you miss a midterm exam for any reason, you will be allowed to drop this exam and the midterm portion of your final grade will be based on the other two midterm exams. Only one midterm exam will be dropped. If you take all three midterms, your lowest midterm exam score will be dropped when calculating your final grade. The dropped midterm exam accounts for all unforeseen occurrences such as, illnesses, accidents, family emergencies, etc.
In the case of missing the final exam, the MSU policy is: "A student absent from a final examination without a satisfactory explanation will receive a grade of 0.0 on the numerical system, NC on the CR-NC system, or N in the case of a course authorized for grading on the P-N system. Students unable to take a final examination because of illness or other reason over which they have no control should notify the associate deans of their colleges immediately."
If you are living or traveling far from the MSU campus at the time of an 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 posted in the syllabus 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.
In Lon-Capa, there is a folder with practice exam problems. One set of these are older
in the form of a static pdf, but still applicable to our course and these
include video solutions. These problems were given on exams in previous
versions of the course or its traditional equivalent. The other set of practice
problems include every single problem from midterm exams given in the previous
academic year (Fall 2016 and Spring 2017) in this course. These problems are coded in Lon-Capa and appear in exam mode for zero credit (no due date is set and
correct/incorrect feedback is disabled to allow you to return to the problem
later). A second set of the same problems is included with feedback enabled, so you can see if you answer these questions correctly. The solutions to these problems take on one of three forms:
1. A reference to a very similar problem in the required text.
2. A reference to a similar problem worked out in the online lectures.
3. A new video solution.
You are encouraged to use these to help prepare for the exams. Try solving the
problems first before watching the solutions. Even if you answer the questions
correctly, you may find some additional useful information in the solution.
Richard Hallstein phy231c-adm@pa.msu.edu
BPS 1253, (517) 884-5509
Corey Musolff phy231c-adm@pa.msu.edu
PHY 231C Extra credit and not for credit items (message 5 of 6)
Dear PHY 231C student,
There are two optional not for credit items currently available. They are a timed pre-course concept test and an untimed pre-course survey. These should be completed by 11:59PM on Friday, Sept. 1 A similar concept test and survey will be offered over the weekend preceding our final exam. While there are no points associated with either of these items, I encourage you to complete them, as they will be used to help make future versions of this course and its traditional equivalent.
The practice exam problems provided are to help you in preparing for our exams and are not for credit.
The only bonus or extra credit opportunities offered in this course are as follows:
There are bonus questions in the online lecture folders. You should be able to answer these after completing the assigned reading from the required text and watching the online lectures. These bonus questions are programmed to look like exam questions, as such, they are all multiple choice. In addition, some of these bonus questions are questions used on previous exams for this course and its traditional equivalent. Lon-Capa's feedback option is disabled, so unlike regular homework problems, Lon-Capa will not tell you if you have the correct answer until after the due date. In addition, the discussion board on these questions has been disabled. These questions are meant for you to work out yourself after having read the assigned reading and watched the online lectures. All points earned here will be added to your total homework points as a homework bonus (so, homework scores over 100% are possible). Hints and/or solutions to the bonus questions will not be provided.
The midterm exam will have a correction exam assigned as a homework assignment in Lon-Capa. 30% of the positive difference between the correction exam and the in-class exam will be added to your in-class exam score as bonus. As such, the correction exam homework assignment can only add points to your midterm exam score. Only students taking the original exam will have access to the correction exam. The correction exam will be available at noon on the day after the scheduled exam and will be due at the regular homework due date/time the following week.
No other bonus or extra credit opportunities will be offered.
Richard Hallstein phy231c-adm@pa.msu.edu
BPS 1253, (517) 884-5509
Corey Musolff phy231c-adm@pa.msu.edu
PHY 231C course contact info, discussion board and help room (message 6 of 6)
Dear PHY 231C student,
If you have an administrative question about the course, please send it to: phy231c-adm@pa.msu.edu Under no circumstances should requests for assistance on homework and/or explanations of the online lectures be sent via email. Such requests will likely go unanswered. With about four hundred students in the course and the first semester course, it is simply impossible to answer all potential homework questions individually. Instead, use the post discussion option available on all lectures and on all regular homework problems.
You are 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. Try to be specific in your request – statements like “help” or “I don’t understand” do not give us any idea about what is giving you difficulty. Do not use email for help on the homework questions. Further, more likely than not, others will have the same question and unlike email, everyone can then benefit from your question and the subsequent response(s). If you know the answer to a fellow student’s question, just post your answer. Please refrain from simply posting a formula without any context or discussion. Quite often, the person posting the formula understands where it came from and would be able to find a similar relationship when it is encountered on say, an exam. Whereas, those using such a formula without understanding where it came from are quite often lost when encountering the similar question on an exam.
You are encouraged to come to the Strosacker help room with your questions. Our Teaching Assistants will be more than happy to assist you in finding your way to the answers to our homework questions. However, they are instructed not to simply solve these problems for you. Starting Tuesday, 9/5 he Strosacker help room is in 1248 BPS and is usually open from 9:00AM to 9:00PM Monday through Thursday and 9:00AM-6:00PM on Fridays. You are welcome to go to the help room during any of its open hours, but there will be designated times when TAs specifically assigned to PHY231/231C will be available. I will send you an email when regular help room hours begin and when we have 231/231C specific hours set.
Richard Hallstein phy231c-adm@pa.msu.edu
BPS 1253, (517) 884-5509
Corey Musolff phy231c-adm@pa.msu.edu
Last updated: August 8, 2016