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Course Description:
Physics 183 is the first semester of a two semester course in Physics
for Scientists and Engineers. The prerequisite is MTH 132. Topics to be
covered are mechanics, Newton's laws, momentum, energy conservation laws,
rotational motion, oscillation, gravity, and waves.
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Web Information:
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http://www.pa.msu.edu/~tomanek/PHY183/
contains the updated course information.
- Instructor Information:
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4231 Biomedical and Physical Sciences Building
E-mail: tomanek@pa.msu.edu
Phone: +1-517-355-9200 x2305
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Course Schedule:
- The course schedule is posted on the web at
http://www.pa.msu.edu/~tomanek/PHY183/Schedule.html.
The schedule provides firm dates for the homework assignments and
exams, along with a provisional list of topics and chapters covered in
the text.
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Lectures:
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, from 3:00 - 3:50 p.m.,
Rm 1410 BPS (Biomedical and Physical Sciences Building)
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Office hours:
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After class and by appointment.
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Physics Learning Center & Asynchronous Learning Network:
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Homework problems and any other questions concerning physics or PHY183
can be discussed with TAs or fellow students in the Physics Learning
Center (PLC). Help on physics problems can also be obtained
through the PHY183 Asynchronous Learning Network (ALN), where students can
post questions, provide answers, and also obtain help from a teaching
assistant.
- The
Physics Learning Center (PLC) is located in 1248 BPS
(Strohsacker Center) and 1240 BPS. These rooms are used by
different physics courses and will be staffed by members
of the PHY183 teaching team,
according to a schedule that will be posted on the web.
Instructors at the Learning Center will be
available for help on any physics topic covered in the course. You may
attend any and as many of the sessions as you wish. The Physics Learning
Center can also be useful as a place for groups to meet for studying and
problem solving. Interacting with fellow students is a good strategy for
learning physics. Forming study and problem solving groups has been shown
to be an effective way to improve understanding and performance.
More information about the PLC can be found at
http://www.pa.msu.edu/~tomanek/PHY183/PLC.html.
The PLC weekly schedule for PHY183 can be found at
http://www.pa.msu.edu/~tomanek/PHY183/PLC183.html.
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Asynchronous Learning Network (ALN)
is part of a project supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and
the Andrew Mellon Foundation. Selecting the 'Discuss' button in CAPA
takes you to the ALN. You can post questions, which will be answered by
the teaching team or by a fellow student. You may use the ALN at
any time, 24 hrs/day. Students can also read the Questions/Answers
that other students have posted on the ALN.
At times specified below, you can also interact on-line with a teaching
assistant:
Mon: 10-11 a.m., 1-2 p.m.;
Tue: 10-11 a.m., 1-2 p.m.;
Wed: 10-11 a.m., 8-9 p.m.;
Thu: 4-5 p.m., 8-9 p.m.
(these times may change)
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Textbook:
- Fundamentals of Physics
by Halliday, Resnick & Walker,
6th Edition, John Wiley, Inc. (2000), Volume 1.
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Homework:
- There will be 12 personalized homework assignments, to be
distributed during the lecture. The students are required to use MSU's
CAPA
system on the internet, and to submit their solutions
by the Due Date and Time specified
(no excuses will be granted for internet-related difficulties during
the last three hours before the due date and time).
If you are unable to pick up your printed homework, you can still can get
access to your problem set. Within CAPA, click on the button "lost my CAPA",
and your current CAPA ID will be emailed to you.
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Quizzes:
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Quizzes will be given frequently in class -- you should anticipate at
least one quiz per week. Quiz topics will cover material in preceding
lectures and may be similar to current homework problems.
The goal is to promote understanding and to assess progress.
You will need a pocket calculator to solve them and a
"Number 2" pencil to fill out the computer scoring sheet.
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Independent of the total number of quizzes, for each student
the lowest one third quiz scores will be dropped automatically.
No makeup for in class work will be given.
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Exams:
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There will three Midterm Exams
and one 2-hour Final Exam. The exams will be based on the material
covered in the lectures, text, quizzes and homework.
Exam locations will be announced in the class and
on the Web.
You are responsible for bringing the following to each one-hour Midterm Exam
and the Final Exam:
- A calculator: All exams will require the use of a calculator.
Make sure that your calculator's batteries are fresh,
as sharing of calculators will not be allowed.
- Two "Number 2" pencils - to be used for
filling out the computer scoring sheet.
- Your student picture ID.
- Midterm Exams: You may bring one 8.5"x11" study sheet.
Only one side of this study sheet may contain
hand-written formulas, notes, etc.
- Final Exam: Your study sheet may be filled on both sides.
All exams are closed book exams.
To check your score, enter "term summary" in CAPA.
Following each Midterm exam, you can earn an optional 30% partial credit
for corrections (PCC) by solving a CAPA-style set of problems
identical to the exam (the PCC set). Answers are entered through CAPA,
similar to other homework (with only slightly different logon instructions)
by the respective due date. If your PCC score is higher than your exam score,
30% of the difference will be credited to your exam.
More information can be found in the Frequently Asked Questions page
on the web.
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Absence Policy for Exams, Quizzes, and Homework:
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There will be
no possibility to make up for missed Midterm Exams, Quizzes,
or Homework assignments.
When possible, please notify the instructor in advance if you must miss
a course requirement, otherwise notify the instructor
as soon as possible (within one week) afterwards.
In order for a missed Midterm Exam, Quiz, or a Homework assignment to be
excused, you must present to the lecturer within one week a
written excuse,
dated and signed by you, explicitly stating the circumstances that
caused you to miss the exam, quiz, or homework assignment.
This excuse should be verifiable, i.e. accompanied by a written document
from a doctor, dean, etc.
Excused absences from the exams will result in your grade being
calculated on the basis of your performance on the other exams and homework.
The Michigan State University Code of Teaching Responsibilities states that
any student missing the Final Exam may not be allowed to pass the course.
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Grades:
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The final grade will be based on the Homework (30%), Quizzes (7%),
Midterm Exams (33%), and the Final Exam (30%). This adds up to a total
of 100%. The final grade is set by a fixed scale, given below
(in other words, the course in NOT "graded on a curve").
Note that final percentages are rounded to a full percent before
the scale is applied.
Your minimum grade will be determined from:
| Final Grade |
4.0 |
3.5 |
3.0 |
2.5 |
2.0 |
1.5 |
1.0 |
0.0 |
Total
Point Percentage |
91-100% |
86-90% |
81-85% |
76-80% |
71-75% |
66-70% |
58-65% |
0-57% |
University policies concerning academic integrity
will be strictly enforced.
The above percentages are based on the maximum total
number of points that a student could attain by earning
perfect scores on all the exams, homework, and quizzes.
These cutoffs may be lowered, but they will not be raised.
Using this scheme, you can calculate your minimum grade at any time
during the course.
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Honors option:
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Students can
earn an honors degree
by providing help with the course to colleague students.
Requirements for an honors degree are:
To enroll for this option, contact the lecturer during the first week
of lectures.
Accepted students will be notified by e-mail about the time slot
assignment in the PLC.