Course Info and Weekly Notices PHYS 201 Fall 2008

1. In class on Monday, December 1 we will have the course evaluation.



2. The Final Exam will be from 8 - 10 a.m. on Monday, December 8. It will include the material covered on the four exams given this semester, plus the material covered on the chapter 13 homework.



3. In class I have handed out copies of the formula sheet for the final exam. You can get copies of these from me at class and they are available on these course web pages.



4. In class on Wednesday, November 25 I returned the graded Exam 4. I will bring the graded exams to class Monday, December 1 if you didn't get yours or you can come to my office. The average on the exam, the range of exam scores corresponding approximately to each letter grade, and the percentage of the class with exam scores in each range is as follows:
   

   Exam 4  average 70%
   
   A  90-100    12%
   B  80--89    22%
   C  65--79    33% 
   D  45--64    24%
   F  <45        9% 
   



5. The Exam 4 key is available at these links (pdf file):
   version 1
   version 2
   version 3
   
   
6. In class on Friday, October 31 I returned the graded Exam 3. I will bring the graded exams to class each day if you didn't get yours. The average on the exam, the range of exam scores corresponding approximately to each letter grade, and the percentage of the class with exam scores in each range is as follows:
   

   Exam 3  average 71%
   
   A  90-100    31%
   B  80--89    20%
   C  65--79    16% 
   D  45--64    15%
   F  <45       18% 
   



7. The Exam 3 key is available at these links (pdf file):
   version 1
   version 2
   version 3
   
   
8. In class on Friday, October 10 I returned the graded Exam 2. I will bring the graded exams to class each day if you didn't get yours. The average on the exam, the range of exam scores corresponding approximately to each letter grade, and the percentage of the class with exam scores in each range is as follows:
   

   Exam 2  average 76%
   
   A  90-100    43%
   B  80--89    14%
   C  65--79    13% 
   D  45--64    14%
   F  <45       16% 
   



9. The Exam 2 key is available at these links (pdf file):
   version 1
   version 2
   version 3
   version 4
   
   
10. In class on Monday, September 22 I returned the graded Exam 1. I will bring the graded exams to class each day if you didn't get yours Monday. The average on the exam, the range of exam scores corresponding approximately to each letter grade, and the percentage of the class with exam scores in each range is as follows:
    

    Exam 1  average 60%
    
    A  85-100     9%
    B  75--84    24%
    C  55--74    29% 
    D  40--54    17%
    F  <40       21% 
    



11. The Exam 1 key is available at these links (pdf file):
    version 1
    version 2
    version 3
    version 4
    
    
12. PHYS 201 has a SI leader this semester. Her name is Linh Lam. She will be attending Dr. Chin's lecture but her sessions are open to all students in PHYS 201.
    
    Her session times are:
    Sunday 6:00-6:50 in BLOC 110
    Tuesday 7:00-7:50 in HECC 201
    Thursday 6:00-6:50 in HECC 100
    



13. There is a physics help desk in HELD 211.



14. If you are having problems with viewing assignments on Mastering Physics, click on the System Requirements link at the bottom of the Welcome Screen. This link talks about browser settings (must enable popups etc.) and other computer system issues.



15. When doing homework on Mastering Physics, avoid rounding in intermediate steps. Keep at least 4 significant figures in intermediate calculations and round to 3 significant figures for the answer you input. Also, if you are working with angles in degrees, be sure that your calculator is set to degrees, not to radians. For the Multiple Choice Problems you are allowed only one attempt. For the Problems, you are allowed up to six attempts for each answer. No penalty for wrong answers is assessed until you use up all your attempts.



16. The required textbook for PHYS 201 this semester is College Physics Vol. 1 8th ed by Young&Geller. You MUST either get the version of the book with Mastering Physics or else purchase Mastering Physics separately (online). The ISBN of the textbook with Mastering Physics is ISBN 0-8053-9214-9.



17. Homework will be entering using the Mastering Physics system. Instructions for getting an account on Mastering Physics can be found at Mastering Physics instructions. Our text is Young&Geller and our course is MPFORD45115.
    
    There are assignments for each week that count for your homework grade. The Week 1 etc. assignments consist of the problems (including the Multiple Choice Problems but NOT the Conceptual Questions) that are listed for week 1, etc. on the syllabus. The homework should be done and entered on Mastering Physics weekly. The final due date for the homework covered on each exam is 9 a.m. on the day of the exam. For example, homework for weeks 4, 5 and 6 will be due at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, October 10. After the homework final due date you can't enter any answers for those assignments.
    
    In addition to the graded homework assignments, there are "tutorial" assignments for each chapter. These are optional and aren't graded, but you may find them helpful. The items in the tutorial assignments have hints that you can access; there are no hints available for the graded homework. There is also an introductory assignment about using Mastering Physics that is optionaland that isn't graded.
    
    Let me know if there are any problems with Mastering Physics, especially if you think there are errors.



18. Follow the Homework link on the Physics 201 homepage for info about answers to the assigned even-numbered problems. The answers to the assigned odd-numbered problems are in the back of the book.



19. We aren't doing anything on WebCT this semester. If PHYS 201 appears in your "My WebCT" ignore it.



20. If you are repeating PHYS 201 and have an 80% or better in the lab from before you do not have to redo the lab part of the course. I will use your lab grade from before in computing your course grade this semester. But you MUST talk to me (after class, phone, or email) about this. I must locate your grade NOW and we must agree on what it is. And you MUST redo the recitation this semester. It will help you do better on the exams this time.



21. I encourage you to use email (ford@physics.tamu.edu) as a means of communicating with my about any problems concerning the course: questions about the material from lecture, about the homework problems, or about the course administration.