Professor: Dr. John K. Elwood
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Text: Physics for Scientists and Engineers with Modern Physics, Randall D. Knight, Ó 2004, Pearson/Addison Wesley, ISBN 0-8053-8685-8 [required] |
Lecture Times: Tu, Th, F, 9 - 9:50 AM, in Gessner 118
Laboratory Times: Sections R905 and R906: See PSI Laboratory Schedule
Section R904: Tu, 2-5 PM, in Gessner 225
Course Web Page: Access the course page from my home page at:
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http://www.esu.edu/~jelwood/ |
To Chat with John: email: John.Elwood@po-box.esu.edu
Office: Gessner 201
Office Phone: (570) 422 3408
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Office hours: M 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM, 1:30 - 2:30 PM, and 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM |
F 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
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* and by appointment. I am usually here! * |
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Course Description: Together with Physics II, this course covers basic principles and methods of all branches of physics at an introductory level. Topics include Newtonian mechanics, gravitation, waves, optics, heat, electricity and magnetism. Mathematical methods beyond high school level that are useful in basic physics are incorporated with the course. |
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Special Needs: Students who are eligible for accommodations are invited to make an appointment to deliver their letter from the Office of Disability Services and to discuss their accommodation requests. |
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Grading: The points that you earn on Graded Homework, Laboratories, In-Class Exams, and the Final Exam will determine your grade for the course. They are worth, respectively: |
Graded Homework 15%
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Laboratories 20% |
Final Exam 25%
100%
Your grade will be determined according to the prescription:
90%-100% A
80%-89.9% B
70%-79.9% C
60%-69.9% D
< 60% E
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Graded Homework: Every homework assignment in the course will contain Graded Homework problems. These problems are accessed and submitted online at www.masteringphysics.com. The first time that you access the site, you will need to register using the Access Code provided in your Mastering Physics Access Kit. After you register, be sure to use the following: |
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Course ID: ESUPHYSICS1612005 |
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Using this code will enroll you in my course. For the Student ID, pick a code of your own that is between 5 and 12 characters long. One nice thing about the online problems is that they are quite interactive. My advice to you is to do these problems carefully and repeatedly, going over them until you understand them completely. I also strongly advise that you do these problems before attempting any of the Mandatory Homework problems. If you have any problems accessing the site or submitting problems, let me know as soon as possible. |
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Mandatory Homework: Perhaps the most unique feature of this course is the way that the Mandatory Homework problems are handled. These will be assigned weekly, and a prerequisite for taking any In-Class Exam is that you have been "checked-off" on every Mandatory Homework problem assigned up to that point. To get checked-off, you simply need to turn in a correct solution to the problem. If a solution that you turn in is incorrect, I will indicate what is wrong with it and return it to you. You may submit solutions to any given problem as many times as you wish, but remember, if you don't get every problem right by the cutoff date, you won't be allowed to take the In-Class Exam. This will pretty much cause you to fail the class, since 40% of your points come from In-Class Exams. If you forget to pick up Homework in class, extras will be kept in a folder in the tray on the wall (FITOW) by my door, and will also be posted to the course website. I will place graded Mandatory Homework in the FITOW if I can't return it directly to you, and will keep a running checklist on my door that shows who has been checked-off on which problems. |
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In-Class Exams and Final Exam: Four In-Class Exams will be given throughout the course of the semester, with each one containing material from approximately three weeks of work. For the In-Class Exams, you will be responsible for all of the material listed as Objectives on the Assignments due prior to the Exam. Missed Exams may be made up only in extreme circumstances, and, as a rule, only if you perform an incredibly intricate and painful ritual of atonement to my satisfaction. If you know in advance that you must miss an Exam, you can greatly enhance the possibility that I might let you make it up by telling me in advance of the Exam date. The Exams will be given in class on the following dates: February 4, March 4, March 31, and April 28. The Final Exam will be comprehensive, and will be given during, yes, Finals Week. |
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Laboratories: There are two different, entirely independent Laboratory Sections for this course. One meets weekly on Tuesdays from 2-5pm (Section R904), while the other meets according to the PSI Laboratory Schedule (Sections R905 and R906). You are in only one of these laboratories; make sure you know which one! Section R904 will be run by your humble lecture professor. Students in Sections R905 and R906 will participate in the PSI Laboratory along with students in PHYS 131. The PSI Laboratory is overseen by several different faculty members of the Physics Department. |
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Retention of Student Material/Garbage Reduction Act: Student exams, homework, and other contributions that are not picked up will be kept for one year after the close of the current term. That is, all contributed student material may be destroyed at any time following the first week of the Fall 2006 semester. |
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Good luck in the Class! May you learn something neat! |