PHY 131--College Physics II
Course Ref. #38184 MTWTh 9:00-9:50
Spring 2003-General Information and Grading Policies

Instructor:

Joseph E. Finck, Professor of Physics and Assistant to the Dean of Science & Tech.
http://www.phy.cmich.edu/faculty.htm
224 Dow, 774-3467; finck@phy.cmich.edu
Office Hours: TTh 10:00-11:00, Fri. 9:00-11:00, or by arrangement. Messages may also be left for me in the Physics Department (774-3321).

Introduction:

This course is the second semester of a year-long sequence intended for life science and liberal arts majors. The sequence also fulfills the physics requirement for pre-professional programs in the medical sciences. Physics 130-131 is not suitable for pre-engineering students, physics majors, or minors.

An associated laboratory sequence PHY 170-171 is available. This lab course is not required for PHY 131. However, it may be required for your particular academic program.

Text:

Giancoli, Physics, 5th Edition, Prentice Hall, 1998. Chapters 16-31 will be covered.

PHYSICS 131: Sample Exams and Answers, by J. E. Finck. These sets of exams from 2000, 2001 and 2002 are available from the assigned reading desk in the Mary Dow Reading Room on the third floor of the library. Please check it out and make a photo copy for yourself. Or download it from www.lib.cmich.edu. Click on "CMU Libraries' Catalog," and then search on the keyword "Finck"

A study guide and a pocket guide may be available for this course at the bookstore. Let me emphasize that no assignments or exam questions will be taken from the guides. I do not recommend purchasing these materials.

Homework:

Homework assignments will be distributed in class. Since the homework is personalized, look for the assignment with your name on it. Homework will count for 30% of your final grade. I encourage students to work together on their homework. The Computer Personalized Approach (CAPA) is used to administer homework. CAPA is a tool which allows you to submit answers to homework over the Internet. After an answer is submitted, you will discover immediately if it is correct. If your answer is not correct, you can try again without any penalty. However, there will be a limit on how many times you are permitted to submit an answer.

Homework Deadlines:

The "formal" deadline for submitting homework is noon on Friday. Up to this time I am available to answer questions and fix any computer problems that may arise. The "absolute" deadline for submitting answers is 11:59 PM Sunday, plus or minus 15 minutes. That is one minute before midnight ("15 min). [The exception to this policy is 11:59 PM Monday deadline of the first homework set.] I strongly advise you to complete and submit homework before noon on Friday. I am not responsible for problems with your computer, my computer, or you after noon on Friday.

The CAPA Strategy:

Do not wait until the last day to do your homework. Homework assignments are distributed in advance of the material covered in lecture. The best strategy is to use CAPA to submit the answers for the problems related to the topics covered that day in lecture. This will prevent you from falling behind in class-a bad strategy.

How to Logon:

In order to logon to CAPA all you need is access to the World Wide Web. There are hundreds of computers located all over campus that you may use. They are located in computer labs in Woldt and Grawn, dorms, and the library. In addition, many departments (biology, chemistry, geology) have labs for use by their students. There are also computers with red dots in Dow 231 for your use. It is your responsibility to find these computers and the hours which they are available.

To logon to CAPA point your browser (Netscape or Microsoft Internet Explorer) to:

                             http://www.phy.cmich.edu/people/finck/index.html

My homepage will appear and there will be a link to CAPA at the bottom of the page. If you click on this link, a new screen will appear. This is the sign up sheet for doing homework. Click on the class down arrow and select "phy131." Enter your social security number and your CAPA ID. (Note: there is a separate CAPA ID for each student and for each homework assignment. This number is found at the end of the third line on the homework sheets distributed in class.) Now click on the button to work on CAPA. A new screen will appear which asks you if you wish to try the current set, view a previous set, or display your homework records. If you click on "Try current set," a problem set matching what you received in class will appear. You are now ready to submit answers to your problems. Be sure to exit when you finish submitting answers. This means you must close the browser. If you leave the browser open, the next person using the computer will have access to your files.

CYA Disclaimer #1:

CAPA has been tested extensively and am confident that it will work. However, I am not 120 CMU students. If the CAPA software and/or hardware fail to provide the service I expect, I will fall back to plan B. Plan B is no credit for homework and each of the five exams worth 20% of your final grade.

CYA Disclaimer #2:

The Sunday deadline at one minute before midnight (plus or minus 15 minutes) is absolute. No excuses are accepted. If you cannot tell time, or the power goes out, or your computer crashes, or my computer crashes, or you car breaks down on the way to the 24-hour computer lab, well, that is just tough luck. Do not even think of asking to hand it in after the deadline. Remember, it is not a good strategy to wait until the last minute to do your homework.

Testing Center Exams:

There will be four exams held at the testing center (9AM-9PM) on these dates:

Exam 1            Tuesday, Jan. 28
Exam 2            Tuesday, Feb. 18
Exam 3            Tuesday, March 18
Exam 4            Tuesday, April 8

The exams will consist of 20 multiple choice questions. Both quantitative and qualitative questions will be asked. Each exam will be worth 14% of your final grade. Regular lectures will not be held on exam days.

No make-up exams will be given. If legitimate circumstances (as judged by me) cause you to miss one of these four exams, and you notify me (or leave a message at the Physics Department Office) of your predicament, then this missed exam will not be counted when your final grade is determined. Even under these strict conditions, you can miss only one hour exam. In addition, all students must take the final exam in order to pass this course.

You may not wear a hat at the testing center. Calculators may be used but not shared during the exams. You may also bring one 3" x 5" index card to each exam. The card will be collected when you turn in your exam. You may write anything you want on these cards (formulas, examples, etc.). Please note that all physical constants will be provided. The implication is that you are supposed to understand the material and demonstrate your ability to solve problems, not simply memorize formulas.

Final Exam:

The final exam will be given in Dow 102 from 8:00 AM until 9:50 AM on the Monday of final exam week. It will consist of 20 multiple choice questions covering the last three weeks of the semester and it will be worth 14% of your final grade.

Exam Difficulty:

The exams will be hard. Expect averages between 50% and 70%.

Grades:

The grade in this course will be based on the five exams (each worth 14%) and your homework (worth 30%).

Last spring the grades were 21 A's, 58 B's, 27 C's, no D's, 10 E's, and 5 W's. I anticipate a similar distribution this year.

Tutorial Service:

Assistance from student tutors is available on an informal basis on Monday through Thursday evenings in Dow 231. The hours are typically 6-10 p.m. The tutors will be prepared to assist you in learning to solve the problems yourself. They will not do your homework for you and do not fit on a 3" by 5" index card. If you have problems with the tutors, please let me know.

Final Words:

Physics is not an easy subject for most students. In addition, you will find this course to be particularly fast paced. This is necessary to complete all the material. Please be aware of the following three points:

1. It is easy to fall behind in physics but very hard to catch up. As a result, it is impossible to cram for a physics test. You must keep up with homework assignments and class lectures.
2. Physics is a cumulative discipline. You must understand Chapter 16 before moving onto Chapter 17 and principles learned in Chapter 16 will be applied in Chapter 31.
3. Attendance is not mandatory. However, I urge you to attend every day. You will find it very difficult to make up work when you miss class.
4. If you do not do the homework, you will receive a very poor grade. If your homework performance is mediocre, so will be your course grade.

Course Outline:

Calendar:

Attached is a calendar of the semester. The material I tentatively plan to cover daily is identified. Do not be surprised if a section is added or deleted, or if we fall a couple of sections ahead or behind. However, exam and homework due dates are firm.

CMU provides students with disabilities reasonable accommodation to participate in educational program, activities or services. Students with disabilities requiring accommodations to participate in class activities or meet course requirements should contact your instructor as early as possible.

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