PHYSICS 131 Marion Campus (Autumn 2003)

Prof. Gordon Aubrecht
326 Morrill Hall
MWR 15:00 to 17:00
Office Hours: F 13:00 & by arrangement
Laboratory F 15:00 to 17:00

Required Text: Aubrecht, Models of Reality. This will be given free on a CD in Word. Download Chapter 1
Also required is Aubrecht, Bolland, and Ziegler Doing Physics with Spreadsheets, Prentice Hall, 2003, and Van Heuvelen, ActivPhysics 1, Addison-Wesley, 1998.

Full participation in lecture, recitation, and laboratory is necessary to assure your success in your study of physics. Grades will be based on performance in recitation, on the journal’s weekly entries, quizzes, midterms, the final examination, your lecture notes, and the laboratory. A passing grade in laboratory is required to pass Physics 131. Since laboratories are offered only once, no make-up is possible for missed labs. No make-up examinations are allowed by physics departmental course policy. See the tips from the Academic Advisors for success in studying in college.

Grade Weights: Laboratory: 15%; each midterm: 10%; final: 25%; journal: 10%; quizzes: 10%; homework, 10%; recitation: 10%. This grade is NOT curved, though there is some "magic" between the scores on the midterms and final (obviously 200 points is not 25 points, it must be multiplied by 0.50 times an appropriate factor).

The journal consists of notes written to me on topics that are assigned weekly by me during the quarter. They will be sent to me by email at aubrecht@mps.ohio-state.edu. Include your name and email address in each journal. Everyone completing all journal entry assignments will retain the full 10%; one missing assignment will lower this to 8%; two missing assignments will lower this to 6%; etc. If more than five assignments are missed, there will be negative credit given for the journal, up to -10%. Journals are due Wednesdays at the start of class.

Quiz grades are made up of both preclass and inclass quizzes and any group quiz scores. Preclass quizzes must be submitted before the start of class. No late quizzes will be accepted.

Recitation grade includes participation in recitation (volunteeering to do problems at the board), filling out the daily questions, and correcting the book and the prof.

Homework will be collected starting the second week on Thursdays. There will be nine book-based flexible homework assignments and seven spreadsheet assignments. The FlexHW assignments will be given on this webpage week by week on Thursdays, and you should turn them in on paper on the following Thursday. Each homework is worth up to 20 points. It will be graded based on the number of problems submitted and if your solutions show reasonable independent effort. You will receive 2 points for each worked problem turned in for which reasonable independent effort is apparent and some coherent approach is adopted, 1 point for each on which there is some work but the solution is incomplete, and 0 points for missing or misguided answers. The 7 spreadsheet homework (SS) turnins are the relevant pages of the book and count 5 points each. Only the seven highest-grade FlexHW asignments will be counted toward the 10%, which will be on the basis of (sum of your 7 best FlexHW scores + SS homework turnins)/17.5. The actual correctness of the final answer will not be used to determine your grade, just your effort at finding it in a logical fashion, so you are responsible for checking your solutions with the ones provided. Questions on homework can be resolved in recitation. There are two major differences between the FlexHW system and the traditional homework system. The FlexHW system is designed to provide you with the freedom to decide what is best and provide a sort of tutoring:

We try to match Group I and Group II problems.

Solutions for this course are intended not merely to show steps needed to arrive at an answer, but are meant to help acclimate you to doing physics problems. This is especially important for you to note about the Group I solutions, which we expect you to read while you work on your chosen problems from Group II.

The lecture notes from my notebook are available on the web at Lecture Notes. These are very sketchy (I create a new lecture each time), but it will help you to have read them (and the book) before class. During the class, you will want to take notes based on the class discussion. It is our observation that many students do not know how to make proper lecture notes, so I am willing help you learn until you feel you have the idea by reading and commenting on your notes if you wish.

Recitation and lecture assignments refer to group activities, end-of-chapter problems to be worked on by all students, or other problems or worksheets handed out in class. There are supplemental assignments [denoted S], assignments for you to work on your own, which are not intended to be discussed in lecture or recitation, nor will the solutions be given. Spreadsheet problems are labeled SP. You are responsible for all assigned sections in the book and the lecture material. All topics may, of course, be discussed with me during my office hours, during class breaks, or after class.

You are welcome to work together in groups on these homework, any group quizzes, and supplemental problems assigned (but not on midterms, final, or quizzes). In fact, group study is generally helpful in your work in physics. At least one question per exam will be taken directly from the relevant supplemental [S] assignments. SS refers to assignments to be handed in from Aubrecht, Bolland, Ziegler; the relevant chapter pages are pulled out along the perforations and handed in.

Tentative schedule 



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FINAL (comprehensive) EXAMINATION: Wednesday, 10 December 2003, 15:00--16:48.

take me to Gordon’s home page

take me to the journal assignments

take me to the lecture notes

take me to the daily quiz page

aubrecht@mps.ohio-state.edu [latest revision, 22 October 2003]