Click the buttons above to get the course syllabus, etc.

General information for Physics 25100, Spring 2011

Class schedule:
Lecture meetings are in LD010 MWF from 12:00 - 12:50
Recitation meetings are in LD010 and LD014 TR from 12:00 AM - 12:50 PM
Lab meetings are in LD011 M, W 1:00 - 2:50 PM and R 2:00 - 3:50 PM. Please make sure you know which section you have been assigned to.

Web site:
This web site is an important method for communication among faculty and students in 25100. The URL for the home page is http://webphysics.iupui.edu/251/251sp11/phys251home.html. The site can also be reached conveniently through http://webphysics.iupui.edu/introphysics. In addition to basic information, the web site includes access to all assignments and schedules, the course objectives page, a course bulletin board, and instructor contact information.

Lecturer:
Dr. Andy Gavrin, agavrin@iupui.edu, 274-6909, Office Hours: Any time I am in, please drop by!

Recitation Instructors:
Dr. Andy Gavrin: see above.
Dr. Jeff Ou (zou@iupui.edu), 274-2125, Office Hours: Before each recitation, or any other time I am in.
Dr. AJ Rader (ajrader@iupui.edu), 274-6903, Office Hours: Before each recitation, or any other time I am in.

Undergraduate Mentors:
To be announced

Lab Instructor:
Mr. Yu Ding

Other Instructors
Dr. Han Paik

Text:
UNIVERSITY PHYSICS, 12th edition: Young and Freedman, Addison-Wesley (2008).

Prerequisites:
PHYS 152, MATH 164. Co-registration in Math 261 is strongly encouraged. The ability to use single variable calculus, algebra and trigonometry is essential.

Organization:
There are three lectures, two recitations, and one laboratory per week. Most of the submissions for this course are done electronically. Our web site can be reached from http://webphysics.iupui.edu/introphysics. Click on the link to "Phys251" for the course home page. The Course Information link takes you to this page. Check out all the buttons to see what they do.

Writing:
You will have to do a moderate amount of writing in this course. You will write two full lab reports and write text responses to questions in lab each week. The WarmUp exercises require written answers, and extra credit assignments require written answers as well. In all written assignments, you should write as if you were writing a technical memo in a business situation. Please see the writing page for more information.

Tests:
25100 tests will be closed book. No notes or materials of any kind will be permitted. However a formula sheet will br provided for use on the test. This formula sheet will be available approximately one week before the test.

Only basic scientific calculators may be used. Graphing calculators, calculators that are capable of storing significant quantities of text, calculators that can manipulate symbolic expressions, and calculators with infrared communications capability are not permitted. If you are unsure about a calculator you plan to use, please check with the instructor. PDA's and small computers are all prohibited, and cell phones must be turned off (not just set to vibrate) during exams.

No makeup tests will be given. If you must miss a test, please contact the lecturer or the physics department office (275-6900) before the test, or as soon after as is possible. If you have a valid, documented reason for missing the test, you will receive credit for that test equal to your average score on the other two tests. If you miss a second test, you will be given no credit except under extraordinary circumstances.

Homework assignments:
Homework is due before every recitation. Homework is handled by the Quest server at the University of Texas. First go the link https://idmanager.its.utexas.edu/eid_self_help/ and then click Get a UT EID. Follow the step-by-step directions. If you have used the UT homework system before and already have an EID, you do not need to obtain another EID.

Once you have your UT EID, go to https://quest.cns.utexas.edu/student/ and click My Courses along the horizontal blue toolbar. After the UT EID login and clicking OK, go to the bottom of the Quest page and click the button Enroll in new course. Our Unique course code # is 25111. Click the button Lookup course info and then click the button Request enrollment. Your instructor will then give you permission within the next 24 hours to enter the course. Please be patient!

Once your enrollment in the course has been accepted, when you return to the Quest system you will see the link to the course. Follow this link to see the list of homework assignments. Click HW01 for the first assignment.

Each question on your online homework assignments is graded on a 0 to 10 point scale by the Quest server. Every assignment is graded on a 0 to 5.5 point basis by your instructor. On top of this grade, attendance to the recitation and working on the whiteboard problems gives you 0.5 points, for a total of 6 points per recitation. At the end of the semester, your lowest recitation scores will be dropped so that the maximum will be 150 points.

From the Assignments page you can access a sample homework set with a numerical solution. These sets are there for you to check your procedure or if you are working in a group.

There is a link to the UT server in the navigation bar on all of the 25100 pages. If you need additional help with Quest, contact your instructor. You may also log into Quest and click Help along the horizontal blue toolbar for further information.

The Warm-Up Exercises are due by 10 AM before the Monday and Wednesday lectures, through this web site. They are worth 4 points each, and substantial partial credit is given reflecting the effort put in attempting them. The WarmUp Exercises have a few objectives:

• They introduce you to the new material, and get you started thinking about important topics
• They help you get motivated to stay caught up in the reading
• Your answers give me a sense of what topics requirre the most stress during class
• They give us a few common "talking points" to refer to in class
• They encourage you to put your ideas about the material into words, a process that often helps you clarify your thoughts
• They give you a little practice with your writing skills

Grading:
There are a few basic policies for this courses. Please be sure to ask the instructor if any of these policies are not clear to you.

• To pass you must accumulate a combined total of 300 points on the three hour tests and the final. Other credit cannot be used to supplement the test scores (except as described below).
• Attendance in the lab is mandatory. Unexcused absence will result in an F for the course. Please contact your instructor if you must miss a lab
• Extra credit points will become part of your total credit.
• To help you get started: Extra credit points earned before the first test will be added to the first test score.
• There is a single grade for the course determined by test scores and performance in laboratory and recitation.
• A total of 1000 points are available:

In addition, approximately 60 points of extra credit will be available, primarily from Puzzles (due Fridays, through this web site).

Cutoffs:
At the end of the semester, the following grade cutoffs are guaranteed. These cutoffs may be lowered at the discretion of the faculty, but we promise that they will not be raised.

Withdrawal:
Withdrawal policy is the same as for most other IUPUI courses. Students may withdraw from the course up to the halfway point in the semester with just their advisor's signature. For the third quarter of the semester, the signatures of he advisor and the instructor are required. During this third quarter, students wishing to withdraw from 25100 will be given a W (rather than an F) regardless of their performance to that point. Students should check with the registrar or the School of Science to determine the exact dates affecting withdrawal.

University College Freshman (those with 25 hours or below completed) are subject to an additional limitation regarding withdrawals: Such students may not drop more than one course per semester. This policy will be enforced through advisor sign-off on drop requests. The policy does not include course adjustments made during the first week of class nor does it apply to classes in which a student has been "administratively withdrawn". If you have any additional questions, please check with your advisor.

This site is made possible by funding from the National Science Foundation (DUE-9981111).