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Last updated: Mon Apr 25 01:24:12 pm 2016 (EDT) by Tibor F Nagy

PHY 231 Spring 2016

Michigan State University

Personnel

Course Coordinator: Hironori Iwasaki, Tibor F Nagy
Teaching Assistant: Alexander Daniel Kreger, Madison Lyn Fitzgerald, Spencer Morin Sims, Cameron Evan Sumner, Tibor F Nagy 9, Michael James Roosa

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Instructor Information

Tibor F. Nagy (section 001)
Homepage: http://www.pa.msu.edu/~nagy_t/
Office: BPS 1253.
Phone: (517) 884-5508.
Email: nagy_t@pa.msu.edu or nagytibo@msu.edu.
Office hour: Monday noon-1:00 PM, BPS 1248.

Hironori Iwasaki (section 002)
Homepage: http://people.nscl.msu.edu/~iwasaki/PHY231/index.html
Office: Cyclotron, Room 1012.
Phone: 517-908-7660
Email: iwasaki@nscl.msu.edu
Office hour: Monday 1:00PM-2:00PM, BPS 1248 or by appointment.

Teaching Assistants: Madison Fitzgerald (fitzg152@msu.edu), Alexander Kreger (kregera3@msu.edu), Michael Roosa (roosamic@msu.edu), Spencer Sims (simsspen@msu.edu), Cameron Sumner (sumnerca@msu.edu).

Course Description

PHY 231 is an algebra-based general physics class, recommended for a variety of majors. Topics include: kinematics, Newton's laws of motion, work and energy, momentum and collisions, oscillations, rotational motion, gravitation, solids and fluids, waves and sound, temperature, heat, thermodynamics.

Prerequisites

MTH 103 or MTH 116 or MTH 124 or MTH 132 or LBS 117.

Class Hours

BPS 1410; Tuesday, Thursday.
Section 001 (Nagy) : 12:40-2:00 PM,
Section 002 (Iwasaki) : 2:40-4:00 PM.

Helproom Hours

Teaching Assistants: Madison Fitzgerald (fitzg152@msu.edu), Alexander Kreger (kregera3@msu.edu), Michael Roosa (roosamic@msu.edu), Spencer Sims (simsspen@msu.edu), Cameron Sumner (sumnerca@msu.edu).

BPS 1248, Physics Help Room schedule:
Friday: 9:00 AM-noon, 2:00-5:00 PM.
Monday: 9:00 AM-9:00 PM.
Tuesday: 9:00 AM-9:00 PM.

You are also encouraged to use the discussion board inside LON-CAPA. If you don't understand a problem, or you need help, just click on the "Post Discussion" link and post your question. If you know the answer to somebody else's question, just don't be afraid to post your answer. Don't forget: The best way to learn is to teach. (Doscendo discimus.)

Project Information

Honors option: Honors option is not be available for PHY 231.

Exam Information

For each exam, each student should bring a picture ID, two #2 pencils, an eraser, a calculator with fresh batteries. (Graphing calculators are allowed, but not necessary.) On the exams the students must work individually and rules and procedures regarding academic dishonesty are strictly applied without exceptions.

Students with disabilities or other circumstances that require special arrangements should inform their instructors as soon as possible (ideally in the first two weeks) and well ahead of the exams so that proper arrangements can be made. Please present the instructor with your RCPD form.

Make-ups: Attendance of a make-up exam requires advance approval from the instructor and evidence of a serious conflict (e.g. Doctor, Dean, Coach etc) must be provided at least one week before the exam date. In case of sickness where you cannot contact us 1 week in advance, you should inform us at least prior to the actual exam time. As a rule, make-up exams are scheduled BEFORE the regular exam dates.

Midterm #1: Feb 11, Thursday, lecture hour and room (BPS 1410).
Midterm #2: Mar 17, Thursday, lecture hour and room (BPS 1410).
Midterm #3: Apr 14, Thursday, lecture hour and room (BPS 1410).
Final exam: May 02, Monday, 8-10 PM, location: TBD.

On the midterm exams a two-sided handwritten help sheet is allowed together with the sheets from the previous midterm exams. On the final exam the three two-sided help sheets from the midterms together with a fourth two-sided sheet are allowed.

Deadlines

Homework is at loncapa.msu.edu The homework sets will be opened 10 days before they are due. Corrections are open at noon on the Friday after each exam. All homework is due at 11:59 pm on the days given below.

Set 00: Tuesday January 19 (Ch 1)
Concept Test (pre): Thursday January 21
Attitude Survey (pre): Thursday January 21
Clicker Registration: Sunday January 17
Set 01: Tuesday January 26 (Ch 2)
Set 02: Tuesday February 2 (Ch 3)
Set 03: Tuesday February 9 (Ch 4)
Correction 1: Tuesday February 16
Set 04: Tuesday February 23 (Ch 5,6)
Set 05: Tuesday March 1 (Ch 7)
Set 06: Tuesday March 15 (Ch 8)
Correction 2: Tuesday March 22
Set 07: Tuesday March 29 (Ch 9,10)
Set 08: Tuesday April 5 (Ch 11)
Set 09: Tuesday April 12 (Ch 12)
Correction 3: Tuesday April 19
Attitude Survey (post): Tuesday April 26
Concept Test (post): Wednesday April 27
Set 10: Thursday April 28 (Ch 13,14)

Grading Information

Percent weights: Homework: 20%. Three midterm exams: 3x15% = 45%. Final exam: 30%, Attitude Survey: 1+1=2%, Concept Tests: 1+1=2%. Clicker questions: 4%. Total: 103%.

Clicker questions: Correct answer: 3 points. Incorrect answer: 1 point. Not present: zero point. There are no make-ups for the clicker questions.

Homework: Every homework question is worth 1 point.

Midterm exams: Maximum score on each midterm: 50 points. The midterm exams will have correction exams as a homework. 30% of the positive difference between the correction exam and the in-class exam will be added to your in-class exam score as bonus. For example, if you got 35 points on the midterm and got 46 points on the correction exam, you new total will be 35 + (0.3)x(46-35) = 38.3. In this case, if you got less than 35 points on the correction exam your total would still be 35.

Final Exam: Maximum score on the final: 100 points. The final exam will not have correction.

Grading scale:
4.0 >= 94%,
3.5 >= 86%,
3.0 >= 78%,
2.5 >= 70%,
2.0 >= 62%,
1.5 >= 54%,
1.0 >= 46%,
0.0 < 46%.

This grading scale might be lowered, but it will not be raised.

Readings


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Monday - Friday | Week, Chapter, Topic
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01/11 --- 01/15 | 1 Ch 1 Measurements and Mathematics Background
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01/18 --- 01/22 | 2 Ch 2 Motion in one dimension
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01/25 --- 01/29 | 3 Ch 3 Motion in two dimensions
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02/01 --- 02/05 | 4 Ch 4 Force and Newton's Laws of Motion
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02/08 --- 02/12 | 5 Review
02/11 -Thursday | Exam #1
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02/15 --- 02/19 | 6 Ch 5 Work and Energy, Ch 6 Momentum and Coll.
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02/22 --- 02/26 | 7 Ch 7 Oscillations
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02/29 --- 03/04 | 8 Ch 8 Rotational Motion
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03/07 --- 03/11 | Spring Break
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03/14 --- 03/18 | 9 Review
03/17 -Thursday | Exam #2
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03/21 --- 03/25 | 10 Ch 9 Gravitation, Ch 10 Solids and Fluids
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03/28 --- 04/01 | 11 Ch 11 Waves and Sound
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04/04 --- 04/08 | 12 Ch 12 Temperature
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04/11 --- 04/15 | 13 Review
04/14 -Thursday | Exam #3
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04/18 --- 04/22 | 14 Ch 13 Heat
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04/25 --- 04/29 | 15 Ch 14 The Laws of Thermodynamics
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05/02 -- Monday | Final exam: 05/02, Mo, 8-10 PM. Location: TBD.
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Textbook

Andrew Rex, Richard Wolfson: Essential College Physics, Volume 1, 1st edition, 2010. ISBN-10: 0-321-61116-0, ISBN-13: 978-0-321-61116-1.

We will use i-clicker in this class.