Syllabus

Personnel

Course Coordinator:	B Alex Brown, Tibor F Nagy
Teaching Assistant:	Victor Emil Mercurio Ramirez, Joshua C Willard, Jennevieve Marie Ward, Jesse Joseph Sakstrup, Spencer Morin Sims, Adam Eric Johnson, Michael James Roosa

Instructor Information

Tibor F. Nagy (sections 001 and 002)
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: Tuesday noon-1:00 PM, BPS 1248.

Alex Brown (section 003)
Homepage: http://people.nscl.msu.edu/~brown/
231 for Sec 3: http://people.nscl.msu.edu/~brown/231/home.html
Office: Cyclotron Room 2043.
Phone: 517-908-6328.
Email: brown@nscl.msu.edu.
Office hour: Tuesday 1:00-2:00 PM, BPS 1248 or by appointment.

Teaching Assistants: Adam Johnson (john3604@msu.edu), Victor Ramirez (ramir193@msu.edu), Michael Roosa (roosamic), Jesse Sakstrup (sakstrup@msu.edu), Spencer Sims (simsspen@msu.edu), Jenevieve Ward (wardje10@msu.edu), Joshua Willard (willar39@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; Monday, Wednesday, Friday.
Section 001 (Nagy) : 8:00-8:50 AM,
Section 002 (Nagy) : 9:10-10:00 AM,
Section 003 (Brown): 10:20-11:10 AM.

Helproom Hours

Teaching Assistants: Adam Johnson (john3604@msu.edu), Victor Ramirez (ramir193@msu.edu), Michael Roosa (roosamic), Jesse Sakstrup (sakstrup@msu.edu), Spencer Sims (simsspen@msu.edu), Jenevieve Ward (wardje10@msu.edu), Joshua Willard (willar39@msu.edu).

BPS 1248, Strosacker Learning Center schedule:
Friday: 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Monday: 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM. Tuesday: 9:00 AM to 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: Sep 30, Wednesday, lecture hour and room (BPS 1410).
Midterm #2: Oct 28, Wednesday, lecture hour and room (BPS 1410).
Midterm #3: Dec 02, Wednesday, lecture hour and room (BPS 1410).
Final exam: Dec 17, Thursday, 8-10 pm, sec 001 and 002: ANH 1281, sec 003: VMC E100.

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 Thursday after each exam. All homework is due at 10 pm on the days given below.

Set 00: Tuesday September 8 (Ch 1)
Concept Test (pre): Thursday September 10
Attitude Survey (pre): Thursday September 10
Clicker Registration: Sunday September 13
Set 01: Tuesday September 15 (Ch 2)
Set 02: Tuesday September 22 (Ch 3)
Set 03: Tuesday September 29 (Ch 4)
Correction 1: Tuesday October 06
Set 04: Tuesday October 13 (Ch 5,6)
Set 05: Tuesday October 20 (Ch 7)
Set 06: Tuesday October 27 (Ch 8)
Correction 2: Tuesday November 03
Set 07: Tuesday November 10 (Ch 9,10)
Set 08: Tuesday November 17 (Ch 11)
Set 09: Tuesday December 1 (Ch 12)
Correction 3: Tuesday December 8
Concept Test (post): TBA
Attitude Survey (post): TBA
Set 10: Friday December 11 (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.

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.