IMPORTANT DOCUMENT
YOU WILL HAVE PROLEMS IN KEEPING UP WITH THIS COURSE IF
YOU MISPLACE THIS DOCUMENT.
PLEASE DON’T LOSE THIS DOCUMENT
Phy 107
Course Information
Instructor:
Lecture Hours:
Lecture Room:
Office Hours:
Office:
Telephone:
Email:
General Physics I
Fall 2004
Prof. Surajit Sen
T, R, 11:00am – 12:15pm
201 NSC
M, T, 9:00am – 10:00am
325 Fronczak Hall
645-2017 ext. 193
sen@buffalo.edu
T.A office hours will be announced and posted during the second week of classes. You are
encouraged to seek help from your instructor or T.A. during his or her office hours.
Required Textbook
P.M. Fishbane, S.G. Gasiorowicz and S.T. Thornton, Physics for Scientists and Engineers, Vol.
I, 3rd Ed. (Pearson, Upper Saddle River, NJ, 2005) (ISBN: 0-13035299-3).
Grading
Grades on this course will be based on your scores on three midterm exams (your lowest
midterm exam will count for less), a comprehensive final and homework assignments and inclass quizzes as follows:
Highest midterm score:
Next midterm score:
Lowest midterm score:
Final exam score:
Homework and Quiz Score:
20%
20%
10%
25%
15%+10%
Letter grades will be assigned to your cumulative percentage numerical grade. To pass this
course with a C grade or better, you should aim for a cumulative grade of better than 50%. Final
grade distributions will depend upon the performance of the class. Note that homework and inclass quizzes count for 25% of your grade. This 25% will make a significant difference to your
letter grade. You are urged to submit each homework assignment on time for earning a grade.
Regular attendance will ensure your participation in in-class quizzes.
Homework and Quizzes
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Homework problems will be posted on the course webpage at
http://www.physics.buffalo.edu/phy107.
Neatly written solutions to the assigned home work problems must be deposited in the box
located in the Physics Main Office (239 Fronczak Hall) and labeled with this course number no
later than 4:30pm on the due date (see schedule in page 4 of this document). Three problems in
each set will be graded in detail. You will be credited for the number of additional problems for
which you have presented a reasonably detailed solution. A numerical score will be assigned for
each homework set based on graded and counted problems. Late homework will not be graded
and will earn no credit at all.
Feel free to form study groups with your classmates and seek help from the instructor or TAs
during his or her office hours as you attempt to solve the problems. Make sure you understand
the solutions to the problems and write tem up yourself. Solutions to the homework problem sets
will be posted after the due date on the course webpage, and graded sets can be picked up during
recitations.
Surprise Quizzes will be administered in class. The quizzes will consist of conceptual questions.
Each quiz would be no more than 10 minutes long.
Exam Schedule and Content
Exam 1:
Exam 2:
Exam 3:
Final Exam:
Thursday, September 23
Friday, October 15
Friday, November 5
To be announced
5pm-6:50pm Ch 1,2,3
NSC 225
5pm-6:50pm Ch 4,5,6
Knox 4,14,104*
5pm-6:50pm Ch 7,8,9
Knox 4,14,104*
Ch 1-13, Ch. 10-13 emphasized
*Seating arrangements will be announced a week before the exams.
Exam Policy
Exams will consist of problems similar to the worked example problems in the text and the
assigned homework problems. Exams will be closed book. You should bring with you a pocket
calculator to work out the answers to numerical problems. Make sure that the battery is charged!
You may bring with you one 8.5”x11” sheet of paper with formulae or equations from the
textbook you wish to refer back to. No other written or printed materials are allowed. Sharing of
formula sheets or calculators will not be allowed.
Full credit on exams will be awarded for complete solutions including drawing an appropriately
labeled figure and deriving necessary formulae, as appropriate, and for numerically accurate
answers with appropriate significant figures. Partial credit may be given for correct derivations if
the answer is numerically wrong due to arithmetic errors. No credit will be given for equations
written down or for numerical answers that are not supported by appropriate derivations.
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You are urged to prepare for each exam by reading the textual material, studying the example
problems and by insuring that you can independently work out the homework assignments. You
should attempt to solve additional problems from the text.
Regrading
Exams will be graded and returned to you and solutions will be posted. You may request
regrading of specific parts of your exam by returning it to your instructor (not your TA) in class
or during office hours within one week after the exam has been returned to you. This request
should be accompanied by a typed note specifying which problem parts you would like regraded
and why. The note should be attached to the exam. Only one regrade request will be allowed for
each exam. Please do not write on your exam booklet or alter it in any way. Exams will be
randomly photocopied. Exams that have been tampered with or altered in any way will not be
regraded and further disciplinary action will be taken.
Missed Exams
You will be assigned a score of zero on any exam you miss. You may request a make-up exam if
you have a valid excuse. A valid excuse is defined as a documented major emergency, or a
written certification by a registered medical practitioner that you were unable to take the exam
due to illness. Conflicts with other academic activities may also be considered as a valid excuse,
but only if you inform the instructor before the exam.
If you maintain a passing average on the midterm exams and homeworks but miss the final exam
with a valid excuse, you may request an Incomplete (I) grade for the course. Incomplete work
must be made up when the course is offered again, and before the default deadline. Students who
are not maintaining a passing average will not be considered for incomplete grades.
Resignation
Last day to drop without $ liability: September 3
Last day to drop without R grade: September 10
Last day to drop with R grade: October 22
Last day to drop with R grade (for first semester students only): November 12
If you are still registered in the course after October 22 (or November 12 if you are a first
semester student), you will receive an A-F letter grade. The I grade is available only to those
who are performing at a passing level but cannot complete the course for a valid reason.
Home Page
The homepage for this course will be http://www.physics.buffalo.edu/phy107.
Check out the home page for general information, announcements, homework problem
assignments and solutions, examination solutions and grades.
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Students with Disabilities
If you have a disability and require reasonable accommodation to enable you to participate in
this course, such as note takers, readers, or extended time on exams and assignments, pleas
contact the Office of Disability Services, 25 Capen Hall (645-2608), and also see your instructor
during the first two week of classes.
Academic Integrity
Students are responsible for abiding by the academic integrity policies of the UB. In fairness to
all students, academic dishonesty will be prosecuted to the fullest extent.
Calendar, Reading Assignments & Homework Deadlines
Dates
8/30 – 9/3
Reading
Chapter 1
Homework Problems
3,4,11,12,17,19,29,54,61,76,85
Due
9/7
9/6-9/10
5,9,13,15,20,25,26,39,50,59,62
9/14
2,7,10,27,32,39,54,57,68,73
7.13.17.20.28,31,45,61,64,67
9/21
9/28
CHAPTERS: 1, 2 , and 3
6,8,9,12,13,16,19,24,32,33,42,51,65
6,10,14,16,17,26,36,60,72
10/5
10/12
6,8,11,22,27,36,40,41,61,64
10/19
CHAPTERS: 4 , 5 , and 6
6,10,18,20,30,33,37,42,60,66,68,89
10/26
6,9,12,14,22,28,29,32,35,46,52,57
4,6,10,12,15,17,23,31,21,54,57,58
11/2
11/9
11/5, 5-6:50 p.m.
11/8-11/12
Chapter 2
(omit Sec. 6 for
now)
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Omit section 4
EXAM I
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Omit section 6
Chapter 7
Omit section 5
EXAM II
Chapter 8
Omit sections 7,8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Omit sections 6,7
EXAM III
Chapter 11
CHAPTERS: 7, 8, 9
2,4,10,12,13,19,25,26,29,35,42
11/16
11/15-11/19
Chapter 13
2,8,16,22,32,35,41,46,49,57,63,72,81
11/23
9/13-9/17
9/20-9/24
9/23, 5-6:50 p.m.
9/27-10/1
10/4-10/8
10/11-10/15
10/15, 5-6:50 p.m.
10/18—10/22
10/25-10/29
11/1-11/5
11/30-12/3
12/6-12/10
12/13-12/20
THANKSGIVING BREAK 11/24-11/28
Chapter 12
3,13,19,36,43,52
Omit section 6
REVIEW
EXAM WEEK
CHAPTERS: 1-9
CHAPTERS : 10-13 emphasized
12/7
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