Syllabus
PHYSICS 183 -- FALL 2003
Physics for Scientists and Engineers I
Section 1
Course Website: http://www.nscl.msu.edu/~schatz/phy183.html
Course Description:
Physics 183 is the first semester of a two semester course in Physics for Scientists and
Engineers. The prerequisite is MTH 132. Topics to be covered are mechanics, Newton's
laws, momentum, energy conservation laws, rotational motion, oscillation, gravity, and
waves.
Prof. Hendrik Schatz
Room: W-211 Cyclotron Building
Telephone: 333-6397
Email: schatz@nscl.msu.edu
Office hours: after class and by appointment
Text:
FUNDAMENTALS OF PHYSICS
Halliday, Resnick, and Walker
John Wiley and Sons, Inc. (2000)
6th Edition
(Volume 1)
Class Organization:
The lecture is on M,T,W, and Th, at 1:50 to 2:40 PM in Rm 1410, Biomedical and
Physical Science Building BPS. In addition, each student is required to spend at least one
hour per week in the Physics Learning Center (PLC). At the PLC, PHY183 questions and
problems are discussed and worked on in a cooperative learning environment in groups
with other students and with the help of TA's. Help on physics problems can also be
obtained through the online discussion group, which is part of the CAPA system used for
homework assignments. The discussion group can be used at any time to post messages
related to PHY183 homework, and will be monitored by a TA at scheduled times.
Students are encouraged to work in groups on homework assignments and to prepare for
exams. Students should be aware that in the end the class grade is determined largely by
individual exams. Therefore, while working groups make sure each member of the group
understands how to solve the problems worked on. The class is graded on a fixed scale so
it can never hurt you when you help a fellow student !
More information on PLC and discussion group below.
Exams:
There will be three 1-hour Midterm Exams with optional 30% partial credit for
corrections, and one 2-hour Final. The exams will be based on the lectures, textbook,
quizzes and homework.
The partial credit for corrections (PCC) works the following: After the exam, the same
set of problems is handed out as homework (the PCC set). Answers can be entered
through CAPA as for any other homework (with slightly different logon instructions)
until the respective due date. If your PCC score is higher than your exam score, 30% of
the difference will be credited to your exam. For more Frequently Asked Questions see
the website.
Quizzes:
Unannounced quizzes will be given frequently in class (I anticipate at least 1-2 quizzes
per week). For each student 1/3 (rounded up) of the lowest quiz scores will be dropped
automatically at the end of the semester. Quiz formats will vary - some will be worked on
in groups, some will be worked on individually.
Homework:
There will be 12 assignments for which solutions must be entered using MSU's CAPA
system on the Web. Due dates can be found in the class schedule. For your convenience,
a printed version of the homework with your personal CAPA ID for that set will be
handed out in class, but the answers have to be entered on the computer. If you could not
pick up your printed homework, you can still do the homework on the Internet (there is a
button "lost my CAPA" that will e-mail you your CAPA ID) and what you see on the
screen will be identical to what is on your paper version. Note that homework is
individualized.
Excuse Policy:
If any course requirements are missed you must have a valid documented excuse in order
to retake or to have those requirements dropped/averaged. Excused absences or
extensions will be approved only with proper documentation. When possible, please
notify the instructor in advance if you must miss a course requirement, otherwise notify
the instructor as soon as possible afterwards.
Grading Procedure:
Grades are based on the following formula:
Homework 30%; 3 Hour Exams 33%; Quizzes 7% (1/3 lowest scores dropped); Final
Exam 30%. The final grade is set by a fixed scale, given below. In other words, the
course in NOT "graded on a curve". Final percentages are rounded to a full percent using
standard rounding procedures before the scale is applied !
The guaranteed scale (it may be lowered a little but will not be raised) is:
91 - 100 % --> 4.0
86 - 90 % --> 3.5
81 - 85 % --> 3.0
76 - 80 % --> 2.5
71 - 75 % --> 2.0
66 - 70 % --> 1.5
58 - 65 % --> 1.0
University policies concerning academic integrity will be strictly applied.
Honors Option:
There is an honors option for this class. Students interested in that option should contact
Prof. Schatz at the end of the first lecture.
Physics Learning Center PLC:
The Physics Learning Center is in 1248 BPS (Strohsacker Center) and 1240 BPS. Note
that these are two different rooms. The PLC is used by several different physics courses.
You are welcome to use the centers rooms any time, but only at scheduled times (see
schedule posted on class website) one of the rooms will be staffed by members of the
teaching team for Physics 183.
The main purpose of the PLC is to provide an environment for cooperative learning in
student groups. Forming study and problem solving groups has been shown to be an
effective way to improve understanding and performance. At the scheduled times a TA is
available to monitor the groups and to help with physics questions if the group gets stuck.
A team of honors students will help in the various study groups, but all students are
encouraged to help fellow students - this is often the best way to learn the material.
You can use the PLC as much as you like, but we require students to spend at least one
hour a week in the PLC. If you find the room too crowded, try to come during the slower
hours at the beginning of the week. The earlier you start with your homework the better,
and if the room is less crowded you can work more efficiently and be done faster.
The PLC provides computer access, but you should use the computer only to enter your
final answers. TA's and honor students are discouraged to help individual students in
front of computers and login time is limited. Therefore bring your paper copy of the
homework !
Asynchroneous Learning Network ALN (CAPA Discussion group):
Selecting the 'Discuss' button in CAPA takes you to the ALN. You can post questions
and answers any time 24 hrs/day. At scheduled times (1h per day M,T,W,Th) a TA will
participate in the group. In general the purpose of this group is to provide a forum for the
students to discuss homework problems among themselves.
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