Physics 218: Mechanics
Co-Requisites
MATH 151. You are expected to have a working knowledge of plane
geometry, trigonometry, and algebra. As the semester progresses you will
also be expected to have a working knowledge of derivatives and
integrals, and be proficient in the use of vectors (addition, subtraction, dot
and cross products).
Primary text
University Physics, Young and Freedman 12th edition.
Lab info
(Sections 501-515, 526-528) Lab manual required for regular 218 lab
sections: Laboratory (Kinematics) Experiments for Physics 218, 9th Ed,
Ramirez & Hiebert, published by Hayden McNeil.
(Sections 516-525) These are the Visual Physics laboratories. The
manuals are available in the Visual Physics Website and the meet in room
MPHYS 236.
The total course grade consists of 750 points distributed as follows:
Course Grading
 3 Exams
 Final Exam
 Laboratory
 Recitation Quizzes
 Homework/Math quizzes
275 (75, 100, 100)
200
100
100
75
NOTE: If your final exam grade is higher than your 3-exam average, then
the final will count 275/750 points toward your final grade and your
midterm exam average will count just 200/750.
You must pass three parts of this course separately in order to pass the
course:
 Lectures (3 midterm exams, final exam, recitation);
 Laboratory (with a minimum score of 70%)
 Homework with perfect score (unlimited number of tries)
Exams
There will be three midterm exams and one final exam.
(a) Each exam will generally consist of problems similar in content and
difficulty to the homework. The entire solution will be graded and partial
credit given if merited. Your work must show steps toward the solution; the
answer alone is not sufficient. The grader will judge your use of physics in
arriving at the solution. Exams may also include examples worked in the
lecture but not appearing in the text nor assigned as problems.
(b) Formula sheets will be provided for each exam and the final.
(c) If you miss an exam due to an authorized excused absence as
outlined in the University Regulations, then you should attempt to contact
me prior to the exam, but no later than the next working day following
the missed exam to arrange for a makeup exam. There may be a single
course-wide makeup exam for those missing an exam. This makeup
exam will be written by a committee of Physics 218 lecturers and
administered outside normal class time within 7-10 class days following
the missed exam. Note: Very few conditions qualify as an authorized
excused absence, so avoid missing an exam at all costs.
(d) You must bring your student ID with you to all exams for identification
purposes.
Homework
 For each chapter there is a set of homework problems listed in the
Tentative Course Schedule assigned to practice problem-solving
techniques.
 How to solve and submit your Homework
Solve: homework for each week is detailed in the Course Schedule. The
idea is to solve all the problems using variables instead of the actual
numbers and keep a detailed log of the formulas used to obtain the
solutions.
Submit: once the solutions are obtained the homework highlighted in bold
must be submitted using eLearning. The eLearning homework problems
are non-descriptive and will refer to problems of the book, typically
changing some parameters of the problem (e.g. "If you redo problem X.y
of the book assuming now the mass is 5.6 Kg, what would be the final
velocity ?"). If you did all the problems using generic variables, instead of
hardcored numbers, you can just plug the new numbers into the formula
you derived when doing your homework, get the proper answer, and plug
it into eLearning.
Grading: You may take as many tries on each as you like, but a perfect
score on each is required to pass the course. You are expected to work
homework problems each week before recitation and there will be a quiz
each week in recitation to test your ability to work one of the assigned
homework problems.
BEFORE the system allows you to access the first homework you need to
take the Force Concept Inventory, and have a perfect score on ten math
quizzes. If you get perfect scores on all of the math quizzes, homeworks
and associated homework quizzes, a mini-practice exam will become
available to you to help study for each exam.
 Instructions on using eLearning (also known as WebCT) for Physics
218 may be found at http://faculty.physics.tamu.edu/toback/WebCT/.
Questions not answered in the website should be directed to
elearning@physics.tamu.edu.
Labs
If you miss a regularly scheduled laboratory for valid reasons, it is your
responsibility to inform your TA immediately and promptly make suitable
arrangements. Any missed laboratory that is not remedied will count as a
zero towards your final laboratory grade.
Even thought the lab work worth 13.33% of your final grade, you MUST
achieve a 70% or better grade in the laboratory to pass the course. Note
that if you miss two labs without an excuse and do not make them up then
you will have failed the course.
If you are repeating PHYS 218 and have an 80% or better in the lab from
a previous semester, you do not have to redo the lab part of the course
(but you may if you want to improve the lab grade). However, you must
contact the Physics Front Office immediately in order to transfer your
grade. Note that you must still attend the recitation this semester.
ADA
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination
statute that provides comprehensive civil rights protection for persons with
disabilities. Among other things, this legislation requires that all students
with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for
reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you believe you have a
disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the Department of
Student Life, Services for Students with Disabilities, in Room 126 of the
Koldus Building or call 845-1637.
Aggie Honor
Code
As a student at Texas A&M University, you are bound by the Aggie
Honor Code: “An Aggie does not lie, cheat, or steal or tolerate those
who do.” Should you have concerns or questions about ethical
conduct in your studies or become aware of unethical conduct by
others, please refer to the Honor Council Rules and Procedures on
the web at http://www.tamu.edu/aggiehonor.
Tentative Course Schedule for Phys 218
Spring 2010
Week
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
Text sections and topics
1.1-1.10: Introduction, physical
quantities, units, vectors, and
vector algebra
2.1-2.6: Motion along a straight
line
3.1-3.5: Motion in two and three
dimensions
4.1-4.6: Newton's laws of motion
EXAM I Chapters 1-3
5.1-5.4: Applications of Newton's
laws
6.1-6.4, 7.1-7.2: Work, kinetic
energy, work-energy theorem,
and power
7.3-7.5, 8.1-8.2: Force and
energy; momentum
8.3-8.5: Momentum and collisions
Exam II Chapters 4-7
9.1-9.5, 10.1-10.2: Rotation of
rigid bodies, torque
10.3-10.7: Dynamics of rotational
motion
11.1-11.3, 12.1-12.5: Static
equilibrium gravitation
13.1-13.8: Periodic motion
Exam III Chapters 8-11
15.1-15.4 Mechanical Waves
Review Chapters 1-13, 15
Final Exam (Sec 525-528)
Final Exam (Sec 501-504)
Homework assignment
No homework due this week
Ch 1: Problems 10,13,32, 35, 40,
41, 50, 55, 78, 93
Ch 2: Problems 4, 9,12, 18, 21,
36, 40, 50, 76, 80 83, 92
Ch 3: Problems 9, 10, 16, 32, 33,
38, 54, 64, 81
Ch 4: Problems 12, 16, 24, 27,
35, 39, 41, 49
Ch 5: Problems 4, 9, 14, 19, 37,
50, 62,67,86,91,111,113,114, 115
Ch 6: Problems 27,34, 39, 49, 61,
62, 69, 81, 82
Ch 7: Problems 9, 15, 18, 24,
29,38, 42, 62, 67, 69, 70, 76, 81
Ch 8: Problems 4, 8, 24, 37, 39,
43, 46, 50, 52, 66, 75, 100
Ch 9: Problems 1, 6, 9, 19, 25,
30, 34, 35, 47, 55, 85, 86
Ch 10: Problems 1, 2, 5, 7, 13,
20, 22, 27, 29, 34, 35, 40, 64, 91
Ch 11: Problems 7, 10, 11, 14,
18, 42, 66, 73; Ch12: Problems
5, 16, 23, 27, 55, 75, 77
Ch 13: Problems 1, 2, 7, 11, 12,
19, 26, 32, 36, 44, 45, 52, 54, 60
Ch 15: Problems 1,5,7, 15, 20,
28, 33, 39, 49, 45, 51
3-5 p.m. in MPHYS 203
1-3 p.m. in MPHYS 203
DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY
200 Level Physics Teaching Laboratories
Physics 218 Lab Schedule – Spring 2010
#
WEEK OF
Regular Sections
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Jan 19 – 22
Jan 25 – 29
Feb 01 – 05
Feb 08 – 12
Feb 15 – 19
Feb 22 – 26
Mar 01 – 05
Mar 08 – 12
Mar 15 – 19
Mar 22 – 26
Mar 29 – Apr 02
Apr 05 – 09
Apr 12 – 16
Apr 19 – 23
Apr 26 – 30
May 03
May 04(Friday)
No Lab
No lab
1. Measurements
No lab (Exam review)
3. Graph Matching
4. Acceleration of Gravity
4. Acc of Gravity, cont
No lab (Exam review)
Spring Break
No lab
7. Circular Motion
6. Elastic Collisions
No lab (Exam review)
8. Simple Pendulum I
Make up lab (#10 Vibrating String)
No Lab
No Lab
9
10
11
12
13
14
TIME
08:00-10:50 am
10:20-01:10 pm
11:10-02:00 pm
12:40-03:30 pm
02:20-05:10 pm
03:00-05:50 pm
04:45-07:45 pm
05:10-08:00 pm
06:55-09:45 pm
07:10-10:00 pm
Mon Tues Wed Thurs
801 505 502 512
802
503
506
513
526
504
507
514
527
509
508
515
803
510
501
528
511
■ All sections of Physics 218 will meet in George Mitchell Physics building room 335 for the
first
hour (recitation), and then go to room 234 for the next two hours (laboratory).
■ Recitations will always be held unless canceled by the lecturer**.
■ Lab manual required for regular 218 lab sections: Laboratory (Kinematics) Experiments
for Physics 218, 9th Ed, Ramirez & Hiebert, published by Hayden McNeil.
■ Mr. Ramirez’s Physics Lab Updates will be posted in the bulletin board next to the
Physics office on 1st floor.