Welcome to

PH2100 University Physics I: Mechanics

Course Information - Summer 2003

	Lecture:	Recitations:
Instructors:	Dr. John Jaszczak	Jitendra Menda	Bijunath Patla
Office:	102 Fisher Hall	Hamar House	B025A Fisher
Phone:	487-2255	7-3215	7-2644
Email:	jaszczak@mtu.edu	jmenda@mtu.edu	brpatla@mtu.edu
Office Hours	By arrangement

Course Description:
PH2100 is the first course in the calculus-based physics sequence covering introductory classical mechanics. Topics include Newton's laws, work and energy, the universal law of gravitation, systems of particles, rotational motion, oscillations, and waves. A solid knowledge of the physics principles in classical mechanics is foundational for scientists and engineers.

Course Objectives:
The major objectives of this course are for students to learn the fundamental principles of classical mechanics, to develop solid and systematic problem solving skills, and to lay the foundations for further studies in physics, physical sciences and engineering.

Lectures :

12:05 - 12:55 P.M.

See the assignment schedule for days.

Fisher 139

(Note the room change from the course schedule booklet.) Lecture days will alternate with recitation days. Please see the assignment schedule.

Lectures will include explanation of new material, demonstrations, worked problem examples and problem solving tips. Your attendance is expected at all lectures. You are responsible for all material covered in lectures as well as reading and problem assignments. It is highly recommended that you read the assigned sections before each lecture. Overall, you should study at least two hours outside of class for every hour spent in class. Reading assignments are found on the assignment schedule. You will find animated/interactive versions of many of the examples and problems on the Student Tools CD-ROM. A small icon in the margin of the text will identify these. Lectures will cover ideas, concepts, sample problems and demonstrations.

Textbook:
Physics for Scientists and Engineers, 5th edition, Serway & Beichner, with Student Tools CD-ROM (Saunders College Publ).

Grading:
Your grade for the course will be based on your performance on the hour exams, recitation work and the final exam. Grades are meant to measure your relative mastery of subject matter. The weight attributed to each segment of the course is as follows:

Exam I	20%
Exam II	20%
Recitation	15%
Web Assign	15%
Final Exam	30%

For each of the four segments of your grade, you will be given a numerical score from 0 to 100. For an indication of your standing relative to the class, you may use the following table:

A	90-100	C	67-72
AB	85-89	CD	62-66
B	78-84	D	54-61
BC	73-77	F	0-53

Letter grades for the course will be based on the above scheme with the provision that the cutoffs are subject to adjustment. All questions regarding the grading policy for the course should be addressed to the lecturer. Questions regarding the grading of specific exams and quizzes should be addressed to your recitation instructor.

Recitation Sections
See the assignment schedule for which days you will have recitation. These will alternate with lecture days.

You are expected to have worked on the assigned homework questions and problems before attending recitation. It is impossible to underestimate how important this is in order best learn the material. Homework problem assignments are found on the assignment schedule. Answers to the odd-numbered problems are found in the book. Answers to all the problems are available on the web. [Ask your recitation instructor or lecturer for the username and password. The password should not be passed on to others.] Recitation is the place that questions can be posed to and by your instructor. It is vitally important that you attempt to solve and understand all the assignments and associated concepts. The best way to do this is to prepare diligently for and to participate in the recitations.

The textbook publisher also maintains a web site: http://www.brookscole.com. This site includes a lot of interesting supplemental material, including some animated demos and worked out problem solutions.

The recitation part of your grade is determined as follows: There will be 9 short quizzes which are indicated on the assignment schedule. Quizzes will typically consist of problems similar to those assigned as homework, will be graded by your recitation instructor and will make up one-half of the recitation grade. Attendance will be taken at each recitation class meeting and will count as the other half of the recitation grade.

WebAssign
A selection of the problems on the assignment schedule are "WebAssign problems" and are to be completed before 10:00 am of the day your recitation meets. Note that the full week of WebAssign problem sets will be open for you to work on at the beginning of the week. A PH2100 WebAssign information sheet is available online, click here.

Hour Exams:

Exams will be written by the lecturer with both conceptual questions and problems. These will be similar to examples in the textbook and the assigned questions and problems from recitation. Multiple-choice questions will be included. Exams will be closed book and closed notes. You may, however, use an equation sheet which will be provided with your examination. Only answers will be graded on the exams.
The times set for the hour exams are as follows:

Exam I		Friday, June 13, 2003		12:00 noon
Exam II		Wednesday, July 9, 2003		12:00 noon

No late exams will be given. Unexcused absences will be graded as zero. If you know ahead of time that you will miss an exam based on an official excuse, please see the lecturer at least one week ahead of time to arrange for an early exam. Exams may be photocopied and kept by the lecturer for regarding purposes.

Sample exams from prior terms are available in .pdf and .doc format for downloading and study at: http://www.phy.mtu.edu/~jaszczak/ph2100-exam.html
You are welcome, indeed encouraged, to study available old exams as you study. You should also study your assigned homework problems and the worked examples in the textbook.

Final Exam
The final exam is scheduled during final week of class. The exam will be a full two hours long and will be comprehensive. The structure and grading of the final will be similar to the hour exams. The essential difference is that more answers will be required. An unexcused absence from the final exam will be graded zero.

Equation Sheet
An equation sheet will be provided for you to use while working the assigned homework problems. The same equation sheet will be provided for you to use on all examinations. No other equation sheets or notes will be allowed during examinations.

If you need a new equation sheet, go to http://www.phy.mtu.edu/~jaszczak/ph2100formulasheet.pdf.

Extra Help
The lecturer and the recitation instructors are available for help during their office hours and by appointment. You are especially encouraged to take advantage of instructors' office hours.

The Physics Learning Center

If you're having difficulty and desire extra help beyond that provided by your recitation instructor and/or the lecturer, the Physics Learning Center, located in Fisher 228, has been designed to meet your needs at no direct cost to you. During the summer, the Physics Learning Center provides one-on-one appointments and walk-in help. The hours for walk-in help are Monday through Thursday from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. If you're interested in scheduling one-on-one appointments, contact one of the following coaches directly to arrange mutually agreeable meeting times:

Mike Ftaclas mzftacla@mtu.edu 487-9331

Zach Stehley zgstehle@mtu.edu 370-3496

Both coaches have extensive experience. If you're interested in team learning, you're encouraged to form a team and then to contact a coach to find mutually agreeable meeting times. Don't expect the coaches to do your homework for you; they know which questions and problems have been assigned and will not answer those questions or work those specific problems prior to recitation. The coaches will provide no help with the graded homework problems prior to their due date.

Notice MTU complies with all federal and state laws and regulations regarding discrimination, including the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). If you have a disability and need a reasonable accommodation for equal access to education or services at MTU, please call Dr. Gloria Melton, Associate Dean of Students, at 7-2212. For other concerns about discrimination, you may contact your advisor, department chair, or the Affirmative Action office.

Questions or comments? Email jaszczak@mtu.edu