Physics 100 Information Sheet
Summer 2010
Instructor
Neil Alberding, PhD
Office: P9444
TA:
- Pouyan Khalili
- David Owen
- Roja Zakariaee
Internet:
Course web site:
http://www.sfu.ca/phys/100/
Course e-mail list: phys-100-d100.
WebCT: http://webct.sfu.ca. (Has a
gradebook, conference system and other things.)
All students registered in the course are on the course mailing list
and
can access the phys100 WebCT page.
Mastering Physics for the
web-based assignment system.
Lectures:
Room: B9201
Mon, Tues, Fri 9:30 — 10:20 pm
Approximate schedule is listed on our
web site.
Textbook: Knight, Jones and Field, College Physics: Custom Edition
This is a custom edition of the book College
Physics: A Strategic Approach prepared for this course. The new
package in the bookstore includes a workbook and access code for the Mastering Physics web-based
homework system.
Readings, Labs and Worksheets
Supplemental material is available through the course website.
- Readings
The sections to be read for each lecture are listed on the lecture schedule.
- Active Learning Labs
Each week you will do these in your "tutorial" section. (See
below) You need to print out the worksheets for these labs and bring them.
- In-class worksheets
These are to accompany some of the demonstrations which we
will
do in class. You will take data with the instructor and carry out some
calculations
in the spirit of a "mini lab project." (Please print these and bring them to lecture.)
Assignments:
There will be assignments almost every week. Assignments consist of
one or more hand written
problems and web-based Mastering
Physics assignments. The Mastering
Physics Course ID this year is SFUPHYSICS100E. You'll need
that the first time you sign up. Hand-written assignments should be
written on letter-sized paper,
stapled and handed
into the assignment box for Physics 100. Solutions for the problems
will be posted and you may expect to
see similar problems on quizzes or on the final exam.
The TA is availalble to help guide you in solving the assignment
problems. He may be prepared to spend some after-class time with you.
In-class iClicker questions will count as about one homework
assignment. Credit is awarded for participation only, unless we tell
you otherwise
Physics Help (Open Lab)
A teaching assistant will be available to help explain concepts and
give guidance in solving homeowrk problems:
Place: RCB6125
Times: Tuesday 12:30-5:20
Active Learning Laboratory (Tutorial)
We have a 50 min laboratory exercise every week. These are held at the
time
of your "Lab" session in room P9412. The
laboratory worksheets
are
the second section in Readings, Labs and Worksheets package.
The first
two labs take two weeks, all the rest are to be completed in one
session. The labs
are graded pass/fail.
All labs must be
completed
in order to pass the course.
If you happen to miss a lab arrange to make it up as soon as possible.
Quizzes
There will be six quizzes held approximately every other Friday. One
half
of the quizzes are hand written, human graded, problems and the other
half
will be multiple choice, machine graded, questions. Quiz problems and
questions
will be similar to those on the assignments.
The Final Exam
The final exam will be held at the end of the semester. It will be 50%
handwritten
problems and 50% multiple choice questions. Questions and problems will
be
similar to those on the quizzes. You must bring picture ID to the exam.
Grading
|
Labs |
All must be done with a passing grade. |
|
Homework |
20% |
|
Quizes (6) |
30% |
|
Final exam |
50% |
There are a total of 100 percentage points in the semester. 50% for
Term
work (quizzes and homework) and 50% for the final exam. Any percentage
points
missed in the term work, for whatever reason, will be added to the
Final's
percentage value. So if you get all homework and quiz problems correct
except
for one quiz which you miss, the final will be worth 55% because one
quiz
is worth 5%. If you loose 20 points during the term, then the final
will
be worth 70%. The formula is as follows:
G = T + (100%-T)F/50%
Where G is the Final percentage grade (Max 100%),
T is the number of percentage points earned during the term (max 50%)
and
F is the score on the final exam (max 50%).
For example:
You get 40% out of 50% on the quizzes and homework
You get 30% out of 50% on the final exam
G = 40% + (100%-40%)(30%/50%) = 76%
Using this system it is not necessary to grant exemptions for missed
quizzes because the missed marks will be captured by the final exam.
The letter grade will be assigned on an absolute grade scale as
follows:
Grade Scale:
Letter
Grade |
Percentage |
| A+ |
90% - 100% |
| A |
85% - 89% |
| A- |
80% - 84% |
| B+ |
76% - 79% |
| B |
72% - 75% |
| B- |
68% - 71% |
| C+ |
64% - 67% |
| C |
60% - 63% |
| C- |
55% - 59% |
| D |
50% - 54% |
| F |
0% - 49% |
Last update: 2010 May 5