Course Activities


MWF: lectures

TR: discussions (4 questions)

R: lab

Friday: Concept HW (10-15)

Sunday: Calculation HW (10)


1. Reading Assignments are posted on OnCourse syllabus. To make the most out of the lecture, it is your responsibility to finish the reading assignments before coming into the lecture. During the lectures, the instructor will assume that you have read the relevant sections, skip the basic introductions and focus on mainly drilling the conceptual understanding of the physics.

2. Class Participation will involve answering 3-10 questions using radio transmitters (or "clickers"). Your participation will be recorded as your grade for each lecture. Your participation on clicker questions will count 2% of the final grade. The clicker participation is not counted during the first week.

3. Homework Problems are due twice a week. The concept HW are due at 11:00 pm every Friday, and the calculation HW are due at 11:00PM every Sunday. Log on to the WileyPLUS Website to work on homework assignments. About 10 conceptual questions and 10 calculation-based questions are assigned every week. You are allowed 5 attempts to input answers to each homework question. Homework scores will count toward 27% of the final grade.

4. During Discussion Sessions, you will be required to team-up with your classmates and solve 2~3 questions. You are encouraged to cooperate with your classmates to solve the problem, however, the work you turned in have to be your own. It will need to include meaningful diagrams, clearly labeled parameters, equations used, and the process of calculation leading to a final numerical answer with the correct unit. Missing any of these components will result in deduction of points. Your worked problems will be graded and count toward 6% of the final grade.

5. There are 14 laboratory experiments for this class. The lowest lab grade will be dropped.  The lab score will count toward 15% of the final grade.

6. There will be 3 midterm exams and a final exam. Each midterm will count toward 10% of the final grade, and the final exam will count toward 20% of the final grade.

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