Announcements (updated regularly)

• Exam-2 Preparatory Review: Wed, Oct. 13, 7:15-8:15pm in MPHY-204 (next to the regular classroom)
• The Help Desk is in MPHY 135; find the schedule here
• Find the main SYLLABUS here , and the LAB SCHEDULE here 
• Find the formula sheets for each exam here
  
• For exams in previous semesters, click here
• For info on how to do the online HW "Mastering Physics", click here
• For supplementary information on previous semesters, see http://faculty.physics.tamu.edu/ford/p201.html

    Lectures

    Tue+Thu 11:10am-12:25pm
    Room:  MPHY 203
    (1st class:  Tue Aug 31,  last class:  Tue Dec 7,  no class on Nov 25-26 (Thanksgiving Holiday))
 
 

                       Recitations (MPHY-332)   LABS (MPHY237/235)                 
    Sect. 526:  Wed,          01:50-02:40pm                   02:50-04:40pm  (237)
    Sect. 527:  Wed,          03:00-03:50pm                   04:00-05:50pm  (235)
    Sect. 528:  Wed,          04:10-05:00pm                   05:10-07:00pm  (237)
    Sect. 529:  Wed,          05:10-06:00pm                   06:10-08:00pm  (235)
    Sect. 530:  Thu,           08:00-08:50am                   09:00-10:50am  (235)

                                         For the full Lab Schedule,  click  here
 
 

   Course Instructor

    Dr. Ralf Rapp
    Office        : Cyclotron (Building 434)  Room 211
    Office-Hrs : Mon 2-3pm, Wed 11am-12noon, Thu 3-4pm, or by appointment
    Phone       : 845-1411 (ext. 226)
    E-mail       : rapp@comp.tamu.edu
 
 

   Teaching Assistants

      all TA's listed below are responsible for Recitation and Lab in the respective sections.
     For questions on the Lab, Lab-reports or homework/quizzes outside the standard Lab and
     Recitation times, please schedule an appointment via email.

      Sect. 526
       Yu-Chieh Chung
      Office  : tba
      E-mail:  ycchung@physics.tamu.edu

      Sect. 527
       Hua Zheng
      Office  : tba
      E-mail:  zhengh@tamu.edu

      Sect. 528
        Kyle Huggins
       Office : tba
       E-mail:  kshuggins@tamu.edu 

      Sect. 529
       Alexx Perloff
      Office  : tba
      E-mail:  aperloff@physics.tamu.edu      

      Supplemental Instruction (Group Sessions)

     The University provides free Supplemental Instruction (SI) sessions to further improve
     your study options. The name of the SI leader assigned to PHY201 is Justin Flagg
     (email: scuba_pro_10@yahoo.com). His 60-minute sessions are open to all PHY201
     students,  held during the following evening hours:
        Sun 4-5pm, Tue 7-8pm and Thu 7-8pm  in  HRBB-204.
     You are very much encouraged to take advantage of this additional University resource.
 
 

   Personal Tutoring by International Graduate Student

   The physics department provides another learning resource by offering  free personal
   tutoring sessions with an international physics graduate student (GANT).
   For our PHYS 201 course, the name and email address of the GANT is:
      TBA      ,             TBA
   The GANT will attend the lectures indicated in the parentheses, and solve the complete
   homework assignments. Therefore, he will be well prepared to help you with any
   class-material related question. Be aware that the GANT is not a native English
   speaker, but he is eager to improve in this respect, also by the tutoring. He is
   available for individual appointments with you for up to 9 hrs per week, Mon through
   Fri during daytime (i.e., before 8pm) in MPHY 135.
   To schedule an appointment, contact the above GANT at least one day (preferably
   somewhat more) in advance by email.
   Again, you are very much encouraged to make use of this opportunity. I recommend that
   you try out the tutoring soon to see whether it could improve your PHYS 201 skills.    
   Make sure not to miss out on something useful!
 
 

    Required Material

     1.)  TEXTBOOK:
           The course will be based on the book
          College Physics, 8. Edition, by Young and Geller

      2.)  LAB MANUAL:
             Physics 201 Lab Manual (published by Hayden-McNeil)

      3.)  optional:
             Student Solutions Manual;   Student Study Guide
 
 

     Scope

    The course will cover the basic concepts and applications of Newtonian Mechanics,
    Thermodynamics and Waves+Sound, corresponding to chapters 1-16 in the textbook.
 
 

    Course Grade

    The total course grade is decomposed as follows:

• Final Exam (comprehensive)     :  20%
• 4 Midterm Exams                      :  15% each
• Laboratory Experiments            :  10%
• Recitation (weekly quizzes)       :  5% 
• Online HW (Mastering Physics):  5% 

     Exams

   The exams are closed book, and are held in the classroom (MPHY 203) during standard
    lecture times (except for the Final); you should only bring a pen and pocket calculator,
    capable of evaluating trigonometric functions (sin, cos, tan) and logarithms.
    Formula sheets will be provided. Special preparatory review sessions will usually be held by
    the course instructor on an evening ca. 2-3 days before each exam, see announcements on top
    of page.  For files of old exams, see here or here  .

    SCHEDULE:
   Midterm 1: Thu Sep 23 in class (MPHY 203, 11:10am-12:25pm),
                                     material covered: Chap 1-5
   Midterm 2: Thu Oct 14 in class (MPHY 203, 11:10am-12:25pm)
                                     material covered: Chap 6-8
   Midterm 3: Thu Nov 04 in class (MPHY 203, 11:10am-12:25pm),
                                     material covered: Chap 9-11
   Midterm 4: Thu Dec 02 in class (MPHY 203, 11:10am-12:25pm),
                                     material covered: Chap 12-16
   FINAL:   Fri Dec 10  (MPHY 203, 3:00-5:00pm)
                  material covered corresponds to the entire semester (Chap 1-16)
 
 

    Notes on Lectures

    Attendance in the lectures, as well as taking notes of the material presented, is mandatory.
    Furthermore, you are responsible for all announcements made in class (including
    information on review sessions, etc.).
    The material discussed in the lectures, together with the homework problems, essentially
    defines the scope of the exams. Formula sheets to be used in the exams are handed out
    in the lectures at the time the material is started to be discussed (this will allow you to get
    acquainted with the notation well ahead of the exam).
 
 

    Notes on Homework and Recitation

     The weekly assignment of homework problems can be found on your Mastering Physics
    account; the problems are dated. Cooperative work and discussions are encouraged, but every  
    one of you should generate his/her individual solution set. Questions can be addressed to your
    course or recitation instructor, who will be happy to help you (preferably during office hours).
    The semester average on your online HW makes up 5% of your total course grade.
    Recitation attendance is mandatory; each week, a quiz will be given and graded, which will
    determine your recitation grade. The semester average on your quizzes makes up 5% of your
    total course grade.
   
   

    Notes on Laboratory Experiments

      Lab attendance is mandatory. It follows the recitation session of your section each week
      in which an experiment is scheduled. The semester average on your Lab-report grades
      makes up 10% of your total course grade (better than 70% is mandadtory to pass the course).
       Your Lab-instructor (who is usually the same person as the recitation instructor) will advise
       you on when (typically no more than one week after the experiment) and where to hand in
       the Lab reports which are based on the data you take.
       In certain weeks there are no formal Labs scheduled, but this extra time will be used by the
       recitation instructor to provide additional exam preparation or discussion of the solutions after
       an exam.
       Information on policies on missed labs can be found at
       http://faculty.physics.tamu.edu/ford/lab.html .
 
 

    Strategy

       To pass the course, you will have to keep up with the material of the course by attending
       the lectures (besides the recitation and Lab) and thoroughly work through the weekly HW
       problems (which, in addition, is the best preparation for exams and recitation quizzes).
       Otherwise, pile-up of not understood material is likely to lead to a failing grade.
       It is impossible to get a passing grade without hard work in this course.
 
 

     AGGIE Honor Code

       An Aggie does not lie, cheat, or steal or tolerate those who do.
       Also see http://www.tamu.edu/aggiehonor
       Any type of cheating (copying homework, lab reports,  during exams, etc.) is
       strictly prohibited and seriously penalized.
 
 

    ADA  Statement

       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 Cain Hall, Room
       B118 or call 845-1637; for more info see also  http://disability.tamu.edu/
       Department of Student Life, SSD, will review your concerns and determine,
       with you, what accommodations are necessary and appropriate. All
       information and documentation concerning disability is kept confidential.
 
 

      Despite all the above regulations and rules (which are needed for a fair assessment
      of your grades), we hope that you will enjoy this course, and that you will achieve
      knowledge that will both be helpful in your further career and provide deeper
      insights into daily life encounters with physics!
      If you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to contact your course/
      recitation instructors who shall be glad to help you!