Physics 201  -  College Physics

(Texas A&M University, Spring 2014)

Homepage for Sections 501-505



   Announcements (updated regularly)


 

    Lectures

    Mon+Wed+Fri 12:40-01:30pm
    Room:  MPHY 203
    (1st class:  Mon Jan 23,  last class:  Tue Apr 29,  no class on Jan 20 (MLK) and Apr 18 (Good Fri))
 
 

                       Recitations (MPHY 332)   LABS (MPHY 235)                 
    Sect. 501:  Wed,          08:00-09:00am                  09:00-10:50am  
    Sect. 502:  Wed,          03:00-04:00pm                  04:00-05:50pm     
    Sect. 503:  Thu,          08:00-09:00am                   09:00-10:50am     
    Sect. 504:  Thu,          11:10-12:10pm                   12:10-02:00pm     
    Sect. 505:  Thu,          02:20-03:20pm                   03:20-05:10pm     

                                         For the full Lab Schedule,  click  here
 
 

   Course Instructor

    Dr. Ralf Rapp
    Office        : Cyclotron CYCL-335,  Mitchell Physics MPHY-313
    Office-Hrs : Mon+Tue+Fri 10-11am (MPHY-313), or by appointment (CYCL-335)
    Phone       : CYCL-335: 845-1411 (ext. 226),  MPHY-313: 458-5567
    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. 501
       Ang Li
      Office  :  MPHY-401
      E-mail:   liangtexas@physics.tamu.edu

      Sect. 502
       Bin Yang
      Office  :  MPHY-480
      E-mail:   abel9394@physics.tamu.edu

      Sect. 503
        Isaac Sarver
       Office :  MPHY-480
       E-mail:  isarver@physics.tamu.edu 

      Sect. 504
        Ang Li
      Office  :  MPHY-401
      E-mail:   liangtexas@physics.tamu.edu

      Sect. 505
        Yaodong Zhu
       Office :  MPHY-480
       E-mail:   yaodongmatt@physics.tamu.edu

 

      Supplemental Instruction (Group Sessions)

     The University may provide free Supplemental Instruction (SI) sessions to further improve
     your study options. The name of the SI leader assigned to PHY201 is  TBA
     (email: TBA). His/Her sessions are open to all PHY201students, held during the following evening hours:
         TBA
     You are very much encouraged to take advantage of this additional University resource.
       Stay tuned for updates. 

   
   

    Required Material

     1.)  TEXTBOOK:
           The course will be based on the book
          College Physics, 9. Edition, by Hugh D. Young, with Mastering Physics Access

      2.)  LAB ACCESS:
             Webassign Account

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

     Scope and Learning Outcomes

    The course will cover the basic concepts and applications of Newtonian Mechanics,  Thermodynamics
    and Waves+Sound, corresponding to chapters 1-16 in the textbook.
    Upon completion of the course you will understand the basic concepts, laws and formulae in the above
    areas and be able to quantitatively apply them to corresponding physical situations and problems and
    solve the latter using algebraic methods.

   

    Course Grade

    The total course grade is decomposed as follows:

      If the grade on the final exam is better than on one of the midterm exams, that ONE midterm-exam
     grade will be replaced by the average of that midterm and the final.
     This DOES NOT apply to a missed midterm exam (which is counted as zero).
 
 

     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: Mon Feb 10 in class (MPHY 203, 12:40-01:30pm),
                                     material covered: Chap 1-5
   Midterm 2: Mon Mar 03 in class (MPHY 203, 12:40-01:30pm),
                                     material covered: Chap 6-8
   Midterm 3: Mon Mar 31 in class (MPHY 203, 12:40-01:30pm),
                                     material covered: Chap 9-11
   Midterm 4: Fri Apr 25 in class (MPHY 203, 12:40-01:30pm),
                                     material covered: Chap 12+14-16
   FINAL:   Mon May 05 (MPHY 203, 10:30am-12:30pm)
                  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 10% 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 6% 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. You will conduct the Labs using the Webassign system,
      for which you need online access, see here. It includes a pre-lab assignment, lab experiment
      and post-lab analysis.
       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) the Lab reports are due.
       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. 
       You are entited to one make-up lab if you have have to miss a regular one due to a
       University-allowable excuse.
      The semester average on your Lab-report grades makes up 8% of your total course grade
      (better than 80% on the Lab grade is mandatory to pass the course).

 
 

    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://aggiehonor.tamu.edu/
       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!