SYLLABUS – PHYSICS 218: MechanicsSpring 2016Course Description: Mechanics for students in science and engineering. This is the firstsemester of a two-semester sequence in introductory physics. Topics covered include Newton’sLaws, the concepts of energy and work, conservation of energy and momentum, rotationalmotion, gravity, and simple harmonic motion.Course Objectives: Conceptual knowledge to gain: Understanding of the physical laws of motion, static anddynamical Newtonian mechanics, and harmonic motion; the scientific approach.Skills to gain: Learning to think more critically/scientifically, and developing the skills need toattack difficult problems.Instructor: Prof. Vitaly KocharovskyOffice: MPHY 557E-mail: [email protected] (please start subject line with PHYS218)Class times: Lectures MWF 11:30-12:20, MPHY 203, plus one weekly Recitation/Lab sessionOffice hours: MWF 1:00-2:00 pm in MPHY 557. Otherwise, email me for an appointment.FlipItPhysics course access key: f4e7eb96Web Pages: o physics218.physics.tamu.edu – website with information common to all PHYS 218sections using the ‘University Physics’ textbooko ecampus.tamu.edu site for this class will have lecture notes and gradeso pearsonmylabandmastering.com - Mastering Physics (register throughecampus.tamu.edu) for homework submission o www.flipitphysics.com for pre-lectures and checkpointso www.webassign.net/tamu/login.html for the labsCo-Requisite: MATH 151 or 171. You must have a working knowledge of plane geometry,trigonometry, and algebra. As the semester progresses you will also be expected to have aworking knowledge of derivatives and integrals, and be proficient in the use of vectors (addition,subtraction, dot and cross products).Text and required materials:Primary text Volume 1, University Physics, Young and Freedman 14th edition. From the TAMUbookstore you can buy the loose-leaf book or the bound book. The version,bundled with Modified MasteringPhysics access, includes access to MasteringHomework. Your more economic option is the loose-leaf book. Do NOT get theLAB book.Homework (Mastering) All 218 sections use the ModifiedMastering on-line homework system. You do notneed a course access code; you should go to eCampus, login with your net id andpassword, and click the link on the left menu under "Homework (Mastering)",which will be linked with the correct course automatically. Clicker Get the iClicker2 from your bookstore. The iClickers will be used for in-classconceptual testing and polling. To encourage class participation, credit for iClickerswill be based in part on participation, as well as additional points based on correctanswers. To gain participation credit you must pre-register your device, andanswer all of the questions in class. Cheating by bringing a friend’s clicker is aviolation of the Aggie Honor Code, and will result in loss of all clicker points, anddisciplinary action. To register the iClicker, follow the instructions given here. Please direct alltechnical issues with the support team at iclicker.com.Pre-Lectures(FlipItPhysics) All 218 sections use the http://www.flipitphysics.com on-line pre-lecture system(formerly known as SmartPhysics). Follow the instructions to setup your login andsubscribe to my course using the course access key described in the first page ofthis document. The FlipItPhysics website will allow you to subscribe withoutpaying for the first 30 days. DO NOT BUY THEIR BOOK. You are required to view the pre-lectures (narrated slides including a few onlinequestions) ahead of the lectures, and the lectures will include quizzes to see if youhave gained a basic understanding. The remainder of the lecture will then focusmore on problem-solving. The FlipItPhysics site also includes “Checkpoints”following most pre-lectures, which are short quizzes to test for understanding.Labs (WebAssign)All 218 sections use the WebAssign on-line laboratory system. Follow theinstructions to setup your login. By following the WebAssign link above (notice thelink's ending in tamu/login.html) and login in with your TAMU net id the systemwill take you to the section that they are registered for and they can join thecourse. Some of you already gotten WebAssign access for you math class, but youdo need to also have an access code for your physics work. After subscription thewebAssign website will allow you 14 days of grace before actually paying.Calculator You also should have a pocket calculator capable of calculating arithmetic andtrigonometric functions for exams.Laboratory: The Lab is a part of this course, not treated as a separate grade. The Lab Schedule isposted on the web-page. The labs, along with pre- and post-lab assignments, will be obtainedthrough the online WebAssign package. Note that you must attend Recitation each week, even ifno lab experiment is scheduled (see the Lab Schedule for details). The policy for absences in Laband Recitation is the same as for the exams, and you must consult first with your TA in the casethat you have an excused absence. If you have taken 218 previously and would like to transferyour lab grade, you must have achieved >90% in the labs last time, and fill out a lab-gradetransfer form no later than Jan 29th. Homework and Recitation: Homework assignments are posted online from links that are postedin the eCampus course site. You are responsible for completing and understanding these problemsin preparation for exams. By the end of the first week you should complete the first homeworkassignment. You must work the online problems on your own, and keep up with the deadlines--see theMyLab&Mastering site for posted due dates. Late submissions are accepted, however full creditwill not be given. The penalty is –2% per hour past the deadline. To encourage doing thehomework (which is necessary to succeed in the course!), the maximum penalty—no matter howlate—is –50%. Details about the grading policy for individual homework problems can be foundon the online site—for example, in some cases you get several attempts to key in the correctanswer, with a 3% penalty for wrong attempts. Exams: We will have 3
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