PHY131 - Classical Physics I
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| Home | Required materials | Lectures and Clickers | Recitation and Homework | Laboratory PHY133/4 | Exams and Grading | Help and Other Information |
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PHY131-132 is a fast-paced, two-semester long, survey of classical
physics. Topics for the first semester include classical mechanics, oscillations
and waves, fluids, and thermodynamics. The second semester discusses electricity,
DC and AC currents, magnetism and
electromagnetic waves, light, optics, and a few topics in modern physics. The course has three lectures per week, accompanied by a weekly recitation
section with assigned homework. Homework (paper and online) will be graded and
counts towards the final grade. The mandatory Laboratory component PHY133/134
consists of 9 to 10 two-hour laboratory sessions, with ALL WRITTEN REPORTS
REQUIRED for passing PHY131/132!.
Two midterm exams and a final exam are given, with a common final grade for
lecture and laboratory components. Pre/Co-requisites for PHY131 are MAT
125 or 131, and for PHY132: MAT 126 or 132.
Because the course covers all of classical physics in only two
semesters, students should expect a very heavy workload. To succeed this course, students should be well-prepared
and should devote about 8-12 hr/week to homework and laboratory reports. Students are strongly urged to opt for the
fully equivalent but slower-paced
three-semester sequence PHY125-127 if they feel unsure about meeting these criteria.
A maximum of 6 lectures may be missed without excuse.
Clicker quizzes in Lecture count for 10% of the course grade and are
given to check student's understanding and to encourage discussions and class
attendance.
Posted lecture material must be read before class, and class starts with a
clicker quiz at the very beginning.
You may NOT click for another person; if discovered BOTH of you will fail the
course and the matter is brought before the Academic Judiciary, see
below.
You are responsible for keeping your clicker operational and powered: you can
only be excused from clicking if you demonstrate the faulty clicker immediately
after lecture to the instructor!
We encourage students to join up in study groups to discuss and work the homework problems and laboratories together. However, the final phase of calculating and writing the fully-worked solutions is the sole responsibility of the individual student! Experienced teachers find it very easy to spot non-original work. There exists an excellent learning site that accompanies the Text Book: www.MasteringPhysics.com; please visit it when you study or review the chapter contents.
Included with the text book comes free access to www.Mastering Physics.com.Some fraction of the homework problems will be assigned using this web-based homework system, which provides smart feedback and context-sensitive help and optional hints. If you do not purchase the textbook, then you must purchase the access codes separately (valid for three semesters). With your Access Code go to: http://www.masteringphysics.com/ and Register. When asked for the text book, click on the book "Physics for Scientists and Engineers," D. Giancoli, 4th Edition. The class/course code is PHY131S09. If you have a still valid access (MasteringPhysics access remains valid for 3 semesters), just use your existing password and register for the class.
Recitation grades will be based on both the graded homework presentations and the quizzes. Quizzes cannot be made-up. Only valid and documented medical excuses will be accepted.
Data for each experiment are to be entered into the student's personal lab notebook and must be initialed/signed by the Lab TA before leaving the lab. A Laboratory Report, with experimental setup descriptions, data analysis, graphs, results, and conclusions; written or printed-and-pasted in your lab notebook, is to be submitted in the corresponding Section mail box inside room A-131. Laboratory reports are due two days after each experiment. Late hand-ins will be penalized by a grade reduction of 1 letter grade per day!
You will work with one or two partners in the laboratory, but the evaluation of the experimental results and the write-up are wholly individual responsibilities. Copying of data, derivations, calculations, and/or text is illegal, and any instance of plagiarism will invalidate the whole report, and may possibly have further academic consequences.
NOTE: All laboratories are required for passing the course. Make-up lab weeks are defined in the schedule to accommodate illness (valid and documented medical excuses are required for make-up slots). Arrange make-up lab sessions with your TA as soon as possible after you miss a laboratory session!
| Exam | Relative Weight |
|---|---|
| Midterm I | 15% |
| Midterm II | 15% |
| Final | 25% |
| Recitation and WebHW | 15% |
| Lecture Quizes | 10% |
| Laboratory | 20% |
Grading will NOT be on a curve.
Letter grade correspondence to numerical grade: A(80%<Grade<100%), A-
(75%<Grade<80%), B+ (70%<Grade<75%), B (65%<Grade<70%), B-
(60%<Grade<65%), C+ (55%<Grade<60%), C (50%<Grade<55%), C-
(45%<Grade<50%), D+ (40%<Grade<45%), D (35%<Grade<40%), F
(Grade<35%).
The Laboratory Teaching Assistants and Recitation Instructors will staff the PHY131/132 Help Room for a good part of the Mo-Th period, and the Faculty involved with the Recitations and Lectures will have posted office hours in their respective offices (see Sections).
The SOCIETY OF PHYSICS STUDENTS (room P-121, 2-9380) offers free tutoring by appointment.
Course administration and grading issues need to be discussed with the lecturer. For problems with registration, see the instructions, or contact Mrs. Elaine Larsen in the Main Office, Physics Building. For mediation or for general questions regarding Physics courses, please contact the Physics Department Office P-110, Phone 2-8110..
If you have a physical, psychological, medical, or learning disability that may impact your course work, please contact Disability Support Services, ECC (Educational Communications Center) Building, room 128, (631) 632-6748. They will determine with you what accommodations are necessary and appropriate. All information and documentation is confidential.
Students requiring assistance during emergency evacuation are encouraged to discuss their needs with their professors and Disability Support Services, see above. For procedures and information, go to. http://www.ehs.sunysb.edu/fire/disabilities/asp
Each student must pursue his or her academic goals honestly and be personally accountable for all submitted work. Representing another person's work as your own is always wrong and unfair towards other students in the class. Instances of copying and plagiarism will give an automatic F; Faculty are required to report any suspected instance of academic dishonesty to the Academic Judiciary. When you are found clicking for another person in Lecture both of you will automatically fail the course and be brought before the Academic Judiciary. For more comprehensive information on academic integrity, including categories of academic dishonesty, please refer to the academic judiciary website at http://www.stonybrook.edu/uaa/academicjudiciary/
Stony Brook University expects students to respect the rights, privileges, and property of other people. Faculty are required to report to the Office of Judicial Affairs any disruptive behavior that interrupts their ability to teach, compromises the safety of the learning environment, and/or inhibits students' ability to learn.