Welcome and Course Objectives

We are happy to have you with us this semester. Our goal this semester is to give you the opportunity to understand the basic concepts of physics relating to mechanics and mechanical waves, temperature and thermodynamics. We promise to explain physics in an interesting and stimulating way; physics can actually be fun!

The lectures will concentrate on the critical issues and you are expected to study the text to obtain a better understanding of the underlying physics concepts. The subject matter discussed in class will generally follow the text, with additional material presented from information not yet in the textbooks. We (your instructors) are hoping to share some of our enthusiasm with you this semester!

Textbook   College Physics - Reasoning and Relationships   by Nicholas J. Giordano   Brooks/Cole Cengage   Volume 1 (first or second edition) WebAssign You should have received a WebAssign access code when you bought the textbook in one of the campus bookstores. We will use WebAssign this semester for the weekly homework assignments.

Class Meetings

Each student is registered for four class meetings every week:

• Two lectures each week: Monday and Wednesday in UPL 101 (Richards Building) from 10:10 AM - 11:00 AM.
• One recitation session: Friday (see below)
• One laboratory session: One day per week for three hours, can be Tuesday or Thursday depending on the section you are registered for. The lab room is either 107 Richards Building (UPL) or 109 UPL.

Note that the registration process for this class requires that every student must be registered separately for both a lecture/recitation section and a lab section. However, you will receive a combined letter grade at the end of the semester for the lecture and the lab part of the course. You cannot take the lab without the rest of the course!

Generally, I will use two lectures per week to outline the course material, for which the student is responsible, to present new concepts along with experimental demonstrations, to discuss examples of problems, and to administer the monthly mini-exams. Lecture highlights and my lecture notes (in pdf format) will be posted on the course web page under Course Material and Schedule. These highlights will indicate the topics covered during the lectures and which textbook sections they were drawn from. However, these highlights and my notes may not contain all the information and explanations which will be presented during the lectures. I expect you to read the corresponding sections in the textbook.

Friday (Studio) Recitations

In Studio Physics Recitations, students work in assigned groups of three to solve homework-like problems. Groups are typically given different problems to solve, and each group writes out their solution on a 3' x 4' whiteboard. Each member of the group has a specific role: the scribe, inspector, and presenter. The scribe is the student who writes on the whiteboard, the presenter is the student who presents the group's work to the classroom, and the inspector is the extra pair of eyes which double checks the work. Students are required to alternate group roles. A typical 75 minute class consists of a 10-15 minute instructor introduction, followed by a group problem session, and then by the group presentations. During both the group problem sessions and group presentations there is a large amount of faculty-student interaction with much emphasis placed on clear problem solving techniques.

Recitation accounts for 10% of the student's PHY2053C grade. Credit for recitation is based on homework preparation before the recitation class and in-class group participation. To earn weekly credit, one must participate by coming prepared for recitation (50% of the grade) (show your neat and organized work on the weekly assignments) and participate by contributing to group in-class problem solving (50% of the grade). The recitation grade is not based on attendance, in that if one just attends class but does not come prepared & participate then one would not earn credit. To accommodate students who have missed a recitation due to an excused absence, we will drop one week's score from the final recitation grade. For those students who do not miss a recitation, their lowest weekly score will be dropped instead. Please contact your recitation instructor ahead of time if you are planning on missing a recitation.

We are offering several recitation sections on Friday mornings. Recitations serve as a way for students to develop a better understanding of physics concepts and to develop problem solving skills.

Section	Day	Time	Room	Instructor
1	Friday	08:00 - 09:15 AM	UPL 112	Dr. Frawley
2	Friday	09:30 - 10:45 AM	UPL 112	Dr. Frawley
3	Friday	11:00 - 12:15 PM	UPL 112	Dr. Frawley
4	Friday	11:00 - 12:15 PM	HCB 308	Dr. Volya
5	Friday	08:00 - 09:15 AM	HCB 308	Dr. Volya
6	Friday	09:30 - 10:45 AM	HCB 308	Dr. Volya

Laboratory Experiments

The purpose of the laboratory sessions is to gain hands-on experience with experimental devices, to develop skills in performing experiments, to learn methods for analyzing scientific data, and to relate the physics concepts covered in class to real experimental situations. The lab experiments count as 15% of your overall grade. Each student must complete a lab report for each experiment, following the format prescribed by the lab instructor, before leaving at the end of the lab session.

Any missed lab should be made up by arranging to attend another lab section that same week! Inform your own lab instructor about the situation as well as the instructor of the other lab section! Lab manuals can be downloaded from the course web site at Lab Material. If you have any questions or problems with your lab section, or if you miss a lab and must make it up, please contact either Dr. Crede, Dr. Volya, or Dr. Frawley. Please note that you cannot pass the course if you miss a lab! Laboratory classes will meet based on the schedule listed below:

Section	Day	Time	Room	Instructor
1	Tuesday	12:30 - 03:30 PM	Room 107	Hussein Al Ghoul
2	Tuesday	03:45 - 06:45 PM	Room 107	Nabin Rijal
3	Tuesday	07:00 - 10:00 PM	Room 107	Nabin Rijal
4	Tuesday	12:30 - 03:30 PM	Room 109	Lily Stanley
5	Tuesday	03:45 - 06:45 PM	Room 109	Lily Stanley
6	Thursday	12:30 - 03:30 PM	Room 107	Hussein Al Ghoul
7	Thursday	03:45 - 06:45 PM	Room 107	Hussein Al Ghoul
8	Thursday	12:30 - 03:30 PM	Room 109	Kalisa Villafana
9	Thursday	03:45 - 06:45 PM	Room 109	Kalisa Villafana

Homework Assignments

There will be one web-based homework assignment each week (due every Monday morning at 8:00 AM). The homeworks will be conducted using WebAssign, where you need to have an active account. Please make sure that you can login and access our course; the course name is College Physics A - Spring2013. All homeworks will have due dates and will be graded automatically upon completion. The default number of allowed submissions for an individual problem is five, but this number will be smaller for conceptual questions. You can request an extension of two days on WebAssign within 48 hours after the homeworks are due at a penalty of 50% for unanswered questions. You cannot request an extension once you looked at the key!

WebAssign is set up such that it synchronizes with Blackboard. Once you are logged on to Blackboard (a WebAssign link is available under Course Tools) and you will not be asked again for a password. The course will be available from January 3rd, 2013 to May 7th, 2013.

MonocleCAT: Audience Response System

We are excited to announce this class will be using the MonocleCAT (monocle Computer Assisted Teaching) tool throughout the semester. MonocleCAT is a web-based system that allows immediate interactive feedback to both aid and assess understanding of the course material. MonocleCAT feedback and questions are launched on demand by the professor during class. Students can participate using their laptops, ipods, smartphones, and cell-phones. MonocleCAT questions, simulations and answers can also be reviewed by the student throughout the semester should they be made available by the professor. MonocleCAT is licensed by student subscription, with unlimited courses per student. (A student can access all of their courses using the system throughout the subscription term, with a single subscription.) Subscription keys are available directly on the Top Hat Monocle website at www.tophatmonocle.com/register as well as in the bookstore. Please have a look at the Quick Start Student Guide provided by Top Hat Monocle before you register.

A student subscription can be obtained for the following durations:
 $20.00 for 4 months
 $38.00 for 60 months (5 years)

At the beginning of each class, I will ask a few review questions based on the material of the previous lecture. For every question, you will receive one point for participation and a further point depending on whether you submit the correct answer. All additional in-class questions are worth two participation points. You can obtain a maximum of 200 points corresponding to 100% credit for this course component.

Mini-Exams

Three mini-exams will be given during the semester. The examination problems will be based on the subjects covered in class and by the WebAssign homework problems. Remember to try the "Blank Paper Test" when you prepare for the examinations: try to solve the homework problems again, first without looking at the solutions. If you need to use the solutions for help (which many times you might), go back and try the same problem again later to see if you have learned how to do it on your own. Memorizing a sequence of steps will not help you since the goal of this course is to teach you the physics concepts and how to apply them in different situations. The exam problems will not be identical to the homework problems. The problem-solving strategies will be discussed during each Friday's recitation session. Below are a few rules and common questions about the exams and their grading:

• The mini-exams will be given on the designated Monday or Wednesday lecture times (see the course schedule) and each will take the full 50 minutes of the lecture time in UPL 101.
• The material covered in each exam will be that specified in the syllabus (see the course schedule) and based closely on concepts related to the recent WebAssign assignments and recommended textbook questions and problems. You should note, however, that you are responsible for all the material covered in the lectures.
• You cannot miss a mini-exam in this course! If you do so for a valid reason, you must arrange a make-up exam with your instructor before the actual mini-exam. There will be no exceptions!
• Students arriving late will be required to submit their exams by the same deadline as the rest of the class.
• Each student is responsible for bringing a working calculator to each exam; no sharing is allowed. You will also not be allowed to use your cell phone as a calculator, because your cell phone is not allowed to be with you turned on in the test room.
• Do not program formulae into your calculator - this is cheating and will be treated as such.
• Don't cheat! The first instance of cheating on an exam results in a grade of zero points for that exam, the second results in an "F" for the course. Remember you are responsible to follow the FSU Honor Code.
• Any questions you have about the grading of the exams must be resolved within 2 weeks of making the grades available on Blackboard.

Final Exam

The final exam will be held on Tuesday, April 30th, 2013, from 12:30 to 2:30 PM. The location will be announced later. The final exam is cumulative and you must take the exam to pass the course. There will be no exceptions!

Grades

You can only complete the course and receive a grade better than "F" if you attempt all mini-exams and the final exam. You also must attend all laboratory sessions and submit satisfactory lab reports to the lab instructor for each session.

Your point total for the course will be determined by a combination of the laboratories (15%), class mini-exams (30%), the final exam (25%), in-class questions based on a personal response system (10%), recitations + hand-in problems (10%), and homework assignments (10%). If you do miss an exam for a valid reason, you must make it up! It is your responsibility to arrange the make-up exam with your instructor. You may earn a maximum of 100 points in the course. All individual grades (for homework assignments, mini-exams, etc.) will be posted regularly to your Blackboard grade book. Please check your grade book frequently and report any mistakes you may find as soon as possible!

Your total course average will be converted into a letter grade. The table below gives you an estimate of the breakpoints for the grades this semester. These breakpoints may change, but only in your favor!

Breakpoints  (Fall 2010)	Breakpoints   (Spring 2011)	Breakpoints  (Fall 2011)	Breakpoints   (Spring 2012)	Breakpoints   (Fall 2012)	Breakpoints   (Spring 2013)	Grade
-	-	-	91.00	90.00	92.00	A/A-
-	-	-	88.00	87.00	90.00	A-/B+
-	-	-	86.00	85.00	88.00	B+/B
-	-	-	81.50	81.00	85.00	B/B-
-	-	-	79.00	78.00	80.00	B-/C+
-	-	-	77.00	76.00	78.00	C+/C
-	-	-	74.00	72.00	75.00	C/C-
-	-	-	70.00	68.00	70.00	C-/D+
-	-	-	68.00	66.00	68.00	D+/D
-	-	-	64.00	60.00	65.00	D/D-
-	-	-	60.00	59.00	60.00	D-/F

Resources for Students

We want you all to do well in this course. Several resources are available to help you:

1. Textbook: An excellent source of information. Read it and work the problems at the end of each chapter!


2. Classes: Attend lectures and recitations! Ask questions and get involved in the discussions.


3. Office Hours: Make use of the scheduled office hours for help with homework problems and other matters that arise during the course.


4. Physics Department Consultation Sessions: A graduate student is available to assist you with homework problems and exam preparations. As of this writing, I don't know the times for these sessions. Please ask me if you are interested!

Free Tutoring from FSU

For tutoring and writing help in many courses at Florida State University, visit the Academic Center for Excellence (ACE) Tutoring Services’ comprehensive list of tutoring options - see http://ace.fsu.edu/tutoring or contact tutor@fsu.edu for more information. High-quality tutoring is available by appointment and on a walk-in basis. These services are offered by tutors trained to encourage the highest level of individual academic success while upholding personal academic integrity.

Some Sensible Advice

It will be great if everyone passes this course. Unfortunately, some people find doing physics rather difficult. Below are a few tips to help make your adventures in physics fun.

• This course is no pushover. Physics is based on understanding, not remembering. We will do all we can to help you, but only you know whether you really understand something or not! Test yourself on additional problems. If, after reading additional problems, you have no idea how to solve them, then you have not understood the concepts. Do not just memorize the answers to selected problems!
• To gain confidence on physics concepts, practice the easier problems first.
• When you work on a problem, always ask yourself if the answer or the solution is reasonable. Remember to use units!
• When you prepare for the exams, make sure you understand and can do all the homework problems. You are strongly encouraged to do extra problems. Again, do not just memorize the solutions.
• Attend all classes and the recitation sessions! There happens to be a strong correlation between lecture attendance and student performance.
• Use the textbook! You paid good money for it! Try to find the time to look over a chapter before it is covered in class. You may not understand the material after the first reading, but it will be clear after a while. Learning is a repetitive process.
• Find a study partner. We strongly encourage students to study and learn together.
• Finally, don't give up or sit for hours trying to understand the homework! Come and discuss your solution with me. Often you will be much closer than you think to being able to solve a problem.

Liberal Studies Program:

The Liberal Studies Program at Florida State University has been designed to provide a perspective on the qualities, accomplishments, and aspirations of human beings, the past and present civilizations we have created, and the natural and technological world we inhabit. This course has been approved as meeting the requirements for Liberal Studies Area V, Natural Science, and in combination with your other Liberal Studies courses, provides an important foundation for your lifelong quest for knowledge.

University Attendance Policy:

Excused absences include documented illness, deaths in the family and other documented crises, call to active military duty or jury duty, religious holy days, and official University activities. These absences will be accommodated in a way that does not arbitrarily penalize students who have a valid excuse. Consideration will also be given to students whose dependent children experience serious illness.

Academic Honor Policy:

The Florida State University Academic Honor Policy outlines the University’s expectations for the integrity of students’ academic work, the procedures for resolving alleged violations of those expectations, and the rights and responsibilities of students and faculty members throughout the process. Students are responsible for reading the Academic Honor Policy and for living up to their pledge to “. . . be honest and truthful and . . . [to] strive for personal and institutional integrity at Florida State University.” (Florida State University Academic Honor Policy, found at http://dof.fsu.edu/honorpolicy.htm.)

Americans With Disabilities Act:

Students with disabilities needing academic accommodation should: (1) register with and provide documentation to the Student Disability Resource Center; and (2) bring a letter to the instructor indicating the need for accommodation and what type. This should be done during the first week of class. This syllabus and other class materials are available in alternative format upon request. For more information about services available to FSU students with disabilities, contact the:
Student Disability Resource Center
874 Traditions Way
108 Student Services Building
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL 32306-4167
(850) 644-9566 (voice) (850)
644-8504 (TDD)
sdrc@admin.fsu.edu
http://www.disabilitycenter.fsu.edu/

Syllabus Change:

Except for changes that substantially affect implementation of the evaluation (grading) statement, this syllabus is a guide for the course and is subject to change with advance notice.