January 26
Because of the winter storm on Sunday night the University was closed on Monday so that we missed the first class 7-8:50 PM on Monday. This puts us behind schedule for covering the material in this course. I will try to catch up over the next few weeks. I have modified the first homework assignment and the schedule on the web page over the first few weeks.
February 10
I remind you that there will usually be a quiz on Wednesdays during the discussion class. The quizzes will be based on the homework turned in on Monday of the same week.
February 13
The first exam will be on Wednesday, February 25 at 7 PM. It will cover the material in the first four chapters of the text. Example exam questions are given at this link.
You will have 50 minutes for the exam. It will be a closed book test and no notes are permitted. It will have multiple choice format. You can use a calculator but it should not be a alphanumeric calculator.
The solutions of the chapter 4 problems assigned on Monday, Feb. 16 will be presented in class on Monday, Feb. 23.
February 29
The exam was graded and the average was 65.8 and standard deviation was 18.6. The highest score was 94 (15 out of 16). The answers key is at this link.
The exam grading sheets will be returned in recitation on Wednesday. For next week you should read chapter 6 of Serway and Jewett. There will also be a quiz on the chapter 5 problems of homework assignment #4.
March 15
There is an assignment of reading and homework today on potential energy from chapter 8 of Serway. This homework will be due after the Spring break on Monday March 29. There will be a quiz on this material on Wednesday, March 31.
Have a nice break.
April 5
The second exam will be on Wednesday, April 14 at 7 PM. It will cover the material in the chapters 5 through 10.5 of the text. Example exam questions are given at this link.
You will have 50 minutes for the exam. It will be a closed book test but you can bring one page (5x7) of notes. The exam will have multiple choice format as in the first exam. It will be shorter than the first exam. You can, and may need to, use a calculator (no alpa numeric restriction).
The solutions of the chapter 10 problems assigned on Monday, April 5 will be presented in class on Monday, April 12 and on the web site.
Joe Harris is running a review session on Monday, April 12 at 6 PM in room 1402.
April 13
After class on Monday April 12 I discussed problem 10.23 with several of you. This problem is a good example of the value of the parallel axis theorem. The I for all three rods can be conveniently calculated using the theorem. See link.
April 21
The average on the second exam was 47 and the standard deviation was 15. Your papers will be returned in class tonight. The answers to the exam are at this link.
This result is disturbing. I did not expect such a difference after the results of the first exam. I am curving the grades as follows:
G=(100-x)*0.4+x
where x is your raw score and G is the recorded grade.
Also, I will go over the exam in class on Monday.
May 3
Homework assignment #13 will be the last one this semester. It covers the last part of chapter 13 which completes the material in Physics 161. It is due on May 10, the last day of class. I will put the solutions on the web on Tuesday, May 11. There will not be a quiz on this material but there will be a quiz on HW#12 on Weds., May 5.
I will devote the last two classes to a review of the material we covered in this course. The class on Weds., May 5 will be a review of chapter 13. On Monday, May 10 I will review the rest of the course.
May 7
There is an online course evaluation
system, which you can find at this link.
Please take the time to provide us with your evaluation of this course.
The evaluation web page will be operational until Tuesday, May 11 at 11:55pm.
There are computers set up in room Phys 1204 (Toll room) for this purpose.
It will be open today until 5 PM.
On Wednesday, May 12 Joe Harris will be giving a review for the final exam in room Phys 1402 starting at 6 PM. He will also have all of the uncollected homework. Homework assignment #13 will be graded this week and available at you TAs office by Friday afternoon.
May 17
The final examination for this course will be held tonight from 7 - 9 PM in Z1412 (the usual lecture hall). It is a closed book exam. You may bring a calculator and one page of notes on a 8x10 paper. The exam will cover all the material we covered this semseter.
May 21
The final examination was graded and the average was 60% with a standard deviation of 16%. The final was curved to 70%. The answers to the final can be found at this link.
The course grades were calculated by dropping the lowest quiz and the lowest homework scores. The course average came to 72.5%. This was curved to 78%. Grades were assigned as described in the syllabus.
I hope you enjoy your summer break.