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Newton's Life

Physics 121 -- Mechanics -- Spring '00

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May 12, 2000

Course Grades have been computed. You should receive today an email message listing a summary of your grades for the various components of the course, your final letter grade, and an explanation of how this grade was determined. The average letter grade for the class was between a B and B-. This corresponded to a numerical average of 79. To see a histogram of the letter grades awarded, go here. To see a histogram of the total numerical averages, go here.

The Final Exam average was 69.3 with a standard deviation of 19. To see a histogram of final exam scores, go here. If you wish, you may pick up your final exam from Prof. Teitel -- final exams will be kept until the end of next Fall semester, at which time unclaimed exams will be disposed of.

May 1, 2000

FINAL EXAM is Thursday, May 4, 4:00 -- 7:00pm in SPURRIER GYM. Be sure to bring photo ID, pen, and calculator.

Office Hours: TA's are no longer holding office hours this week. If you have questions, please stop by to see Prof. Teitel, or send email to him.

Solutions to Problem Set 11 are posted on the "Examples and Solutions" page.

April 25, 2000

The Results of the End of Semester Online Course Survey are now available here. For comparison, the results of the midsemester online course survey are available here.

April 24, 2000

Recitation Sections -> Help Room: a small correction to the announcement of April 19 below. On Thursday of next week, Selkowitz will be in the help room from 3:00-5:30pm (instead of during his usual recitation hours that day which have been 2:00-4:30pm).

April 19, 2000

Recitation Sections for next week, April 24, are cancelled. Instead of holding formal recitations, the TAs throughout the entire week will be available in the help room, during both their usual help room hours, and during their recitation section hours (except for the section Ignatovitch-4, Tues. 6:15-7:05pm -- see "Class Times" page of this website for a listing of recitation section and help room hours). Feel free to see any TA during these hours.

The Final Exam Format: There will be a total of 8 problems. The first 4 problems will deal with the material following that which was covered on the last midterm. You will need to do any 3 of these 4 problems, as on the last midterm. The last 4 problems will be somewhat shorter and can come from anywhere in the semester. You will have to do all of these problems.

Final Exam Rules: To take the final exam, college rules require you to bring a photo ID. As in previous exams, the final exam is closed book. If needed, I will give you the table of moments of inertia that is in the textbook. Similarly I will give you the numerical value of all fundamental constants that you might need, except for g=9.8 m/s². For each problem, you must write your final answer in ink, surrounded by a box -- failure to do so may limit your ability to seek a regrading of a problem. You need to bring a calculator. If you are bringing a graphing calculator, you must demonstrate to the proctors that the memory of the calculator has been zeroed out, before you may start the exam -- plan to come to the exam 10 minutes early to do this, as the start of the exam will not be delayed.

April 17, 2000

Statistics for Midterm II are now available here. Solutions to Midterm II are posted on the "Examples & Solutions" page of this website.

You should have received today by email a message summarizing how you are doing in the course so far. If you did not receive such a message, contact Prof. Teitel.

The Lab Make-up Session will be held next Monday and Tuesday, April 24 -- 25, 2 -- 7pm, ONLY. If you have missed any of the labs, this is your only opportunity to make them up this semester. Students with missing labs run the risk of receiving a grade of "N" in the course (which then requires the student to fill out an incomplete contract and make up the missing labs next semester, before any grade for the course is given).

The Final Due Date for ALL Labs is Thursday morning, April 27. Any lab report handed in after this date will not be graded for credit.

In-class Student Course Evaluation Forms will be passed out during lecture on the last day of class, Tuesday, April 25.

April 14, 2000

Homework due Friday, April 21: Webwork Set 11 is now posted. There is no handin homework for this set. This will be the last homework assignment for the course!

Midterm 2: If you have any question or complaint regarding the grading of your midterm exam 2, you must first dicsuss the problem in question with the TA who graded that problem -- he will have the authority to adjust your grade, if appropirate. If, after speaking with the TA, you are not satisfied with his response, only then please see Prof. Teitel. The problems were graded by: problem 1 - Venkatramani; problem 2 - Ignatovitch; problem 3 - Tikhoplav; problem 4 - Selkowitz. Sorry, but the average is still not available -- I hope to have it soon.

The Final Exam will be Thursday, May 4, 4:00-7:00pm in Spurrier Gym.

April 7, 2000

Homework due Friday, April 14: Webwork Set 10 is now posted. Handin homework is problem 38 Chapter 11, and problem 71 Chapter 12 of the text -- remember, you must give a complete solution, not just the numerical answers.

Midterm Exam II has been graded and will be passed back to you in recitation next week. Solutions will be posted soon.

April 3, 2000

Prof. Teitel's office hour will change to 3:00--4:00pm this Tuesday only.

March 31, 2000

Solutions to Problem Set 09 are now posted on the "Examples and Solutions" page of this website.

The Midterm Exam 2 and Final Exam from last year are also now posted on the "Examples and Solutions" page. Note: we did not cover as much material last year as we have this year by the date of the 2nd Midterm, so last year's exam does NOT represent the material you are responsible for on this year's exam!

March 29, 2000

Reminder: Midterm Exam II is next Thursday, April 6, 8:00--9:30am, in Hubble Auditorium. The exam will cover material through the end of last Tuesday's lecture, i.e. material through the end of Problem Set 09 (due this Friday). The exam will focus on the material since the first midterm exam, but since this later material builds directly upon the earlier material, there is no clear separation I can make (as similarly has been the case in the recent problem sets). The exam will be similar in format to the first exam (4 problems). Some changes in proceedure from the first exam are: your final answers must be written in ink, so be sure to bring a pen; if you wish to use a graphing calcuator, you must in the presence of a proctor zero out the memory of the calculator before begining the exam.

There is no new homework due next week so that you may use your time to study for the exam.

The Catapault Problem that is being discussed in lecture, is now available online as sample problem 7 under the topic "Rotation" on the "Examples and Solutions" page of this website.

There is a make-up lecture this Friday, March 31, at 2pm in Hoyt Auditorium.

March 27, 2000

Solutions to Problem Set 08 are now posted on the "Examples and Solutions" page of this website.

March 21, 2000

Homework due Friday, March 31: WebWork Set 09 is posted and opens for work Friday, March 24 -- remember that the units for angular velocity are rad/s, and for angular acceleration are rad/s^2. Handin homework is problems 64 and 68 of Chapter 10 in the text. Note - we will not have covered all the material needed to do this problem set until after next Tuesday lecture.

March 17, 2000

Homework due Friday, March 24: WebWork Set 08 is posted. Handin homework is problems 86 and 96 of Chapter 9 in the text.

Note: Following next Tuesday's lecture I will be out of town for the rest of the week, and not answering email. If you have questions, please email your TA directly. Note also that the "feedback" feature on WebWork sends email to me -- so if you have a question next week, DO NOT use this feedback form; directly email your TA instead.

Next Thursday's lecture, March 23, is CANCELLED. Similarly, my office hour next Tuesday is cancelled. I will be available instead on Monday from 1:30 to 2:30.

Solutions to Problem Set 07 are now posted on the Examples and Solutions page of the website.

March 14, 2000

Tired of Physics? Take a break and relax! Come hear Phys 121 TA Filipp Ignatovitch give a piano recital of classical music, including works by Chopin, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff and Granados. When: Sunday, March 19, 2:30 pm. Where: Lower Strong Auditorium.

March 13, 2000

Solutions to Problem Set 06 are now posted on the Examples and Solutions page of the website.

March 3, 2000

Homework due Friday, March 17: WebWork Set 07 is posted. Handin homework is problems 85 and 90 of Chapter 8 in the text.

There will be a Make-Up Lecture Friday, March 17, 2 pm in Hoyt Aud.

Results from the Mid-Semester Online Course Survey are available here. You may be interested to look at the survey to see how your impression of the course compares with that of your classmates. Your comments were greatly appreciated and I hope to use them to improve the course where possible. I am somewhat dissappointed, however, in the relatively low fraction of the class that seems to be reading the online homework solutions (average response = 2.44) or going to the help room (average response = 2.06). If you are doing well in the course, then fine. But if you are not doing well in the course, you should be making more use of these resources.

The Grade Distribution from the 1st Midterm Exam is now available on the examples and solutions page of this website.

February 24, 2000

Homework due Friday, March 3: WebWork Set 06 is posted. Handin homework is problem 16 of Chapter 6, and problem 64 of Chapter 7 in the text. For the last problem, assume that the radius of the orbit R remains constant.

February 22, 2000

Solutions to Problem Set 05 and to Midterm Exam 1 are now posted on the Examples and Solutions page.

Complaints concerning grading on the midterm: The midterm exam problems were graded by the TAs as follows: problem 1 - Venkatramani; problem 2 - Tikhoplav; problem 3 - Selkowitz; problem 4 - Ignatovitch. If you have a question about grading on a particular problem, go speak to the TA that graded that problem; if you remain unsatisfied after this, speak to Prof. Teitel.

A Make-up Lecture for one missed last week will be held this Friday, Feb. 25, at 2pm in Hoyt Aud.

February 17, 2000

There is no homework due next Friday, Feb. 25, because of the lectures cancelled this week.

February 16, 2000

Thursday's Lecture, Feb. 17, CANCELLED. I am out with the flu.

Midterm Exams will be returned graded to you in recitation next week.

February 15, 2000

Today's Lecture following the midterm exam has been CANCELLED. Sorry for the short notice.

February 11, 2000

Solutions to Problem Set 04 are now available on the "Examples & Solutions" page.

A Sample Midterm I has been posted on the "Examples & Solutions" page, but please read the note of warning!

For Homework due Friday Feb. 18, see message below.

February 8, 2000

Reminder: The 1st Midterm Exam is next Tuesday, Feb. 15, 8 -- 9:30 am, in Lower Strong Auditorium. The exam covers all material through section 5-2 of the text. The exam has 4 problems and is closed book. Be sure to bring a calculator.

A Review Session for the exam will be held Friday, Feb. 11, 2 pm, in Hoyt Auditorium. The session will be run by TA Rob Selkowitz. Come prepared with questions to ask!

Homework due Friday Feb. 18: WebWork set 05 will be posted Friday Feb. 11, and due Friday Feb. 18. Because of the exam earlier in the week, this assignment will have only 4 problems, and there will be no handin homework.

February 4, 2000

Homework due Friday Feb. 11: Handin homework is problems 53 and 68 in Chapter 4 of the text. Hint for 53: That the small block does not slide down the slope implies that both blocks are moving with the same acceleration; choose your coordinate axes with x parallel to the horizontal table. WebWork Problem Set 4 is also now posted.

Solutions to Problem Set 03 are now available on the "Examples & Solutions" page.

February 1, 2000

Note on WebWork multiple part questions: For multiple part problems, WebWork only scores the MAXIMUM value gotten correct in any given session. To get full credit, you must answer ALL parts correctly in the same session. If you enter only part 1 correctly in one session, and then enter only part 2 correctly in a different session, WebWork will only record points for which ever part had the greater number of points. So, if you working on multiple part problems over many sessions, remember to write down the answers to the parts you get correct so that you can re-enter them when finishing the later parts!

January 31, 2000

Solutions to Problem Set 02 are now available on the "Examples & Solutions" page of the course website.

January 28, 2000

Homework due Friday Feb. 4: Handin homework is problems 12 and 75 in Chapter 3 of the text. Webwork Problem Set 3 is also now posted.

Homework due Friday Feb. 11: Handin homework is problems 53 and 68 in Chapter 4 of the text. Hint for 53: That the small block does not slide down the slope implies that both blocks are moving with the same acceleration; choose your coordinate axes with x parallel to the horizontal table. Webwork Problem Set 4 opens Friday Feb. 4.

Prof. Teitel's office hour next week (week of Jan. 31) is canceled. I regret any inconvenience. For help, see a TA in BL208, or send me email.

January 21, 2000

Homework due Friday Jan. 28: Handin homework is problems 36 and 70 in Chapter 2 of the text. Webwork Problem Set 2 is also now posted. Handin homework must be turned in to your TA's metal homework locker, that is located outside BL 166, by 11am on the Friday it is due.

January 18, 2000

I have received numerous email requests to know if there is a handin homework assignment due this Friday. The answer is NO.

As stated on the information page of this site, handin homework assignments will be posted as an announcent on this home page, typically at the end of the week (Thurs. or Fri.) before they are due. The announcement of January 13 below states "There will be no handin homework assignment this week", i.e. no handin homework due the following Friday, January 21. This coming Friday, I will post here an announcement giving the handin assignment due the following Friday, January 28. This is the procedure that will be followed throughout the semester.

January 17, 2000

Several of you have contacted me to say that you have schedule conflicts with all of the remaining open recitation sections. For those in this situation: (1) try to reschedule your other classes or work to fit in an open section, if possible; (2) check the signup page again -- maybe someone will have transfered out of a section you want and leave open a space.

Recitation signup will close Wednesday morning at 10am. Only after then will I consider special cases. If you have not signed up for a recitation you can attend by that time, you MUST send me an email with (1) a list of three section times you could attend, were the section not full. Specify your 1st, 2nd, and 3rd choices; (2) your complete schedule of classes, work, or other obligations (you must say what "other" is). Once I have this information, I will try to resolve everyone's situation.

There is a chance that additional sections may open up. If so, the signup page will open again Wednesday to allow you the chance to switch into one of the new sections. But you must do so by Friday morning.

January 16, 2000

Hint for last problem Webwork Set01: By "different dimensions" I mean that the quantities have different physical units. By "makes physical sense" I mean that the units for the expression come out making sense.

Although we won't go over it in lecture, you should read Chapter 1, particularly the sections on units conversion and dimensional analysis.

January 13, 2000

Homework: There will be no handin homework assignment this week. Webwork problem set 1 will be posted Friday morning. It is mostly a practice set on simple math skills, and to give you practice using the Webwork system in this course. Future problem sets will be much more challenging! Your Webwork userid is the same as your email username; your initial password is your student ID number (usually the same as your social security number). For those students for whom I did not have an email address, your WebWork userid is the same as your student ID (is the same as your initial password). Please change your password (and don't forget it!) after your first logon to WebWork.

Recitation and Lab Sign-up: Every student must sign up for a recitation section and a lab section. In order to sign up for recitation, as well as to access the WebWork online homework system, I need to have you entered in my class list, even if you are not yet officially registered for the course. Please see me (or send email) as soon as possible telling me your name, student ID number (usually your social security number) and your email address.

Recitation Sign-up is being handled by an online system. Go to the link below to enroll in a specific section. After you sign up, you are free to return to the sign-up page and change your enrollment to another section, if there remains space in that section. This sign-up web page will remain online until Wednesday, January 19; you MUST sign-up for a section by this date. After this date, students who have not enrolled in any section will be randomly assigned to the remaining open sections. Sign-up SOON before sections fill up, so as to be sure to get a section that is convenient for you! Remember, attendance in recitation is REQUIRED and will count 5% towards your final grade.

To be registered in a recitation section, you MUST use this online system. You CANNOT enroll merely by showing up at your desired section and asking the TA.

To sign-up for a recitation section, go HERE.
The online sign-up will be open for use starting Thurs. Jan. 13, 6 pm.

Recitation sections start next week. Be sure to go to one, even if you have not yet formally enrolled (you have until Wednesday to enroll, but do it earlier!)

Lab Sign-up is being handled by sign-up sheets that will be posted next to the metal homework lockers outside B&L 166. Sign-up sheets will be posted beginning the week of January 17; sign-up will be closed after one week. Lab sections begin to meet the week of January 31.

Study Groups: Learning Assistance Services is offering study groups for this course. To sign up, stop by Lattimore 120.

January 10, 2000

Welcome to Physics 121! Class starts this week!

This is the home page for the course. Here is where I will post messages that I wish to communicate to you. Please be sure to check this page periodically. If something is posted here, you are responsible for knowing it.

This website is also the place to look for most information about the course that you need to know. The navigation links in the gray area on the side of each page take you to the various sections of the site:

• Home: This home page of course announcements
• General Info & Requirements: General information, rules and regulations, and some advice concerning the course
• Contact Staff: How to get in touch with the course staff members
• Class Hours: Lecture and recitation times, Help Room and office hours, Exam dates for the course
• Calendar & Syllabus: Monthly calendar marking important dates and reading assignments for the course
• Examples: Practice problems with worked out solutions; also the publisher's accompanying website for our text
• FAQ: Frequently asked questions -- an informal guide to common student questions and comments