Syllabus for Physics 7E (Winter 2016)

Updated 1/04/2016
Instructor: Thorsten Ritz

Textbook: University Physics, Young and Freedman, 13th

edition.
This document has 5 pages.
Read your uci.edu email regularly. Notices regarding this class will be distributed through email.

Enrollment issues
Enrollment and administrative questions must be directed to Eileen Powell in the physics undergraduate
affairs office (4109 Reines Hall), 949-824-2614 or physics.enroll@uci.edu. The instructor and the TAs
cannot assist you with enrollment issues.
E.g., we cannot sign add-on/drop cards, we cannot authorize changes in discussion sessions even if you
have a change partner.

Academic Dishonesty
University policies regarding academic dishonesty are in effect for this class. Incidents of academic
dishonesty, including but not limited to those specifically mentioned in this syllabus, will be dealt with in
accordance with university policies. Students should review these policies at
http://www.editor.uci.edu/atalogue/appx/appx.2.htm

Grading
Your total score will be computed with the following weights.
Category
Final exam
Midterm exam
Homework
(http://masteringphysics.com)
Discussion (led by TA on
Thursdays)
Clickers (lecture participation)

Scores dropped/kept
Sum all scores
Drop lowest 2 scores and sum
the rest

Weight
30%
15%
35%
15%
5%

Your percentile rank in this class will be based solely on your total score. The percentile rank will
determine your letter grade with the median grade slightly less than a C+, although this is not guaranteed.
A C+ median grade implies that about half of you will receive a C+ or better and about half will receive a
C+ or lower. As a very rough guide, the grade distribution will be 15% As: 30% Bs: 40% Cs: 15% Ds
and Fs. Historically, the mean GPA for this course is ~2.5+-0.1 and I intent to follow this historical
guideline.

There is no room for extra credit work. Work outside of the categories listed in the table above and
described below cannot affect your total score and hence cannot affect your letter grade.

Homework

Homework assignments must be completed through the MasteringPhysics website by the due
date listed for the assignment. If you have a valid documented reason (e.g. illness), the
assignment due date can be extended without penalty. The course ID is MPRITZ08373
Enrolling for the MasteringPhysics course connected with this lecture under more than one
username is not allowed and such incidents will be treated as cases of academic dishonesty.
There will be 9 homework assignments. The assignments will usually be due each Friday at 11:59
PM starting Friday, January 15.
All homework assignments count towards the total homework score. The total homework score
will be the sum of all the homework assignment scores.
Homework assignment problems will be graded as follows:
o For true/false problems, you only have one attempt. You will either receive full or no
credit for such problems
o For multiple-choice problems with N>2 options, you have at most N-1 attempts and you
lose 100%/(N-M) credit, where M is the number of incorrect answers.
For example, consider a multiple-choice question with 4 options worth 1 point. Lets say
your first attempt is incorrect, but you get it right in the second try. You lose 100%/(41)=33.33% of the points and receive 1-0.3333=0.6667 points. Lets say you have two
incorrect attempts, but solve it right the third time. Then you lose 100%/(4-2)=50% of the
points and receive 1-0.5=0.5 points. Because there are only 4 options, you get at most 3
tries. Thus, if you do not get it right the third time, you receive no credit.
o For problems that are not multiple-choice, the maximum number of allowed attempts is
6. For such problems, you lose 10% credit per incorrect answer.
For example, if on a part of a problem you took 3 attempts to get the right answer (i.e.,
two attempts were incorrect), you will get (100-2*10)%=80%
Some problems have hints. You will receive a small bonus if you do not use the hint. However,
since this is a small effect (usually 2-3% of the points), you are highly encouraged to open hints if
you need them.
The TA leading the discussion sessions will grade the assignments and upload scores. All clerical
errors with regards to discussion scores will need to be resolved with the TA prior to the final
exam.

Clicker

We will use clickers to gauge your level of understanding of concepts during the lectures. Lecture
classes (except the first one) will generally have questions that require iclicker responses. This is
an important part of teaching the class and every student is required to have an iclicker.
Starting in week 3 (i.e. after the enrolment deadline), clicker participation will be recorded. If you
attend and participate (as recorded by iclicker) in at least 12 of the remaining 15 lectures, you will

receive full credit for clickers, counting for 5% of the total score. Scores will be reduced by 1%
of the total score for each additional lecture missed.
You will not get credit for answering questions, but multiple choice questions in all exams will be
very similar (and sometimes identical) to the questions in the lectures.
You must register your iclicker for responding to clicker questions. Do this again even if you have
registered your iclicker in the past. Here are the instructions.
o Go to http://iclicker.com
o Register your iclicker serial number with your 8-digit UCI student ID number and your
name EXACTLY as it appears in WEBREG.
o An iclicker can be used by only one student during a given quarter. So if you have
borrowed someone elses, make sure you register that iclicker in your name.

Discussions

Discussion will be held on Wednesdays, starting on January 12 (i.e. no discussion sessions in

week 1).
You must attend the discussion section you are enrolled in. Requests to attend another discussion
section temporarily will not be entertained for any reasons whatsoever. If you attend another
section, you will receive no credit.
What you do in a discussion session:
o Discussion assignments will typically consist of 2 problems. You will be asked to discuss
the problems in groups of 5 or 6. The TA will circulate from group to group to provide
pointers and clear misconceptions. Each student is required to write down legible
solutions without copying from another student. Discussions among students are highly
encouraged but students should not allow other students to copy their work. The TA is
instructed to give both students involved in the process of copying a zero for that
problem.
o The solutions will be graded for each individual student. The TA may attempt to grade
you in the class. If that is not possible, the TA will collect your work and return the
graded work next week. Each problem will be graded on a 0-2 scale.
0 implies no effort or understanding and 2 a complete solution with correct
numbers and units, as well as a demonstrated understanding of how to solve the
problem. Anything in between is given 1.
If the solution is not set up clearly and appropriate steps are not provided or
legible, then your TA will score the problem as 0 or 1 but not 2, even if the final
answer is correct.
The lowest two discussion scores will be dropped.

Exams

There will be one midterm and one cumulative final exam.

All exams will consist of a relatively small number of multiple-choice and a set of free response
questions.
o Multiple choice questions will be similar or identical to the concept questions posed in
the lectures

Free response questions will primarily be chosen from the problems you designed in
discussion sessions. If these problems provide too little variety, additional problems
similar or identical to level 2 and level 3 problems in the book or on Mastering Physics
may be added. That is, they are one step beyond simply identifying the right formula and
filling in numbers.
o Free Response questions will be graded on a 0-3 scale to impress the need to learn how to
get numbers right. (There are no stupid errors in real life: you get it right or wrong)
0 implies no effort or understanding and 3 a complete solution with correct
numbers and units, as well as a demonstrated understanding of how to solve the
problem. Anything in between is given 1.
If the solution is not set up clearly and appropriate steps are not provided or
legible, then your TA will score the problem as 0 or 1 but not 2, even if the final
answer is correct.
No books, notes and scratch papers are allowed in midterm and final exams.
o Physical constants needed to solve a problem will be given.
o A formula sheet with required formulae will be attached to your midterm and final
exams. It will be posted online prior to the exams.
o Scratch papers will be attached to your midterm and final exams.
Seating in the midterm and final exams will be according to a seating chart that will be posted on
the course website at least 1 day before the exam.
For all exams, you are required to do the following.
o Bring No. 2 pencils and eraser.
o Bring your UCI student ID to the exams. Your ID may be checked.
o On your desk you will only be allowed to have the exam, pen, pencils, erasers, pencil
sharpeners, student ID and a calculator (see next item).
o No graphing calculators or programmable calculators will be allowed unless you clear the
memory in front of a TA before the exam. The time to clear the memory is time you lose
from your exam time. If all 250 students bring a programmable calculator, you may lose
as much as 10 mins of your short time! So, bring scientific calculators!
o Arrive promptly on time. Latecomers will disturb others. Leave your bags in the front of
the class room and store your cell phone in the bag after turning it off.
o Proctors will strictly enforce the policy that there can be no communication of any kind
between students. You may not wear a cap or hat that would prevent the proctors from
getting a direct view of your eyes
o

No make-up exams, discussions, clicker sessions

There will be no make-up midterm exam. If there is a documented medical or family emergency
that prevents you from taking a midterm exam, your total score will be computed by dropping
one midterm from the total score and reweighting the other categories.
There will be no make-up final exam. If you dont take the final exam, you will receive a grade
based on a final exam score of zero. If you have a documented medical or family emergency that
prevents you from taking the final exam, you can request to receive an incomplete, with the
opportunity to retake the final exam the next time the class is offered.

There will be no make-up discussion and no make-up clicker sessions. Note that some discussion
and clicker scores are dropped to allow for unexpected emergencies.
All homework assignments must be completed. If there is a documented medical reason or
emergency that delays a homework assignment submission, then a request to extend the due date
without penalty will be considered. However, such requests must be made before the homework
due date (email is fine, documentation can be supplied after due date). No requests will be
considered after the due date.

Office hours and tutoring

See the main webpage for office hours of the instructor and the TAs
The physics tutoring center will be open from 5:30-9:30 pm Monday to Thursday in Rowland
Hall 142. Your TAs tutoring center hours will be listed on the main webpage. However, you can
get help from any TA who is in the tutoring center. You are encouraged to go to the tutoring center
as and when needed.

Accommodation for Students with Disabilities

University policies for accommodation of students with disabilities will be followed. More information is
available at www.disability.uci.edu , including information on testing accommodation and note-taking
arrangements.