Physics 160 Spring 07.
Course Title: General Physics I (calculus-based), Section 001, Call Number 16258, Cr 03, MWF 1100-1150 Regener
103, instructor is Dinesh Loomba, 277-4521, dloomba@unm.edu , office in room 1146
of the Physics and Astronomy (P&A) Building at the northeast corner of
Lomas and Yale. This course is for physics/astrophysics, engineering, or
science majors.
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Text and other material.
Mandatory Text: University Physics by Young & Freedman, 11th
ed. Various text supplements are available and may be helpful but are not
required. However, purchase and use of a keypad and Mastering Physics (MP) are
required. MP comes free with new texts purchased in the bookstore.
But if you bought a used text or obtained your text elsewhere you will have to
purchase MP (details are given below).
The problem session (Physics 167 section 001) should be helpful but is
not required. The laboratory (Physics 160 L) is very relevant to the course and
is recommended but is not required. You will need a simple calculator
with trig functions that you should bring to class regularly. You will need it for tests and for the math
diagnostic test on the 2nd day of class.
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Office hours and tutoring help.
My office hours will be on Mondays and Fridays from
Mondays (room 114):
Tuesdays (room 111): 10.00-11.00 A.M
Wednesdays (room 111):
Thursdays (room 114):
Tuesdays (room 111):
Wednesdays (room 111):
Thursdays (room 114):
Tuesdays (room 111):
Thursdays (room 111):
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Class rules.
Do not cheat. Any form of cheating behavior will be dealt with severely. I use the words cheating behavior because if you are looking in the direction of your neighbor's paper I can't read your mind and determine whether you are cheating. But I can tell what you are looking at. Do not wear a baseball hat or any other type hat that covers your eyes during a test. All cell phones must be turned off and placed out of sight. If I even see a cell phone during a test the owner will receive a zero. I will not tolerate this or other cheating behavior, period. And there are many other examples. Use common sense about this.
Do not talk in class. This is the most difficult problem of a large class. Some students think nothing of disrupting other students who have paid money to learn physics. Most students can't concentrate when others are talking. Please leave the lecture hall if you must talk.
TURN CELL PHONES OFF AND PUT THEM OUT AWAY.
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Math diagnostic test. I
will give a math diagnostic test the second day of class (it will not count as
part of your grade). Be sure to bring a calculator and a number 2 pencil
to class on the second day of class, you will need it for the diagnostic
test. Students with low scores on the math test should seriously consider
dropping the course. Math is the language of physics and we will use math
for problem solving.
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Class bulletin board. The
class bulletin board is in the basement hallway of Regener (by the labs).
I will post grades and other class information there so check it often.
Make sure I have the correct grades on my spreadsheet. If a grade is
incorrect, see me right away. Do not wait until more than 2 weeks after
the grade has been posted to see me for correction. If you don't take the
lab and have no idea what I am talking about, here are directions to the
basement hallway: Exit our classroom to the outside by the east
door. Walk south about 25 yards. Enter the door and take the steps
down to the basement hallway.
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Box numbers. I will assign box numbers. Your box number will be used for test grading and for privacy when I post grades and for returning homework.
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Student ID. Your Student
ID is the pad number you are given when you register your keypad. The first person in the class who registers
their keypad will be given number 1, the next 2 and so on. Use the Student ID on homeworks which are to
be turned in, on tests, etc. Due to
privacy concerns, DO NOT write your social security number on
anything you hand in.
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Dropping the class. If you
drop the course then please let me know. Sometimes this information does
not get to me and this can lead to grade difficulties at the end of the semester.
If you do not drop the class and stop attended I will not know it and
you will receive a WF at the end of the course! So, it is critical
that you file the appropriate paperwork and let me know when you drop the
course.
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Keypads: We are using keypads (also known as CPS or einstruction or CPS clickers). You must purchase from the bookstore and register a keypad before class Friday and bring it to class on Friday. Go to http://panda.unm.edu/Courses/StudentHelp/index.html for instructions and help on registering. When you register your keypad be sure to provide your name (even though the registration Website treats your name as an optional field). Pay careful attention to distinguish between the number one and the letter L and between the number zero and the letter O. Our class key is H26369D549. If you purchased a keypad from the bookstore you paid roughly $24 and have an enrollment code, so do not pay any money to einstruction when you register. For you, registration does not cost anything since you already paid for your enrollment code (this is how einstruction gets paid). If you have a keypad from a previous semester or from a friend who used it in a previous semester you will have to buy an enrollment code on line. Everyone will be given a pad number on the Website. We will use this pad number as your course Student ID. Your Student ID will identify your keypad as you use it in class, for tests, for posting grades and for Mastering Physics registration so you need to memorize it and keep it private. Since you must have your Student ID before you can register for Mastering Physics you may start losing points for the Mastering Physics homework if you register your keypad too late. Einstruction hot line for keypad questions is 1-888-333-7532.
Mastering Physics (MP) is the homework grading system. Your new book came with a MP package (no extra cost to you). If you have a used book you need to buy the Mastering Physics package from the bookstore or you can go on line with a credit card and buy it. To buy access online, go to www.masteringphysics.com then click on the title of your textbook. Then click Buy Now and follow instructions.
Whether your MP package came with the text or whether you bought access from the bookstore or online, everyone must register on line and complete the first MP assignment and start becoming familiar with MP before class on Friday.
You should also start working on the assignment due Monday morning. There will be no grade for these first 2 assignments. (In the course there will be some homework that will be assigned that will not be graded. The ungraded homework is just as important as the graded homework. Material from the ungraded homework is just as likely and maybe more likely to show up on tests.)
You can register simply by following the instructions available online at www.masteringphysics.com. Important notes for registering: The UNM Zip code is 87131. Our Course ID is MPLOOMBA0001 (careful about the letter O versus the number 0! The first 2 are the letter, the last 3 are the number). Student ID: You must register your keypad to obtain your Student ID. Your Student ID is the pad number you are given when you register your keypad. The first person in the class who registers their keypad will be given number 1, the next 2 and so on. Student Access Code: This is a six-"word" printed code supplied beneath the pull-tab inside your Mastering Physics Student Access Kit. It is valid for registering one student. If the tab in this kit has been pulled back, the code may no longer be valid. If you buy a secondhand textbook, any code supplied with it is probably not valid. In either case, you can purchase a Student Access Code online using a credit card or you can go to the bookstore and buy a mastering physics package. If you need help then click on the ? icon. There are more detailed Mastering Physics registration instructions at http://panda.unm.edu/Courses/StudentHelp/index.html.
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Here I list links where other important aspects of the course are described. Please go to these links and read their contents.
COURSE GRADE. This link contains information about how your course grade will be assigned.
CLASS SCHEDULE, READING & HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS. This link contains a tentative schedule of material covered in the course. It also lists your reading assignments and homework assignments and the dates they are due.
HOMEWORK and CPS KEYPAD GUIDE. This link gives you a description of the types of homework that will be assigned. It also gives you a description of how your CPS Keypad will be used and graded.
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