Course Information


DISCUSSION and PROBLEM SESSIONS:   Will be conducted by TA.
PHONES, WATCHES, PAGERS: I request the courtesy of turning to silent mode your phones/pagers and turning off alarms in your watches. I request that you do not engage in phone conversations during class time. During midterms/final exam all cell phones must be turned off.
EMAIL COMMUNICATION: The University authorizes e-mail as an official means of communication with the students. Last minute news and notices will be emailed (and a copy posted on the "announcements" link of the course's web site).
GRADING: Grade is absolute (no curve). A: 0.90 – 1.00, A– : 0.80 – 0.90, B+: 0.75 – 0.80, B: 0.70 – 0.75, B– : 0.65 – 0.70, C+: 0.62 – 0.65, C: 0.58 – 0.62, C: 0.54 – 0.58. D and F are awarded after more individual scrutiny (the lower end of the range for C– may be extended downward).
The grade is the combination of homework (20%), midterms (50%) and final exam (30%), OR the final exam (100%), whichever is higher. You can get a bonus of up to 3% by participating in PeerWise
HOMEWORK/TEXTBOOK:   Homework will be assigned through the WebAssign web based homework assignment system. For access, see directions below. Go to the same place for information on textbook.
Homework is graded. There is a strong correlation between exam grades and doing work beyond the assigned homework. Answering the questions, doing the exercises and solving the problems at the end of each chapter of the textbook will be extremely useful for understanding the material assigned or covered in lecture. Solutions to the end of chapter problems can be found in the Student Solutions Manual.
MIDTERMS AND FINAL:   There will be two mid-term and one final exams. They will be multiple choice. Answer keys and solutions will be posted on the course web site.
  1. You will receive by email a three-digit personal ID number for this course. You will need this ID number to identify your work. Memorize it or write it down and bring it to class on the exams.
  2. You will have to provide your own scantron card, scantron form No. X101864-PAR-L. These are sold at the bookstore for about $0.15 each. You will need a No.2 pencil to fill in the scantron card. No scantron card or no pencil, no credit for the exam. You should write you personal ID number on the space provided. Detailed instructions will be given by the proctor at the first mid-term.
  3. You must have a current, valid picture ID. On mid-terms proctors will randomly check IDs to verify the name on scantron cards. For the final exam everybody's picture ID will be collected prior to commencing the exam and returned when you hand it in.
  4. You may bring a calculator (but not a laptop computer). You may bring a cheat-sheet: a letter-size page (8.5in x 11in) handwritten on one or both sides. In addition, it is recommended that you bring a couple of pieces of blank paper on which to work out the problems.
  5. Recorded grades will be posted by code number on the course web site.
  6. Any appeal to the grading of mid-term exams should be made in writing to the teaching assistant, within one week of the posting of the grades for that exam. You must provide a written explanation as to why you are appealing the grade (be specific).
  7. Use of cell phones (or any other communication device, including wi-fi connected iPods/iPads) during exams is strictly forbidden. Cell phones must remain off during the exam.
  8. Please be on time. Exams will not be handed out after any one student has completed his/her exam and left.
MID-TERM AND FINAL SCHEDULE:   The midterms will be held in class on Feb 2 and Feb 23. The final exam will be on Location: same as lecture unless otherwise announcedf in class and web site. There will be no make-up final. It will not be possible to take the final exam at any other time for any reason.
WHINING:   The course grade is determined by the formula above. No requests for grade change on the basis that "I think I know the material better than my grade indicates" shall be accepted. However, if you are convinced your grade is incorrect you may submit a request, in writing, detailing why your grade should be adjusted. Denied requests will be penalized by 5 percentage points. Requests must be received by the course instructor no later than 24 hours after the corresponding mid-term/final grades are posted on the web.

ADDITIONAL HELP:

WHOM TO SEE:
Barbara Lowe, blowe at physics dot ucsd dot edu, 2581 Mayer Hall Addition, Physics Dept. Student Affairs Office, if you have any trouble using StudentLink/WebReg to add/change/drop, drop from wait-lists, have any questions about adding or dropping the course or to get appropriate authorization for such actions.
Patrice Hey, the Course Coordinator, 2571 Mayer Hall Addition, Tel: 822-1468, Email: plhey at physics dot ucsd dot edu for final grade recording issues and reuqests by students with disabilities.
The Teaching Assistant if you have questions relating to problem solving methods or grades received.
The Instructor if you have basic questions about the subject matter, or if you have administrative problems.

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY:   Please read the UCSD Policy on Integrity of Scholarship, in the section on Academic Regulations of the UCSD General Catalog. The summary states "Students: Complete the course in compliance with the instructor's standards. Do not engage in any activity that involves attempting to receive a grade by means other than honest effort. Complete all academic work assigned, without unauthorized aid of any kind." These rules will be rigidly enforced. For all quizzes/exams cheating includes, among others: submitting another person's work as your own for grade consideration, any alteration for reconsideration, copying from another student, and the use of any unauthorized materials during the exam.

ADD/DROP PROCEDURE:   Use StudentLink to add/change/drop, drop from wait-lists. No add/drop cards will be signed by the instructor or TA. Beware of existing deadlines for these procedures.

Textbook and WebAssign

 The course textbook is Physics For Scientists & Engineers, 6th edition, by Paul A. Tipler and Gene Mosca.

For this course (PHY2A Winter 2011) we require you to use the WebAssign online homework system. You will need to register at WebAssign to gain access to your online homework assignments and eBook. Instructions:

  1. Visit www.webassign.net
  2. Enter your instructor-provided Username. For Institution Code, enter "ucsd" (without quotation marks).
  3. Since you do not have a password, click on "Reset Password." Follow directions (you will have to reenter the username and institution). An email will be sent to the email address registered with the ucsd registrar (the same one your WebAssign Username was emailed to) with a link to a page that lets you choose a password.
You can then login, register and purchase access or redeem a code:
  1. Visit www.webassign.net
  2. Enter your instructor-provided Username and the password you chose above. For Institution Code, enter "ucsd" (without quotation marks).
  3. You will now be enrolled in your instructor's WebAssign course and will be asked to purchase access to the WebAssign system
  4. On the following screen, you are given three options:
You will now be able to access your WebAssign Course and online homework assignments, and except for the "trial" option, you will have access to your eBook.