| Information |
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Fall 1998 |
| Lects: MWF 10:00 |
|
Prof. Rubin H Landau |
| mailto: rubin@physics.orst.edu |
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Wngr 499, MF11, T9 |
Prerequisites: completion of Ph 211, concurrent enrollment in Mth 253
Texts
Office Hours
The easiest way to contact Professor Landau is email to rubin@physics.orst.edu. His office hours are Mon@11, Tues@9, and Fri@11 in Weniger 499, or by appointment (set it up after class, via email, or 737-1693). The office hours for the teaching assistants are held in Weniger 145 and posted there; you may obtain help from any of the teaching assistants, not just the ones you see in lab or recitation. We recommend this resource over a personal tutor.
On the course home pages (in Physics) you will find a course outline, this information sheet, links to problem solutions, and other information. The same information should be available from the OSU Web Site (where you take quizzes), but the physics source is more original. Access to the Web is available at a number of student computing facilities on campus and via the internet.
Lectures
MWF 10, Weniger 151, except for Wed Sept 30th at 7:30 PM as noted in schedule. Other 7:30 PM Wednesday times are for midterm exams, possible special lectures, and possible review sessions. Lecture attendance is required. You are responsible for all materials covered in the lectures and all announcements made there. There will be short quizzes given at random times during random lectures. Asking questions and participating in class is welcome and appreciated (it is your education). Rude behavior such as private conversations, reading newspapers, or interrupting to leave early degrades the education of othere students as well and is not acceptable.
Assignments & Web Submission
The importance of working on your own and fully understanding many problems and questions cannot be overemphasized; this is the best way to understand physics. The assigned problems on the Schedule will give you just a minimum problem-solving experience. Solutions to the assigned problems will be posted on the Web.
The assigned problem do not have to be turned in. However, problems or questions marked with an asterix * are to be completed before class on the Web. You will receive quiz credit for doing them. They will be available on the Web through the weekend after the material has been lectured on, but not after that. To do a problem on the Web, you must be registered for the course electronically as well as through the university. To register electronically, go to the OSU course web page
and click the "create new user" button from the panel on the left (it's a small bar at the bottom). Follow the instructions and submit when done. The system should respond and tell you that all is okay. (Please write down your userid and password; use any names you want, and especially ones that you will rememeber.)
Laboratory
All lab sections meet in Wngr. 238. The lab is an informal environment designed to heighten your understanding of the physics. Each week's experiment is indicated on the Schedule. The appropriate few pages in the lab manual should be read before attending. The lab exercises must be completed during the lab period and turned in before you leave. Lab attendence is a course requirement. You must attend and submit satisfactory exercises for all labs. If you know in advance that you must miss a lab, please arrange with your TA to attend another section during the week. A make-up period will be provided near the end of term, and you may complete a maximum of two labs then. Lab reports or credits from previous courses cannot be used without written approval of the Professor during the first week of class.
Examinations
There will be short quizzes held at random times during random lectures. The midterm examinations (given at 7:30 PM) and final exam are closed book and comprehensive. They will be similar to this term's homework problems, lab experiments, and class examples, but may be dissimiliar to previous years' exams (available in the Reserve Book Room of the main library). You will be given hard-to-learn formulas or data on the exam (the formulas will be posted early). You cannot bring in your own formula sheet. Nonprogrammed calculators are encouraged. Laptop or palmtop computers are not allowed.
To take an examination, the Physics Department requires that your student ID be checked against signed papers. Before the exam you will be asked to leave all books and packs in the front of the room. Please arrive early and bring your ID. There are no make-up exams. If you have a conflict (other exam, a preplanned academic University activity, death in the immediate family, or personal illness) see or contact the professor before the exam along with some verifiable proof. Unexcused absence from an exam results in a zero grade.
When your exam is returned and you have questions about why your answer is marked wrong, check the posted solutions carefully and, if needed, ask one of the instructors for an explanation. If you believe a significant error was made in your exam grading, attach a written explanation of the error to your exam (as well as your readable signature and ID #) and submit both to the professor no latter than one week after the exam has been returned. Erased and rewritten answers cannot be regraded; consider taking the exam in ink or crossing out errors rather than erasing them. Be warned: the entire question will be regraded by the professor, and the new grade recorded if the score has increased or decreased by more than 5%. Errors of any amount in the adding points will be corrected without regrading. Changing an exam and submitting it as misgraded is academic dishonesty.
All students are expected to uphold the highest standards of honesty and integrity in their academic work. Section I.D.1 of the Student Conduct Regulations lists some examples of violations of standards of academic honesty, and Section 15 of the Academic Regulations specifies the consequences. Any incident of academic dishonesty will result in an immediate grade of F in the course and the filing of a Report of Academic Dishonesty as part of your University record. There are no exceptions or second chances.
Recitations
You are encouraged to enroll in the recitation section Ph 222 offered concurrently with Ph 212.The recitation carries one credit and consists of weekly problem sessions with an experienced TA. This is a good place to ask questions about unclear topics or for help with the homework or labs. Recitation sections are graded P/N with the grade determined by attendance, participation, and short quizzes.
Course Grade
The higher grade from:
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Course grades are not based upon absolute percentages, but rather upon the distribution of scores in the class. The average grade is generally a C, with a B indicating superior performance and an A excellence.
Troubles
If you have difficulties requiring personal attention, feel free to call on any of your instructors. If you don't find your instructor in their office, leave a note in the Physics office (Wngr. 301), or call 737-4631 and leave a message. If you are unsatisfied (or exuberant) with some aspect of the course (exam questions, pace, teaching assistant, late return of labs, etc.), or feel you are having troubles which you cannot discuss with the teaching assistants, do see the Professor. Remember, it is always a good idea to come in and talk to instructors during their office hours, they are there to help you.
Books on Reserve