Prospectus for Physics 117 - Fall 2002
INTRODUCTION TO PHYSICS
M W F 2:00 PM in Physics Room 1410

Text: Kirkpatrick & Wheeler: Physics, A World View (4th Edition)
In order to do the whole book during the semester, we will roughly cover two chapters per week (on the average).

Laboratory: Room 3310 - The laboratory experiments are an essential part of this course. You cannot pass the course unless you have completed every experiment and submitted the lab report. Since time in the laboratory is limited, come to the lab fully prepared. Read the lab manual and any supplementary materials in advance. Lab reports must be submitted before leaving the lab. Late lab reports will not be given any credits. The lab will be run by the TA who will be in charge of the laboratory.

Homework: Homework will be assigned every week for practice. You do not need to submit homework solutions, but quizzes will be based on homework problems. Therefore, you should always do the homework problems. You will not do well in the course if you do not do the homework.

Quizzes: Brief unannounced quizzes based upon recent materials may be given in any class (average: one quiz per week). These will be based on homework problems.

Exam Dates: Hour Exams: There will be two hourly exams. The exact dates of the exams will be
                                            announced during the class.
                       Final Exam: Thu, Dec 19, 1:30 PM - 3:30 PM [Check later for location]

(If you must be absent from an exam for a religious observance, you must notify Dr. Das Sarma before Sep. 16, 2002 - the end of the schedule adjustment period.)

Grading: Your semester grade will be based on overall course score, computed with the following weights:

                          10%    Quizzes
                          30%    Lab Reports
                          30%    Two Hourly Exams
                          30%    Final Exam  

AT LEAST 15% will get A's; 30% B's. No make-up exams will be offered. You must take the Final Exam and do every lab to pass the course. The final grade will be given in a normalized ("curved") basis.

Extra Help: Professor Das Sarma will be available after lecture, or in Physics Room 2208 during his weekly office hours (Mon & Wed: 1pm) or at other times by appointment to answer any questions. The TA will help with the lab, grading, and will also answer questions that you may have.

You are encouraged to ask for help whenever you feel it may be useful, and better sooner than later. In addition, the University's Learning Assistance Service (LAS) offers general assistance. If you are experiencing difficulties in keeping up with the academic demands of this course, you might wish to contact the Learning Assistance Service, 2201 Shoemaker Bldg., 301.314.7693. Their educational counselors can help with time management, reading, note-taking, and exam preparation skills.

Calculators: You should bring a scientific calculator to the class, and especially to the lab and exams.

Lab Notebook: You should keep all of your original lab notes in a single notebook. A square ruled page format is convenient for plotting graphs as you go. See the 117 Laboratory Manual for further details on lab notebooks and reports.

General: Physics involves interpreting the existence around us based on the laws of nature. Modern human civilization (both our technology and our culture) is based a great deal on physics. Physics is not only important, but is also very exciting. The fact that nature actually obeys laws that we can figure out is what you will learn in this course.

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University of Maryland Honor Pledge, adopted November 2001.

The University has adopted (in November 2001) a nationally recognized Honor Code, administered by the Student Honor Council. The Student Honor Council proposed and the University Senate approved an Honor Pledge. The University of Maryland Honor Pledge reads:

             "I pledge on my honor that I have not given or received any unauthorized assistance on this assignment/examination."

In Physics 117, you may be asked on occasion whether you wish to append this pledge to a work (e.g., Exam, Report, Assignment) you are submitting for course credit. We recommend that you do so at each opportunity as a constructive re-affirmation of your support, in principle and in practice, of academic integrity. Whether or not you choose to do so will have no affect on any aspect of your Physics 117 course record.