Final grades

My flight leaves in <8hrs, so I'll be brief ...

• MasteringPhysics grades should be up to date. Check your lab scores carefully.
• Each HW is calculated as a percentage (they don't all have the same number of points), and the lowest two dropped. The rest are averaged. If you just added up total points, you may have gotten a different result.
• I scaled exam 3 to have an average of 80% instead of 73%, so you all gained some points.
• Final grades are on myBama now. Some of you got the benefit of the doubt with regard to +/- grades if you were on the borderline ...
• I'm happy to answer any questions you have about grading, just send me an email.
• I'm back in town on 8 July if you want to see / go over your test.
• If you're continuing on with PH102, I will have a sub (the guy teaching the 2nd section) covering the first two classes next week. Check out ph102.blospot.com for course info, notes, and the calendar. We'll use MasteringPhysics again, course id LECLAIRPH102.

Don't hesitate to email me if you have some questions ... I didn't intend to post final grades and run, but it sort of worked out that way! I will have email access while away though.

Hints on practice problems

I'm not sure why hints aren't working on the practice problems. Baffling.

If you're having trouble with any of them, I did work them all out this afternoon. Send me a message of some sort, and I will give you some hints of my own. Same goes for HW7 I suppose, if you're still having trouble.

Grades

All grades (except the SHM lab from last week) should be up to date now. There is also a new column in Mastering Physics listing your overall grade as of right now, which includes dropping the lowest 2 homework sets and the lowest lab.

Keep in mind you have 1 homework and 1 lab yet to come, as well as one more exam.

Last HW set

Your last homework set (#7) is now out, due Tuesday at midnight. It is a mix of harmonic motion, fluids, and thermodynamics/ideal gas problems. Most of it has been covered already, some of it we will just get to tomorrow. Monday we'll go over some of the harder problems in class.

HW 6 SNAFU

I accidentally made the HW due at noon today instead of midnight ... stupid am and pm. As a result, I have just extended the deadline until noon tomorrow in case you need some more time.

HW6 is out

Due Wednesday before midnight. We will do a number of them in class tomorrow.

There will be two more homework sets: one due this coming Friday, one due the following Tuesday before midnight.

Grade revisions

I've posted the lab 5 (work-energy) grades on MasteringPhysics now, as well as changes to some earlier lab grades for those of you who asked me to have a look. Please have a careful look - be sure that your lab grade matches the one written on the report you got back, and that your grade is the same as your group mates'. Same goes for the exam grades, do check that everything seems to be correct.*

The scores from today's problem solving competition should be ready tomorrow (Thurs), and I'll post the scores by team number here for the curious. It was a bit more chaotic and slower than I had imagined (as always), but I liked that you were engaged and putting in a good effort. You can leave (anonymous) comments here if you have thoughts on the competition, particularly how to improve it or if you'd want to do it again (modulo improvements).

* I try to be very obsessive and careful, but already at this point there are 340 lab grades alone to manually enter, and typos happen. This is something you should do in all your classes, in my opinion - anyone can make a mistake, now and again, so you should keep track of your own grades as best you can to make sure nothing seems off. There is absolutely nothing wrong with asking a professor to explain their grading calculation, that level of transparency should be considered mandatory. I don't mind at all if you question my numbers, and will happily explain them, I don't want them incorrect any more than you do.**

** If you notice an error in your favor, it is your call to mention it or not. I consider it your lucky day, and a lesson that I should be more careful. I don't expect you to bring it up, and don't fault you for taking the 'bonus.' If your conscience is eating away at you, however, then by all means let me know ...***

*** As we're on the subject of grading: I will add a column to MasteringPhysics shortly listing your overall course grade. You can ask/email me at any point for a grade update, I have them already calculated at any given moment.

Things

Exam 1 scores are now on Mastering Physics. The average was 81.7% with a standard deviation of 16.0%. I was pretty much happy with this ... you'll get the exams back on Wednesday.

Lab 3&4 scores are now on Mastering Physics. I have not yet adjusted scores on labs 1 & 2 for those of you that handed them back to me for regrading.

The HW4 deadline is extended through Tuesday, since I'm out of town anyway. HW5 will follow soon.

No lecture tomorrow (Mon) or Tues, but there is a lab as scheduled on Monday afternoon/evening.

Tutoring

I've identified an undergrad physics major who is game for doing some tutoring over the summer if anyone is interested. Send me an email, and I'll forward his contact information. Don't want to put his email & phone numbers online for obvious reasons ...

HW3 problem #2

As one of you pointed out already, problem 2 on the current homework set is a bit ambiguous until you reveal the first hint. Or, as your classmate put it "[It] doesn't make sense unless you use the 1st hint. I thought it was in the air at 0.8m not on the water."

To clear up the ambiguity, I'll just give you the first hint on the problem:

Hint 1. How to approach the problem: This problem involves projectile motion. A drop of water is launched at a certain angle above the surface, and you need to calculate the initial speed required to hit the target. Note that the target is an insect floating over the surface of the water.

HW3 - projectile motion, force

Homework 3 is out. Since I was delayed in getting it assigned, it will not be due until Tuesday at midnight. It should be a bit shorter than the last one, and we will cover a number of the problems in class either Monday or Tuesday.

Monday and Tuesday we will finish our discussions on force. Monday will be finishing up Ch. 4 and starting Ch. 5, Tuesday will be finishing up Ch. 5.