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Last updated: Sun Apr 13 10:29:25 pm 2025 (EDT) by Tibor F Nagy

PHY 183 Spring 2025

Michigan State University

Personnel

Course Coordinator: Tibor F Nagy, Reinhard Schwienhorst
Teaching Assistant: Onat Ayyildiz, Divya Rebecca Bartley, Patrick Keita Brien, . Himanshi

Instructor Information

Section 001 at 12:40 PM: Professor Tibor F. Nagy
Office: BPS 1253
Email: nagytibo@msu.edu
Web: https://web.pa.msu.edu/people/nagy_t/

Section 002 at 1:50 PM: Professor Reinhard Schwienhorst
Office: BPS 3241
Email: schwier@msu.edu

Teaching Assistants: Himanshi (himanshi@msu.edu), Divya Bartley (bartl178@msu.edu), Patrick Brien (brienpat@msu.edu), Onat Ayyildiz (ayyildi1@msu.edu).

Course Description

This is an in-person, instruction-based, lecture course with calculus, for students majoring in engineering or physical sciences. Topics include: one and two dimensional kinematics, dynamics, work, energy, power, conservation of energy, linear momentum, conservation of momentum, system of particles, circular motion, rotational motion, static equilibrium, gravity, solids and fluids, harmonic oscillations, mechanical waves and sound.

Prerequisites

Calculus 1: MTH 132 or MTH 152H or LBS 118 or equivalent.

Class Hours

Section 001: Mo-Tu-We-Th, 12:40-1:30 PM, BPS 1410.
Section 002: Mo-Tu-We-Th, 1:50-2:40 PM, BPS 1410.

Helproom Hours

Physics Help Room: BPS 1248. Schedule at: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Yn50wpwEWM180Ay2nq5kiu7rLNqtfaQ1pSb8_sBEr-M

Project Information

Honors option is not available for this class.

Exam Information

For the exams you will need #2 pencils, an eraser, scrap paper, and a scientific calculator with fresh batteries. Graphing calculators are allowed, but they are not necessary or required. On the exams students must work individually.

Students with disabilities or other circumstances that require special arrangements should inform their instructors as soon as possible and well ahead of the exams so that proper arrangements can be made. Please present the instructor with your RCPD form.

Exam #1: February 4th, Tuesday, lecture hour, BPS 1410.
Exam #2: February 25th, Tuesday, lecture hour, BPS 1410.
Exam #3: March 25th, Tuesday, lecture hour, BPS 1410.
Exam #4: April 15th, Tuesday, lecture hour, BPS 1410.
Final Exam: April 28th, Monday, 8:00-10:00 PM, room ???

On the midterm exams a one-sided 8.5 by 11 US letter sized handwritten help sheet is allowed together with the sheets from the previous midterm exams. On the final exam five, one-sided (or equivalent) help sheets - four from the midterm exams and a fifth sheet - are allowed.

The midterm exams will have correction as a homework: 35% of the positive difference between the correction and the exam will be added to your exam score as bonus. The final exam will not have correction.

Deadlines

Students with Disabilities: MSU is committed to providing equal opportunity for participation in all programs, services and activities. Requests for accommodations by persons with disabilities may be made by contacting the Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities at 517-884-RCPD or on the web at rcpd.msu.edu. Once your eligibility for an accommodation has been determined, you will be issued a verified individual services accommodation (VISA) form. Please present this form to your instructor at the start of the term no later than the end of the first week of class. Requests received after this date may not be honored.

Grading Information

Weights: Homework: 33%. Clicker questions: 5%. Four midterm exams: 4x10% = 40%. Final exam: 20%. Pre- and Post-Tests: 1%+1%=2%. Total: 100%

Homework: Every homework question is worth 1 point.

Maximum score on the midterm exams: 50 points. The midterm exams will have corrections as a homework: 35% of the positive difference between the correction and the exam will be added to your exam score as bonus. The corrections are optional. The corrections can only raise your scores, they CANNOT lower your score. The eXam and the Correction scores are combined together to the Total test score as follows: If C>X, then T = X + 0.35*(C-X), otherwise T = X. For example, if you got 31 points on the midterm and got 46 points on the correction exam, you new total will be 31 + 0.35*(46-31) = 36.25. In this case, if you got less than 31 points on the correction exam your total would still be 31.

Maximum score on the final exam: 100 points. The final exam doesn't have correction.

Grading scale:
4.0 >= 92%,
3.5 >= 84%,
3.0 >= 76%,
2.5 >= 68%,
2.0 >= 60%,
1.5 >= 52%,
1.0 >= 44%,
0.0 < 44%.

This grading scale might be lowered, but it will not be raised.

The Spartan Code of Honor: As a Spartan, I will strive to uphold values of the highest ethical standard. I will practice honesty in my work, foster honesty in my peers, and take pride in knowing that honor is worth more than grades. I will carry these values beyond my time as a student at Michigan State University, continuing the endeavor to build personal integrity in all that I do.

Readings


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Wk | HW is due | Reading assignment
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01 | Jan 17 Fr | Syllabus, Overview, Introduction
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02 | Jan 22 We | HW 1: Ch 2: Motion in a Straight Line
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03 | Jan 28 Tu | HW 2: Ch 3: Motion in Two and Three Dimensions
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04 | Feb 03 Mo | HW 3: Ch 4: Force
04 | Feb 04 Tu | Exam #1: HW 1-3, Ch 1-4.
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05 | Feb 11 Tu | HW 4: Ch 5: Energy, Work, Power, Ch 6: Pot. Energy
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06 | Feb 17 Mo | HW 5: Ch 7: Momentum and Collisions
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07 | Feb 24 Mo | HW 6: Ch 8: Systems of Particles
07 | Feb 25 Tu | Exam #2: HW 4-6, Ch 5-8.
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-- | Mar 03 Mo | Spring Break (03/03 Mo - 03/07 Fr)
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08 | Mar 10 Mo | HW 7: Ch 9: Circular Motion
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09 | Mar 17 Mo | HW 8: Ch 10: Rotation
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10 | Mar 24 Mo | HW 9: Ch 11: Static Equilibrium
10 | Mar 25 Tu | Exam #3: HW 7-9, Ch 9-11.
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11 | Apr 01 Tu | HW 10: Ch 12: Gravitation
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12 | Apr 07 Mo | HW 11: Ch 13: Solids and Fluids
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13 | Apr 14 Mo | HW 12: Ch 14: Oscillations
13 | Apr 15 Tu | Exam #4: HW 10-12, Ch 12-14.
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14 | Apr 25 Fr | HW 13: Ch 15-16: Waves, Sound
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15 | Apr 28 Mo | Final Exam: 8:00-10:00 PM. Location: BCC N130.
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Textbook

Wolfgang Bauer, Gary D. Westfall: University Physics with Modern Physics, Volume 1, McGraw-Hill, 3rd edition. (2nd and 1st edition will also work.)

We will use LON-CAPA, MSU's own free and flexible web-based course management system. If your book has a course management system bundled with, don't open it and don't try to access it, because we will not use it.

Scientific calculator. Graphing calculators are allowed, but they are not required. The recommended calculator is the TI-30X IIS for $10-14.