First figure your homework grade.  Your HW percentage is your total 
number of HW points divided by the number of HW points which are possible.  
If I have counted correctly, there are 1900 possible HW points for the 
entire semester.  However, we will figure the final HW percentage out of 
only 1700 points (or about 90% of all possible points should the total
points possible change).  You can't get more than 100% though, so once you 
have 1700 points you don't need to submit any more HW (although hopefully 
you will find the process of submission and feedback to be good practice 
for the tests).  There turned out to be 1935 required points available
(1820 MP points plus 150 written HW points, less the 35 MP points which
were bonus points); therefore, we will figure the final HW percentage out 
of 1700 points as planned.

     Your MP gradebook ("My Scores") gives you a percentage of possible
MP homework points.  Multiply this fraction times the number of MP
homework points possible (25 for the "Introduction to Mastering Physics",
plus an average of 75 per assignment, less 10-20 points for each problem
that had to be written up and turned in), then add your scores on the
written problems to this number; what results is your total number of HW
points.  There turned out to be 1820 possible MP points.  As an example, 
say you have earned 75% of 1820 possible MP points, and 131 out of 150 
possible points on the written problems.  Your total HW points for the 
semester would then be:

              0.75*1820 + 131 = 1496 total HW points

With 1496 HW points for the semester your HW percentage would be:

                      1496/1700  = 88.0%

HW is worth 8 points overall, so you would have earned 7.04 HW points
(i.e. 88.0% of 8)

   600 HOMEWORK POINTS ARE REQUIRED FOR A PASSING GRADE IN THE COURSE.
             LESS THAN 600 HOMEWORK POINTS IS AN AUTOMATIC E.

     Now figure your PRS grade.  There will be about 50 PRS questions
for the semester, so a total of 150 PRS points are possible.  However,
we will figure the final PRS percentage out of only 135 points (or about
90% of all possible PRS points should the number of possible PRS points
change).  Once again, you can't get more than 100%.  Say you have earned 
113 PRS points for the semester.  Your PRS percentage would be 

                        113/135 = 83.7%.  

PRS is worth 5 points overall, so your PRS points for the semester are 
4.19 (83.7% of 5).

     OK, now figure your quiz grade.  We grade quizzes out of 10 points
and we take your best 10 of 13 quizzes.  Say your best 10 quizzes total 
up to 82 points.  Quizzes are worth 7 points overall so your quiz points 
for the semester are 5.74 (82% of 7).

     Now figure your test total.  Each test is worth a maximum of 125 
points.  Take your best 3 tests and average them and multiply THE 
RESULTING PERCENTAGE by 0.6.  For example, say your test grades are 100, 
104, 90, and 114.  Your test average is then

     (100+104+114)/3 = 106  or 106/125 = 84.80%

We now multiply by .6 since the Tests are worth 60 points overall.

     84.80 times 0.6 = 50.88

     OK, now you have your pre-exam total.

                 HW      7.04
                 PRS     4.19
                 QUIZ    5.74
                 TEST   50.88

                total   67.85

The pre-exam maximum is 80 points, so your pre-exam percentage is

           67.85/80 = 84.81%

     Will you be able to get an A?  That depends on what the final
grade scale is.  I start with no curve.  That is 

                 90 and above           A
                 80-90                  B
                 70-80                  C
                 60-70                  D
                 below 60               E

If the class average is 75 or higher, there is no change.  If the
class average falls below 75, I feel obliged to relax this scale
somewhat.  Look at 

                121 Fall 2004 web page , or
                121 Spring 2003 web page , or
                121 Spring 2001 web page , or
                121 Spring 2000 web page , or
                121 Spring 1997 web page , or
                121 Spring 1996 web page 

to get an idea for what this year's scale might be.  I will make 
a guess at the final grade scale during the week before the exam, 
but the true final grade scale ultimately depends on overall class 
exam performance.

     Let's get back to our example.  You have 67.85 points going in
to the exam.  The exam is worth 20 so the best you can do is 87.85,
not enough to get an A if the class average is 75 or higher.  On
the other hand, you need at least 12.15 points from the exam to insure
yourself of a B.  The exam consists of 40 multiple choice questions,
so you need to get at least (12.15/20)*40 right, or 25 out of 40, to
insure yourself of a B.