4/30 A copy of the solutions to Test 4 is now available at the Copy Center within the Computer Commons. Your best study guide for the final are the four test keys from this semester and the old tests. Good Luck. GBA 4/29 Your graded Test 4 may be picked up on WED 4/30. For Arlinda's students, she will be available from 12:40-1:30 in H350. For Steven's students, pick your test up from me during my office hours, 2:40-3:30 in F423. Thanks. GBA 4/17 A copy of the solutions to Test 3 is now available at the Copy Center within the Computer Commons. 3/19 A copy of the solutions to Test 2 is now available at the Copy Center within the Computer Commons. 2/13 A copy of the solutions to Test 1 is now available at the Copy Center within the Computer Commons. 1/20 Tips for Success in PHY111 (also see the WELCOME MESSAGE from 1/14) The first three HW sets are due next week, on TUE, WED, and FRI (normally the due dates will be on MON, WED, and FRI). On SUN night I noticed that only 39 out of our 120 students have started the first HW set, Units and Vectors, which is due TUE. As a result, I decided to send out this final appeal. PLEASE join (or establish) a study group and schedule regular practice sessions. If you haven't yet started "Units and Vectors", then you are already nearly a week behind in your practice sessions. It has been my experience, over the six semesters in which I have taught PHY111, that PHY111 students can be separated roughly into two groups, those who practice physics at least six hours a week every week, and those who do not. Those who do not practice regularly (anything less than six hours per week every week) are about five times as likely to fail (receive D, E, or withdraw) as those who do practice regularly. Those who do practice regularly are almost ten times as likely to earn an A or B. These numbers are based on somewhat inreliable student surveys and so are only approximate; nevertheless, they are a testament to the positive effect of regular practice. You can decide to which of the two groups you prefer to belong. HOW TO MAKE YOUR PRACTICE TIME LESS THAN WORTHWHILE: (1) Start an assignment on the day it is due. (2) Have a goal of getting the assignment done as quickly as possible. (3) Do the assignment alone with open book and open notes. Do each problem by searching for an equation into which you can plug numbers to get an answer. HOW TO MAKE YOUR PRACTICE TIME VALUABLE: (1) Start the assignment as soon as possible after the lecture in which that topic is covered. (2) Have a goal of strengthening your quantitative analytical skills with each problem completed. (3) Work in a study group. Pay attention to the topic in the title of that HW set. Briefly review your notes for that topic before beginning work; then refer to the notes or the book only as a last resort. Discuss the physical situation described in each problem, with appropriate drawings, and arrive at a workable solution strategy before beginning any math. Three two-hour sessions per week is minimal, four sessions a week is better, and six sessions a week is best (six one-hour sessions is best for most students because the human mind continues to process newly-learned skills for about 24 hours even in the absence of conscious practice). For almost all students, study groups are better than working alone; time spent stuck on a problem (not making progress towards a solution) does not count as practice time. The HW exercises are designed to strengthen your skill at quantitative analysis of physical situations. If you get stuck, get a hint as soon as possible, but don't allow the person giving the hint to tell you in any detail how to work the problem. Please take advantage of my office hours. A classroom is reserved for each of my office hours (see the class web page for locations and times), and your study groups are encouraged to meet there. I will be there to help you if your group gets stuck on a problem. Also, Help-Study is a good place for study groups to meet; the Help-Study room is staffed by volunteer tutors beginning this TUE (see the class web page for schedule and location). Thanks for reading. Practice Physics. GBA. 1/16 Recitations begin 1/17. Bring your calculator. Email your TA if there is a particular question you would like to have discussed. Thanks. GBA 1/14 PHY111 (TTH 10:40) WELCOME MESSAGE (rejected by hotmail and msn) All course information is available by following the PHY111 link at my home page: http://www.public.asu.edu/~gbadams/ Lectures begin on TUE. Recitations begin on THUR (the TUE 7:40 recitation does not meet this week). Many students find PHY111 to be a highly challenging course. The objective of the course is to teach you the SKILL of analyzing physical situations utilizing the established principles of classical mechanics. As in any class where you must learn a skill, and develop your ability at that skill, the key to success is practice; this principle is just as true for analytical skills as it is for motor skills. I recommend a minimum of one hour of practice a day, six days a week. "Cramming" for a physics test is about as useful as trying to learn a sport overnight (pick your favorite motor activity, whether it be a sport, musical performance, etc.); successful performance depends on enthusiastic participation in regularly scheduled practice sessions. Your practice sessions should be centered around the homework assignments; those assignments, if done properly, will give you the kind of "workouts" that you need to develop your analytical skills. Study groups of three or four students are STRONGLY recommended (for most students good "workout partners" are essential to success in physics). Study groups help provide motivation, encourage valuable discussion, and help avoid downtime during practice sessions (as when you are stuck on a problem and cannot proceed). We have an excellent textbook; please read the suggestions at the front of your textbook for succeeding in a physics class (my suggestions would be quite similar to those). Here are some things you can do before our first lecture on TUE. Look over the class website; all information that you need should be available there. Get your textbook and do the reading for TUE's lecture (see our webpage for the page numbers). Register for WebAssign and take a look at your first few sets of HW exercises. Get a CPS clicker and go through the registration process (again, see the class webpage for instructions). While highly challenging for many students, if taken seriously, an introductory physics course can be an invigorating learning experience. I hope you will accept the challenge and enjoy Physics 111. 1/05 No Updates Yet