PHYS 100 :: Physics Illinois :: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Final grades

Final grades are now posted in gradebook. There is an exam 2 score and an exam 2 scaled score, along with your final course letter grade. The scaled score is computed using the scale shown in the graph below, and this is what goes into the final grade calculation. Bonus points were added to your point total out of 1000 points.

The exam 2 (raw) score is used when calculating the final improvement bonus points. You will get 1 point for each 1% improvement over your Quest + Midterm weighted average (explained in the lecture slides). This is fewer final improvement bonus points than I originally said, but I realized that giving any more points breaks the whole bonus system. But in the end, improving over time is good, and you'll get the bonus points to reflect that.

Congratulations on finishing Phys100! Have a great winter break, and I hope to see you around in the spring semester.

Final Exam Info (12/14/2022)

You can now see your final exam room information (by discussion section) in the physics gradebook. Make sure you know your discussion section, since you need this information at the final exam.

Check-in procedures: When you arrive at your final exam room, there will be a slide projected on the screen showing the check in instructions. New for this exam – you will check in first by swiping your Illinois ID, and then you will pick up your exam. You can see the slides for your room to see how the room will be setup: Slides with room info

After checking-in, you will read the first two pages of the exam packet and follow the instructions: Final exam cover pages

Check-out procedures: When you are finished, you will find the proctor collecting the exams for your section and hand in your exam packet, equation sheet, and scantron card. New for this exam - you will swipe out with your Illinois ID. You can see the slides for the check out information that will be projected in the room.

Study up and you'll do well tomorrow. Remember: don't panic, take a deep breath, read the problems carefully!

 

Course email (8/31/2022)- Masks highly recommended for class

I just wanted to echo the Chancellor's email earlier this week: Although masks are not required, the University and I are highly recommending masks in Phys100. Campus COVID cases are sky high. On Monday, U of I testing recorded the most cases in one day since campus testing started 2 years ago in August 2020. Even a mild case of COVID can be uncomfortable and require you to quarantine for 5 - 10 days.  Ths is worth avoiding if possible.

Phys100 has a big emphasis on collective team work, because it's one of the most important professional skills that I hope you will learn in college.  In my own job, I think my ability to work well with others is even more important than my physics knowledge.  I bring this up, because I think collective team work is the key to public health (our health and the health of our local community).  So as part of the Phys100 team, I ask you to wear a mask, and we can keep each other healthy.

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Q: What if I get sick (either COVID or non-COVID)?

A: Please don't come to class, and quarantine as appropriate.  Because we know that things arise during the semester, we automatically excuse the first 3 lecture absences and 2 discussion absences, which means you can miss this number of classes without penalty. If you end up missing more than these numbers of classes, then we can excuse absences for legitimate reasons like illness.

You can download the discussion worksheets and lecture slides from the course website, under “schedule,” so you can keep up with the material, even though these absences will be excused. As long as you are well enough, you should try to stay on track with the smartPhysics assignments. If your illness keeps you from working, please let me know, and we can figure out how best to extend the due dates on these assignments.

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If you would like to see data about U of I testing, it's available here: 
https://splunk-public.machinedata.illinois.edu/en-US/app/uofi_shield_public_APP/home


Notes for Week 2 (starting 8/29)

Here are some reminders about what was said in class:



Start of Semester Q&A

Q: What are the required materials I need to buy?

A: Look to the "Required Materials" link on the sidebar.

Q: What should I do before my first class?

A: Read this document for what to do before your first discussion section/lecture.

Q: Do we have any assignments due before the first lecture?

A: Yes! (They're listed in the document above.)

Q: It says I need departmental permission to register for the class. How do I get this?

A: You can get departmental registration permission through this link: https://queue.illinois.edu/q/queue/864


Q: Calculus I is a co-requisite for this course. How much Calculus will I need to know?

A: There's no expectation that you'll know calculus coming into the course. There are lots of connections between calculus and physics, and we'll talk about the important ones in class. However, most of the homework and other problems that you'll do don't really require you to know calculus. Two main things that you will need (that we will cover) is that the derivative of a function is the slope of the graph and that the integral of a function is the area under the graph. Sometimes the prelecture videos incorrectly assume that the viewer knows calculus, so you might be confused by some things in the prelecture videos.

Don't worry if things don't make sense initially. If you're taking calculus concurrently with Phys100, you'll see how they're connected as we go through the semester.


Q: Should I take Phys100 or Phys211?

A: Phys100 is designed to help prepare you for Phys211 (calculus-based mechanics). For many majors, Phys211 is a required course. You might be recommended to take Phys100 if you didn't learn physics in high school or based on your U of I physics placement test score. Phys100 covers kinematics (position, velocity, acceleration) and dynamics (forces and Newton's laws), which covers the first of three midterm exams in Phys211. Phys211 also covers energy, momentum, rotation, oscillations, and fluids. Because Phys100 takes its time, you'll spend more time and have more practice problems on each topic. If you are unsure whether Phys100 or Phys211 will be right for you, you can check out the course schedules for both on the course websites.


Q: What should I do if I get sick or have to miss class?

A: If you are sick, please stay home! Your first 3 lecture absences and 2 discussion absences are automatically excused. If you miss more classes than this for an excusable reason, you can click on the "Attendance policy" link on the left to see the process for submitting an excused absence request.

Related to public health: although masks are not required, I support any one who prefers to wear a mask in class. I will wear a mask in lecture and office hours