Final exam time

Thursday, 2pm: FINAL EXAM for 1-2:45 class
Friday, 8am: FINAL EXAM for 10-11:45 class

No, I don't like the 8am exam either, and I always seem to get that slot. Nope, I don't know why the exam time isn't the same as the class time ... that would make sense ... I've been wondering that for 5 years now. Not much we can do about it, but at least it is just one day.

If for some reason you have a conflict with the final exam time (a conflict which is more serious than 'it is way early and I don't want to get up,' for instance another final exam), we should talk soon to arrange something else.

Final exam

The following topics will be fair game for the final (text sections in parentheses). If I don't list it, it isn't covered. The listed sections in the textbook relate directly to sections in the notes, if you look at the topic headings for each section.

Relativity (26.1-6)
Electrical forces and fields (15.1-6,9)
Electrical energy (16.1-4,6-10)
Current & resistance (17.1-4,6)
dc circuits (18.1-5)
magnetism (19.1-9, excl. Ampere's law)
induction (20.1-6)
ac circuits / EM waves (21.1-3, 7, 10-12 + filters)
Reflection & refraction (22.1-5, 7)
Mirrors / lenses (23.1-6)
Quantum physics (27.1-2, 5-8)
Atomic physics (28.1-4)

Parts of chapters 27-28 we have not covered yet, and that is the subject of the lectures on Tues and Wed.

The exam will be broken up into (probably) three sections, and in each section you will have to solve something like 3/4 or 3/5 problems. The sections will be logical groupings of material, for example:

Section 1: electric forces, field, energy
Section 2: current, resistance, dc circuits
Section 3: magnetism, induction, ac circuits
Section 4: optics
Section 5: quantum, atomic physics

I'm not saying this is exactly how it will be, but more or less.

Thoughts on the final

I posted this last year, and it still stands. Here are some of my random thoughts on the final. It goes to 11.

(1) Relax. There is no reason to be more freaked out about this exam than any other, percentages and so forth notwithstanding. You should be less scared: broadening the scope of the material necessarily means that the difficulty level for any given problem goes down.

(2) There is only one way to study for this thing: read and solve problems. You will be given all of the required formulas, memorizing them will not help, nor will memorizing tricks or shortcuts. All problems will involve the systematic application of simple principles and simple relationships, there are no tricks. Rote memorization / cramming is not useful, but solving practice problems is.

(3) Cut your losses on the one chapter you really don't think you can master in the time remaining. You'll have a choice in problems, so you can avoid certain topics if you know the rest very well.

(4) Look at the previous final exams (spring/fall semesters mainly). They mostly don't have posted solutions, but I can tell you the answers at least.

(5) Few problems I have asked you before will appear on the final. Most likely no problems directly from the notes will appear on the final. However, about half of the problems will seem eerily familiar.

(6) Relax. You will need to have your wits about you, the problems on the final will involve logically solving problems step-by-step using simple rules. They will not involve remembering an arcane phrase or formula buried in the text, nor will they have many convoluted twists and turns. Most of them involve only 1 or 2 steps.

(7) Run the numbers on your grade. The final is worth 25% of the total grade ... it can only change your overall grade by so much. Not as much as you think. I will scale the average on the final if necessary, such that it is at least 75% for the class. It is unlikely to be necessary.

(8) I like crystals and mass spectrometers and circuits. Capacitors have been done to death though.

(9) Study the homework solutions I have online.

(10) Seriously, relax. Get some rest the night before, you'll be better off well-rested.

(11) Answers/solutions to your outstanding homework/quizzes will posted soon, and will be good to study from.

Grades / this week

I just posted Quiz 6 & 7 grades on Moodle, the homework grades will be updated later tonight.

Tomorrow, your quiz is on photons - energy per photon (E=hf), intensity of a beam of photons, etc.

Wednesday, several things will happen.
1) During the lab sessions, there will be a chance for review.
2) There is no real lab, you'll do the post-assessment test (worth some bonus points) and evaluations.
3) I will discuss a few things related to the logistics of the final exam.

Later tonight, I will be posting details about the final exam, and how to review for it. Tonight and tomorrow I'll be posting some of the HW and quiz solutions so you can use them for studying as well.

Finally, I will there will be a possibility for extra credit I'll post about tonight or in the morning.*

*If you have >90% in the class, I really don't want to see an extra credit assignment from you. I'll go over formal ground rules for the extra credit tomorrow, but it is not meant to be an insurance policy for those of you already getting a solid "A." The idea is to have a way to boost your grade if you're on the border line, etc.

Exam II grades

Your exam II grades are up on Moodle ... you'll get them back tomorrow. The average was 85/81 for the am/pm sections, so most of you should be happy. I was, anyway.

Tuesday, I should have the homework and quiz grades mostly up to date, and I have more lab grades from the TAs as well. At the very least, before the final you will know what your grade is going in.

This is a problem in teaching physics

Precision in language is important, but it is a slippery slope.

Monday's lecture

Monday, we'll start on Quantum Physics, and you'll do an associated lab on atomic spectra. I'll post that procedure tomorrow when the server is powered up again ... the power is off across most of campus!

UPDATE: servers are back up. Here is tomorrow's lab.

No quiz tomorrow. Be ready for one on Tuesday, and a review homework due Wednesday. Really, it will help with the studying ...