Notation

So we've discussed the fact that physics notation has quite a bit of historical baggage, and lacks precision at times (same symbol, different quantity ...).

Counterpoint.

Grades updated

UPDATE - lab grades were uploaded incorrectly. Should be fixed shortly.

HW6 grades are up, which means HW7 is the only one outstanding. One HW is dropped, Moodle takes this into account.
Quiz 8 grades are not up yet, but the rest are. One quiz is dropped, and Moodle takes this into account.

Lab grades are up now. Two labs are dropped, and this is accounted for in the Moodle average. Here are the labs I have grades for right now:

• Lab 1 = paper
• Lab 2 = errors (I don't have these grades for some of you from the TAs yet)
• Lab 3 = electric field applets
• Lab 4 = capacitors
• Lab 5 = equipotential lines
• Lab 6 = simple circuits / bulbs
• Lab 7 = resistors
• Lab 8 = RC circuits

Remember, Labs, HW, and Quizzes are 15% each of you total grade, and Exams 1 and 2 are worth 15% of your grade each. Moodle's course total should take this into account properly.

Other than a couple of labs, HW7, and Quiz 8, please check to make sure that your grades seem to be correct. It doesn't happen often, but I do make mistakes. Sometimes it is a typo, sometimes I put a HW set in the wrong pile of papers and it doesn't get graded with the rest. If you're missing a grade you are sure you should have, or the number doesn't seem right, don't hesitate to ask me about it. That's the whole reason for online grades, greater transparency, so you can see what's going on with no surprises. (Of course, that being said, it is hard to keep up with the pace during the summer, so the feedback is not exactly instantaneous.)

Practice Problems

For more practice problems, you might want to start with the following:

HW 12 from Spring 2008 (solution available)

Final from Spring 2008. Though there are no multiple choice questions on your exam, these are worth studying as 'quick drills' to make sure you have the concepts down. (MC answers posted, problem answers are not)


Final from Fall 2007. Answers available for all questions. Again, the MC questions are good for a quick test of what you might want to look at in more detail, or work some longer problems.

Last homework

Here you go. It is due at the start of the final exam.

This homework is just a small review of sorts, with a little stronger emphasis on recent things. They are good practice questions for the final, one or two might even show up in nearly the same form on the final.

(Of course, this small homework set does not cover all the material. More practice problems will be posted tonight that cover most of the remaining material.)

Quiz 7 solution

Quiz 7 now has a solution posted. I'll be updating some of the homework solutions tonight.

Extra credit

Here is your chance for more points. A short paper will replace your lowest non-dropped quiz, HW, or lab. If you missed more than the allotted number of labs/HW/quizzes, for instances, this is kind of a big deal. You can replace a zero grade, and that can help a lot.

If you already have an "A" going in to the final, i.e., >=90% overall grade, I'm not going to read your extra credit submission. Extra credit, in my opinion, is meant to help people that could use a little boost, and may be on the borderline between grades. It is not an insurance policy for keeping your A going in to the final. If you already have an "A" you are better off studying for the final, rather than writing me a paper.

I suppose that isn't really fair, in some sense. In another more real sense, I shouldn't offer any extra credit at all, so take it when you can get it :-) It costs me a good amount of time to offer this, so I only want to entertain it for those who really need it.

More grades

HW5 grades are now posted on moodle. If you don't have a score for HW5, but are sure you've turned it in, feel free to remind me. I didn't quite get through that stack of homework this evening.

HW6 & 7 grades will follow tomorrow evening, along with some of your lab scores. Most of the lab scores you know already, but I will post what I have from the TAs tomorrow.