PHY 2048 - Physics 1 with Calculus - Summer 2017



GRADING POLICY



Final Score Determination


Your final score (100 points max) is the sum of the following:
  • Four exams: up to 18.75 points each, 75 points total
  • 11 weekly HW assignments : up to 5 points
  • 10 weekly discussion session quizzes (There is no Quiz 7 due to 4th of July): up to 20 points combined
  • HITT/Participation points: up to 5 BONUS points

Exams


During the semester, there will be three mid-term and one final exams. Each exam will have 15 multiple choice problems (1.25 points per problem; no penalty for wrong answers). Therefore, you can earn as many as 18.75 points on each exam.

Make-up on exams: TBA


Homework


The homework assignments are administered via the WileyPlus online system. You must purchase your personal WileyPlus access code and register at the WileyPlus website.
  • The schedule of 11 weekly graded homework assignments is given at Course Schedule.

  • You must click the Submit Answer button for the system to record your response. The HW system will provide you with instant feedback on whether or not your answer is correct, and you will be permitted five tries (until the due date/time) to get the answer right, and receive credit. To be accepted, your answer should be within ±2% from the correct one. Do not round off numbers in the intermediate calculations to avoid the loss of the precision. Enter your final answer with at least three significant digits.

  • The due date and time are on Mondays at 9:00 pm. You will not be able to submit your homework past the deadline, regardless of the reason (participation in various events, sickness, computer system freeze, loss of internet connection, etc.).

    To provide some (10%) forgiveness for illnesses and other challenges that life may throw at you, this total score will be divided by 0.9 at the end of the semester. (If the score exceeds 5, it will be truncated at 5.)

    [Final HW Score] = [ Sum of 11 HW Scores ] / ( 0.9 x [Max possible HW points] ) x 5.

Discussion section quizzes


During the discussion sections, you will be given 15-min quizzes with a problem very similar to one of those from the preceding HW assignments. Each quiz is graded on the 10-point scale, with a one-point step.
  • The schedule of 10 weekly quizzes is given at Course Schedule. Note that there is no quizzes during the week of 4th of July.

  • Make-ups for the missed quizzes are possible only if you have a legitimate and documented excuse. The decision on whether the excuse is acceptable or not will be taken by one of the lecturers. Make-ups must be arranged with your TA no later than within one week after the missed quiz and the make-up quiz should be taken no later than within three weeks (unless there are very special circumstances). No make-ups will be allowed after that.

  • We will ensure that the different Teaching Assistants score their quizzes equitably.

  • To provide some (10%) forgiveness for illnesses and other challenges that life may throw at you, this total score will be divided by 0.9 at the end of the semester. (If the score exceeds 20, it will be truncated at 20.)

    [Final Quiz Score] = [ Sum of 10 Quiz Scores ] / [ 0.9 x (10x10) ] x 20.

HITT quizzes & Other participation points


During lectures, you will be given 1-2 minute quizzes that you should answer using your HITT remote control. The HITT quizzes will allow you to earn up to 5 bonus points. Each quiz is graded on the 2-point scale: 2 points for the right answer, 1 point for wrong answers, and 0 for no answer. Number of quizzes per lecture will vary; so will the time during lectures when quizzes are administered.

No make-ups for the missed HITT quizzes will be possible, regardless of the reason (participation in various events, sickness, forgotten or malfunctioning HITT remote control, etc.).

We will apply an overall 20% forgiveness for missed HITT quizzes. Your final HITT quiz score will be calculated as follows:

[HITT score] = [your total HITT points] / ( 0.8 x [max possible HITT points] ) x 5.

If the score exceeds 5, it will be truncated at 5. We will start counting HITT points on May 15


Letter Grade


Total minimal scores (out of 100 points) ensuring a particular letter-grade are shown below. None of the scores will be rounded. The scale is absolute and will not be adjusted to a curve; hence, there is no competition between students.

Grade Required score (out of 100)
A ≥ 85
A- ≥ 80
B+ ≥ 75
B ≥ 70
B- ≥ 65
C+ ≥ 60
C ≥ 55
C- ≥ 50
D+ ≥ 45
D ≥ 40
D- ≥ 35