Kent Morrison
Adjunct Professor
Email: lkm@unm.edu
Office: PAIS 3314
Phone:

COURSE INFORMATION

Physics 16.002 Fall 2015.

Course Title: General Physics I (calculus-based), section 002, Call Number 16259, Cr 03, MW 17:00-18:15 Regener 103, instructor is L. Kent Morrison, 277-0433, lkm@unm.edu, office in room 1115 of the Physics and Astronomy (P&A) Building at the northeast corner of Lomas and Yale. This course is for physics/astrophysics, engineering, or science majors.

Text and other material

Mandatory Text: University Physics by Young & Freedman, 14th ed. Various text supplements are available and may be helpful but are not required. You will need a simple calculator with trig functions that you should bring to class regularly. You will need it for in-class exercises, tests and homework.

Office hours and tutoring help

My office hours will be on Mondays and Wednesdays, 4:00-4:50 PM in room 105 of Regener Hall. Every Monday, 6:30-7:20 PM I will be teaching P167, the problems session for this course, in Regener 103 and you are welcome to drop by to ask questions even if you are not registered for P167. If none of these times work for you then please make an appointment. With a class this size I will not have time to communicate effectively via email so come to my office hours or make an appointment if you have questions! Other resources are:

  • Problem review sessions, P167. This credit/no-credit 1 hour course is very valuable. Those who take this course tend to do better on the tests and homework in P160.
  • Teaching Assistants, problem/review sessions are all in Regener room 111:
    • Joshua Martin, Mondays 3:00-4:00 and Fridays 2:00-3:45
    • Ke Huang, Mondays and Wednesdays 1:00-2:15
  • The Center for Academic Program Support (CAPS, see http://caps.unm.edu/)
  • Private tutors

Homework

Mastering Physics (MP) is the on-line homework system and it is required. MP comes free with new texts purchased in the bookstore. If you bought a used text or obtained your text elsewhere you will have to purchase MP (details are given at: www.MasteringPhysics.com).

Student Access Code: This is a six-"word" printed code supplied beneath the pull-tab inside your Mastering Physics Student Access Kit. It is valid for registering one student. If the tab in this kit has been pulled back, the code may no longer be valid.

Once you have an access code for MP, you can register at Getting Started Student Registration. 

For questions regarding Mastering Physics, go to UNM Mastering Support Fall 2015.  

All homework assignments are graded (The first hw is called "Introduction to MasteringPhysics" on how to use MP). The MP assignments are listed in the Class Schedule (see link below). The pre-lecture assignments are due at 4:30 pm before class, and the chapter assignments are due at 11:59 pm the day after the material is covered in class. You should begin the pre-lecture MP assignments before coming to class. Your new book comes with an MP package (no extra cost to you). If you have a used book you need to buy the Mastering Physics package from the bookstore or you can go on line with a credit card and buy it. To buy MP access online, go to www.masteringphysics.com  then click on the title of your textbook. Then click Buy Now and follow instructions.   Whether your MP package came with the text or whether you bought access from the bookstore or online, everyone must register on line and complete the "Intro to MP" assignment and start becoming familiar with MP. I will delayed the due date for the assignments for chapters 1 & 2, so you will enough time to register in MP.

You can register simply by following the instructions available online at www.masteringphysics.com. Important notes for registering: 

  • The UNM Zip code is 87131.
  • Our Course ID is MPMORRISONFall2015  
  • Your Student ID will be your nine digit Banner ID.

Student Access Code

This is a six-"word" printed code supplied beneath the pull-tab inside your Mastering Physics Student Access Kit. It is valid for registering one student. If the tab in this kit has been pulled back, the code may no longer be valid. If you buy a secondhand textbook, any code supplied with it is probably not valid. In either case, you can purchase a Student Access Code online using a credit card or you can go to the bookstore and buy a mastering physics package. If you need help then click on the ? icon. There are more detailed Mastering Physics registration instructions at physics.unm.edu/Courses/StudentHelp/index.html.   Listed here are links where other important aspects of the course are described. Please go to these links and read their contents.

Learning Catalytics

We will be using Learning Catalytics instead of i-Clickers for in class exercises. Learning Catalytics uses your networked device (either a smart phone, tablet or laptop) that you must bring to every class. To register in Learning Catalytics go to Getting Started on Learning Catalytics Student. If you do not have such a device, let me know and I will provide a workaround.

Problem Session, P167.002.

The 1 credit hour problem session is very helpful for understanding the material and getting a better grade, however it is not required. The laboratory (Physics 161 L) is very relevant to the course and is recommended but is not required.

Class rules

Do not cheat. Any form of cheating behavior will be dealt with severely. I use the words cheating behavior because if you are looking in the direction of your neighbor's paper I can't read your mind and determine whether you are cheating. But I can tell what you are looking at. Do not wear a baseball hat or any other type hat that covers your eyes during a test. During tests, all cell phones must be turned off and placed out of sight.

Dropping the class. If you drop the course then please let me know. Sometimes this information does not get to me and this can lead to grade difficulties at the end of the semester. If you do not drop the class and stop attended I will not know it and you will receive a WF at the end of the course! So, it is critical that you file the appropriate paperwork and let me know when you drop the course.

COURSE GRADE. This link contains information about how your course grade will be assigned.  The overall grade in MP is NOT your true grade since I drop one test and weigh the various components of your grade differently. You can always check with me for a grade check.

CLASS SCHEDULE, READING & HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS. This link contains a tentative schedule of material covered in the course. This may change during the semester. It also lists your reading assignments and homework assignments and the dates they are due.