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PHYSICS 20A: Syllabus

Spring Quarter 2000. Course Code: 47195


Lecture:
MWF 10:00 - 10:50  PSCB 140
Instructor: Dr. H Tahsiri
Department: Physics & Astronomy
Office
: FRH, ( 4152 or 4175 )
Phone:824- 7507 or ( 824-6485 . Ask Sheila to leave me a message)
E-mail: htahsiri@csulb.edu - htahsiri@home.com
Office Hours: Mon-Wed- Fri , 8:30 - 9:30 am
TA: Ed Ames
Office:FRH 4169. Discussion sections: Monday ( 11-11:50, 12-12:50 ); Tues ( 1-1:50, 2-2:50 ).
Phone: 3724
E-mail:eames@uci.edu
Office Hours:Tues ( 8-11 ).



Textbook:  1) Astronomy: Journey to the Cosmic Frontier (1998 edition), by J.D. Fix. 2) Activities Manuals: Robbins. Jeffery. Shawl.

Lectures: We shall cover approximately one to two chapters per week. Lectures are based on 1) Lecture outline with practice quizes 2) In depth class lectures 3) Weekly discussions on how to use the Activities Manual in conjunction with the CD at the end of your textbook by Fix

Homework: Homework will be assigned weekly, but will NOT be graded. The purpose of the homework is to sharpen your reasoning skills, and to gain experience in solving numerical problems, in preparation for the mid-term and final exam. Homework problems and Figure Based Questions are found at the end of each chapter of the textbook. I recommend that you do all of the Problems and Figure Based Questions because similar problems will be given on the exams. Solutions to the homework will be given during the discussion sections. It is mandatory that every student attend the discussion section.

Teaching Assistance: Teaching assistants assigned to this course will be available to help students with homework, questions from the lecture, activity assignments, and other matters related to the course.

Project:  You MUST complete the Activities and computer based CD projects during the quarter. These activities will contribute 15% of your final grade.

Exams:  There will be a MIDTERM on Friday, May 5, and a FINAL EXAM on Monday, June 12 at 10:30 to12:30. Both exams are multiple choice. The midterm will contribute 35%, the final 50%, and the activities 15% of your total course grade. No makeup exams will be permitted. If you have a scheduling conflict, be sure to notify me no less than 2 weeks in advance so that arrangements can be made for you to take the exam. The final exam will be cumulative. Exams are based on 1) Lectures outline and quizes on this website 2) In class lectures 3) Videos shown in class

Grading Policy:  Your final grade will be based on:

        50%  Final Exam
        35%  Midterm
        15%  Activities and Computer projects

Students with Disabilities: I would like to hear from anyone who has a disability which may require some modification of seating, testing, or other class procedures. Please see me after class or during my office hours to discuss appropriate modifications.

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