781961 Physical Principles of Design
Spring 1997
| Instructors | Email | Office | Phone | Office hours |
| Jim Napolitano | napolj@rpi.edu | SC 1W07 | x8019 | Tuesdays 9-11 |
| Nicolle Zellner | nicolle@charon.phys.rpi.edu | SC 3C18 | x6763 | |
Class meets on Mondays and Wednesdays from 11am to 12:50pm in Walker laboratory Rm.5113.
The course will follow and use the textbook "Fundamentals of Physics", Fifth Edition (1997)
by Halliday, Resnick, and Walker. The assignment schedule
includes reading and homework assignments which are to be done prior to coming to class.
The reading assignments are preparation for the material we will cover that day, whereas the
homework is based on the subjects covered in the previous class. The schedule also includes
some in-class exercises.
The reading, homework, and (in some cases) the in-class exercises refer to the textook.
Reading assignments refer to chapter and sections. Homework and in-class exercises refer to
chapter, followed by either Questions (e.g. Q10), or problems or exercises (e.g. 38E or 62P).
There will likely be some changes throughout the course, and I will let you know about them
in class, as well as update this web page and/or the assignments page.
We will be using a technique called "Peer Instruction" during class time. This will be
based on "conceptual questions" which you will work individually, and then together.
Class time will typically include four or five of these questions. We will use the remainder of the
class to work some in-class exercise, either problems from the textbook or something more
practical. If you need to bring special materials to class ahead of time, I will give you
plenty of notice.
It is very important that you read the assigned material before coming to class. The
Peer Instruction technique relies on it. Each class will begin with a brief Reading Quiz, based
on the reading assignment. You will get one point just for handing it in, and three points
for answering the question(s) correctly.
Course grades will be determined according to the following formula:
| Homework assignments | 40% |
| In-class assignments | 30% |
| Final exam | 20% |
| Reading quizzes | 10% |
Assignments will be graded coarsely, with 0, 50, 80, 90, or 100 being the possible scores.
An A is 90 or better, B is 80 or better, and so forth. We may have to modify
this formula to take special cases into account.
Jim Napolitano
Last modified: Mon Jan 13 08:13:57 EST