A holistic grading scale will be used for exam problems (scaled to the number of points in the problem).

• 5 (out of 5 points possible): Excellent understanding. The student clearly understands how to solve the problem; one or two minor mistakes can appear on a “5” solution, if they don’t lead to larger conceptual errors.
• 4: Good understanding. The student understands the main concepts and problem-solving techniques but is missing one major concept, or made one major mistake that may involve conceptual misunderstanding.
• 3: Fair understanding. The student started to set up the solution and is on the right track of applying the problem-solving techniques but is several major steps (or mistakes) away from being able to solve it.
• 2: Poor understanding. The student jots down some formulas that may be relevant to the problem but shows little conceptual understanding of how they should be used.
• 1: No understanding. The student writes down something that has something to do with the problem.
• 0: Blank answers.

Errata List

This course is continually evolving and improving, and students have the opportunity to play a significant role in this progression by identifying typos, errors, or mistakes (nothing is too insignificant) in the course materials. The first student to alert me of a distinct issue will be awarded one point of extra credit in the category from which the issue was identified (i.e. problem sets, labs, etc.). You need not tell me how to fix the issue (but you can if you want) --- all that is necessary for the extra credit is for me to agree that there is an issue. A record of all identified issues and their corrections will be kept in the Errata List.

Calendar

This course syllabus is hosted on Canvas which makes the calendar and upcoming assignments available to you at one glance (as well as the schedule of topics for the whole semester). Please see the end of this Syllabus calendar of assignments and course events (or go to your Canvas Calendar).

You may find the following comments and advice useful as you take this class.

My goal in grading is to reward two things: (1) the effort you put into this class, and (2) your understanding of physics and intuitive grasp of physical concepts. If you want to just pass this class, I have good news: my goal is to pass every student who stays engaged with the course throughout the semester. But most of you --- especially those who want to transfer for an engineering degree --- will want to do better than a C. So, how do you get a B or an A in this class?

The only way to do this is to demonstrate that you can solve problems involving a physical situation, like an engineer, chemist, or a physicist might. In some sense, it’s the same thing you had to do in Physics 4A, and the same problem-solving techniques you have been using will continue to apply. Physics 4B is best approached as a continuation of Physics 4A: you are learning new laws of physics (thermodynamics, electricity, magnetism, etc.), while continuing to apply problem-solving techniques from previous physics courses and continuing to develop your physical intuition.

Here are my recommendations for those who want to maximize their learning and accomplishment in the course:

• First, remember that this is a hybrid course --- more self-discipline is required than in face-to-face classes. I recommend that you schedule regular time to work on the assigned readings and problems.
• Second, make sure to read Course Announcements as they are delivered.
• Third, practice solving problems. Your problem sets are a good starting point, but you can and should do more. Some useful resources for finding problems of the appropriate content and difficulty are: 
  • Portable TA: this is a particularly useful resource because you can immediately check if you did the problem correctly. Of course my goal is for all of you to get to a point when you simply know when you've done a problem correctly, but until you get to that point, it can be helpful to have instantaneous feedback
  • The textbook has many end-of-chapter problems. Consider working on the "challenge problems".
• Fourth, attend each and every lab session. Show up prepared, and engage with your peers.
• Lastly, make full use of all the resources available to you. Come to my office hours and ask questions, have substantial conversations with your classmates, and work hard.

Course Policies

• Registration: After the last day to register for classes (see the Course Calendar), you must be registered in the class in order for you to receive credit. No students can be added after this date.
• Attendance: Participation in the online and in-person components of the course is essential for success. Students who miss assignments due in the first week OR who do not attend the first in-person lab session will be dropped from class as "no show". Also, the instructor may drop a student if the student misses an excessive number of assignments without excuse. (See pg. 31 of College of Alameda catalog (Links to an external site.) for the college policy on attendance for face-to-face classes, which this is modeled after.)
• Academic Integrity: Everything you turn in must be your own work. If you use sources other than those provided in the course, please clearly cite them and give credit where it is due. Allowing another student to copy your own work also constitutes academic dishonesty. Please refer to pg. 237-246 of College of Alameda catalog (Links to an external site.) for the college policy on academic dishonesty and possible disciplinary measures.
• Schedule Subject to Change: Assignment and exam schedules are subject to change. Any changes will be announced through Canvas, and all efforts will be made to accommodate students.