PHYS 204

Mechanics
Section EC1
Fall 2024
This syllabus is subject to change and any changes will be posted in the Announcements
section of your eConcordia portal.

Disclaimer: In the event of extraordinary circumstances beyond the University's control,

the content and/or evaluation scheme in this course is subject to change.

About this Course

Prerequisite: MATH 203 or equivalent, previously or concurrently. Never Taken: CHEM212,
CHEM217, CHEM241, CHEM234, EXCI351.

Selected topics from this course:

Kinematics, Newton’s laws of motion. Statics, dynamics. Conservation of momentum and

energy. Rotational motion. Periodic motion.

This course uses the 3rd party WebAssign system for weekly homework exercises, for graded
assignments, and for the online midterm exam. Students are recommended to purchase the
multi-term option (includes the online textbook, study guide, question bank, and access to the
section specific, quiz, assignment, and mid-term exam management platform), so they can use it
for future courses (PHYS 205, PHYS 206) as well.

The class key is: CONCORDIA.QC82146458

It is essential that you only create one account, use a valid email address, and enter
your official full name and student ID (as they appear in the Concordia system).

Please follow the instructions closely and carefully to create your account and try to
avoid mistakes

The textbook for this course is available from the course website and is included in the materials
fee you pay to register for the course.

Instructor: Dr. Laszlo Kalman

Instructor Contact Information: [email protected]

This email address allows you to contact the Professor directly. If you have any questions or
concerns about the course that are specific to you, or if there is a delay in hearing back from
your TA, please do not hesitate to use this email.

For questions or concerns regarding the course content, the course format, or anything else that
is of concern to all students, you are required to post on the discussion board. Please don’t
be shy, someone else is always wondering the same thing you are. Check the discussion board
frequently, it is a useful resource. You are also encouraged to answer other students’ posts if
you are able. In the subject of your post you will have to specify which group you are in so
your TA will know to respond to you.

Note: Please, allow for a 24 hour response time during the week (Monday-Friday). Teaching
Assistants check the discussion posts once over the 48 hour weekend period and are not
available on statutory or university holidays.

TA Contact Information: available through the course website

Assessments
Graded Assessments

Note: If a student is going to miss a graded assessment, they must contact the professor with a
valid reason before the assessment is open. Otherwise, the student will receive a grade of zero
for that assessment.

Check your Agenda for exact due dates.

Assessment Percentage

Weekly Homework (Quizzes) 10%

Assignments 20%

Mid-term exam 20%

Final Exam 50%

In addition, this course allows a flexible grading scheme. If you take the mid-term exam and
receive a satisfactory grade (30% or higher), you have a choice to have the mid-term exam
count with 0% contribution and in this case the final exam will count with 70% percentage. In
this case your final grade will be calculated by both schemes and the better score will be used to
assign your letter grade. If you miss the mid-term exam due to a valid medical reason (doctor’s
note is required) the weight of the mid-term exam will be added to the weight of the final exam.

You must obtain a grade of 30% on the Midterm exam to be eligible for Flexible Grading.

Flexible Grading Distribution Options:

Option A: Midterm = 20%, Final = 50%

Option B: Midterm = 0%, Final = 70%

Description of Graded Assessments

Quizzes on WebAssign

There are 12 quizzes (one quiz per lesson) on WebAssign. These are each worth 1% of your
final mark, totalling 10% for the term. This means that the two lowest of the 12 will not be
counted.

Quizzes generally appear on WebAssign at 11:59 p.m. (EST) every Saturday and are due on
Mondays at 11:59 p.m. (you have 48 hours to access and complete the quizzes). You will have 3
trials (no penalties) to answer each question. For the exact due dates and times, please consult
the course agenda and WebAssign.

The solutions will be available on WebAssign after the due date. Click on “Watch it” or “Master
it” to access the solutions.

Assignments on WebAssign

There are 6 graded assignments due approximately every two weeks (see the course agenda)
on WebAssign. The assignments are each worth 4%, totalling 20% for the term. The best 5 out
of the 6 will be counted.

Assignments are usually due on Sundays at 11:59 p.m. and are usually available on Saturdays
at 11:59 p.m. (8 days before the due date). For the exact due dates and times, please consult
the course agenda and WebAssign. You will have 3 trials (no penalties) to answer each
question.

Please note, the scores on quizzes and assignments are not representative measures of the
preparedness, as they allow multiple, penalty-free attempts (exams will have only one attempt),
allow the use of any resources, and no time limit is applicable upon their completion. Students,
who wish to utilize the quizzes and assignments as direct measures of their preparedness, must
attempt to provide the correct answer for the first attempt and should try to complete these
evaluation items without the use of any external help.

The solutions will be available on WebAssign after the due date. Click on “Watch it” or “Master
it” to access the solutions.

Requesting extensions for assignments

Extensions will only be granted for valid reasons (proper employer or medical notes are
required) or late registrations (Note that if you open the assignment, no extensions will be
granted

Exams.

Mid-term exam will be held on October 24. The midterm exam will be offered on WebAssign
and will remain open from 8am to 11:59pm The exam will cover the content from lessons 1 to 6
(inclusive) and will be 75 minutes long. Before opening the exam, please make sure that you are
ready to complete the exam within the next 75 minutes. Once opened, the available time is
winding down. Pausing the exam is not possible. Students registered with ACSD will have their
individual extra times configured (based on ACSD recommendations).

Students who require additional accommodations for their exams due to a documented disability
should contact the Access Centre for Students with Disabilities as soon as possible
([email protected]).

If you face issues during the exam, you should inform your professor of those issues
immediately. Please note that there are in-exam supports you should spend time getting to
know.

The final exam will take place in-person. It is cumulative. It will have questions taken from all
parts of the course.

You must achieve a grade of at least 50% on the final exam in order to pass the course.

Grades

Your assignment and homework grades will be announced on WebAssign.

It is your responsibility to ensure your work has been received (to be verified as outlined in your
assignment instructions) and to contact your TA via e-mail for clarification if you have any
questions concerning your grades.

Your final letter grade for the course will be posted in your Student Hub at the end of the term.

Mark Breakdowns

Letter Grade Percentage (%) Letter Grade Percentage (%)

A+ 90 to 100 C 64 to 66

A 85 to 89 C- 60 to 63

A- 80 to 84 D+ 57 to 59

B+ 77 to 79 D 54 to 56

B 74 to 76 D- 50 to 53

B- 70 to 73 F Less than 50

C+ 67 to 69
Student Responsibilities:
1. If you do not complete a quiz/homework or other assessment, the assessment will not be
reopened except for serious medical or personal issues.
2. Although announcements of due dates may be posted, you should not rely on them as
reminders. You are responsible for ensuring that you are aware of all due dates found in
the course outline and in the course agenda as well as the topics covered in the
assessments.
3. Students must resolve any technical issues they have with their computer environment
early on during the first weeks of the course. You are responsible for ensuring that you
have a reliable computer and internet connection. If you need help with your computer
environment, please contact the eConcordia help desk. If problems persist, you may try a
different computer and different location. The University has computer resources available
to students.
4. When answering questions, points may be deducted for incorrect statements along with
the points awarded for correct statements. If you feel a TA has unfairly graded your exam,
you can ask for a re-evaluation from the professor. However, you must accept whatever
the new grade is, even if it is lower than the grade offered by the TA.
5. For large classes such as this one, it is important that you contact your TA directly for all
questions. Contacting your TA will ensure that the course proceeds smoothly. The name
and email address of your TA is found on the eConcordia course page next to the course
image. Your TA will either answer your questions directly or will contact the professor for
the answers.
6. When contacting your TA or the professor, make sure to use a valid email address
associated with your Concordia student profile. Email messages received from
unrecognized email address will not be responded to.
7. The final exam date is scheduled by the Examinations Office. If you cannot write the final
exam at the scheduled date, you are responsible for communicating with the examinations
office and for applying to write an alternate or deferred exam.
See https://www.concordia.ca/students/exams/conflicts.html.
8. All dates and times mentioned in this outline are with respect to the Eastern Time Zone
(Montreal time).
Revised syllabus language
Behaviour

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Concordia students are subject to the Code of Rights and Responsibilities which applies both
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engaging with any members of the Concordia community, including faculty, staff, and students,
whether such interactions are verbal or in writing, face to face or online/virtual. Failing to comply
with the Code may result in charges and sanctions, as outlined in the Code.

IP

Content belonging to instructors shared in online courses, including, but not limited to, online
lectures, course notes, and video recordings of classes remain the intellectual property of the
faculty member. It may not be distributed, published or broadcast, in whole or in part, without the
express permission of the faculty member. Students are also forbidden to use their own means
of recording any elements of an online class or lecture without express permission of the
instructor. Any unauthorized sharing of course content may constitute a breach of the Academic
Code of Conduct and/or the Code of Rights and Responsibilities. As specified in the Policy on
Intellectual Property, the University does not claim any ownership of or interest in any student IP.
All university members retain copyright over their work.

Extraordinary Circumstances

In the event of extraordinary circumstances and pursuant to the Academic Regulations the
University may modify the delivery, content, structure, forum, location and/or evaluation scheme.
In the event of such extraordinary circumstances, students will be informed of the changes.
Tutorial Companies
Please note that private tutorial companies, some of whom aggressively promote their services
on and off campus, are not authorized by Concordia University to distribute flyers on University
premises and may not use Concordia University facilities to promote or provide their services on
some flyers.

Concordia University and its academic departments do not have any affiliation with these
companies even though names such as JMSB, Concordia, or references to specific departments
often appear in a visible way.
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anywhere, and at any time.

Available online and for all popular platforms (iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac OS), Texidium is
designed with the student learning experience in mind and sets a new standard for accessibility
and convenience.

To install the Texidium App and to register your Texidium account to enable printing of the
electronic textbook, visit: https://reader.texidium.com/dist/#/apps.

Texidium Support Hours:

 Monday to Friday, 6:00 am to 6:00 pm EST. This includes email, phone or chat support.
 Evening and night support is available via email only, from 6:00 pm to midnight.
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 PHYS 204 - Mechanics
Agenda
Fall 2024
All deadlines indicated are on the due date listed by 11:59 p.m. unless otherwise
indicated.

Week 1: September 2 - September 8

Lesson 1: Introduction and motion in 1-D

September 02 Labour Day, university closed

September 03 Classes begin
September 03 Discussion Board opens at 2 PM.
Week 2: September 9 - September 15

Lesson 2: Motion in 1-D

September 09 Quiz 1 due at 11:59pm

Week 3: September 16 - September 22

Lesson 3: Vectors and Motion in 2-D

September 16 Deadline to add fall-term courses

Deadline for withdrawal with tuition refund (DNE) from fall-term
September 16
courses
September 16 Quiz 2 due at 11:59pm
September 22 Assignment 1 due at 11:59pm
Week 4: September 23 - September 29

Lesson 4: Forces

September 23 Quiz 3 due at 11:59pm

Week 5: September 30 - October 6

Lesson 5: Newton’s Laws of Motion

September 30 Quiz 4 due at 11:59pm

October 06 Assignment 2 due at 11:59pm
Week 6: October 7 - October 13

Lesson 6: Circular Motion and Other Applications of Newton’s Law

October 07 Quiz 5 due at 11:59pm

October 13 Assignment 3 due at 11:59pm
Mid-term break: October 14 - October 20
October 14 Thanksgiving Day, university closed
October 15 Reading week begins
October 20 Reading week ends
Week 7: October 21 - October 27

Lesson 7: Work and Energy

October 21 Quiz 6 due at 11:59pm

Deadline to register with the Access Centre for Students with
October 27 Disabilities and receive exam accommodations for the fall 2023 final
examination period
Midterm Exam - covers lesson 1 to 6 - open from 8am to 11:59pm on
October 24
WebAssign
Last day to submit required documentation to register with the Access
October 25 Centre for Students with Disabilities and request exam accommodations for
the fall 2024 final examination period
Week 8: October 28 - November 3

Lesson 8: Conservation of Energy

October 28 Quiz 7 due at 11:59pm

Week 9: November 4 - November 10

Lesson 9: Momentum and Collisions

November 04 Quiz 8 due at 11:59pm

November 10 Assignment 4 due at 11:59pm
Week 10: November 11 - November 17

Lesson 10: Torque

November 11 Quiz 9 due at 11:59pm

 Week 11: November 18 - November 24

Lesson 11: Rotation and Static Equilibrium

November 18 Quiz 10 due at 11:59pm

November 24 Assignment 5 due at 11:59pm
Week 12: November 25 - December 3

Lesson 12: Angular Momentum and Simple Harmonic Motion

November 25 Last day for instructor-scheduled tests or examinations

November 25 Quiz 11 due at 11:59pm
December 02 Last day of classes, fall term
December 02 Deadline for academic withdrawal (DISC) from fall-term courses
December 02 Quiz 12, and Assignment 6 due at 11:59pm
Examinations Period: December 4 - December 18

Final Exam date and time is posted on your Student Hub