News

3/19/04 - Supplementary Final Exam Question

Some of you were asked to complete an additional programming question for the computing final exam. That question is now available online.

3/12/04 - Apollo Mission Corrections

The Rocket class in the moon mission lab had a bug in it which has been fixed in the version of that module on the Python examples page. The bug caused the rocket to always point in its direction of travel regardless of how you may have oriented it to burn the Engine. This prevented it from entering Lunar orbit properly even if all calculations for burn time and direction were correct. a module with an Earth-Mars-sun system is also available if anyone wants to try getting to Mars.

3/9/04 - Self Evaluation Worksheets and Faculty Evaluation Worksheets

Please hand in a completed self evaluation worksheet on Thursday, March 11th in physcis lecture/workshop. If you are leaving the program you should use the worksheet to write a formal self-evaluation which you should bring to your conference next week. Everyone should bring a completed faculty evaluation worksheet to their conference (or place it in our mail box if you prefer). If you are leaving the program please write a formal faculty evaluation for both David and Barry.

3/6/04 - Computing Take Home Final

The Computing Final is now online. In addition, arrow.py and spring.py have been updated to show the solutions to the corresponding computer labs. timewasters.py, the module with the Television class used in lab is also available.

3/6/04 - In-Class Test Retake

If you felt short of time on the In-Class test and would like an opportunity to take a second look you should submit it again with your take home test.

3/5/04 - Calculus and Physics Take Home Tests

Here are PDF's of the Calculus and Physics take home tests if you missed them in class. I suggest you look at past homework solutions before starting these tests.

3/4/04 - Calculus Homework Solutions

Nic has uploaded solutions to most of the homework questions from this quarter. Please have a look at these in the homework repository.

3/3/04 - Spring Information

Please read the Spring Quarter Syllabus. The spring schedule is the same but the rooms have also changed a bit. The last five weeks of lab will be devoted to projects. We will give more information about these projects next week.

2/26/04 - Calculus Take Home Re-Test Solutions

I forgot to post the the Calculus Re-Test Solutions. You may or may not find this useful for the calculus test this Thursday.

2/25/04 - Calculus Reference Sheet

This Calculus reference sheet will be useful for reminding yourself about the derviatives and integrals
of basic functions. We will add to this sheet next quarter.

2/24/04 - SpringPendulum Code

The two files springsim.py and spring.py are needed for he computing homework. Just add Euler's method to the SpringPendulum class's simulate() method.

2/24/04 - Calculus Drill Sheets

If you would like some extra pracitce with the more technical aspects of the topics we are covering in Calculus please look at these drill sheets 1,2,3,4,5,6

2/23/04 - Lab Partners for week 8

Check the Lab Partners list for your groups and your lab partners for this week in physics lab.

2/19/04 - New Python Code posted

The object-oriented programming examples from class plus another physics example using object-oriented programming style called "fountain" have been added to the Python Examples page under "Week 7".

2/18/04 - Physics Lab Paper

It is now time to start writing your physics lab paper. Please read the Lab Paper Instructions.

You may choose to write your lab paper on one of the following labs:
The Pendulum Lab, The Terminal Velocity Lab or The Circular Motion lab.

Please take a rough draft of your paper to the the writing center during week 8. A signed and edited copy of your rough draft should be attached to your final lab paper when you turn it in. The due date is Tuesday, March 2nd (Week 9).

2/18/04 - Python Lab programs posted

galaxy.py and arrow.py have been posted on the examples page. Stay tuned for a better description of the arrow homework.

2/16/04 - Lab Partners for week 7

Check the Lab Partners list for your groups and your lab partners for this week in physics lab.

2/12/04 - Pendulum Code Posted

A module for creating a 3D pendulum in VPython is now in the python examples. The module is called pendulum and a program which tests it out is called trypendulum.py.

2/12/04 - New Python Code

Solutions to the calculus midterm take-home are posted as well as the natural log program using binary search. elephants.py, arms-race.py, arms-graph.py, ln.py These are heavily commented which makes the code a bit hard to read and look much longer than it is but hopefully the explanation is worth it.

2/12/04 - Lab Notebooks

Physics lab notebooks are due today. Please bring your lab notebooks to my office at Lab1 1016. For those who need a bit more time I will come in on Saturday to collect the late ones.

2/12/04 - Calculus Re-Test

Please complete and hand in the calculus re-test by Tuesday Feb 17th. You may find it helpful to read the original calculus midterm solutions.

2/8/04 - Physics Midterm solutions posted

Please read through the physics midterm solutions and make corrections.

2/4/04 - Computing Midterm solutions posted

Computing Midterm solutions posted and more Python examples from class posted.

1/29/04 - Correction

Question 5 on the computing take home gave an incorrect definition for dot product but has been corrected. Answers using either definition will be accepted as correct. The corrected definition makes the answer slightly easier (good news!).

1/29/04 -Mid Term Take Home Tests

Here are the take home tests: Physics, Calculus, Computing

1/24/04 - Reading assignment for Computing

A reading assignment from one of the online Python books is posted as the Week 4 computing homework.

1/23/04 - Week 3 Computing Lecture Code Posted

The Python code from the lecture is HERE as well as a link on the Example Code page.

1/22/04 - New Python Example

A New Python example explaining variable scope in Python posted on the Example Code page.

1/21/04 - Python Programs Posted

Here are the programs SEQUENCE and LENGTH From Chapter 2 of Callahan which will help with the Calculus Homework. Also, the SIR and SIRPLOT programs have been available for a while. Links to all of the Python examples on this site are on the Python Resources page.

1/20/04 - Sample Physics Solution

I posted a solution to Problem 16 for this weeks homework so you have an idea how to proceed on the others.

1/20/04 - Lab Notebooks

Lab notebooks with the first 2 labs are due Monday morning of Week 4 (January 26th). If you are organized enought to get your lab notebook in this Thursday I'll be happy to have them early.

1/15/04 - Algebra Tonic

Check the Algebra Topics Schedule for information on the weekly algebra sessions for students whose math is rusty.

1/9/04 - Homework Posted

The Week 2 Computing Homework page was posted yesterday which includes some test programs you can use to make sure you're Python installation is working properly and to get familiar with using the IDLE development environment included.

We never had a Calculus lecture or workshop due to the snow, but it will help us make up for that if everyone goes ahead and reads Calculus in Context sections 1-1 and 1-3. You may be interested in the math review in section 1-2.

Also notice that Python Examples have been posted on the Python Resources page in the navigation bar to the left of this page.