Grades

Physics 1408 GRADE CALCULATION FORMULA
Calculate your own grade! (REVISED, 8/8/11!!!)
More details can be found in the Course Syllabus. I think that this is straightforward! Anyone who can understand Newton's Laws
& the many applications of them we've discussed should be easily able to understand what is below. Certainly, anyone who
wants to work as a scientist or engineer should be able to understand it!

PLEASE!!! I DON'T WANT TO ANSWER 42 EMAILS/PHONE CALLS ABOUT THIS!!

PLEASE!!! TRY TO CALCULATE YOUR GRADE BEFORE EMAILING ME!! Thanks!!

The final Physics 1408 course grade is determined as follows:
1. Quiz Average

First, calculate your Quiz Average as a percent. We've had 5 quizzes (including the attendance sheet I took up the last class day!). Each is worth a maximum of 20 points. Call them Q₁,Q₂,Q₃,Q₄ & Q₅. Notice that, because there are 5 quiz grades worth 20 points each, which adds up to 100, the total of the 5 grades is also the Quiz Average as a percent. There were 15 extra quiz points for sending an email when class began. This is added to the numerator when a quiz percentage is computed, but not to the demnominator. These extra points are equivalent to 75% of an extra quiz! So, the low quiz grade is NOT dropped! Call these extra quiz points EP. So, it is possible to have a quiz % greater than 100% & few of you do! Call the Quiz Average Q. So, the Quiz Average Q is calculated as:

Q = (Q₁ + Q₂ + Q₃+ Q₄+ EP) (1)

2. Homework Average

Next, calculate your Homework Average as a percentage. This is available to you from Mastering Physics, but the number We had 11 homework sets, but the first one was "for practice" & doesn't count in your grade & the last one (Ch. 9) was for extra credit (I gave you credit for it if you did it, but I didn't penalize ypou if you didn't. Call the remaining 9 required homework sets H₁,H₂,.......H₉. & the Extra Credit set EC. Also, from the Syllabus, the Quiz Average is equal to one homework set. So, the Homework Average H is calculated as:

H = [(10)*(H₁ + H₂ + H₃ + H₄+ H₅ + H₆ + H₇ + H₈ + H₉ + EC) + Q]/(11) (2)

3. Lecture Average

Next, calculate your Lecture Average. From the Syllabus, homework counts 20% of the Lecture Grade. We had 3 Exams (call them EI, EII, EIII) PLUS the Final Exam (call it EF). The 3 Exams each count 20% & the Final Exam counts 40% (unless it is the lowest exam!). The Final Exam counts only 20% if it is the lowest. Either way, call the lowest Exam EL. So, the Lecture Average (call it LA) is calculated as:

LA = (0.2)*(EI + EII + EIII + EF + EF + H - EL) (3)

4. Lab Average

I obtain your Lab Average (call it L) as a percentage from your TA.

5. Course Average

From the Syllabus, the Course Grade G is calculated with the Lecture Average, LA counted as 80% & the Lab Average L counted as 20%. So

G = (0.8)*(LA) + (0.2)*L (4)

6. Letter Grade

The Letter Grade given for the final grade numerical score G from Eq. (4) will be according to the scale in the syllabus:

100 > A > 90 > B > 78 > C > 66 > D > 54 > F > 0