Phys 360: Study Guide for Final Exam

Date: Wed May 6 from 3:30-5:30 pm, in our classroom.

Study tips:

• Be able to answer all questions from the Activities, focusing on concepts and techniques.
• Check out the Answer Pages (AP) to the Activities and Exams at our myBGSU site in the "Assignments" section, particularly if you had "see AP" on your graded sheet. There are also practice exams there along with their answer pages.
• Have read all textbook assignments.
• You may want to browse the links on this page to reinforce some ideas and review pictures/movies that I showed in class. Copies of all the PowerPoint lectures are available on myBGSU/Assignments.
• Don't memorize facts like dates, historical details, or specific numbers (e.g., the specific heat of water).
• Do focus on concepts (how things work, how we gather information about the physics of the environment), particularly the physics concepts (less emphasis on economic factors and statistics, which the book discusses at great length).
• I will give you all the formulas you will need along with numerical constants (e.g., the specific heat of water). You should understand what they mean and how to use them.
• Do bring a calculator (cell phones and other messaging devices are not acceptable), there will be computation questions. I recommend combing through your notes to identify all the equations and making a study sheet listing them, what the letters symbolize, how the result changes when you change different variables. If we did calculations with the equation, include an example or two on your study sheet.
• Do bring a #2 pencil for filling in bubble forms (if necessary).
• Feel free to visit my Office Hours (or make an appointment if they don't suit you) to answer any questions that arose while studying. I should be available most days Mon-Wed of exam week 9:30-5pm in my office (112 Overman) so stop by.

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Coverage:

~70% on material since Exam #2:

• Chapters 10-16.
• Activities 11-15.

~30% on material from Exams #1 and #2 (focus on main ideas):

• Chapters 1-7.
• Activities 1-9.

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Grading:

I will compute each person's final course grade two ways, and take the way that gives the higher score:

• Exam1=14%, Exam2=14%, FinalExam=25% (total=53%)... the "new scheme" from the April 21 email.
• Exam1=11%, Exam2=11%, FinalExam=31% (total=53%)... like the original scheme from the syllabus, with Exam3 and the Final merged.

Sample Problems (content from Exam #2):

I. 30-40 multiple choice questions -- example:

1) For an active solar house in BG (space heating), it would be best to place the solar panels

(A) horizontally, flat on the ground, (B) vertically, facing south, (C) vertically, facing east, (D) facing south but tilted about 25 degrees from vertical (nearly upright), (E) facing south but tilted 25 degrees from horizontal (nearly flat).

II. Fill in the blank -- examples:

1) When CFC's float into the upper atmosphere, they tend to ____________________.

2) To heat 100 gallons of hot water in a domestic solar hot water heater, you need solar panels covering an area of ________ square feet, assuming an insolation of 1400 Btu/ft2/day and a collector efficiency of 50% [show your work in the space below].

III. Do 3 of the 4 short Essay questions -- examples (one writing, one calculation):

1) Imagine a figure skating couple standing face to face on the ice. She gives her partner a push. Explain what happens in terms of all three of Newton's Laws (imagine the ice is frictionless).

2) A person uses an electric winch to lift a 100 kg sack of turnips from the ground onto a truck 1.5 meters above the ground. (a) Has the winch done any work? Explain in words. (b) Use equations to calculate and demonstrate the amount of work done. (c) In words, explain how power relates to this problem. (d) Use equations to calculate and demonstrate the amount of power the winch uses to lift the sack in 3 seconds. (e) Compare this to the amount of power required to lift it in 10 sec.

~60% of credit will be in multiple choice and fill in the blank, while ~40% will be essay.