Welcome to your half-block tour of space-time!

As your

Instructor: Stephanie DiCenzo, Barnes 222, x6218, I'm impressed that you're not spending this time skiing or just sleeping late, both of which are good things. You should expect to work hard, but not actually to have to kill yourself to do well in this course.

Two weeks from now you'll know quite a lot about realtivity. We'll be using a good

Textbook: Spacetime Physics 2/e, by Taylor and Wheeler, a big paperback that I hope is at the bookstore.

Assignments will appear on this page as they become official, but in general you can assume we'll be chewing our way through the textbook. I don't like to collect or to correct homework, but anyone can tell you that if you don't do your homework in your physics course you are doomed. I'll write up a few solutions, and scan them in, if that's any help.

Tests and quizzes are useful educational tools. I figure we'll have a midterm and a comprehensive final. We may also have a few quizzes. There will be a tests page on the web, where you'll find sample problems and test solutions as these things come into existence. Personally, I prefer to give take-home tests, but we can discuss this.

Class will meet at about 9 am on Tuesdays through Fridays, unless we decide otherwise. On Monday mornings I'll be playing hockey, so our Monday classes will meet at 1:30 pm.

Your grade will be determined primarily by your performance on the tests. The final will count for most of the grade, and we will be offering the usual CC introductory physics deal: If your score on the final is higher than your score on the midterm, we will replace your midterm score with your final score. That's right: you can get a 30 on the midterm and still get an A in the course. However, don't be so foolish as to plan on this.

Office hours: I don't keep official office hours, but I'm around a lot, and rarely have anything better to do than to talk to you. I'll usually be at the ice rink at lunch time, and may not return to my office till 2 pm; feel free to put on some skates and join me if you want to talk about physics. Usually I go home at about 6 pm, but on certain days (see the schedule) I'll be leaving early (before 4:30) to go to the Avalanche home games.