Physics for Scientists and Engineers: Mechanics

Lecture/demonstration, four hours; discussion, one hour. Enforced requisites: Mathematics 31A, 31B. Enforced corequisite: Mathematics 32A. Motion, Newton laws, work, energy, linear and angular momentum, rotation, equilibrium, gravitation. P/NP or letter grading.

Review Summary

Clarity
5.0 / 10
Organization
0.0 / 10
Time
5-10 hrs/week
Overall
1.7 / 10

Reviews

    Quarter Taken: Winter 2021 Online
    Grade: A

    Good class, Kudu material was hard. Go to office hours to learn more

    Quarter Taken: Spring 2023 In-Person
    Grade: N/A

    You have to buy Kudu for the class, which is like 50 or 70 bucks. Class is pretty much just doing physics problems and demonstrations, and same thing for exams. The class is curved, but you have to get pretty much an A before the curve to get an A in the class.

    Quarter Taken: Spring 2023 In-Person
    Grade: A-

    Lectures are mandatory because he does in class quizzes. You can drop one. His exams are fairly challenging, but he had a fair grading scheme where it’s either your straight up percent grade or it’s based on your percentile (top 30% get A- or above, 40% Bs, etc). I got my grade by percentile. His lectures are confusing and not helpful. Homework was quick and easy. Discussion wasn’t mandatory or super useful.

    Quarter Taken: Spring 2023 In-Person
    Grade: C+

    I went into this class with no background knowledge in physics and found it very difficult. Lectures are not recorded and those who sat around me were consistently confused as well. Taking extra time to go through the readings on kudu felt ineffective and I did not feel well prepared for class. Example problems have solutions but no explanation.

Course

Instructor
Alexander Kusenko
Previously taught
24W 23S 21W 20W 19W 18W

Grading Information

  • No group projects

  • Attendance required

  • 2 midterms

  • 10th week final

  • 80% recommend the textbook