- #1
Vitani11
- 275
- 3
I took my mechanics final yesterday and I got one out of five problems correct. I know this because I checked online and four of the five answers were available from my professor and the last problem I couldn't do due to lack of time. We (the class) needed to get a 40% on the final to pass and I think I got a 20%. I almost got the other problems but I was off by one step. I had to use the lagrangian to derive the acceleration for a hoop down some incline which I did perfectly except (for some stupid reason) I used the moment of inertia for a sphere! I also had to show that the momentum was conserved for a certain mass in the problem which I did do and was one of the parts of the problem. Then another problem I had to prove that if a droplet falling in the atmosphere acquired mass as a rate proportional to its area (dependent on radius) then the speed increases linearly with time which I was really close to getting but I messed up on the last step, however I got the first part right. Finally another one I almost had but I messed up because I did not know how to integrate this function - it was a trig sub and I used sine, sinh, and cosh but not cosine which is what it was. I was frantically trying to figure this out and for another stupid reason I did everything except cosine and so I didn't finish the problem although I got the first part correct. So I basically got one completely right, three of them I got half right, and the final problem I got nothing. My teacher said that four of the five were all or nothing and the three I got half right were a part of those. So I basically failed. I think I failed. On the other hand the class was immediately talking about how they failed after the exam and there was the usual few who broke down beforehand - I think this is a good sign as a curve and leniency in grading may happen as a result. I just really love physics and I want to continue in this major. Is this normal for someone in this degree? Does everyone nearly fail but just not as bad and then there is a curve and you end up passing? That test was pretty difficult. I'm terrified and I've never had to worry about something like this because I've never taken a course like that.